LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9636, 30 October 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Mystery Flat return for the week is 31oz. The Masterrnn Dredge has deI clared a dividend nf 2s per share. The monthly meeting pf the managers of the Technical School, which was to have been held last evening, lapsed for want of a quorum. In the best turn-out competition, to be driven by lady, single horse or pony, at the Carterton Sbo-v on Thursday last, Mr VV. H. Deuhy's grey mare Dottic ?ecured second place and not t h i'vl m it appsaied in yesterday's nnz« li I The impressf-i • is abroad amongst farmers in ths district that the' prices for fat Janus, and sheep will rule high befo e the present season is over. A number »i them jiave turned sheep on to their oat crops and intend to replough and sow with raps. John Leitch Mel itosh was charged J at the Poilce Court, se?terday morn-, injr, before Mr R. 11. Turton, S.M., with driving a vehicle within the Borough Between the houre of sunset and sunrise without lights. He was convicted and iir.ed 10s and costs.

An address on "Some aspects of our Educational system," is to be given by Professor Hunter, of Victoria College. Wellington, to teachers of the Wairarapa schools, in the Technical School, at 1 15 this after noon. A very large attendance is anticipated. Professor Hunter is delivering the address in response to a request lorwarded fay Mr R. J. FO3S. President of the Teachers' Institute. Out of a total area of 63,568,876 acres in New Zealand, about 17,074,008 acres are still covered with forest, states the annual report on forestry, brought down in the House yesterday. It is estimated that there is growing within Crown and State forests and on private and native freehold lands a gross total of about J53,000,000 sup. feet of timber that is, or may eventually, prove suitable for commercial requirements. The output of sawn timber for the past year amounted to 413,868,919 sup feet, and will probably advance to an average of from 150,000.C0'J sup. feet to 500,000,000 sup. feet for the mxt fifty year?}

It is expected that the Masterton Division of St. John Ambulance Association will send a team to the PaJmerston North Military Tourna-' ment this year. j The members of the Masterton j Branch of St. John Ambulance brigade attended the meeting ut the Masterton Kacing Club yesterday. Fortunately their services were not required. A meeting'of ex-members of the Masterton Fire Brigade is called for Monday evening next, for the purposa of forming an Old Members' Association. The Rev. A. Hodge will orea:h in the Congregational Church to-mor-row. The morning subject will be the 10th of the series "The Path of History" ("The Zigzag Way"). The evening subj-ct will be "Good Citizenship." Some forty members ot Parliament will leave by ihe Government steamer Tutanekai at 10 o'clock, this j morning, for Picton, to enable them to attend the Marlborough Jubilee celebrations at Blenheim. -They will return on Monday night. At the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, Mr R. H. Turton, S.M., in his civil jurisdiction, gave judgment for plaintiff by default for £4 17s 6d in the case of C. Smith and Co. v. Mrs Thomas.

The pigeon race from Christchurch to Masterton, held under the auspices of the local club yesterday, resulted in a win or Mr J. Dixon's "Berenice." The bird flew at a velocity of 957 yards per minute.

Wool and mutton raisars in the Kiwitea district state that so far this season they have noc obtained the best results with their sheep. There has been too much rain, and, consequently, the growtn of grass has not been satisfactory. Referring to the P. and 0. Steam Navigation Company, which has arranged to extend its connection to this* Dominion, the steamers Malwa and Mera, which are time-tabled to leave Aucland on February 16th and April 13th, respectively, are fitted with wireless telegraphy. , A large number of carcases of sheep that perished in the Ashburton County, as a result of the recent Btorm, are being carted to the Fairfield Freezing Works, where they will be manufactured into manure. On Monday evening there were no fewer than 1;000 carcases at the works, ready to be treated. We ("Eltbam Argus") have had certain information placed at our disposal from which we learn : that there is a solid probability of a large amount of British capital (£500,000), coming to New Zealand for the purpose of thoroughly ex ploiting the oilfields of Taranaki. We are not in a position at the present moment to make public .any details, but the matter has been laid before t>>e Prime Minister, and we expect to see it mentioned in Parliament before the session closes. Everything is now ready for the erection of buildings on , Ruthe's Island, Auckland, which the Salvation Army proposes using as an inebriate's home for males, in place of Pakatoa Island, which will be reserved for females. The buildings will be finished within three months from the date of comencement, so that they will be ready for occupation before the end of the sun.mer, and Pakatoa Island wiL then be available for females. At present there are about 35 men under treatment at Pakatoa, where there is accommodation for 40.

*'l have frequently asserted," says Mr Hopkins, late Government apiculturist, in his last report, "that -the beat New Zealand honey brought the highest price of any foreign honey that reached the English market.' This assertion, the report goes on to state, has been confirmed by the Victorian bee expert, who lately went to Europe to enquire into the prospects of opening an export trade for Victorian honey. He found little hope of this. Wholesale prices for foreign honey were quoted as follow: —Victorian, £2l to £23 6s 8d per ton; Jamacia and Chili, £2O to £32 per ton; New Zealand, £42 per ton.

On Thursday, November 25th next, a fete in aid of St. Matthew's Church Building Fund will be held on the Masterton Showgrounds A large and energetic committee of ladies and gentlemen have all the arrangements well forward, and with favourable weather the success of the fete is assured. Numerous stalls have been allotted, and will include works of art, plain and fancy needlework, flowers, producs, conectidriery, and refreshedts. Competitions and sports events will be held, and there will be quite a variety of side shows. The fete will be open from 2 to 5.30 in the afternoon, and from 7 to 10 o'clock in the evening. The quarterly meeting of the Masterton Cemetery Trustees was held yesterday afternoon, in the secretary's office. There were presentMessrs A. R, Bunny (chairman), David Donald and R. K. Jackson. The treasurer's statement showed receipts £36 7s 8d * and tiisburseents £35 4s 9d, balance from July 30th £47 17s 2d, balance at date £49 0s Id, and other payments made amounting to £25 3s Id were confirmed. The custodian reported that the I work of cutting down tnes, which had been had been completed in a satisfactory manner. He hoped the Park Committee would remove the four iarge pine trees which were causing some damage to several of the tombstones. « A letter was received frjtu the Minister tor Literati! Affairs regarding . the removal of a body from one part of the Cemetery to another.

I On being intervie-ved by the "Greymouth Star" on his return from the Chathams, Mi- A. Vickerman upoke in high praise of the island as a settlement, showing how easy it is to live there owing to the many natural advantages. He said that no better fishing ground existed anywhere. The bed of the Gea around the island being composed of a bright kind of pebble, the fish can be aeen distinctly from over a vessel's side, and their variety is very great. He speaks v ith enthusiasm of the quality i.f the blue cod, some of which he caught from the Alexander, measuring 18in to 2ft 6in long, and in grand condition Swan eggs are found in great quantities, and are very popular commodities. Lake Whanga Maru abounds in flounders, which are very easily taken. i

Dr Cook has been appointed one.of the judges at the PaJmerston North Military Tournament, in the ambulance events. The Masterton Division of St. John Ambulance Association held their ennual examination on Thursday night, under Dr P. R. Couk, Hon. Surgeon, and the following passed 3 —Second year: G. L. Joy, L. Jones; Fourth year: A. Donald, A. J. Parton, L. H. Lewis and A. C. Fielding. During the September quarter the Customs revenue of the Dominion' amounted to £700,914, against £818,742 for the corresponding period last year, a decrease of £117,828. For the year ending September last there has been a decrease of £306,683, but against this must be placed the £400,000 remissions in Customs dutieu.

Oar Carterton corresopndent writes that the total gate takings at the P. and A. Society's Show was £137 10s, made up as follownj —Grandstand, £l2; People's Stand,,. £!) 7s 6.1; outside gates £ll6 2s 6d. The gate takings were about £2O in. exness of last year, and equal to the record of the Society.

In connection with the account in this journal of a recent trip through the King Country, a resident of Ongarue writes stating that the description given of the roads was a. most realistic one, and that it " v ' would give Wairarapa residents an idea of what had to be put up with* for fully eight months out of the ;. ..„. _ An influential Blenheim which holds a prospecting licens over an area at Havelock Suburban,, is, according to the "Pelorus.Guardian," reported to haye made a valuable find of scheelite in the Kaituna.. A portion of the sample was tested at the Government laboratory at Wellington, and realised 49 per cent. o£ scheelite. The market value of the mineral is £l2O per ton, and 'there are hundreds of tons of ore in sight. A parcel of the ore is being sentr to France for analysis. At the Auckland Police ciourt, es» terday, Harold Wiles, chemist, was> charged with having sold liquor with- • out a license--' , *Malendo, Old quinine port wine." The Magistrate said an analysis showed that the wine was ordinary port, with the addition of one-ninth grain of quinine to a fluid ounce of wine. Defendant contended that as a chemist he . was expreesiy exempted from the Licensing Act regarding the sale of liquor without a license.' The Magistrate held that for defendant to come within the exemption, it must be clear that the . wine had been sold, at the comparatively low price of 3s a bottle,, and m a palatable beverage. It was not supplied by doctor's prescription,, and no enquiries were made at the time of the sale as to the purpose for w.hich the wine was required.. '"Malendb'* was not what might be described as an official or rerognLsed medicinalpreparration. Defendant was con* victed, and fined £5 Is..

Mr J. D. McGruer,. ofi Invercargill, has purchased the drapery and clothing business conducted in Masterton for many years by Mr H. A. Whelch. Mr McGruer is well-known throughout the Dominion as a successiul business' man, having branches at Tiraaru, Gore, Bluff,, Kaitangata, I Orepuki, WanganuiV Hawera, Feilding and Eltham. He" imports' the whole of his goods direct from Home, and the Masterton public can rely on getting the best possible value. The local business wil< be carried on by. Mr W. S. Mitchell,, manager for Messrs €6le:BndWeßterman. Holiday excursim tickets are announced in connectk»ni with the Palm* erston North Show. i Services in connection, with the Y:M.C.Ar for this evening and tomorrow are announced) in aiother column. ' A, first-cla9«j farm in the Inglewood district is advertised! for sale by Messrs W. B. Chennell&and.Co. At their Perry slreef rt-noms,. this* afternoon, Messrs J. A. Ji. Maclean* and Co will sell, on account of Mrs Drummond, who is leaving Master* ton, the whole of her household furniture and effects. Messrs J. A. J. Mariean and Co.. advertise that they will hold a irreat clearing sale of furniture and "sundries in their rooms. Perry street, at: 2 p.m. sharp/ this afternoon. : The furniture is all in first-class order,, and is 'to be sold without reserve.. The poultry, including Silver Wyahdottes, Leghorns, Orpingtons, are air from first-class stock