LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10169, 20 February 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

lb is proposed by the tradespeople of Masterton to present Mr W. T. Mansfield, Town Clerk,and Engineer, with a testimonial prior to his leaving for Wanganui.

The proposal to form a municipal orchestra at Napier is likely to fall through, for want of local support. A working man told the registrar at the Bloomsbury County Court that he could not pay because he was suffering from "Cxiba goloshes."

An eel weighing twenty pounds, and measuring four feet six inches in length, was taken from the Mangatainoka river the other evening.

Owing to the prolonged drought, the price of fat lambs has been considerably reduced in the Manawatu district. The News states that a Masterton young man was fined £5 at Carterton on Saturday morning for being drunk and using threatening language.

The Taranaki News confirms a rumour recently published in the Age that a prominent member of the Ministry is about to resign.

The saleyards which have been erected at Solway for the associated auctioneers,h ave cost between £3OOO and £4OOO.

~ Several men are at present employed trapping, rabbits in the Masterton district. The occupation is said to be attended with profit.

The movement to establish public swimming baths in Pahiatua in commemoration of the Coronation of King George V. is being warmly supported in the district.

Out of thirty-six young men who entered for the judging of Romneys, at the Masterton show, not one placed the first three pens as they had been pla-ced.-fey the judge. . • ■ -

A Feilding settler has partially solved the shearers' difficulty. He put in four machines this year, found his own stain, and shore 26,000 of his neighbours' sheep.

The Minister for Public Works lias informed Mr C. Hall, M.P., that when he visits Dannevirke lie will go, over tli9 proposed railway route from Dannevirke to Weber, and thence to Masterton, '" "" ■■■ ,

There were forty-six competitors in the judging of fat sheep at the Mas-ter-ton show. The sheep are .to be slaughtered and graded at the; iWairararoa meat works "before the result will be % known.... "

So far, about 900 shares have been taken up in the Bacon Company . which is being formed with a view to the erection of bacon-curing works at the Waingawa. Most of these shares have been taken up by Forty-Mile Bush settlers. ■:.'■"'■'■

The Pahiatua Herald refers to the requisition presented to Mr J. C. Cooper, asking him to contest the ~ Masterton seat in'the Government in- , terest, as "the most audacious piece of political humbug perpetrated in the annals of New Zealand."

The. Masterton /bawling green : was. thronged with players during the past week, the chief attraction being ". the teams matches. In the final for the Thursday championship, "Perry beat Reynolds, and the winner has now to play W. Pragnell for the championship of the club. W. M. Cole beat J. Hunter, in the Handicap Singles, and, the winner meets Blinkhorne in the final.

Work for carpenters and general labourers, promises to be fairly plentiful in Masterton for tho next few months. Building contracts to thef., value of nearly £10,600 have been let in and around the town, while the contract for the northern approaches and various mad contracts w'ill-ihvdlveai.•ex'--.penditiire oi another £BOOO or £9OOO. They apparently, enthuse in Wanganui on the slightest provocation. The. Wanganui Band' was hopelessly beat: en by the Wellington Garrison Band at Palmerston North, and yet, when the band returned to Wanganui on .Saturday night, it was met at the station by, a large crowd and welcomed by the Mayor. "'■■'■..-'*■■.■<■

A sign of the'times. In a casebefpre "the Court Mr V. G. Day, 5.M.,, remarked;i»'the defending counsel: "Sineethe old agepehsion arrangements have been in force children seem to throw their,'Rarents overboard altogether,. I know I would be sorry to see any of my children throw me overboard."

The lowest tender received by the Wellington Education Board for the erection of a school at Carrington. (Carterton) being above the amount of the grant received for the work, the Board :has made application to the Department for the additional sum' necessary to enable.it to carry out the work. - • V

• The President of the Masterton A. [ and P. Association (Mr W. Perry) has I received a letter from His Excellency [ the Governor (Lord Islington) convey- | ing his hearty congratulations upon ['the success of the recent show, and expressing the hope that he may be able to visit future gatherings of the kind.

The Wellington Education Board has decided that children attending Roman Catholic schools be allowed to attend the Board's/classes in woodwork, on condition of the payment of capitation to the Board at the same rate as is paid by the Department for pupils of Board schools. The prices obtained for rams at the Masterton ram fair last week were the highest secured at any ram fair in the North Island this year. Several breeders from outside districts have intimated their Intention of reserving their best stock for Masterton next year, whilst one of the most important breeders of ltomneys in the Dominion has stated (that lie will not sell a hoof I in New Zealand until the Masterton I fair arrives.

WEDDING CAKE.

Everybody is interested in wedding cake, .for matrimony is the lot of the average. To make a wedding cake rub to a soft and light cream a cup of butter arid "one and one-half cups of powdered sugar. When light, add six eggs we'll beaten. Mix together a teaspoonful each of cinnamon and nutmeg, powdered, and one-half teaspoonful of ground cloves. Put together pound of minced citron, and onehalf pound each of seeded and halved raisins and well-cleaned currants. Dredge all well with flour, and add to-the other ingredients, then stir in a pint of sifted flour and, last of "all," a wine glass full of brandy < Bake in a tin with a funnel in the centre. When cold cover with white icing. If the wedding guests want tea, then serve Dragon Brand Tea at 2s Sd per lb. This is absolutely the finest tea procurable ,in 'New Zealand to-day. It is rich, and well flavoured,; the colour is bright, and thetjfrture Exquisite. Dragon Brand Tea is procurable from most storekeepers in this district. It is a good family tea.

Bush and grass fires, which have dono much damage in the Taranaki district; are reported to be subsiding. A sum of £1431 is to be paid out by the Nireaha Dairy Company, £4OO by the Rongokokako Company, and £450 by the Kaiparoro Company td-day.

The annual "treat" in connection with the Eketahuna school is to be held on the Newman reserve on Thursday next.

A commercial gentleman, speaking to a Hawera Star reporter, stated that money for investment is now very plentiful and cheap, too.

The Eltham Dairy Co. manufactured last month 276,45?.1bs of butter and will pay out £9953, at the rate of lOd per lb. The averse iztl was 3.64.

Ragwort has now been declared ■ a noxious weed throughout the Dominion, and it is no longer a necessity for local bodies to declare it a weed by special order.

A former Chicago newspaper reporter has become an Episcopalian bishop. v Which leads the Cleveland Leader to think' that, after all, there may be hope for all.

The Kaipara shoal has now been completely removed from the Rangitoto Channel, says the New Zealand Herald y and for the future it will be no more than a mere matter of .'past history.

A valuable Jersey calf; valued 1 by ( its owner at £6O, has "gone under'' (says the Wanganui Chronicle) to the pestiferous pea rifle. The "irresponsible'.' who fired the shot is, w*e believe, :at present unknown'.: ;"; k'* : -;;"-V ''■<>. ■■ \..P.

I have good reason, says the : Grey-. mouth correspondent of the Qtago Daily Times, to believe .that sensation- \ al developments, which will affect all parts of the Dominion, are contem-plated-as a result of the protracted strike at Patea. ."'-•-..■■'

Some large cheques J'fr-e been mnde by agriculturists at Pukekohe this year iKith'potato crops (s^ystbe^ ■*' land Star), and a record season'has been experienced. It is estimated that the local growers; have accounted for approximately £15;OG0 ; for potatoes.

The Hawera district stock -inspector is having a busy time just * now innoculating cajyes. To date no fewer than 14,000 animals have passed through his hands, as against 8000 for the whole season in 1909. The period for innoculating will end about March 30th. ■..-/.... ;..--.. 'v,o : '^..:'-"•'■':■■ '-

The ladies' swimming carnivalj;for '. which quite a. number of outside yentries have .been received, takes place U in the Christina and baths at Masterton on. nest. It is not expected -that- man" >< will be admitted; he.;raisedno serious objection to ladies when he was himself. displaymg\bas:;prow.ess..

A number of aspirants to vocal fame presented themselves to Madamoiselle Angina Detores, when she : was, in : Dunedin. Injsomß- cases Bhc ed-iavourably, expressing her surprise . at the number of good voices that she had heard in New. Zealand. JEfufc in every case she took care to explain; the many difficulties to' be surmounted before success can be" achieved.

' Prime fat cattle have been scarce for some months in the Dunedin market., On Saturday morning thirty-four fat bullocks from Napier were landed from the Mokoia for Elliott Bros.; .They were driven into an, enclosure in the shed on the cross and; then taken by;road to Burnside. The'sanie'firm ■has. houghti; a ; large' number/ -'/.of ~. ■ fatf cattle in Hawke's Bay for its Diinedih business, bntfutnre lbts they intend tar ship from Napier to Kaiapbi, arid thence by rail to Dunedin.

Mr C. J. "Thomson, M.P., in the course of a few to > the opening of the flower show at Ore* puki onj Wednesday evening, mention- . ed the fact that New Zealand' grown"'. flower seeds were in much request in ." : London! at the. present, time. The growtfrof one, and the .fertility ancf iJenirliT^oS^ 1 * quality of the seed grown in the Do- r '.' :v minion has doubtless brought; about , ; the demand w-hich at present exists.

Those farmers who took the trouble to sow maize as summer feed for their cows are now reaping the benefit of their foresight, says- the Taranaki Herald, as the milk yield of their cows is keeping up much better than that of those who have to trust entirely to * grass as feed. Speaking roughly, the return from, a-.dairy herd "uptill'■the'.', end of December is about enough to cover expenses; ; so thatatltHe receipts during the latter part'of the season are pr'ofits, arid therefore iti should be the object of farmers to make these-as great as possible. -.. ....,•

f At-a-well-attended'meeting of par- - ishioners of St. Patrick's Church, Mas- | ter'ton, it was unanimously decided to again hold a grand concert, arid dance 5 on St. Patrick's night, March 17th. ' The ladies, who were present in good numbers, formea themselves into; a. 1 committee to see to thecatering for ■ the dance, and that is sufficient guar- , antee that this department will not . be behind what has been done in past ■ years. The concert, which was appre- , Ciated by the large numbers who at- * tended last year, promises to be better this year, as already the best talent that can be got has been procured. This being the first dance of the season, is always looked forward to by those who enjoy a good night's amusement. Train arrangements in connection with th Woodville races are advertised elsewhere. THERE'S MONEY IN MOVING PICTURES. Big fortunes have been made from moving picture exhibitions since the invention of the cinematograph.- It is such a comparatively inexpensive < show to run that any man with some "go" in him can make a good pile in ; a very short time. With an "Em* pire" cinematograph, model No. 2, large clear pictures, of unsurpassed steadiness can be exhibited. It has all the latest improvements as well as the best features of earlier machines. ' The working parts are made by expert mechanics, and only the very finest materials are used in its construction. It is fitted with ball bearings, which allow it to run for two or three hours without getting hot. The cost is £SO. Much amusement and instruction may be obtained in the home, or at private I socials with the "Empire" ciriemato- \ graph, model No. 000. It throws a first-class, clear„steady picture, and is fitted with many handy devices siriiilar to the larger machines.. It is. specially ■■ built for the home, and for ■giving shows ,iri small hallsl The cost of .this fine machine is only £8 10s. Call and " see both of these or send for particulars to- the Imperial Camera Co., Willis Street,. Wellington.

A London cable, received this morning, states that the price of New Zealand mutton is unchanged. North Island lamb is quoted at s|d, and 5-Jd for selected brands. At the Magistrate's Court at Ashburton, Patrick Small, a farmer at Wheatstone, was fined £5 for failing to clear Californian thistles from his farm. Mr Day, S.M., said it was the worst case in regard to thistles lie ever had before him, as the evidence showed that Small had actually threshed a wheat crop containing mature thistle seeds, thus giving means of distribution of the seed. A London model ice-cream cart is advertised for sale. A reward -is offered for the recovery of a gold brooch lost in Lincoln road last evening. Totara posts and battens are advertised for sale by Mr Jamas Donaldson, care Kaituna Post Office. Messrs A. J. Johnson and Co. will hold an auction sale on .account of Mrs P. , Hourigan on Wednesday, February 22nd. Particulars are advertised on page 8. Messrs Krahagon and Chapman have a replace advertisement to-day in which they draw attention to their splendid range of suitings. Also to their craftsmen who model suits to individual requirements.