LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10050, 26 July 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The snow is very Tow down on the ranges just now, and the weather is cold. '''esterday morning eleven degrees of frost were recorded in Masterton.

There is a scarcity of firewood in Masterton, amounting very near to a fsmine. This is due to the continuous wet which has interfered with carting operations.

Another euchre tournament will be held in the Kuripuni Ball to-morrow evening under the auspices of the South Brass Band. Prizes have been donated by Messrs McLeod and Young and Wateon and Co.

Sir Joseph Ward made a brief but uncompromising declaration in respect of the national endowments. He said that none of these lands would be converted into freeholds. Hiß own opinion was that the country would not agree to it, and the pres eut Government would certainly not agree to it. Mr Pither, tho well-known cyclist, who recently had a successful trial at Invercargill of his monoplane, in-, tends to take it to Australia, with a view to competing for soma of the valuable prizes shortly tu be given for aeroplane events. Prior to that he will visit the principal centres of the Dominion and give practical demonstrations of his invention.

An eruption took place on Sunday afternoon at the Echo Crater, Wai-, mangu, at first only in a small way. nut during the night it increased Tf:e crater is now twenty-five yardh long an J sixteen yards wide, and eruptions are taking place evt-ry nine minutes. Boiling water and mud are being sent to a height of from ten to fifty feet. Water boils furiously every ftw seconds and is thrown up five or ten feet. The new eruption is about a minute's walk from Waimangu House, on Frji g Pan Flat.

A cable message to the Sydney Morning Herald from Suva, dated 6th Instant, states that the Deuba Estate of 6000 acres, near Kavua. has been sold by Mr Arthur Joske to Mr Sudbolmej of Canterbury, New Zealand, for a sura of £15,000. It is the intention of "the present owner to couvert the estate which, up to the recent hurricane, had been producing a large amount of bananas, into a rubber plantation.

Mr Arnold Weston has resigned his position as secretary of the Pahiatua Chamber of Commerce, stating that he was unable to devote the time to the duties. The memher3 present at the last meeting of the Council showed their appreciation of Mr Weston's services by voting him the sum of two guineas, and it was also resolved *hat that gentleman should be elected to the first vacancy on the Council of the Chamber.

The first piece of native freehold land to be acquired by a private individual from the natives of the Rotorua district under the Native Land Act of last session was sold to the Rotorua Co-operative Dairy Company. Limited. The Rotorua Times understands that several applications are in course of preparation in respect of other parts of the area so released from the Thermal Springs Act, The totarnumber who entered for the November, December,, and January tests in connection with junior national scholarships, junior free places, and the Civil Service was 7267, or 1150 more than in the preceding year.. In the several examinations the numbers present were:—Civil Service, etc, 2369; junior national l scholarships and junior free places- 2214; Civil Service senior, 443; certificate examinations, 1482. Mr F. G. Bolton,, of Wellington, who has just returned after a trip to San Francisco,, said "that in the event of war between the United States and Japan there are er.oueh Japanese in Honolulu to capture the place. I had a conversation with officers connected with immigration in Honolulu, and learned that there had been serious talk regarding the Japanese invasion, and the people of Honolulu much regretted that they followed earlier in tine footstaps of New Zealand in keeping their country 'white.' "

The Leader of the Opposition points out a peculiar feature of the public works policy. It was, he Baid, the intention of the Government to erect public buildings in Christchurch, at a cost of between £50,000 and 56ft,000. In spite of the tact that there were about a dozen architects in the Public Works Department,, the Minister in charge had arranged for, a Christchurch architect to draw the plans, and on the ordinary scale he would thus be entitled to charge about £ISOO. If the Public Works Department could not do tile* work, it should have been put up to public competition.

It is sincerely to be hoped that under the new regime of defence in this country the authorities will cease to neglect eo important an arm of the service as the rifle clubs. That in the past they have been so neglected is quite clear from the comparison of the treatment accorded to clubs in Australia and in New Zealand. In every instance the Australian marksman has the better of it. This r too, is under the old system,, and it is not to be supposed when the Commonwealth scheme of defence is per fected the rifle clubs will; suffer. Their position will more probably be in proved. --Post.

"Man for man," said Mr D. Robertson, at a postal function in Wellington, "our mail-room men can perform a much better day's work than the men I saw anywhere-in Europe, and 1 watched that matter carefully on the Continent." The difference, said the speaker, was to be accounted for by the fact tbat in European mail-rooms there weretwo'distinct classes of oliiqers—one on an entirely lower grade than the other. The low-grade man,, whcv was poorly paid, had no chance of-advancement. In New Zealand, on the other hand, every man had as good; a chance of advancement aa anybody else, and this made him diligent'and'eager.

A marvellous escape from a fearful death occurred at Mount Buffalo (Victoria) last week. Austin Gregory, aged about twenty three years, was descending the gorge, intent on taking snapshots of tne scenery, when he slipped and fell,, rolling and falling. His downward progress was not stayed until he had'reached nearly 1000 ft. The police at once left for the Eurobin Falls with a party of civilians, expecting to find Gregory'smangled corpse. Jt was then ascertained, however, that when he recovered consciousneess, after his sensational experience, Gregory had staggered and crawled along the foot of the gorge until he reached the house of the Buffalo caretaker, fearfully cut about the face and "body, and i with his clothes in tatters, but no very serious results are feared. In dealing' with th& two lads King and Dean, who ran amok with a revolver at Paraparaumu the Chief Justice nid the affair was probably the aftci >nafh. of what they had seen in the ; ttitude of some members of the com> unity towards individuals carrying volvers. Some people looked upo -njch an offence lightly, but he con: < ered it was a serious thing, and nothing but the youth ot the accused prevented him from sending them to gaol for a long term of imprisonment. The accused, added his Honor, would be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, on the condition that for the first six months they should not be seen out after 6 o'clock in the evening. His Honor warned them against going on in this wild fashion, as it would lead them in to serious consequences.

An opinion was expressed by the Secretary of the Postal Deportment, iVSr D. tiobertson, that there would bo a large future development of the post-card btssmess in New Zealand. We sent very few in this country, declared tr.e speaker, a; d, compared | with that of other -ountriee, our I proportion was very small. The reason for this, he, thought, was that local advertisers do not advertise post-cards. In America every manufacturer and adveitiser says, "Send n postcard," and an enormous peslal business is the result. He doubted whether most people knew they could sand a post-card for a halfpenny. I

Snow fell, yesterday for the first time this year in Dunedin. The fall was pretty heavy.

A telegram from Christchurca stated that King Hippo was scratched yesterday afternoon for a!! engagements at the Grand National Meeting.

Charles Henry Rackstraw, over fifty years of age, was found dead in a settler's stable at Kioreroa, near Whangarei on Sunday murning. Hisr horse wss stanling. in one of the stalls. Death was apparently due to heart failure.

A fire yesterday morning destioyed a house owned by W. Hart and" occupied by W. Hart, senr., at Dalefield. Practically nothing wassaved. The house was insured in the Northern for £IOO and the furniture for £IOO, in the National.

About 8,30 o'clock on Sunday morning the railway station and post office at Ctaki were destroyed by fire. The blaze started in the Post Office, which is attached to the station. AH the books and papers were removed undamaged, but the building, which about g£4oo or £500,. was entirely destroyed.

The Masterton Homing Pigeoa Ulub hold their annual meeting on Monday evening next in the Fiie Police bfatinn. After the election of officers and other business is concluded, the queslion of forming; a Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Club and holding a Show will he discussed.

A number of settlers in the Wafkato have decided to export pork to the London market directly the price offered for pigs by the local buyers falls below 4d per lb. A consignment of pork went Home from the Waikatothrough the New Zealand Dairy Association a few months gave a net re>. turn to the farmers of 4 13-16 d per pound.

Survey work in connection with the Government's scheme of reservins; the best of the scenery along, the Waneanui .River between Wanpa nui and Pipiriki is beirg pushed ahead. In all casps as far as possible only the land between the river and, sky-line as seen from ' passing boats has been taken, and it is hoped by this mean* to preserve the beautiful scenery of the river, and protect the river banks.

A telegram from Auckland says that a sensation has been caused in the Menurewa district by an outrage upon the dairy herd of C. H. Lupton, farmer. Four cows have died*, and examination of the shows that all had apparently been poisoned. Two of the animals were also stabbed. But for the evidence of the stabbing the conclusion might have been that the herd had been eating some poisonous foiider.

"Disappointment in my matrimonial affairs" was the excuse offered to thft Hawke's Bay Land Board f<»r noncompliance with the residential clause by a woman who had drawn ale Arai section. "The together with the illness of my mother,'- added the lady, "necessitated my leaving the district.'' She hoped, however, to return as soon as possible. Three months' notice to reside on the section was given by ,the Board. , : .' ". ' ."'"' '.'/"'". ." •■'

"1 have been much struck by the splendid resources of your country,** said Dr A. G. Bell, the inventor of the telephone, an American, who is at present on a visit to Australia, in the course of a conversation with, a Brisbane Courier reporter. "You want people to develop them, as it seems a problem how you can do. it, without tropical labour. lam surprised at the siurdiness of your people—you are a branch of the British race in all respects, arid if you can maintain tbat position it will be a splendid thing."

'liij Dunedin the eupply of domestic servants is at the present time by no means vdqual to the demand. Enquiry made by the Daily 'limes shows that there is a decided preference shown for employment in hotels and refreshment rooms, where the noura and pay are regulated by an ward of the Arbitration Court. In fact, so decided is that preference that a number of young women are at the present moment out of employment, although there is plenty of domestic work ofterinfc, preferring to wait for a situation in a hotel or restaurant rather than take up the duties of a domestic servant.

A wrestling match at Waihi ended* in ratner a dramatic manner. After the contestants had wrestled for half; an hour, and one had then obtained a fall, they retired for a spell. The referee then stepped forward and. announced that he; had disqualified both wrestlers, as he considered match a "crook" one. He gave as his reasons that, when the men were on the mat, the aggressor,', at the request of the man underneath, released several fluids with which he could have secured a fall. This- was indignantly denied. A local paper states that the bout was a very willing one, and the referee's decision caused somewhat of a sensation amongst the audience, as supporters of both men were satisfied at the genuineness of the match.

The ordinary meeting of the Masterton Oddfellows' Lodce was held last evening, Bro. A. Wheeler, N.G., in the chair. Correspondence was, received from the secretary of the Heart of Oak Lodge stating that a meeting of the P.G.'s Lodge wouldbe held at Carterton on the Igtr* pros, for the purpose of electing officers and adopting rules. A letterwas received from the C.S., statins' that arrangements had been made I with the Evening Post to place a column of its newspaper every week at the disposal of Friendly Societies. Pour friends were proposed for admittance into the Lodge, and three new members were duly initiated into the Order, Bro. P. faruiti, P.G.M., acting as Initiating Master. The following officers of the Lodge were duly iustalled, viz:- Bro. A. E. Wheeler as N.U., Bro. J. L. Hughea V.G., and Bro. Ales. McLeod E.S. Bro. E. Krahagen, P.G.M., acted aa Installing Master. After the business of the Lodge was transacted a social evening was spent. A shore (oast list was gene tl.rougb, interspersed with a numb.r of sunjja and recitations, and a pleasant and enjoyable evening- was concluded bv tha singing of "Auld Lang Synf.»*

A couple of railway trucks loaded with timber got off the rails at the south end of the Palmerston North railway station. With, the aid of "jacks" they were pot back into placej but as the main line was blocked the Auckland express was delayed half an hour in its departure for Wellington. An exchange remarks that this Boct of thing is getting chronic.

A strong contingent of the Eketahuna Mounted Rifles under Captain A. B. Farmer, visited Pahiatua yesterday, for the purpose of receiving and taking in charge the colours of the regiment. The squadron on ar rival were received by tha local officers, headed by Mayor Bolton, and entertained at dinner in the Olympic Theatre after which the ceremony of handing the colours was gone through.

A motion by Mr F. W. Swift, "That the union shall not, take part in politics, and no matter or question of a political nature shall be discussed at any meeting of the board or union," was briefly discussed at the half-vearly meeting of the Wellington Typographical Union, but no *ute was taken upon it, the union proceeding to other business. Mr Swift intimated that he would bring up the matter at a future meeting.

Mr John Bird, of. Westport, had a 'narrow escape from serious accident on Saturday night, when descending the D-nniston t--ack. His horse slipped off tne track and crashed down through the Dusnes for about 90ft, landing with a broken back on another part of the track below. Mr Bird fell off the and the horse arid managed tt puil himself up uninjurel among the busheß 30 fett helow the part of the track houi which the horse had slipped.

Someone directed a constable to a house, one of the doors of which was Jocked, in Cambridge Terrace, Wellington. The occupant, a widow, is *?aid to navn refused to op n the door, whereupon the constable proceeded to force a . en-rancx Tma had the effect of i'lduci'ni thd woman to unlock the door, and the >iolic<j officer saw a pool of blood on ihe floor o* tne room, due, it \i report.d, to the occupant having severed a vein in her left arm. She is ahi) alleged Jo have taken, an eggcup full of chlorodyne. The woman was removed to the hospital, where she is reported to he making favourable progress.

The d3Ctinn of a chairman of Committees, on present, indications, is likely ti result in a series of complications. It wai announced by Sir Joseoh Ward that the nomination of Mr H; Davey for the position vacated by Mr Wilford was favoured by the;Uuverrirrient'caucus but the decision, apparently, .was' based on a very .narrow majority. Sir William Steward makes no secret of the fact that the is ouc againts all comers.for the position. Tha Opp.sition has nominated Mr W. Fraser (Wakatipu), but this has been done mainly as a protest against the delay in tne appointment of Mr Wilford's successor.

Are there many obsolete carriages in use on the New Zealand railways similar in construction to some ot the carriages which were so badly smashed in the recent railway disaster near Melbourne? is a question that some people are asking just at present, say 3 thi Cbristchurch News. As far as can be ascertained there are some of this class of rolling stock still in use, although it is never in>ciuded iu the miking up of express trains. At'holiday 4;imes, however, these out-of-date carriages are used,, and as the rfsk 'from accident is •greater, perhaps, when the traffic is heaviest, it seems that TO."would be a wise thing if they were relegated to i the scrap heap. .

Some remarkable results have been achieved by Mr A. J. Roberts, a young Australian inventor, in the control ar>d guidance of torpedoes and aeroplanes by means of Hertzian waves. Mr Roberta is at present in England, whither he proceeded last year bearing credentials to tne.Admiralty. Mr Roberts established himself on a lake at Dagenham, Essex, and had the satisfaction of successfully guiding a torpedo on and under the surface of the water in any direction he desired. "It rammed a maving buoy," "dived, below the surface of the lake, dashed along Ltie top in fi»urts of eight, and then returned to the dock like a well-trained seal."

A nearly new Kirchner piano is advertised for sal 2 A reasonable offer will Le accepted.

A reward is offered for the recovery of a gold star ruari pendant, lot-t between Dixon aaa Qjeen Streets yesterday afternoon.

Special soiic! b.ots for farrr.ers' winter wear and bays' hard wearing school boots, read the W.F.CA., Ltd., new adveitisment on page 4,

Mr Eli Smtb, land agent, Masterton, adve»:.i-ies for sale a freehold sheep and rattle run of 4850 acres. The property is well improved, the price is low, and the terms are easy. 'Particulars are given on page 8.

Messrs W. B. Chennells and Co. adv-jrtise for sale 220 acres of level land close to a factory and school, and c nvenient to Maaterton; part ploughed and the whole well subdivided. There are good buildings pn the prope.ty, and the price asked is a law one.

Messrs C. Smith and Co., Ltd., report:—Our sale is an unqualified succes*, our reputation for genuine sales is still ma'ntained; we are bringing forward frssh bargains daily. During this week we are ' making further reductions on our millinery, coats, costumes, and all departments.

« [ FEEL A DIFFERENT WOMAN."

—I suffered from* constipation, lizy liver ani sevete headaches fcr months," writ« 3 Mrs E. Muithead, 10 Eliza-streot, West Adelaide, S.A. ' "I felt so tired. I w-mtad to lie clown all the time, and life w,w not worth living. Nothing I tried did one any good until ItookLaxo-Tonic fills. . From these I obtained great relief, and continuing thorn a little longer I was quite cured, able to g?t through my duties with ease and pleasure, and feal quits s different woman." Price lOid and Is 6d. Obtainable every wheio. It makes one anxious—any loss oi weight. riIOSPHOL will re-build a •constitution. Large bottles sold by all chemists. Importers are invited to send their Shipping Documents tc J. J. CURTIS & CO., Shipping Agents, Custom-house Quay, Wellington. This firm will do your ..Customs work correctly, and forward goccs

A raward is offered for the recovery of a bay mare on returning same to Mr Rob-rt Russell, Masterton. | To sit in a well-built and uphol • stered "Morris" easy chair is a charming sensation after a hard day's work. Adjustable for reading, smoking, or reclining it is an accession to any home —and the wellknown firm of G. Hyde and Co. are prepared fto make to any design, whilst their stock of furnishings are remarkably fresh and up to the j times.

Local orchardists will be pleased to learn that the spraying solution which the Government expert, Mr Nottage, has so much confiience in can now fce procured from a local firm Mr C. E. Daniell is the Wairarapa supplier, a d has measured out, mixed and boiled the ingredients according to in«truction3 laid down in tha Government formula. Orchardists will find this the most convenient way of procuring the mixtjre as oily water—twenty-four to one—has to be added to make the whole ready for use. As July and August are the months when the trees are dormant, this is the period when spraying is most effective, and fruit growers will do well to procure; the solution and commence operations right away.