BUSH FIRES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9675, 14 December 1909, Page 5

BUSH FIRES.

| MILE 3OF COUNTRY I * SWEPT.

SECTLEWS burnt out.

United P ess Association—oy cicdrlc Teiegrajh Copyright. Received December 13, 9.55 a.m. PERTH. December 13. Disastrous bush fires have occurred at Bolgar. Ten square milus of country was swept, and fourteen settlers burnt out. WAIRARAFA. SWIMMING CLUB.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR CARNIVAL. A special geru ial meeting of the Wairarapa Amai.ur Swimming Club was held in the Y.M.C.A Rooms last evening, to make arrangements and appoint committees for the carnival on Anniversary Day (January 22nd). Mr E. R. (captain) presided over a eood attendance of members. The following programme was drawn up, all prizes being trophies: — OPEN EVENTS. 100 Yards Handicap, Ist 21a, 2nd 10s 6d; t 220 Yards Handicap, Is i 425, 2nd 21s; 220 Yards Handicap (Wairarapa Championship), Ist £5 ss, second £2 2s; 75 yards Scratch, Ist 21s, 2nd 10s 6d; 440 Yards Handicap, Ist 425, 2nd 21s; Relay Race (three men), Ist 30s, 2nd 15s; Running and Stand ng Dive (off spring board), Ist 10s 6d, second ss; Dive from 15fc platform, Ist 10s 6d, 2nd ss; 50 Yards Scratch, 25 yards breast stroke, 25 yards on t back, Ist 21s. 2nd 10s 6d; Pluoge, Ist 10s 6d, 2nd s<*; Life Saving Competition, Ist 21s. 2nd 10s 6d; 40 Yards Blindfold Race, Ist 10s 6d, 2nd ss; Dive from spring board and rise through lifebuoy, Ist 10s 6d, 2nd ss; Ribbon Dive, Ist 10s 6d, 2nd ss; Polo Team (7 men), winners receive silver badges. CLUB EVENTS. 40 Yards Maiden Race, lst_los 6d, 2nd ss; 50 Yards Handicap, Ist lus (id, 2nd ss; 75 Yards Handicap (under 18), Ist gold medal, 2nd 10s 6d; 110 Yards Club Championship, Ist 425, 2nd 2ls; Plunge, Ist 10s 6d, 2nd ss. SIDE-SHOW EVENTS. / Boat Race. Ist 10s Gd; Canoe Race, Ist ss; Tub Races (2), Ist ss; Cork Race, Ist 10s, 2nd ss; Egg and Spoon Race, 25 yards, Ist 10s, 2nd ss; Model Yacht Race, Ist ss; Best Illuminated Boat, Ist 10s, 2nd ss. SCHOOL EVENTS. Neatest Header, under 10, Ist ss, 2nd 2s 6d; Neatest Header, over 10, Ist 10s, 2nd ss; 100 Yards Championship, Ist gold medal, 2nd 10s; Rescue Race, under 10, Ist 10s, 2nd ss; Rescue Race, over 10, Ist 10s, 2nd ss; Irick Dive, Ist ss, 2nd 2s 6d.

An exhibition of life-saving will, be given by the Y.M.C.A. team. It was decidjd.that anyone wishing to enter for all events could do so if he paid 7s 6d. The officials and committees for the carnival were appointed as follow : Supervisor, Club Captain, Mr E. R.. B. Daniell; Referee, North Island Consul NZ.A.S.ft.; Timekeepers, Messrs Barry-Smith, T. Shields, A. D. Gillies, D. Walsh and J. Bradbury; Judges, Swimming, Messrs A. C. Major, P. Crosby, Noble-Campbell. J. Pryor; diving, Messrs A. Snowball and T. Shields; side-showe, Messrs M. J. McKehzie, A. C. Pragnell! A. Eddie; Life saving events', Messrs Snowball and Shields; Illuminated boats, Mr E. Richards; Starters, Messrs Gillies and Daniell; ched? starters, Messrs.B.' Cla yson, G. Cullen and E. R. Wilson; handicappers, Messrs Barry-Smith, Daniell, and J. A. McEwen; costume and number stewards, Messrs M. G. Olds, F. B. Rosaon and A. Haughey; Press stewards, Messrs R. Brown, G. Cullen, Poulsen and W. Lamb; stewards of school events, Rev. Dean McKenna, Mr W. H. Jackson, and Masterton School Committee; Executive Committee, Messrs E. Daniell, J. Pryor, G. Cullen, J. Georgeson, F. B. Rosson, B. Clayson, A. Eddie, E.j Richards and J. A. McEwen; Finance Committee, Messrs Daniel, McEwen and Georgeson; Advertising Committee, Messrs Daniel, Cullen and McEwen; Programme Committee, Messrs Daniel, McEwen, Snowball and Georgeson; Side Shows Committee, Mr IV. J. McKenzie, with power to add; Ground Committee, Messrs Eddy, McKenize, Pryor, Georgeson, Snowball, Gillies, O'Connor, McEwen Catering Committee, Ladies' Swimming Club and Executive Committee of the Wairarapa Amateur Swimming Club; Treasurer, Mr J. Georgeson; Secretary, Mr J. A. McEwen. The landing race takes the form oi a competition on the following | lines:—A challenge is issued to four i local anglers, to land four swimmers. ) nominated lay the Club, with the re- I gulation rod and tivckle, in four minutes. The first prize is 10s 6d.

LOOKING BACKWARD!

AFTER TWENTY-FIVE YEARS— A.D., 1935. THE MASTERTON OF A GENERATION AGO.

A MARVELLOUS ADVANCE. FROM SLUGGARD TOWN 10 VIRILE UITY. (No. 3.—Contributed.) I feel deeply interested in this recital, for I remembered how disturbed the labour market was just prior to my departure. Coal strikes were existing and threatening, and there was discontent simmering beneath ihe surface of the labour ocean generally. I myself was a labour outcast at the time—a sacrifice on the altar of prejudice-~aye, greed, when I was prevented from following my calling through that then great curse the "union wage" rendering my calling unprofitable to my employer. "Meat canning is a big industry here," continued my guide. And he escorted me over three of the works. "So this," I mused, "is the consummation of the meat industry. In 1909 I remember the foundation being laid of this highly important business. How dubious many were of the success of the first works l" The Oldest Inhabitant shared my reflections, and he revelled in a glowing history of the development of meat freezing and canning. "The first works, erected at Waingawa in 1910, had a somewhat uphill fteht at first. But it bravely fought strenuous opposition from wealthy rivals, and through the farmers showing that they recognised in true co-oporation finality to many of their grievances it came out with flying colours. About 1911 or 1912 the work of subdividing the large estates around Masterton commenced in real earnest. Whether the runholders began to become apprehensive of political designs on their estates or whether they suddenly became imbued with a philanthropic desire to furnish the hungry landless with land on reason • able terms is difficult to say, but it is a fact that station after station was trown upon the market, and now there are very few farms indeed the area of which exceeds a thousand acres, intense cultivation has come, too, and the carrying capacity,; of both sheep and dairy country has improved marvellously. You will probably be surprised to learn that the dairy industry is quite ah import l ant one in Masterton now. Twentyfive years has seen big changes in the utilisation of the farm areas close to the railway routes, and what was sheep country in your time is now thriving dairy country, and we have several butter and cheese factories, besides a.condensed milk works. Oh, the cow is a respected animal about this district now." . I

The progress of rural matters interested me .vastly, and I was delighted to learn that fruit culture had been taken up very extensively, with highly payable results,* while poultry and pig-farming had advanced very considerably Sheep-raising had as sumed exceedingly important proportions, and the sheep bred by Masterton farmers were regarded as the hall mark of excellence in type and I quality. I recollected with pleasure how certain Masterton sh.ep-breed-ers of my day set New Zealand the standard in stud sheep, with praiseworthy progress iveness. After an excursion round the manufacturing concerns, my guide desired to postpone our tour until the morrow. Naturally, I acquiesced, as it was late, and we both were tired. In the evening I spent a couple of hours moving about the town, sometimes on the electric cars, again on foot. The city looked charming under the electric light, and I though it had expanded to five times the size it was when I left it just a quarter of a century Before, I could still see in it many traces of the Masterton of old. Strange it seemed, though, that buildings then regarded as up-to-date, and a credit to the town, now appeared old fashioned and out of place among the splendid buildings just erected and being erected. There were many magnificent shop premises, and.also some majestic public buildings. ■ The public found amuse-' n.ent in two theatres and several other small halfs. I visited one; ' theatre for a brief space, and found it handsomely lit and • furnished, Conversing with various residents on the subject of the town's municipal appointments, I found that it was considered to be one of the best drained, best lit, and best "watered" towns in the Dominion. Improvements on the sepiic tank system had been made, and very complete sanitary methods were in vogue. The high pressure water supply was still:derived from the Waingawa, the use of the river for electrical purposes in no way interfering with its purity. In a somewhat hurried sojourn through the principal thoroughfares I found a wonderfully prosperous condition prevailing , I discovered several old friends of long ago in my peregrinations, a.id to one of them i confided my amazement at the progress the town had made during the past generation. "I can understand your surprise," he said. "You undoubtedly Mt ttie town at a particularly unpromising period. About that time the inliabi tanta of the whole district were really the most lethargic and conservative you could find—that is, speaking in a broad way. Individually the community then boasted a lew worthy, progressive, patriotic residents, but in the main tlure was an element of conservatism and apathy totally unaccountable. Fanners were most backward in adopting the real business methods now in vogue, and which alter revolutionised farming. They were then satisfied to 'jog along,' so to speak, and let their industry, little as it was, be exploited by the shrewd people of the cities elsewhere who c'eult in their produce. The farmer then aloo raised sheep and cattle with a simply amazing amount of indifference as to whether they were likely to prove profitable or not and farming for any but rich men had to be associated with considerable luck. Now our farmers specialise to the last point, and they have combined so effectively in their export business that they get wonderful returns in the world's markets." *. "Tnen, regarding the "urban f jlk, of that date—really, it is wonder-

ful that people could ever have drifted into such a commercially "comatose" state. The financial panic of 1907-1908 played havoc with New Zealand's finances for a time, but so far as Masterton was concerned the financial depression developed into almost a physical or mental depression, and business people simply would not stir themselves. Most singular of all was the fact that those who did make money were often tempted by the proverbial greenness of the distant fields, and they unwisely invested many thousands in diverse ventures in other places—money which in numerous instances never returned to its Masterton owners. Thus the town and district were retarded in their progress. While futile appeals were made for a few miserable nounds to investigate promising coal seams, clay and c<;ment deposits, and industries connected with raw produce conversion, thousands could be raised immediately to float perfectly impossible con-cerns—financially—-in anywhere b,ut Masterton. Thus Masterton property values fell to a low level, business went back instead of forward, and stagnation in retail houses resulted.'