LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9619, 12 October 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There are a consi eraoie numcer of unoccupied dwelling houses at Martinborough at present. At this time last year there was not a house procurable.

A progressive euchre tournament and dance will be held by the Masterton Fire Police in the For.stera' Hali, this evening. Thfi Masterton Golf Club will officially close their season cn Saturday next, when a mixed foursome competition will be played. During the afternoon the President of the Club, Mr H. G. Williams, will present the trophies won by the successful competitors during the sea-

son. The weekly meeting ofj the Endeavour Lodtre was held in the Dominion flail last evening, C.T. Sis. C. McLean occupying the chair. There was a good attendanca of members'. During the evening guessing competitions resulted as follows: —Number of beans in bottle, Sis. Butcher first, Sis. Mrs McLean "Oooby" prize. There is every prasoeet of a school branch of the Navy League being formed at Lansdowne. Laßt evening Dr. R. V. Hosking delivered a lecture at the Lansdowne Scfnol to a large attendance of children and their parents. The lecture was illustrated with lantern pictures, th machine beiug ably manipulated by Mr A. 0. Levien. At a meeting or the Executive Committee of the Masterton Ladies' Swimming Club, last evening, the question of the site for the proposed baths was brought up. The President, Mrs J. W. Blackman, said that the gift had been made and accepted by the Club on the sole understanding that the baths were to be con structed in the Park, and they held Dr. Hosking's Lt:ar U this effect lhe minthly maeti.i* of the Mas terton Friendly Societies' Council was held last riight, B:o P. Smith (Oldfellows) being in the chair. The Carterton Council, it wis reported, would reply during the week in the matter of holding a Wairarapa Friendly Societies' Picnic on Boxi-ig Day. The secretary was instructed to notify the various Societies that the Friendly Societies' Act had been carefully considered, and that Mr Hogg was to be asked to support tha sa'ne being made law. It was decided to afliliate 8 with the Wellington Council, and the mutter of ap pointing a delegate was left in the hands of the President. The women's employment branches of the Labour during September found work for a large ) number of applicant*. At Auckland {,155 applications were made for doj rrustic assistants, and 53 engage* ! ments wtre made; 38 generals were I applied for and only 12 offered for this class of work. The Wellington bureau helped thirty-one single and 23 married worn n to employment. At Christchurch thifre were 76 applicants for employment, of whom 61 were suited. During the same period 206 employers sought the as sistance of the branch. The demand for generals is still very great, but most girls applying prefer a lighter cla«s of wurk. At Dunedin i 26 applications from employers and 61 from assistants were registered. Forty three applicants were placed in employment. To-morrow is Labour Day. Mr j. Georgeson, the Inspector of Factories I in Masterton, points out that with j respect to shops the holiday may be observed as a sp :<ial holiday, but j it is not compulsory. With regard to the Factories Ac', occupier shall ' allow a whol? h Inlay on Labour Day to every boy under eighteen years of age. and to every woman employed in the factory or workroom. The following trades in the Masterton district, under their respective awards, are atf'ectel by their regulated overtime rates for work done on Labour Day—-m., bakers and pastry cioks, carpenters, coach-work-ers, engineers, furniture trades, farriers and blacksmiths, general labourers, plumbers and tinsmiths, tailors, timber yards (factories) and j typ'/graphars, etc. In the local drivers' awards Labour Day is not mentioned as one of the regulated holidays. With respect to the butchers, the employers and employes have arranged, in connection with the secI tion of their awa'd, to observe Thurs- | day, 14th October, as a full holiday instead of Labour Day. The monthly meeting of the Directors of ihj Workers* Mutual Building Society w's hold last night, at the Society's office. There were present, Messrs R. Krahagen (in the chair), J. PrenticW H. Cole, A. Gardner, J. Candy, J. C. Ewington, T. S. Cre*swel , and J. W. Gordon. The Treasurer reported a credit balance of £893. A letter was rea d from the Secretary of the Workmen's Friend Society, asking the Directors to call a meeting of their shareholders to consider the terms on which the two Societies could amalgamate, and forwarding certain alterations in the terms previously arraned between the two bodies of directors. After some consideration it was decided "That no further steps be taken by this Society re amalgamation, as the conditions offered were not favourable to the interests of the shareholders of the older Society." A shareholder who had drawn an appropriation applied under Kule 114 to be albwed to forego. The request was granted. Three new shares were allotted to applicants under the double payment system. The chairman stated that this would enable the Society to dispose of £3OO by ballot and another £3OO by sale on November 18th, in additoin to the £3OO to be tendered for oh October 16th, after the annual meeting had taken place. The chairman said he felt sure the shareholders would be pleased at the satisfactory financial ftate of the Society as disclosed by the balance sheet that would be l.iil

before them at the annua! meet'ng.

P. and 0. steamers are to call at Auckland during the late summer months.

The name of Mr Hogan is mentioned in connection with the postilion of Gavenment Junior Whip. It is expected that Romney sheep will be strongly represented at the Poverty Bay A. arid P. Show on October 2()Ui and 27ch The fes ivitics in connection with t.ha jubilee of Marlborough will commence at Blenheim and Picton on November Ist. It is stated that out of 1,612 public accountants who have heen registered under the new Act only 400 have passed tne accountancy examination.

Articles, postil notes, and valuables of all descriptions of a value of no less than £) 1,189, were- discovered in the Dead Letter Office of the Postal Department last year, and returned to senders where practicable.

There sre indications that the loan authorised during the recent short session for public works is already practically exhausted by the liabili ties, writes a correspondent, and that it will be necessary to brint; in a second Loan bill during the present session if public works are to be at all energetically prosecuted. The stoppage of important road works in the North Island on the first of the month tends to confirm the statement regarding the necessity for further supplies. The Boy Scouts are soon to develop a new activity (savs the London "Dailv Mail"). Their chief scout and founder, Lieutenant-General Baden-Powell, hopes before long to materialise a plan of sending patrols into the poorer quarters of large towns to engage in "slum-seout-ing." Discussing this schsme, General Baden-Powell said: —"If the plan on further consideration proves practicable, the boys would go by patrols into the to do 'good turns.' With the consent of the peuple living th?re they would help to scrub flaors and to clean win* dows; they would do cooking, and make themselves generally as useful as possible."

The Commissioner of Crown Lands* Wellington, mentions in the course of his annual report on the Crown lands settlement in this district, tbatwherever one travels the appearance of the homestead and surroundings show that the occupants are prosperous, and doing well. Probably progress is most marked along the west coast in the following localities: —Horowhenua, Pohangina, Apiti, Rangiwaea, Hunterville, Mangaweka, and Taihape districts; whilst on the east coast settlers in the neighbourhood of Pahiatua, Makuri, Pongaroa, and Eketahuna, may be specially mentioned as evidence of what can be achieved by men who stick closely to the land; but the pmgresss throughout the entire district has been so steadily and sound that it is almost invidious to draw comparisons, particularly as circumstances govern so many individual cases as well a3 localities. Some idea of the increased value of land in Dunedin is given by Rev. W. Glade, pastor of the Methodist Central Mission. He says: 'The piece of grou.id which we bought two years ago as a site for a new building has proved a great help financially. I

may explain that we bought two sections, comprising half-an-acre, for £3OO, occupying a frontage of 236 feet. As our buildings will require only 114 feet of frontage, we have two strips of ground to Jease, amounting to 122 feet frontage. Owing to the fact that the value of the land has just about doubled in the two years of our possession, the rental of the two strips, provides the interest on more than £2OO, and as we are just finishing the payment of a £IOO . private loan, our site iavirtually paid for, and chiefly, by the increase of value, which has really been equivalent to a £2,000 donation."

j Trade generally is improving all over New Zealand, according to the reports from the d'fferent districts published in the "Labour Journal." In New Plymouth, and Taranaki generally, thintrs have almost reached their normal level. Great difficulty is being experienced in getting labour for milking and farm work, though £1 or £1 5s "and found" are the terms. Gisborne, Napier, Wanganui, Masterton, Carterton and Palmerston North all report changes for the better. ■ Wellington itself has not such good news to offer. "During the month," says the "Journal," "trade generally has not been good. Some branches show a slight improvement, but not to any appreciable degree, and, although the number of unemployed has considerably decreased, employers still complain that trade is exceedingly slack. There is no indication of an improvement in the bulding trade, but dressmaking and tailoring are now exceedingly busy. Employers are more hopeful of an improvements generally in the state of trade in the near future."

The proceedings at the annual meeting of the Moa Dairy Co. bristled with lively incidents. The meeting took place in the Parish Hall, Inglewood, and a peculiar incident is thus related by the "Daily News." The Moa Dairy Company's meetings of shareholders are generally provocative of a little amusement, sometimes .a little excitement. Arguments often appear to narrowly miss the pugilistic stage, so exi Inglewoud folk will not be very j greatly surprised to learn that fire | arms played a part in Saturday's annual corroboree. None of the shareholders, however, took part in the shooting nor was it seriou-. Members of "The Englishman's Home" comany were working at ihe back of the stage, and as the meeting had got from spicy to "deaa slow," one of the "actor chaps" (as they were playfully called) produced a couple of property rifles and "let her go." The buzz of conversation ceased like magic., and a silence followed that could be felt. The shock soon wore off, and the arguments rt'-commenced where they had been so violently in terruptcd. Messrs Gillespie and Co. have vacancies for station and farm hands and domestics. A comprehensive assortment cf tennis goods from the best makers is now on view at the W.F.G.A.

Intending exhibitors at the Wairarapa and East Coast P. and A. Society's Show, to be held at Carterton on 27th and 28th instant, are notified that entries close to-morrow.

An advertiser has vacancies for two lady boarders.

Mr P. P. Welch has vacancies for a manager for sheep farm and hands for shearing sheds.

Mr W. H. Cruickshank has for sale a seven-roomed house with all conveniences situated in Chapel street. The skating rink in Dixon street is open every from 7.30 to 10 p.m.

A visit to the furniture show rooms, of the W.F.C.A. is at all times interesting. The newest lines in furnishings wiil always be found there, as well as choice examples of the firm's own handicaft. Prices of a fewleading lines will be found on pnge 6 of this issue.

Daring the next week an exceptional opportunity will he given to men in this district of obtaining a stylish suit made from fashionable material at a very low price. The New Zealand Clothing Factory has received at its Maslerton branch forty stylish suit lengths, which are now exhibited in the window of their Queen street premises. A suit will be made to measure from any of these pattern for 57s 6d. As the offer is open for one week only, early selection is necessary. A lease of Devonshire House in Victoria street, Masterton, has been secured by Mesdames Miller and Scott, aud on Saturday next they will re-open it as a superior private boarding-house. The premises have been renovated and splendidly furnished, and patrons can rely on receiving the best of attention and excellent service. The new proprietresses are experienced in the con} duct of the business into whicn they have now entered and no detail that makes for the ' comfort of visitors and boarders will be overlooked." The bedroims are spacious, well ventilated and liberally furnished - The dining room is so arranged that reserved tables will be availabi) for premanent boarders. A first-class tennis court has. been laid down for the use of boarders and their friends, ror many years past Devonshire' House has been regarded as one of the most popular pri\ate boardinerhouses in the district, and undjr t. 4new management tl is reputation will be fully maintaimd. Casual visitors to Masterton will find Devonshire House a first-ciass stopping place, at a reasonable tariff. Interest is increasing daily in the Blossom and Butterfly Fair, to be held on 20th and 21st inst., in the Drill and Town Halls, in aid of Knox: Church Funds. Tickets which are now on sale at one shilling admit to the Fair in the afternoon and; evening of the same day. Mr Webbhas charge of the musical items, Messrs Young and Webb of the piano • competitions (gold medal for each division), Rev A. T. Thompnn of' the children's competitions. Coking competitions for the ladies (the besfcc in scones, fruit cakes, seed cake, shortbread, gingerbread),will receive valuable prizes. No entry fee will be charged, the cakes to become the property of the Fair. Forr decorated tabbs Mr Henderson is donating first and second prizes—: the entry fee is one shilling. Any one requiring farther information * can get it from Mr Henderson, hon.. secretary. Prizes will be given for the best 21bs of dairy butter, dish > of heaviest. eggs, and plate of cream puffs, s .