LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9596, 16 September 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the.parace or the fMasterton Rifle Volunteers next Friday, instruction will be given in advance guard j work. Buyers are offering s|d for cheese in Taranaki. It looks as if the bulk of the output will be consigned. Mr C. Hoffeins, of Mauriceville, has obtained a return of 125 per cent, of Shropshire crossbred lambs. The relieving officer for the Feilding district reports a record during the last month in the matter of assistance given to "casuals," having assisted forty in Palmerston, four teen in Feilditig, eight in Foxton, and one in Kimbolton. A farmer at Mahora, Hawke's Bay, who was fortunate enough to get 140 per cent, of lambs (nearly lambs to the ewe), docked them last week, dabbing the wounds with sheep dip. He found seventy of his best iambs dead the pext morning. "Eketahuna is a poverty-stricken hole," impatiently exclaimed a member of the Wellington Presbytery on Tuesday last, when that body was considering the advisability ot "laperiDg off" the grant made in aid of the Presbyterian Church in the Wairarapa township. Mr J. J. Virgo, acting-national secretary for the Y.M.C.A. in Australasia, stated to a "Press" reporter on baturday that he had been authorI ised by Dr. Wilbur Chapman and Mr I Charles Alexander to state definitely that they intend to conduct an evangelical revival throughout New Zealand in two years' time. On his return to Australia , from New Zealand, Tommy Burns, the pugilist, told an interviewer that he taought this Dominion suffered from "over-legislation" in many respects. His chief complaint was that "the income-tax official seemed to be always thrusting his presence forward!" ; Regarding the ■iangitikei election, the "Hunterville Express" says: "Mr Meldrum is chasing victory for all it is worth. At all of his meetings there are large attendances, and the opinion that he will be in the second ballot with Mr Huckly is gaining strength. Mr Hockly, despite Mr Hutchison's retirement, is not Blackening his efforts to win voters over to his side. That he will top the poll there is not the 'slightest possible shadow of doubt whatever' —as they sing in comic.opera."

Prohibition orders are responsible for a new phase of bookmaking, and pencillers are now prepared to underwrite the fines which are likely to be inflicted on those who obtain liquor during their prohibited period (writes the Northern Wairoa correspondent of the "Auckland Herald.") .Recently an interdicted individual was charged with having procured liquor, and to insure his somewhat sparse funds, wagered with a penciller the sum of 10s, that he would not be fined JE2. Ii the course of time, he appeared before the Bench, haltingly confessed his misdemeanour, pleaded hard times, was fined 7a 6d, and I straightaway repaired to collect his j wager, rejoicing in the fact that he had benefited to the extent of half-a-crown by his contravention of the statute. i

The lot of the Presbyterian home missionary is often hard. At the meeting of the Presbytery at Wellington yesterday, instances were given of a married missionary with one child receiving the princely stipend of £IOO a year, without a manse, and of another missionary at Pongaroa, having a wife and five children, receiving £l3O without a manse. Dr. Gibb had suggested that the Presbytery should recommend the assembly to cut down the grants in some of these cases with the object of encouraging independ ■ ence, but when the case of the £IOO stipend was mentioned he admitted that he hardly knew how the missionary made both ends meet. The Pongaroa case was held to belong to a different category, it being stated that there were well-to do and generous people in the district. It was suggested that the grant towards the Pongaroa stipend might be reduced from £3O to £25, and the congregation asked to provide the difference. After further consideration, however, it was decided to postpone dealing with the grants until next meeting, when the Presbytery expects to have a complete schedule of requirements befwe it.

At the I'olice Court yesterday" morning, an offending inberiate was fined 10s. in default 48 hours' imprisonment, by Mr Eli Smith, J.P. Hawera has struck a new line in holding a pig fair. The fair was. held on Saturday, and larga entries were received, The Feilding Fire Board has decided to purchase a section for £3OO and erect a fire station and tower at a cost of £SOO. The report submitted by the matron at the meeting of tha Masterton Hospital Trustees yesterday morning, showed that there were nine patients in the Hospital at the beginning of the month, nineteen admitted during tne month, eleven discharged, leaving seventeen in the institution at the end of the month. The directors of the Wellington Farmers' Co-operative Meat Company will this morning make aninspection of the sites under offer to them in the vicinity of Wellington. They will meet again in Masterton on Saturday morning next tomake a selection of two sites, and the result of their deliberations will be placed before the shareholders at an early date.

During: a Southvvark (London) inquest on June 4th a pathologist from Guy's Hospital said he saw hundreds of cases in which persons had been cured of consumption when it was taken in its early stages, and it was quite possible that in fifty years' time the disease would practically be unknown in England. Lord Roberts suggests a novel method of recruiting for the Territorials. He advises "'young ladies not to play tennis and other sports with men not qualified to serve their country," An imaginary conversation foreseen by a sympathetic commentor runs:—"Our dance, I think." "I'm sorry, but I hear you haven't done your drills."

A debate was held in the Y.M.C.A. last evening, the subject being "Should Fire Boards be Abolished." The affirmative was taken by a team from the Fire Brigade, consisting of Messrs F. Haugfiey, E. Pragnell, and L. Lewis, and the team taking the negative side from the Y.M.C.A. was represented N by Messrs G. Sykes, D. Hebenton and A. Donald. After a spirited discussion the judge (Mr A. P. Rawson) gave his decision in favour of the Y.M.C.A. team.

A new horror has been added to political campaigning, says the "Feilding Star," Mr R. W. Smith, one of the Government candidates for the RangitiLei seat, we are told, "addressed the electors at Bennett Siding last Sunday." It is bad enough for candidates to have to work six days in the week and can use electors to work overtime by attending their meetings at night —but Sunday labour! That is the last straw. We are afraid the politician will have to, go—so far as this Smith is concerned He must be sacrificed as an offering for such a breach of the rule* of the game.

The monthly meeting of the Trustees of the Masterton Hospital was held in the Council Chambers yesten day morning. There were present Mr J. B. Keith (Chairman), and Messrs J. Fisher, C. C. Jackson, J„ 'C. Ewington, J. Miller, J. H. O'Leary, R. Brown. The Treasurer's statement showed, Masterton Hospital, receipts, £604 18s 9d (including Government subsidy £lO5 13s 3d, District Board, first instalment £418); total expenditure, £240 4s lOd; leaving a balance,to date of £444 4s 3d; Infectious Diseases Hospital, receipts £5 7d, expenditure £5 10s 2d, balance at bank, £9l 15s Bd.

Prohibition fs one tnmg, out the prevention of prohibited persons obtaining spirituous liquor is quite another, according to the arguments of counsel in an appeal case heard before Mr Justice Edwards, at Auckland. Some hotels, it was stated, supplied something like 2,000 persons daily, and when as many as 17 prohibition orders had been issued at Auckland iri one day it was a matter of impossibility for licensees and employees to ascertain the identity of all. "In London," remarked Mr J. K. Reed, "they have a 'black list,' which means that publicans are supplied with photos, of prohibited persons." Some such practice, he thought, might work successfully in Auckland.

In his address at Christchurch, Mr A. W. Hogg, M.P., referred in congratulatory terms to Messrs G. Laurenson, M.P., and H. G. Ell, M.P. as champions of land and currency reform. A Christchurch paper states that a member of the audience thereupon askea Mr Hogg what he meant by eulogising those members who were staunch supporters of the Government that Mr Hogg had condemned. "I have be«in associated with both Mr Laurenson and Mr Ell since they entered Parliament," replied Mr Hogg, "and I know that they have generally walked along with me into the same lobby. not taken into consideration whether they are Government members or not, but they are entirely on the side of the people with regard t» those two questions." A voice from the audience inquired, "Will you three members form a new party?" "Well," replied Mr Hogg, "if a new party should be formed in the interests of labour, I am not sure that they would not be members of it. I think that after the next general election a new party will be formed in this country."

I State insurance and a scheme which the inventor, Mr H. Hill, Hawke's Bay, puts forward as quite feasible, was the subject of a paper read at the last monthly meeting ,of the Hawke's Bay Philosophical ! Society. The scheme is as follows: | —Every worker between 16 and 50 years of age should contribute one shilling per week for 40 weeks in the year, and the employer and Government should subsidise that sum at the rate of 6a each. There were 234,616 workers in the Dominion, and the annual return would be £938,464. The following expenditure would be probable—Sick payments at 21s 6d per head, £252,212 4s, and out of work payments to 6,038 persons for 16 weeks at 25s per week, £"! 20,760. The pension scheme allowed for pay mens of 16s per week to 11,700 workers, and would absorb £487,968. The total payments amounted to £860,940, or" £77,523 less than the total income. Ir is claimed that the system is selfsupporting, and would not affect the-: present|forms of thrift in any way.