LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9996, 17 March 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The membership of the Shearers* Union is steadily increasing, and now totals nearly two thousand for the North Island. '•Why did you say that the man who worried you into buying this place deservd live hundred years in purgatory?" asked Mr Quilliam of a witness in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth. Witness did not remember having made the statement. "That's only an estimate, Mr Quilliam," interposed Mr Justice Edwards with a smile. After four years of vain effort ta produce an epidemic among rats, M. De Kruyff, of the Agricultural Bureau at Buitenzorg, Java, hit upon a new plan. Pouring half a teaspoonful of carbon disluphide into each occupied rat hole, he lighted the vapour, and the poisonous gases from the explosion almost instantly killed all rats, In 43 holes subsequently opened, 131 dead rats were found, two holes containing ten rats each.

"The Society for' the Promotion of Physical Betuay" is the latest novelty at Chicago, where a number of prominent ladies met in solemn conclave recently, and resolved: , 'That it is the duty of every woman to attain perfect physical beauty, and if Nature is deficient in her gifts it becomes a bounden duty to overcome the defects." The president of the Society, Dr. Grace Graves, drew up the following statutes, which the member swore to observe: "Look young. The Bible says the glory of woman is in her hair. £sut it does not say the hair must grow on her head. The woman w&o pays a large price for a naturally waving pompadour is certainly privileged to call it her hair. Scant hairs and bald spots would have made Helen of Troy a fright. Ugliness is a physiological siu, a discord in the harmony of existence, and should be remedied."

Mr R. M. Galloway, of Auckland, and a former well-known business man in Masterton, is here on a two days' visit. Speaking to a Wairarapa Age representative, Mr Galloway expresbad surprise .at' th ■ improvements to the town :in<e he lived here. He had heard the place was much imDroved, but was quite unprepared to see ihe fino blocks of buildings in the business centre. He apoke in glonirg terms of the improvements to the streets and footpaths, the appearance proving that an engineer had been on the job. He had made an extensive lour of the borough, and where formerly there were narrow unpaved roau ; , with no attempt at grading he ®as pleased to see broad thoroughfares and properly made and metalled streets Mr Galloway was quite enthusiastic over the Park, and the ornamental waters therein which form the lake. He knew the Park Reserve before it was planted with trees by the iand-'S scape feardener, who is now Hon. W. W. McCardle, M " dolrSE * Mr Galloway was glad to ir oral of his old friends in Thursday and still hale and hearty-loo>. whom he received aco£ Quires*,

Members of St. Matthew's Hauler* Clab and others interested '« running generally are urn meet Mr B. S. Pollock, of ton, in St. Matthe's Schoolroom, to niihgt, at 8.15 o'clock. The site for the freezing works at Waingawa presents quite a bujy scene at. present. No less than fiftj, men were at work yesterday, including the railway staff and thoses en gaged on behalf cf the b . ulld J contractors, in connection with the preliminary portion of the work.

At a meeting of the Sports Comimittee of the Masterton Mounted /Rifles last evening, the secretary re- " ported that arrangements were wen in hand for the sports to be held on the Showgrounds on Easter Monday. Captain-Chaplain McKenna has donated a trophy for a ladies' orange competition. What particular shade of eye has Nature provided the successful snot with? From observations at Trentham, the typical "saooting" eye is saiJ to be grey, and it varies fro*n this colour to light blue or even green. The brovvn-eyed man ia generally not in the first flight of "shots," although of course there ~are exceptions. f General Sir R. Baden-Powell will begin next summer the tour which he has decided to make throughout the Empire for the promotion of the boy scojt movement, says the London correspondent of the "Melbourne Ace '' He proposes to to first to Canada, and, at a later time which Has not yet been fixed, he will pro ceed to South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

reply to the statement of the Hon. D. Lloyd-George that the Hiuse of Lords consisted of 500 men chosen accidentally Irom the unemployed, a writer in the "Scotsman' says of the Lords had been members of the Hou&e of Commons, and were therefore the elect of the peopie •jyhen many present members of the Mouse of Commons were at school, \8 had served in offices *f State, 104 had seen active service (68 in South Africa), 181 had served in the Regular Army, 19 in the Navy, 15 in the Yeomanry, 133 in the militia, 10 in the volunteers, 19 were judges or eminent lawyers, 63 served as colonial Governors or Ministers. 18 in the Civil or Diplomatic Service, 14 had been mayors or county councillors, and 2 are bishops.

There is seldom a lawsuit in which "expert" witnesses are called without the presiding judge or magistrate making comment upon the directly divergent testimony given by the experts on either side. At New Plymouth last week, during fhe progress of the Oaonui farm-.-/leasing case, Judge Edwards remarked that where there are half a dozen experts on one side and half a dozen expert farmers on the other, there was bound to be a conflict of evidence. ''Lawyers are just as bad, he went on, "but fortunately we d.n't often have them as experts. Doctors are notorious. You will get one gentleman swearing a thing is a beautiful white, and another will swear it is an inky black.

The German courts have just had a curious case before them. A trader died at Bad Mannheim, and three days before his death he sent a ppstcard to a lady friend on her birthday, deploring that he was ill and so far away from her. He added: "For a good birthday present, I am leaving you my fortune." The lady to whom the postcard waa sent claimed that this missive constituted a will in her favour, and on the strength of it claimed, the estate, which was valued at 300,000 marks. In the first court the decision went agamßt her, and on appeal the findings of the court below were upheld. The grounds of the decision were that, by German law, when a person draws up his own will it is necessary for the document to state where it was written. The trader, though he had duly signed the card, had neglected to place his address on \lt. i A silver-mounted purse has been 'found and requires an owner. Apply at the Age office.

A lady help is advertised for by Mrs Foss, of the Upper Plain School. Notice is given that the Dixon Street Baths will be closed to the general public between the hours of 8.30 a.m. and noon of to-morrow (Friday). An advertiser wants to lease for a term of years a small cottage and about a couple of acres of dry level land. Particulars are to be sent to "K." Post Office, Eketahuna. Messrs E. B. Hare and Co., of the Sri-established Pahiatua Land Agency, advertises a number ot very desirable freehold and leasehold farms on page eight of this issue. Mr W. H. Cruickshank adver:ises four very choice s>tiall runs of 246 acres, 536 acres 2,310 acres and 836 acre?, respectively, particulars of which will be found on page eight of this issue.

A freehold farm of three thousand acres that is unencumbered is advertised by Messrs Nicol and Edwards, of Queen street, to be sold in three blocks of one thousand acres, or in one lot. The property is situated in South Wairaraoa, and is sphndid grazing and cropping land, being all is easily ploughed, and worked 1 to advantage. V Threepence for twelve hours comffort' Mr C. E. Daniell is now able to supply a cheap effective system of heating wnich has now been solved and proved. He has imported, ready for the cold snap, patent coke fires, which for the minute cnst of a farthing an hour give an even, cheerful, healthy glow. There is no dirt, smell or fumes, but a continuous "burning, with absolute safety.

Mr S Forman, who has taken over the basin-33 of the well-known Club Stables, lately carried on by Messrs Forman and Trower has-a business notice in another column. It is che new proprietor's intention to conduct the . business on the most up-to-date lines and patrons can rely on receiving every attention. Visitors to the Masttrton races are invited to call and inspect the fine Lfiri comprehensive stock of race ■Bfe.es, motor goggles, bags (with ■jHtak strap) and cyclist's glasses shades) at Mr A. Henin Queen which have been are a high class and inspection