LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9713, 8 February 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A meeting of fctonehenge Lodge, U.A.0.D., will be held to-night, at 7.30 p.m. Mr W. Redman, late of the Queen's Hotel, Masterton, has bought the Club Hotel, Carterton, from Mrs Tucker, and will take possession on Saturday morning. A Tasmanian writer says:—Despite "Tattersall's" there is less gambling per head of. the population in this island than in any other States of the Commonwealth or in New Zealand.

A Press Association message received last evening stated that no word had yet been received as to the recovery of the bodies of the two young men who were drowned at New Brighton od Sunday. The Pahiatua Show, which will be held to-morrow, gives every promise of being an exceedingly successful function. There are no less than ninsteen entries for the big steeplechase event, among the entrants being the wwll-known performers Pickpocket, Hikorangi, and Corroboree, The trains will suit the Wairarapa people both ways. The first train from Masterton arrives at Pahiatua at 10.55 a.m., and a suitable return train will leave Pahiatua at 7.30 p.m. The entries are earning in well for the horticultural sections, which will be shown in the Drill Hall tomorrow and Thursday. The truant officer of the Southland Education Board has reported to that body that during the year be had received 1,687 returns, and that the defaulters reported numbered 2,773. By far the largest proportion of these—viz., 1,944. could give no valid reason for their absence, the excuse in many cases being merely "Wanted at home." Those reported as sick numbered 721, some of which were marked '-justifiable" by the teacher, others "doubtful," wtiile the greater number bore no comment whatever. 11 was decided to ask the truant officer to supply the names of teachers who i ad failed to send in their monthly returns. A well-attenJeo meeting: of delegates from the vaiious Friendly Societies, Fire Brigade, Fire Police and Volunteers, met the Executive Committee of the St. John Ambulance District Nurse Fund Bazaar, in the Drill Hall, last night. It was decided to :hold a torchlight procession on Friday, the 18th, commencing at 7.30 p.m., and to ask all cyclists to take part with decorated cycles. It was unanimously decided That all details in connection with the procession be left in the hands of Superintendent Jenkins (Fire Brigade) and Captain Dixon (Fire Police) with full power to act." The Secretary was instructed to solicit the assistance of the Pipe Band in addition to the OarrisOn Band and Masterton South Band. Doorkeepers were arranged as follows:---Monday, ' Fire Brigade; Tuesday, Volunteers; Wednesday, Fire Police; Thursday, Fire Brigade; Friday, Friendly Societies; Saturday, Fire Police. Five men in uniform or regalia to be in attendance each night. The delegates furthar undertook to endeavour to obtain volunteers to assist with tha various side-shows.

Adjutant and Mrs Greene will be fareweJled at the Salvation Army Hall to-night.

The annual meeting of subscribers to the Masterton Technical School will be held in the Technical School,, at 8 p.m., on the 18th inst. It is stated that the banks will shortly lower the rates of interest oil fixed deposits. There appears to b8 a plethora of money just now in tha hands of various financial institutions. but investors seem rather charv ibout using it in connection with ordinary trade and business.

An application was madfe to thS' Canterbury Land Board on Thursday by a Crown tenant in South Canter- 1 bury for leave of absence from hisholding in order to visit England. ; He explained that his principal object in going to England was to arrange for the importation of pedigree pigs. The Crown lands ranger reported most favourably upon the manner in which the applicant had cared for his section, and the Board decided to grant ihe application.

Improvements are promised in the touriat services to Te Anau and Manapouri, the proprietors of the

coaches on the lake roads having or-

dered motor-cars for the conveyance of passengers. One 30 b.p. car will go into commission at once, and tWQ 50 h.p. cars will be put into the service as soon as they arrive. Tourists will be able to leave Dunedin at 8.30 a.m., and will reach Te Anau op Manapouri the same night. It is not often, the "Timaru Her* aid" remarks, th3t a man expresses pleasure at being in the prisoner's dock at court, but such a thing happened at the Supreme Court on Tuesday when a prisoner in the course of a long and eloquent appeal ta "the intelligent jury" before him,! said that he was proud, and they I were all proud in this free and enj lightens! country, of being in a ; position to be tried by a jury. 1 Mr A. P. Whatman presided at a j co in ii i tie? meeting of the Master ton I Centre ul tne Wairarapa Boxing As- ! sociation on Saturday afternoon last» i when it was decided to suggest tothe Central Committee that two i instructors be engaged to work the various districts. Mr Pauling' and the Chairman were appointed to represent Masterton at the forthcoming meeting of the Association. The local branch is now open to receive application for active membership.

Some Nelson fruitgrowers are going to try the English market.' While in the district, last week, the Hon. T. Mackenzie has inspected several in the Riwaka and Motueka districts, and before leaving on Thursday for the West Coast he annonnced that arrangements had been made for Mr Hallam, orchard inspector, to proceed to Tasmania to collect information re shipping fruit to England. On his return, he would superintend the packing and grading ot 60,000 cases from Nelson. The Government were guaranteeing growers one penny per pound. In the course of his remarks in proposing the toast of the "Federated Boot Manufacturers," at the book manufacturers' complimentary lun- , cheon, at Auckland, the other day,, l \ Mr W. H. Murray, stated that twelve

years ago he had been an operative, and many of those present would remember him fighting strongly on the labour side. Since then, however, his views had radically altered. He had become an employer, hid eyes had been opened, and he had been able to see both sides of the question. What he had thought a right and proper thing when on the other side, he found was hardly the thing when he became an employer. A monthly meeting of the Mas-; terton Veteran Fire Brigade Association was held in the Aire Station, last evening, Vice-President J. Prentice presiding over an attendance of twenty members. Four new members were elected, bringing up the membership to 36. Various committee reports were submitted and held over for future consideration. After the meetiDg the members met the Fire Brigade at a card tournament, which resulted in a draw.

It is well-known that the Maori mutton birders have a method of preserving their catches, without, smoking or salting, to last for years, and in nothing more than their ingenious kits, which are made thoroughly air-tight. An instance of. the effectiveness of this means of preservation came under notice recently when a couple of Maori visitors asked a Wellington fishmonger if he had "any te mutton-bird" from last season. A search resulted in the discovery of an unopened kit of the birds as fresh as -they were when placed in the kit ten months ago. The birds were then cooked in native fashion by special request. A well-known stock agent stated to a "Manawatu Daily Times" representative that the demand for Rumney rams during the past few months had been exceptionally keen and in a great many instances farmers and station-holders requiting rams had made their purchases privately—that is to Bay, direct from the breeders. A great many of the

recognised breeders of these sheep . in the district had disposed of mostr of their rams and in some instances would find a difficulty in meeting.

such orders as might come in. The. demand for Romrieys, he stated," had no doubt been accentuated by the good prices obtained for these wools at the beginning of the season, the American buyers being among the keenest of competitors in the market.

The fortnightly meeting of the Masterton Oddfellows' was held last evening, Bro. T. Feilding, N.G., in the chair. The balance-sheet tor the past year was submitted, and showed that the funds of the Lodge were in a most satisfactory position. The further sum of £2OO was invested on good security, ami the total worth of the Lodge was shown as £1,465.

The interest received on invested capital was £76, while the total sick pay for the year was only £66. The sum of £8 5s was added to the Management Fund, and £8 to the Benevolent Fund. The District Secretar

notified the Lodge that the annu i district meeting would be held at Petone on Monday, the 21st inst. Bros

Reynolds and Feilding were ap pointed as delegates to represent this Lodge at the meeting. Two new members were admitted into the Order and one proposed, Bro. W. S.. Lett, P.G.M., acting as initiating. Master.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington, received last evening reads:— White bathing with smaller children at Kilbirnie this evening, Eric Gibson, aged about 12 years, was drowi.ed. A man named Hunt went in and brought the boy out, when it was observed that he was in trouble, but the lad was then unconscious,' and did not recover, although restorative efforts were continued for over two hours."

Health Brand Footwear is advertised by the sole agents, the W F.C.A., Ltd.

The postponed meeting of the Masterton Amateur Theatrical Society wil be held this evening at 8 o'clock, in the Exchange Hall. All members are requested to be present.

The Minister for Railways informed a "Napier Telegraph' reporter on Friday last that the alteration to the Napier timetable back to the old ore would probably come into force on March Ist

One of the principle drawbacks to the introduction of the sewing machine into the home has hitherto been the prohititive price. Tnis ought not to trouble the housewife now, for Graham and Co. l ave just landed a large number of machines from £4 10s to the cabinet machine at £9 15s and £ll 10s. Th» highgrade ball-bearing easy running machints have self-.-? ttm« needles, and self-threading shuttles, and many other features worthy of inspection, which is cordially invited.

Mr T. Shields, of Wellington, arrived in Master'or, on Saturday, on a short vif-'it In anticipation of an increased demand tor seasonable clothing on account of the forthcoming Show, Mr Shields brought with him r, nice assortment of suiting?, including all the latest goods from Home. Gentlemen requiring stylish clothes should certainly pay a visit to Mr Shields' shop, aud see the goods i,ow in stock.

All the arrangements in connection with St. John's Ambulance ■ Bazaar are well in hand. Entries for the musical and liteiary ■ competitions keep coming in ana all the other competitions are well patronised. Atten tion is drawn to the fact that there is no entrance fte attached to the cake comp'tition, and entries close at the Drill Hall at 2 p.m. on Monday. All those who have been so kind a? to offer gifts of fruit, poultry or vegetables to the produce stall aie requested to deliver same to the Drill HalJ, when the committee will be ready to receive goods at 2 p.m. The side-shows promise to be very up-to-date. The enchanted chair will be a novelty,as well as the toboggan. The help which later day science can lend in things domestic was well illustrated on Saturday last at the Gas Department's showroom in Queen street. In the presence of an audience of interested ladies, Miss Burnett cooked a most excellent threecourse dinner, comprising soup, a roast, two vegetables, an apple p:e and custard at a total cost for gas of under Ifd. Great surprise was expressed at the small cost, while the excellence and regularity of the cooking was most favourably commented upon. Although all the cooking was done on a platform before those present, absolutely no discomfort was experienced from the beat of the cooker; in fact, the outside wall 9 of the cooker were almost cool to the touch, even when the gas was turned full on —a fact which speaks volumes for the properties of a well-constructed gas stove, and which emphasises its value m a small kitchen during the hot summer munths.