LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9668, 6 December 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The latest return from the Worksop Dredge is 21oz 18dWt8. A sharp short, shock of earthquake was felt at Feilding at 9.31 o'clock on Friday night. The engagements of the Bishop of Wellington for February include a visit to Greytown and Featherston on the 9th for a confirmation service. During the month of November there were two cases of infectious diseases reported at Carterton—diphtheria and scarlet fever. Both have been placed in the hospital. Messrs Cochrane and Butement, land agents, Masterton, report the aale of Messrs'jW, and A. Lang's property, situated on the East Coast, comprising 1,000 acres. The property was purchased by Mr C. Wagland. The stock goes with the property.

A new species of shark has been found near Kaikoura, and bten named Centasphorus Piunketi by Mr E. R. WaitP, curator of the Christchurch Museum, and an authority on New Zealand fishes. The shark, which measures 4ft Bin in length, is only found in very deep waters, its chief habitat being around Japan. It is allied to the dogfish, and is not a man-eater.

In support of the case for the constitution of the Palmerston North Post Office as a chief office, the chairman of the Palmerston North | Chamber ot Commerce has collected some . instructive statistics showing the importance of Palmerston North as a postal centre. They show that the amount handled by the*local savings bank during the postal year 1909 was £265,257, an increase of £148,000 over the previous year. The deposits in hand at the end of the year were £141,636, an increase of £115,020 over 1908. The letters outward totalled 2,600,000, a hundred thousand more than in 1908. Articles received by pot aggregated 3,256,-, 276, an augmei tition of over 50 per cent, for the yc-ar. Other figures quoted wereTelegr i r c6ived, 158,532; telegrams forwarded, 149, Bu7; telephone I reau messages, 67,884. The staff the office now numbers 90 men.

A writer in the "New Zealand Herald" states that in Auckland or.e day last week ho saw a highly re-spectaDle-lookine; irr-ui handcuiled, accompanied by a nao! warder, marched right i<p the whole length lof Grafton ro;Ki a lit:lc after 5 o'clock, to be scared at by scores of men, women aid children. He made inquiries as to who tin man was, and learnt that he was a respectable member of society who, as it turns out by the finding of the jury, was wrongly accused of rattlestealing. "Surely," says the writer, "an untried man, and, therefore, in law, an innocent mar/, should not be subjected to such humiliation. His sufferings must have been sufficiently acute without the addition of this further indignity. This is a barbarous practice, and should not be allowed. It has been ruled that a man cannot be photographed by prison authorities until he is found guilty, and one therefore faiis to see why he should be publicly paraded in irons, when he could have been taken in a covered conveyance to and fro."

There is still a considerable amount of sickness in the Tinul district, writes our Tinui correspondent. Carterton builders are complaining that trade is somewhat slack at the present time, work being insufficient to keep hands fully employed. The Palmerston North Guards have decider! ti» make an attack on Pahiatua after the Christ.nas holidays. The idea is to march from Palmerston to Pahiatua, and attack it, the Pahi 11ua Kifles acting, it is hoped, as defenders. The part the latter body will take in the operations has yet to be ascertained. The supplies at the Carterton dairy factories are keeping well above the average, and regular fortnightlyshipments of cheese are being despa teneel to the Lo.jdon market, where prices are at present fairly satisfactory. The quantity shipped home will be well in excess of any previaus years consignment.

"We are in the happy position of being able to say that there are no. empty housei in Auckland," remarked the Deputy-Mayor at the meeting of the City Council, on Thursday night last, and members chorused "Hear, hear." MrNerheny thought that there were not a dozen unoccupied residences, and that if 1,000 more were available they would not remain empty for long.

. Whether it is an evidence of the tightening of the silken bonds of kinship ur a testimony to the disinclination of Dominion housewives; to undertake what was once regarded as one of the most sacred of household duties, it may be mentioned that a very large trade in imported Chust~ mas puddings, compounded in the* Home country, has sprung up during, recent years, a »iu mber of firms having lately received numerous 400r gallon tanks packed full of tieae delicacies for the forthcoming Christmas trade.

The following motion is tc be moved at the next meeting of the Martinborough Town Board:—"That sion for grazing stock on the streets of Martinborough te cancelled, and that permission iri future bo grunted on application to the clerk in writing and accompanied by a fee of 2s Cdl per head, such fje to ba devoted to the erection of water-troughs for public convenience ot stock in different parts of the town, a rebate of la per head to be made to the owner of two or more animals."

A change iri State School cadet drill has been authorised. The official circular stateß that owing', to the limited area of many of - the school playgrounds, particularly in the cities, and the eonseq uent difficulty of carrying out company movements, thereon with the broad front necessitated by single rank drill,,and so as* to enable the organisation to be; completed by the addition of. squads> and squad commanders,: it has been' decided to jrevert to "tworank drill"" at the beginning of the' year 1910, from which time the change will cdme into force.

"Fanners in this diistrict it&. recognising that if they are to obtaiD the best value for their wool they must classify it properly, and pay* close attention to the get-up," remarked a M aster to i farmer to a Wairarapa Age representative on Saturday last: "Consequently the; skilled classer is more iti evidence in> our local sheds now, and the results should be a better price for clips , from this district. The; establishment: of wool-classing classes in Masterton in connection with the Technical School is going to produce- good'results for the farmer, t00.."'

< A meeting of the Wairarapa Horticultural Society was* held at Carterton, last-Saturday afternoon. Mr, A. Booth, President, being in chair. The Society submitted ra statement of receipts and expenditure in connection with the Spring 1 Show just held The total receipts amounted to about £3l„ and the prize money to £33. The subscriptions in hand will pay the balance of tHe prizes, and incidental expenses of the show, leavi ig a credit balance • the bank of about £lO. The secretary was authorised to pay accounts and prize money.

The Masterton Rifles, under Cap- ' tain Robinson and Lieutenants Haslam and Brighting, held vary successful manoeuvres on Saturday nigjit A in the, lorm of a night attack on ™ the Carterton Rifles, Who had taken up a position midway between Masterton and Carterton. The attendance was very satisfactory between 40 and 50 N.C.O.'s and men from each corps being present. The Masterton men left here at about 10> p.m., and cycled to Taratahi, where a most successful night's work was gone through, after which the two corps breakfasted at the Carterton camp. Manoeuvres of this kind arevery instructive, and are keeny appreciated by those taking part, as was shown by the enthusiasm imparted into the work by the officers A and men. " \ At the ordinary meeting of the Masterton Borough Council on Tuesday evening next, bus itiess of a general nature will be discussed and the various reports considered. The following notice of motion will be brought forward:-—"'That minute 402 be and ia hereby varied so as to permit of the Wairarapa Amateur Swimming Club having the sole us- of the Park Lake, grounds and buildings on Anniversary Day next for the sum of £lO, it being understood that if the Club suffers loss in providing the sports the Council will favourably entertain an application for a refund of some portion of the consideration." A large number of people had gathered at the Post Office corner on Saturday evening last, to hear Mr J. Cameron, secretary for the AntiAsiatic League, deliver an address on the Chinese question, but were doomed to disappointment, for Mr Cameron qnnuinced that un account of the Municipal Hand having decided, to play on the opposite corner of the street it would he impossible for htm to proceed with the address, in accordance with his notification £ in the press, Mr Cameron said that lie fully recognised the value and • • importance of a local band, which was a necessity in every town. A local band provided amusement, as , entertainers, and from an educational standpoint was a distinct to the citizens of every borough. Mr Cameron tnanked the audience for' their attendance, but very much regretted that under the circumstances he was unal 13 to proceed with theaddress.

The Masterton Mounted Rifles held a parade at Willow Park, Opaki, yesterday, there being a good attendance of members.

It is not Freetrade or Protection that ia the matter in England, says Mr Will Crooks, M.P., but the fact that forty million acres are owned by 2,500 people; thirty-eight million people own no land at all.

On Christmas Eve it is the intention of the hospital staff at Waipu icurau to arrange a big "Christmas Tree" entertainment, a sum of £lO having been generously given to the matron wherewith to find the gifts fcr the patients.

The shearing machines are coming very much into favour amongst farmers in the Wairarapa. Several settlers in the Masterton district have installed machines arid others intend to follow suit next season. It would appear as it the day of the bladesi earer was o'er.

The majority of the stations from Martinborough out to the East Coast have just about completed shearing operations. The wool clip is a very satisfactory one, a noticeable feature being the scarcity of "broken" fleeces.

A Lower Valley settler informed a Wairrirapi Age representative on Saturday last that a large area of land has been put under cultivation this year at Dyerville, and that there was every indication of prosperity following in the wake of those men who secured sections in this settlement.

The maize crops 111 the surrounding country district about Gisoorne are said to be suffering somewhat severely from tne ravages of slugs and rainahs. Pheasants also are making their presence felt in the gardens, and a settler from Waerenga-a-hika told a "Times" reporter that he had lost four lon« rows of peas in two mornings by the unwelcome attention of those birds.

Stock are in first-class condition found about Maryborough, and, according to a Lower Valley farmer, there are txcellent prospects ahead for the settlers in that locality. A rumber of large stations have been <4 cut up" and divided among members of families, "and," said the settler in question to a Wairarapa Age representative, "we are becoming quite a community of small tooldinga—a very much different state of affairs to a few years ago."

As one result of the recent deputation of representative tobacconists to Wellington, a meeting is to be held in Palmerston N. this week for the purpose of forming a Tobacconists' Association similar to like bodies which already exist in Auckland and Wellington. The Dunedin tobacconists also propose to form such an association. A New Zealand Associa- — tion will then be formed for the purpose of conserving the interests of the trade as a' v hole.

TFe executive body of the No License party carried unanimously resolutions ol warm, approval of the resoJJ lutions passed by the Wellington Convention demanding separate ballot papers on the issues of No-licenses and Tominion prohibition, and ex pressing unabated confidence in the leaders of the party, and the belief that their action would prove of value in the near future.

Th • condition of the red deer herd cn the borders of Otago and Canterbury for some time past has been a subject of complaint amongst deerstalker*. The deer have deteriorated, iiid it is feared they will contaminrte other herds in their vicinity. The Governmei t is being asked to appoint a board ti control matters connected with the herd, the revenue derived from licens s to kill deer to be at the disposal of the boara. It is stated that deer in this herd are invading sheep country in Mackenzie Country, ttnd sheep farmers naturally favour the proposed board.

Mr E. Nor'on. the president of the New Zealand Hockey Associatfon, has spent a good deal of his time while in England, says a London correspondent, discussing the projected tour of an English team in New Zealand. Mr Collins, the secretary of the English Association, n?w informs him that he has received en couraging replies from some of the affiliated associations and he inclires to the opinion that an English team may visit New Zealand in the 1911 seatton. If the visit does come off, it is quite possible that some Irish and Welsh players may be included in the team.

Says the "Dannevirke Evening News":—The experience of Mr Little, a farmer at Bunnythorpe, as mentioned to a "News" reporter, may throw a little fresh light on the troublesome matter of potato blight. It is interestng to learn that he. though situated in a neighbourhood affected by blight, has not had a sign of the disease in his crops during the last four seasors. He attributes this immunity from attack simply to the fact of his not having sown on the same ground succes sively. He has grown all leading varieties of potatoes, and puts no faith in the claim that one has greater blight-resisting qualities than another.

Pahiatua is casting envious eyes m Dalefield with its cow testing association, and, according to a Pahiatua farmer, there is some talk of initiat ing an agitation in that town for the establishment of a similar" association. "It's a wonder Masterton hasn't moved in this direction for the benefit of its farming community," he said to an Age reporter "hut ttiere— Masterton does not appear to be keenly interested in dairying at the present time. As soon as the farmer in the Dominion recognizees the value of these cowtesting associations, he will clamour vigorously for tlu ir establishment in every dairying district." ,

"There is a big future ahead of the Fortv Mile Bush as a dairying district,'' said a well-known Fahiatua farmer to a Wairarapa Age representative during a visit to IWasterton on Saturday last. "Creamwiea are springing up like mushrooms all over the district, and many of the established factories arc (receiving about double the quantity ot milk they did at this period last season. Farmers aie improving their holdhgs by felling the bush thereon and sowing them down in grass, and what a few years ago was practically a useless bush covered district »iow giv«« promise of becoming a miniature TaramU'h"

There was a thunderstorm in Glad-

stone yesterday afternoon, heavy rain falling for about twenty minutes.

During the coursa of some remarks at Cheviot, the Hon. T. Mackenzie stated that the population of the estate had grown from 110 in 1893 (when the estate was acquired) to 1,605 at the present time.

Our Tinui correspondent writes, under date. December 3rd:—The weather for the past week has been wet. It ia the best November rain we have had for several years, and the country is looking realiy well. There has been no shearing for eight days.

A rumour is at Dresent in circulation that Mr W. M. Halley is about to relinquish his lease of the Marquis of Normanby Hotel, Cartarton. Mr Halley informs us that the statement is without foundation, and he requests us to give it an emphatic contradiction.

The second series of night firing was done by the Port Chalmers Navals on Friday night. They fired 108 rounds and obtained ninety hits from the quick-firing guns. The rate of firing averaged fifteen rounds per minute, and is regarded as a remarkable performance in gunnery. The conduct of larrikins at the municipal band concerts in Christchurch has been so bad that Inspector Gillies has been requested to have cjnstables stationed by the rotunda at future concerts. There was something of the same sort of nuisance at Wellington municipal concerts last season.

Newtown (Sydney) Band, which has decided to compete at Wanganui Contest next March, will be under the leadership of uonduclor Thomas Mellor. Mr Mellor is no stranger to bandsmen in New Zealand, as he formerly was a resident of I'imaru, and conducted the Timaru Garrison Band for some tim«j. The settlers in the Mount Bruca district held a meeting on Friday evefting, in the Upper Opaki School room, to consider a proposal' to alter the mail time-table. After discussion it was unanimously re solved, on the motion of Mr McLeod, seconded by Mr T. Wyeth, that the old time-table be adhered to.

"My experience, after weighing evidence for over ten years," said Mr Justice Cooper, in the Supreme Court at Auckland, "is that police officers are fair in their evidence, there may, at times, perhaps, Ie an unconscious bias, but I am bound to say that, with very slight exception, police officers don't give bad evidence." His Honor added that he was well aware of the proneness of council to make this kind of actEc'c upon police evidence as a weapon to strengthen their own c lses. The teams for the lourth c imp ?t,tion of the Featherstor, Bowling Club, and also the drawings for the first round, are as under: —R. J. Crawford, Q Donald A H. Knowles (skip), play J. Heode-.o ', J. G. McKenzie, J. Higgison, A. Bungay (skip). J. Tocker, W. J. Nix, G. K. Stowell, S. Aitchiaon (skip) play A. J. Toogood, G. T. Baker, G. Yule, F. Bladen (skip). F. E. Merlet, Elliott, J. W. Car 3, W. Benton (skip), a bye. D. 0. Yule, H Tutbury, W. Sorenson, F. C. Everton (skip), a bye.

The girls' scout movement as practised in Dunelin promises to prove very useful and beneficial. For instance, the other day the girls were given an instructive lesson in ele mentary drill by a military officer; they are to be given a short course of breathing exercises by a physical cul tnre expert: a lady who holds high testimonials from the management of the Glasgow Corporation Baths is to give a course of swimming lessons later on; and other plans are awailing development. ;The girls are taking up the work with great enthusiasm.

Napier is in an unfortunate posi I tion regarding the loan of £134,250 authorised last year for the construe- J tion of electric cars, a municipal j theatre, and other improvements | Considerable delay was experienced i in getting the loan on the London , market, and it was recently decided J that the Borough Council should en- J deavour to avail itself of the State Guaranteed Advanc. s Bill. The \ Mayor (Mr J. Vigor Brown, M.P) has now advised that the State Guaranteed Advances Bill has been hung up and until it was advanced another stage the Council could do nothing. At a meeting of the Council laßt week, Cr Crowley said that he thought the Bank of New Zealand should be approached and the loan floated on the London market as originally ii tended. The Ward Government, said Cr Crowley, S2emed to be on its last legs. It would not be long before the country had a change and a promise from them might not hold good. A disquieting report has reached the Bluff from the north-west coast of Stewart Island, says the "Otago Daily Times." One of the harbour fleet visited Mason's Bay with a live stock consignment for the pastoral run lately occcupied in that neighbourhood. She proceeded bv way of the straits and Cod Fish Island. The master, being well acquainted with all the landmarks, was puzzled to reconcile them with previous experience. Getting down towards the west coast headlands that difference became more and more apparent. As a matter of tact, certain of the more prominent landmarks had in a measure been wiped out altogether. The only feasible explanation is that earthquakes, which were slightly felt at the Bluff and elsewhere a few days since, operated, at this place with a force and effect not pleasant to contemplate. Since leaving Britain Mr Will Crooks, the London M.P,, has been interviewed over 100 times,, and he has had one or two amusing experiences with pressmen. Although he has always been on terms of cordial friendship wath the reporter he is not averse to a joke at his expense. Somewhere io (Canada a gentleman approached him with an air of importance and much self-assurance. "I am from the 'British Weekly,'" he said. Mr Crooks looked at him for a moment in that singularly direct way he has. "Well, that's nothing," he said; "I'm from the Brii iah — daily!" In Vancouver he was stand ing looking about him and wondering which way to (urn,- when a hurry ing young man caught him by the arm. "I represent 'The World,'" he explained. "So do I, old man, said Mr Crooks, promptly, ''what can we do for each other?"

( The Masterton Shearers' Union I has a membership of about 300. The Carterton Howling Green is in I particularly good order this season, and the present dry weather is making it particularly keen. A man named Martin Power, who has been employed at the Central Hotel farm in Egmont Stree*', Patea. was admitted to the hospital on 'lbursday afternoon in a grievously maltreated condition, says the "Patea Press." Power ia a man sixty-six years of age. He was seen at about 11.15 a.m., and his condition then appeared to be normal. The story he tells is that at about noun he was assailed at his bouse on the farm by three masked men who dragged him out in the orchard and there inflicted the injury from which he now suffers. Against this it is stated that there are houses on almost every side within easy distance of the scene ot the alleged outrage. There are, moreover, strong indications that the injury was inflicted inside the house, The latest available information states that Power is doing well and is expected to make a good recovery.

A reward is offered for the recovery of a gold sieevd-link, lost between Chapel Street and Worksop Road.

Messrs Graham and Co. beg to state that they daily expect a letter from Father Christmas, making an appointment ta visit their stores in Queen Street. An exhibition game of billiards will be played by Messrs Lindrum and Gray in Mr Langstone's Billiard Room, Club Cafe, on Wednesday evening.

Tne New Zealand Railways Department announce holiday excursion fares in connection with the Woodville race meeting on Wednesday and Thursday next. Mr W. Bagby, the well-known horse dentiV, may be consulted for a few days at the Prince of Wales' stables, Masterton. Examination is free. Further particulars may be obtained on application.