LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10035, 4 May 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Recent rains in South Australia have been the heaviest sinca 1853, and the outlook for the pastoralist is most encouraging. English judges will act at the big Argentine Show in the Shorthorn, Aberdeen-Angus, Hereford; Shire, Hackney and Lincoln classes. The members, of Dr. Henry's Mission party and the Masterton Executive are to be photographed this morning. Mr George Sellers, who has retired after rifty years' service with the Great Western Rcailway Company, travelled 3,370,000 miles during the forty-one years he acted as guard. A womaa told a London Police Court magistrate that she borrowed a sovereign from a niqney-lerder five years ago. Since then, she said, ahe had repaid £(3, and now she was threatened with a summons for £lO.

Reports from Gibraltar state that a blockade of the Riff coast, Morocco, has been established in an effort to dtop the landing of arms for the natives. The Riffs are still carrying on their guerilla warfare *against the Spaniards and Germans are suspected of supplying them with weapons.

The 'Timaru Post' pays that potatcdigging at Willowbridge is revealing ijome excellent crop?. Three machines are at work, employing » large number of hands. The South have proved great croppers, giving the best yield for years. Mr D. Lundy dog 18 tons to the acre, and Mr W. J. Roberts 17£ tons to the acre.

Speaking of the Argentine, Mr Thomas O'Neill, of Wellington, who spent some 23 years in South America, said many of the oldest and wealthiest families on the land in Argentina are of Irish extraction, and in most cases they speak Spanish, many a Casey or McGuire not understanding English at all. Feeling against England is very keen among them, yet a man gets on very well in Argentina if he gives out that he is English, but better still if it becomes known that he is Irish.

The Indians, says the Kev. Mr Takle, a New Zealand missionary, are great believers in the open-air life. The barbers shave their customers in the open, women do the washing, and all fresco toilets are the vogue. It is a common sight to see whole families by the side of a stream, performing their ablutions. The baby is taken in hand by the mother, smeared all over with mud as a substitute for soap, immersed in the water, and comes out shining and clean, to be left on the bank in the sun to dry.

It would appear fromfthe evidence given in a case at the Water Police Court at Sydney last week, in which a free-lahourer charged a unionist coal-lumper with using insulting words, that none of the bitterness existing during the late strike has been removed (sayp, the 'Telegraph'). The free-labourer was passing along Princes street, when he was, he alleged, subjected to insulting words, and was called "a scab." He called witnesses of the occurrence, but they—also coal-lurtpers and members of the union—deposed that tbey did not hear the words used. Consequently he was given the benefit of the doubt and discharged,

While the Japanese. warships were in Port Melbourne recently sightseers simply overran them, as the Japs, overran Melbourne, looking into everything, wanting to know everything, so the Australians, having a day out, penetrated into every recess of the Soya and Aso, and piled tions upon the imperturbable middies. Quite two-thirds of the ships* visitors were women, and the girls were more pertinacious aDd pushing than the boys. Two were even pushed into a cabin where a young Officer lay on has bunk smoking. The crowd behind did not permit ofa precipitate retreat, and one of. the girla faced the officer, gasping foolishly: "Me welly solly! Me welly solly!" "Don't mention it," said the Jap. "Shut the door after you, please."

The ordinary meeting of Stonehenge Lodge, U.A'.O.D., was held Jast evening, Bro. Anderson, A.D., presiding. A letter was received from Totara Lodge, Carterton, accepting the invitation to a card tournament in the Foresters' Hall, Masterton, on Thursday evening next. Bro. B. Potter was installed to the office of V.A. by P.D.P. Bro. ! Shackleton. ' Seven new members were initiated, and two proposed. The meeting expressed pleasure at the eminently satisfactory progress I the Lodge was making. Bro. A. Pick- J ering was appointed to take charge of the refreshment arrangements during the winter. months. The selectors stated that a strong team had been arranged to take part in the Friendly Societies' Annual Football Tournament on Saturday next. Bro. Shackleton said that the various teams compering in the tournament would be entertained by the Friendly Societies' Council on Saturday evening, when the Shield would be presented to the victorious team. {

, The splendid weather experienced during the past week has given an impetus to ploughing operations all over the Wairarapa, and during the* past few days quite a number ol farmers have sown a considerable area of crop.

Witn regard to the registration of factories under "The Factories Act" for the year which commenced on April Ist, we understand the Labour Department is taking steps to enforce the Jaw by means ot prbsecutions in various parts of lihe Dominion. It would be judicious therefore for any unregistered factory owners in Masterton to see that their places are registered without delay, if they wish to avoid summonses.

The Warganui Education Board has decided that letters be sent to the School Committees at Eltham, Manaia, Hawera, Patea, Waverley, Wanganui, Taihape, Ohakune, Kaetihi, Feilding, PaWrston Nortti, Foxton and Bulls, asking them if they can appoint a truant officer to undertake prosecutions, payment to be the fines recovered in each case.

A communication from Wairoa says:—The .Native Land Court is still kept very busy under the Presidency of Judge Jones. The new policy of ''speeding up" the Maoris is having a good effect, veiy little time being wasted in fruitless discussions. The Court has already settled the ancestral titia to Re Reinga block, containing nearly 3,400 acres, and 430. names of claimant owners ate now ' being scrutinised.

"If I incur the enmity of every woman in Chicago I intend to wage war relentlessly against long hatpins," was at; heroic declaration made hy Alderman Baaler to the judiciary committee of the Chicago Corporation. "Ihe deadly snickersnee," he said, "must be suppressed. If women like wearing eirrots or roosters en their heads that is an affair of their own. But when it comes to wearing swords they mast be stopped. In the tramway cars passengers are daily and hourly in danger of having their eyes torn out because their neighbour ia a lovely ladyaddicted to this murderous fashion."

Ihe practice of "trotting" up stock at auction sales, that is bidding by the owner to raise the price, is not hy any meana uncommon, according to the statement of a solicitor at the Magistrate's Court, says the 'Oamaru Mail.' Mr Hjorring stated that his client, the defendant in an assault case, had been desirous of oefending the action in order to show that this "trotting" practice was a cainmon on*. The Magistrate said he could hardly believe that it was as common as stated. He pointed out that such bidding, if more than one bid were made by the .owner, was a fraud, and punishable as sucb. * Under the new regulations for the conduct oi the business of the Magistrate's Court, there have been some alterations in the scale of allowances for witnesses. The following figures will show th°. alterations made, the figures in parentheses being under the old scale: For gentlemen, me/chants, bankera and professional men, 15s to 20s (15s to 20s); auctioneers, accountants, clerks, farmers and tradespeople, 12s to 15s (8a to 15s); artisans and journeymen, 10s to 12s (7s to 8s); labourers, 8a to 10s (5s to 7s); females, two-thirds the ordinary allowance (half the ordinary allowance). Pish have been very scarce of late. Thf! Napier waters have apparently been exhausted, aud trawlers have had to go further afield. The ex-ferry boat Countess, now trawling for the Hawke's Bay Company, finding Hawke's Bay very much of a "poverty" bay at present, tried farther north in a cruise to the Bay of Plenty. Here the bay justified the name given it by Captain' Cook, and the Countess was richly rewarded for her enterprise. Nearly four tons mostly snapper ani terakihi, were caught in the four or five days' trip.

The subject of the abandoned graves of fallen soldiers is again rousing some interest. Apropos, a lady correspondent writes to the 'Auckland Star':—"These neglected and forlorn graves cry shame to a twentieth century community of Englishmen. One plot hundred graves, overrun with weeds, has not even corner pegs to mark it, while many graves we can trace only by numbers in old church records. There are officers' tombs grown green; their fences battered." It is the same everywhere unfortunately, and men are getting tired nowadays of the shoddy glamor of military life.

A demonstration of scientific meat curing was given at the premises of Kod Bros.' in Wellington, by Mr R. W. Curry, who recently arrived from Australia. The demonstration was carried out \n the presence of Dr. Frengley, District Health Officer, who is particularly interested in the question of meat-curing, and' the control of butchers' ahops generally. Tne doctor expressed sailsfaction with the system, which is the injection of brine into the oiaiu ar* teries. It is surprising, said Dr. Frengley, that so simple, neat and clean a system, grounded on such sound anatomical factor.s, should not before this have been in vogue.

"Some stir is being made in New Zealand about accepting the new Commonwealth silver coinage," said Mr G. Russell French at the annual meeting to the Institute of Bankers at Sydney last week. "It hardly seems likely that much will find ita way to that country," he continued, "and I have no doubt that suitable arrangements can .ba made for the transfer to this side. They are quite satisfied to go on using British silver coins, and view the Common.' wealth coins as tokens."

An ex-member of Thorneycroft's mounted - infantry, who served in the South African war, writes to the 'Auckland Star:' "I was considerably surprised by Sir J. Ward's description of General C. De Wet, given on the authority of Lord Kitchener. I have seen De Wet on active service and in civilian life, Regarding his j build, he is a man standing about sft Bin, very slim, in fact thia , and I am sure, tnen. he would'nt weigh more than eleven stone; and as fcr riding, well, he is a typical Dutchman. On compiando he usually rode a beautiful' hon-<*rey Etanding about 15.2 hands.'' Kitchener yarns are safe enough p bile Kitchener is away —even if told by a Premier.

W A rare old Lowestoft mug, 54in high, was sold for 7? f» f "^ 8 "' Christie's sale looms in other d'ly. 1 his works out at&lrf an ancb. .

Two very lirge pinus -ioslgnus trees, which stnnd for many years in *tfae Masterton Park i;u close proximity to the Park Oval have been felled, and taken Several •small ornamental shrub trees have been planted in the bare space The improvement . effected will add greatly to the appearance of the Park.

Two Mastertcon residents were out rabbit shooting the other nay when one of them narrjwlv escaped being shot. As the shootists were going through a narrow path in a piece of thick undergrowth, the gun of •the man in th-- rear suddenly went off, and the bullet- grazed his companion, causing a slight flow of blood. 'Ne?dles3 to say, for the rest of the journey unloaded guns were carried

In this age of "recorls" the statistics of the weddings solemnised on a recent Sunday in Vienna deserve to •be registered. No fewer than 1,000 couples were married and 230 silver weddings were celebrated in the aevent\-six parish churches of the ■capital. In two churches the total was seventy eucb, and in manv others the numb-r surpassed fifty. Jn order to prevent me un'isuv.l demand for their e-.v res fro-n iri'erfering wiMi therigular celenraUtm cf Ma-?, the cterey cisposi-d of ti>e candidates for wedlock in hatches of ten and twenty at a time.

Mr Whitehonse. an English M.P., has received a curious present from a working miner in his constituency. It takes the form of a neat little alarum clock set Ht the hour of the declaration of the poll.. The Jrame his the appearance of black marble, but in lvality is compered of gas coal, cut frnai.tbe block and artistically designed by-the donor, an ardent aimirer and supporter of Mr Whiteiioase. Tne felting of the hands at the huur of the declaration of the poll is s( happy idea.

Bay-\lar-Ji-Skunsr, the aged chief of the Chippewa tribe of Indians, •who jodrneypd to Washington parly .in March to interview President Tafr, "Ihe Greac White Chief," was found dfad u.ider curious circu usiances. The chief, who was said to b* nearly one hundred years old, was not versed in the methods' of civilisation, and wiien he discovered a gas lamp in his bedroom he cor.clu-ed that it was an improved form of •tallow canrl?. When he prepared to retire fur the night he blew out the gas He was found dead in bed •the next mornitjg.

About two miles from Horncastle, -England,' there i-s a house which stands in two parishes tni in two Parliamentary divisions?; When the ~ tenant h in one por ion of his residence, which was originally two tenements, he is in West Ashby, in the Horncastle Parliamentary Division, whilst when he is in another part of the building he is in the parish of Hemingby, in the Louth Parliamentary Division. He has a Parliamentary vote in each division, and exercised his dual privilege at the rtcent General Election.

Despite the storm of protest from Auckland members, it would appear : that the Government is determined , to do away with the Governor's official residence in Auckland. There . is now nn doubt that the whole of the valuable furniture and fittings contained in Government House were removed and sold at auction. The gub- ; ernatorial premises have been! stripped, and even telephonic commu- ! nication has been cut off. And yet •the Premier first coolly* denied tnat the Government has given any . authority for the change. Parliament, "ihowever, has yet to Lave a say on ••the matter The 'Otago Daily Times' says:— We are not at liberty in existing circumstances to express any opinion respecting the evidence that was given or respecting the soundness or the unsoundness of the judg- , mftit which the maeiatialc ha* de- ; ll'vered m the case of Bmvron Hio.. but it will, «e feereure.'bs B««e.ally felt by the community thac thd ; member of the firm who occupies a j seat -in the Legislative Council ! should, now that the judgment is j on record, even if he should be ad- | vised that an appeal may be sue- j cessfully prosecuted, recogr.uc the propriety of tendering his resignation to the Governor. Extravagance, line many olher thing* according .to Mr Justice Cooper, is a matter nf dearee. Durire'the hearing of a c»-e in tne Bankruptcy Courr, Wellington, by> Honor said that a man receiving £25(1 per "ear .and living up to £2OO won.J be living extravßuantly. Similarly in the cas3 ot men receiving larger amounts, thu.gh it could hardly be said that a man receiving £I,OOO and ivina up to £9OO was living extrn ■vacantly.- Mr Justice Cooper might, however, have indicated whether or , not a married u.an receiving, say, S a week would be justified in ; up to it. His logic is some- , what hard tu follow. j While the Atlantis Fleet battleships were engaged in firing exer- . rises in the Channel, a remarkable accident occurred to a seaman on board one of the vessels. The battleship Queen was towing a target at wbTch the battleship Venerable was rfiring with her three-pounder quickfireri During the shooting an able seaman named Bailey fell overbold , from the Queen. A lifebuoy was thrown to him. wh.ch'he but he was soon in close proximity o the rapidly-moving target wh.ch struck the lifebuoy and carried it away. At . the same moment the Venerable discharged her broadside of quickfirers, the feaman's f.ll rot having; bee, noticed. The target was riddled, but Bailev was fortunately not touched. ■The Queen signalled to the Venerable and both shi P 8 steamed at full speed To the spot, where they lowered 'tSS. Bailey was rescued in an exhausted condition. Mr J. Carpenter, of the "Centra Shoe'-Store,- announces the.aim al of further consignments of lad es winter footwear. The preparations Z the store this season are most extensive and tbe-publlc are, catem** in a manner that is decidedly credit ibl' Not only are the latest and most fashionable B ood- -howj, but The range is a particularly wide and tne ruiitc another column ■varied one In a " oiner , lnHip .. sppcial attention is drawn lo ladies glace lace-boots, box calf lace boots •SKoteelaeebootp; glace button-boote.

j Up to the present 281 factoriesj«p lover 300 shops have been I in Napier. It is this 1 year's registrations will constitute I a record.

A furnishfd house is required for a small family, particulars to be left at Age. Office. Mr W. H. Cruickshank advertises to let a shop and dwelling at Lansdowne, where there is a good opening for a grocer.

A small sheep and cattle run at Akitio, of 1128 acres, is advertised for sale at a low price by Mr '.V. H. Cruickshank, land agent, Masterton.

I The finder of a lady's silver and leather belt will be rewarded on re--1 turning same to this office. The annual meeting of the Masterton Branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union will be held in the A. and P. Association's rooms on Saturday, May ,14th, p.m. The Manawatu Gorge road is completely blocked lor traffic, there being barricades at each end. The stoppage is due.to the fact that repairs are being effected to two bridges. It is expected that this work will be completed in about a week's time. Mr F. .P. Welch advertises for.sale two specially selected properties, situate on tha Main Trunk line'; also a number of good huuses, shops, officas and paddocks, and grazing to let. He also has money to lend in sums of from £IOO to £2uoo on freehold security.

At the Bannister-street Auction Mart at 2 o'clock this afternoon, Messrs McQueen and Sons will sell, on account of Messrs Johnston and Bennett a quantity of household furniture. The various lines will be sold without reserve.

The tailor was ill wibh a dingerous chill And his breath Ciaie in fluttering "pants." His life, so they said ju*t hung by a , "thread" For the doctor hid murmurel "ao chance.''

No words can ex "prW his awful distress Bat it "seams" th it ha pat up * He took the thing sure, Wood's Pepper mint Cure, ' And cured him of his folly.