LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9629, 22 October 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The latest return from the Mystery Plat Dredge is 30oz 3dwt. The Masterton Dredge's rtturn this week is 460z 2dwt for 137 hours' .work. By the Ulimaroa, which arrived at Wellington from Sydney on Wednesday, Mr M. T. McGratb, of Masterton. brought back Osiris and Tumut from Australia. Kev. Dean McKenna's Irish setter Tim secured first prizo at the Hawke's Bay Show, in the open class, and also in the puppy class. The wheat crops in the Masterton district are looking in really good condition, and there is every prospect of a satisfactory yield. A far larger arfa of wheat was sown down this season than last. At a sale of rabbit skins held in Dunedin this week one bale of winter skins, weighing ?.771bs, realised 42Jd per lb, or a total value of £66 15s. This is claim; dtobe a record price for the Dominion. The Masterton Co-operative Dairy Factory is manufacturing about 7U boxes of butter ner week—a considerable increase on the amount for the corresponding period last year.

The Wellington Baptist Church, Vivian street, subscribed this year £740 for mission work in India. The amounts subscribed by the several districts -were—Wellington £l,llO, Auckland £507. Canterbury io2Bl, j Otago an J Southland £469. | The next best mail despatch for , Raratonga, Tahiti, Penrbyn, Aitutaki and Marquesas Islands, also Canada, United States of America, and West Indies, will leave WullingI- ton per Tarawera on 23rd October, closing ut Masterton at 4.45 p.m. on 22nd October. At the Hawke's Bay Show on Wednesday last in Lincoln sheep Mr W. Perry took eight first prizes and two second prizes. In Romney Marsh, Messrs Gray Bros, took a second and third prize, Mr G E. Allen three sec-, onds and two thirds, Mr W. H. Buick a third and v.h.c, and Mr W. Perry h.c. and c. In Shropshire Downs Mr A. J, Cooper secured three firsts ana a second. One of the British Chambers of Commerce delegates, while at Lake Wakatipu, was so attracted by the app6ai'fciil(33 of kht black birch forests abounding in that district V'M h§ dsg'tsd. to ssw.re j?n«?« seed to bow oil his property in EngtmS. He was surprised to learn, howeVjStV that s-j far it has beeri plastically impossible to secure fertile Seed, and that a specimen of the New Zealand black birch -is not to be found at Home, even in K.ew Gar Jens. Trafalgar Day anniversary did, not excite much interest yesterday in Masterton afe least, although the New Zealand Ensign fluttered bravely from its position at the Post Office tower. The students of the Masterton District High School, including the cadets and members of the Navy League assembled in the recreation grounds at 2 o'clock, when the ceremony of saluting the flag was performed.

George Christie, labourer, Carterton, has been adjudged bankrupt. His financial statement is not yet available. Following are the unsecured creditors:—W.P,C. A. r , G. W. Deller. P. Feist. J. V. Bailtie, A. Phillpntts, Patrick Bios., W. Russell.J. S. Pepper (all of Carterton!, and the Greytown Hospital Trustees. The first meeting of creditors will be held i-i the Courthouse at Carterton on Tuesday, October 326 th, at 2 p.m.

A great weakness in developing dairy herds is mentioned by Mr J. W. Deem, inspector in charge of West Coast districts in his annunJ report. He says:—"Some very fine nerds are being got together by -means of (careful selection and breeding and the use of the Babcock tester; but, unfortunately, there is such a spirit of speculation among (the dairy community, that no sooner does a farmerget a good head together and sfeow a good return, than he has a tempting offer, sells his fame and the herd is dispersed. This is very unfortunate, as tfaese productive herds are stimulating to others."' Regarding Halley's Comet, Mr J. T. Ward, director of the Wanganui Observatory, says it is not yet visible through the teJeseope in the ordinary way, and will oot be for same time to come, though a photographic plate can catch it after long exposure. The comet may be expected to be a fairly brilliant object when it approaches the sun in May, 1910, but its declination will be considerably to the north and therefore invisible for a time to southern observers, as it comes within the sun's vicinity and consequently becomes of greater apparent size.

Southern observers, however, may get their turn after it has passed the sun and turns once more on the cutward journey into space. The comet will be a telescopic object to the south of the sun by April, but for the present it is far beyond'*our vision.

Green peas were retailed in Christ chuich on Saturday at 6s per peck. ' Signor Caruso received for an August tour of the British Isles a sum stated at £B,OOO. The Mystery Flat Dredge will pay a dividend of Is 6d on Saturday. A number of farmers in the Featherston district are putting in milking machines this season. The Wellington police are proceeding against a number of persons for alleged fortune-telling. There are now no less than six cheese factories operating in districts of which Pahiatua is the natural centre. Negotiations have been completed by a well-known picture tirm for the erection of a new theatre in Wanganui. The police made a "raid" on a private house in Masterton last evening. A prosecution for alle_ed slygrog selling is to follow. A euchre tournament plnyed last evening between the Masterton Fire Police and the Carterton Fire Brigade resulted in a win for the former by 37 games to 25. Masterton Homing Pigeon Club held a race yesterday from Taihape to Masterton. Fifty birds were liberated at the former place, but at late hour last evening nou one had arrived home. The weather at Taihape was very stormy. The banking agitation is to be conducted in secret this session, says the "New Zealand Times." A private meeting of members of Parliament interested in proposals to amend the law was held on Wednesday,, when it was determined to make no communication to the press.

A public meeting in connection with the establishment of another subcentre of the Wairarapa Boxing Association, will be held this evening, in the Commercial Room of the Club Hotel, Greytown. Strong support has been promised and an exceptionally live club apptars to be assured.

One hundred civil servants in West Australia'have recently been placed on land specially allotted to them. It has been arranged that their retiring allowance, where such is due, will be paid in two instalments, one in twelve and the balance in twentyf""r months after leaving the service.

two Dannevirke fishermen landed a good basket out of the River on Tuesday, says the "News." In all they secured fourteen trout, ranging in weight from two to six and a half pounds. f Another party of anglers managed to land a basket of eight, aggregating close on twenty-one pounds (n weight, out of the Uringi creek, > _____

I "Are you a reporter?" asked an enthusiastic sheep farmer from North Canterbury, ,o£ a scribe, working amid the bable of a crowded hotel just before the ballot for the Te Akau block. ""i'hen, '* he added, without awaiting an answer, "rub it into the Government for not providing enough land. I've been chasing the ballot for n two years, with about as much hope of success as in Tattersalls sweeps." The exploitation of the name "New Zealand lamb'" was instanced by a speaker at the meeting of the ex • ecutive of the North Canterbury Farmers' Union on Wednesday laat He produced from a London paper a large type and striking advertisement worded as follows: "Common-sense compels the thrifty housewife to purchase our New Zealand lamb because it is equal to English and is only half the cost. Money returned if not satisfied. The River Plate Fresh Meat Co., Ltd.*' The reading of the advertisement caused a good deal of grim laughter. "There you are," said the speaker. "You will get New Zealand lamb, but you go to the River Plate Company for it. The advertisement is a blind for selling River Plate meat*'' Hit Wffl7 gteWSFd") presented; a lafgety-sighed petition in the House yesterday, asking the Government to take steps to increase the immigration of domestic servants. In answer to a question put by Mr James Allen, the Premier stated that the High Commissioner reported that the Old Country was experiencing; a difficulty in connection with the domestic servant question almost parallel with that of New Zealand, and thdt it was not considered that the offering of more liberal terms than those now given would have the effect of increasing the supply of such | servants to this Dominion. Under I these circumstances fee is not prepared to recommend the granting of any more assistance than that tallowed at present, viz., that a passage is provided for £lO for any domestic servant who possesses £2 in addition to her passage money. What proportion of farmers is there to be found in each of the par' ties is the House? The question was discussed briefly in the House on Wednesday night, and some interesting figures were mentioned. In the first place Mr W. C. Buchanan alleged that the settlers of the country, were but poorly represented on the Government side of the House, to which the Hon. U. Buddo retorted by "quoting the result of some in vesjagatibns he had made. Ori the Government side, he had found there v»e*e twelve members—including two of the native members—who were farmers by calling, and three others who added farming to their other callings. That made fifteen farming representatives The Opposition included seventeen farmers in its ranks, so the difference was very little.

A more rigorous lurm of prison discipline is favoured by Mr W. T. Jennings (Taumaranui). lie told the House an amusing story of a prison camp which had been retailed by a former inmate who. prior to his in rarcerafcon, was in a good social position* At the prison camp he found himself in good company in fact, he informed Mr Jennings that the elite of some professions were there. He did the cooking, and on one occasion he was asked by the chief warder if he could put on « dinner fit for the Duke and Duchess of Jfork. He replied, 'Yes, if you'll give me the ducks and spices," and they were duly provided. The pri-soner-cook did the ducks to a turn, but the Duke never came, and the prison camp enjoyed one more luxury. Mr Jennings expressed a -fervent hope that New Zealand prisoners would not be seen marching to a football match behind a brass band, !

Among the applications for side show space at the I'imaru Show is. one for "Mra Gerald Mite*'—32* years old, 3ft lin high, 2at 41b in, weight. The Martinoruugh Caledonian Society has decided to award the sum of £l2O in prize money a»d trophies • in connection with their sporta to be held on Boxing Day. At a meeting of the Wellington City Council, last evening, Mr J. H. Wood, of Petone, was appointed caretaker of the Wellhngton Abattoir. There were 81 applications. The drivers of a number of the motor-cars which were engaged in conveying the troops to and from the Christchurch manoeuvres on Labour Dav are to be prosecuted for having driven at speeds in excess of the speed limit. {££££ Christchurch bakers are becoming restive under the prosecutions for selling light-weight bread, 1 alleging that the practice is confined to the unscrupulous. At a recent meeting one was almost persuaded to adopt the practice, because of the difficulty r of compete irg with underweight^ssfiesnien. a slump in gramaphones and records, due to bad times.] It seems like it, writes a London correspondent under date of September 10th, for the directors of the Gramophone Company announce that the trading profit for the past financial year is not sufficient to justify the payment of a bonus, while the interim quarterly dividend* of 5 percent. last year.

According to a telegram in the Melbourne "Age," in the course of some remarks on the finances of the Church of England in the Riverina, at a meeting of parishioners last week. Bishop Anderson said it was a scandal and a disgrace clergymen were not properly supported. During twelve years he had been compelled to spent! J3400 a iyear above his income for the privilege of being Bishop of Riverma. He did not believe that if he resigned, they could get the position filled. If the people could not pay a church official the church ought to put up its°shutters and close. A fine displayjjof children's summer wearing apparel is made in Mr A. Norman's Masterton store. The goods are of splendid quality, and are reasonably ££„,

Mr A. J. Giddinps qbotes prices for butter, in his advertising space on page 6 of this issue, which should interest residents generally. ■■ ■'

The sale of new season's goods which opens at Mr P. HatnilPs Masterton store to-morrow should prove thoroughly successful. The reason of the sale is that Mr Hamill wants money, and in order to induce residents to purchase, liberally he has cut prices down ruthlessly. He is desirous of impressing upon the public (hat the goods to be offered were imported for this season's trade, and are stylish and dependable. In an inset circulated with this issue, prices are quoted which should be carefully noted by all those in search of exceptional value foe money in. drapery and clothing.JJ . >