LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10270, 24 June 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The wages paid by the Masterton Farmers' Implement Company last year amounted to the substantial sum of £3336 9-* lOd. Building operations in and around j Masterton promise to be fairly animated during the next few months. Contracts to the value of between £12,000 and £15,000 will be in progress before the end of July. About 2000 sheep a week are at present being put through the Waingawa meat works. Cattle are also being handled. Messrs J. C. Cooper and A. R. McFarlane have been appointed to deal with tenders for the new bacon factory at Waingawa, which are to be invited at once. A wool and skin sale was held in Palmerston North yesterday. There was a fair a ttendarice of buyers, and the whole of the entry changed hands at prices equal to ruling rates. The earthquakes which were experienced in Masterton at an early hour of jesterday morning were also felt in other parts of the district, and were preceded by .a distinct rumbling sound. A very heavy downpour of rain occurred in Masterton in theearjy hour,s of Friday morning. The street gut- i ters, m failed* to carry off the surface water, and the thoroughfares were flooded.

Mr W. Perry, President of the Masterton A. and P. Association, responded to the toast of "The Visitors," at a smoke 1 concert held in connection with the Palmerston Show on Thursday evening. The men employed on the northern approach to Masterton made a yalu-" able discovery on Friday. They Were excavating in the neighbourhood of -i bridge, when they utuno across some hidden treasure of the Droppers' Club. This they promptly appropriated in the name of the King, and the health of the Prince of Wales was duly toasted. The directors of the Wellington Farmers' Meat Company this week accepted tenders for the provision of a steam boiler of large capacity, a duplication of the electrical plant, and an important addition to the fellmongery plant. The cost of the additions will run into about £4OOO. The Pahiatua District High School Committee, at its monthly meeting this week, decided to nominate Mr A. H. Vile, of Masterton, foiure-election to the Wellington Education Board. The Committee also resolved to invite Mr Vile to present the Coronation medals to the school children on the re-assembling of the school. Frcm Ensign Avenell, of the Masterton Corps of the Salvation Army, we have received a brochure entitled, "The Bridge of Sighs." The little work contains quite an array of incident gathered in the social work of the Army, and makes interesting reading.

Apropos of the Coronation. It is said tliat the late King Edward once played "crib"- with Pierpont Morgan for five-guinea points., :A ribble earl-in-waiting desired to get the ear of His Majesty and was told, "His Majesty is playing cards, my Jord!" "With whom ?" asked the earl. "Mr Pierpont Morgan, my lord." "God save the King!" piously exclaimed th»* Peer. It is satisfactory to learn that the fear that the larch plantations in the South Island had been attacked by the destructive disease known* 8(S the larch-leaf cast is quite without* foundation. During the summer a good deal of defoliation has occurred, but it appears to be entirely due to the abnormally dry weather experienced. On the eve of his return to England by the steamer lonic last week Mr T. Sedgwick sent an interesting letter to all the "Sedgwick boys" in New Zealand. He says that so far the scheme has, with one or two exceptions, proved a success, and that, generally speaking, the employers and the boys are very satisfied with each other. Entries are said to b© coming from all parts of the Dominions for the! annual show of the South Wairarapa Poultry Association, to he held at Carterton on July sth and 6th. j "New Zealand," said Professor Mills, of America, in an address at Petone, "has almost identical natural resources as Japan, and I see no reason why this-fair country should not become as powerful among the nations. As it is," lie proceeded, "New > Zealand leads the world in many ways, and it is quite common, when anything is proposed in the United States, to hear somebody say: 'Oh that's how I they do it in New Zealand.' "

! The total number of Territorials , registered in New Zealand is 27,7071, | and of senior cadets 29,655, a grand total of 57,362. The price of butter has been raised in Sydney by eight shillings a ton. The best i > now at 120s. The gate takings at the League football match in Sydney on Thursday amounted to £2570. Up till noon yesterday, 31,347 per- j sons had passed through the turnstile at the Wellington Exhibition. Several robberies have been committed in Palmerston North this week. One hotelkceper was relieved of £4O in gold. Several Masterton dairymen intend culling their dairy herds this winter with a view to establishing them on a more profitable basis. Several Masterton poultry breeders have expressed their intention of joining the Nor tli Island Utility Poultry Association, which was formed ar> Palmerston North this week. A child was knocked down by a cyclist in Masterton last evening, and sustained a nasty sprain of the right wrist. The total fire losses in Palmerston last year amounted to £9755, against £20,000 odd for the previous year. Ninety breeders have signified their intention of becoming members of the New Zealand Lincoln Sheep Breeders' Association. A valuable consignment of stock, embracing 2500 sheep and 116 horses, was shipped from Wellington for Sydney, last evening. Satisfactory progress is being made with the northern approaches to Masterton, and the aspect will soon be completely changed. One Masterton settler intends putting five acres down in maize this year, and converting it into ensilage. Maize is becoming quite a popular fodder for dairy stock in the Wairarapa. Mr J. C. Boddington reports that "the rainfall registered at the Upper Plain for the 24 hours preceding 9 a.m. on Thursday was 61 points, and on Friday 61 points. The disappearance is reported from the residence of A. Sutherland (Pordell) of a tutor, J. M. Gibbons, who left a note saying "They had seen the last of him." The police are making investigations. * ....... Kate Devlin, aged 52, residing with her husband at Sydenham, died suddenly on Wednesday night. The medical evidence showed that heart disease was the cause of death.

At the Police Court Ah Ping, charged with smoking opium, was fined £2l and costs in Dunedin. Kong Wot)* charged with having opium in his possession in a farm suitable for smoking, was fined £3O and costs. Mr Purcell Webb'& pupils will give a miscellaneous concert in Murray's Hall, Masterton, on Tuesday next. A programme of music, which should suit all tastes, will be rendered. The Prince of Wales' Birthday was not observed in Masterton yesterday. A gaslight illumination was, however, made from the Post Office in the evening. The No: J '.i Island Railway League, to the annual conference of which the Masterton Chamber of Cominofoe recently appointed delegates, has deferred its business for a meeting to be held during the second week of Parliament. It is probable that the conference will be held in Wellingr ton. In view of the earl§r establishment of a bacon factory at the Waingawa wofks, Masterton and Forty-Mile .Bush dairy-farmers are. turning their attention to pig-raising, and there Is likely to be a keen demand for young pigs at an early date. v An impression has been created in Masterton that a charge is to be made for children entering the various competitions at the children's plain and fancy dress ball on July 7th. The Secretary informs us that the whole of the competitions will be free, the only charge being* ono shilling for admission to the Hall. Grave fears are -entertained for the safety of George Hepple, of the Lower Hutt, and his two sons, who went out in a boat in Wellington harbour on Thursday morning, and have not been heard of. .since.. Search parties are out. A New Plymouth, telegram states that a motion by the Law Society to strike Walter Wilkes off the roll of solicitors Mas granted, to be confirmed at next sitting of the court unless cause is shown to the contrary. In Supreme Court at New Plyv mouth.yesterday morifing, Mr Justice Edwards granted a decree nisi in the divorce case Cameron v. Cameron and Harold, husband's petition, on the grounds of adultery. An accident occurred during the fireworks display at Hawera on Thursday night, whereby Caroline Ayers, thirteen years of age, daughter of a settler, was seriously injured. She was hit on the skull by a stick from la rocket, causing a deep wound. She has been operated upon for a depressed fracture, and her condition is critical; •

A man who had been celebrating tho Prince of Wales' Birthday wag last night placed in His Majesty's lock-up in Masterton by Constable Ferguson. A reliable night porter is required at the Club Cafe, Masterton. A gentleman's overcoat, lost on the} Upper Plain Road yesterday morning, is advertised for. A gentleman boarder hi a private house is advertised for in the wanted columns. In connection with the Hinemoa' Dancing Assembly, invitation holders are advised that the dance will be held on Wednesday, 28th inst.. instead of! Tuesday, as announced last week. | Applications are invited for advertising space in the official programme of the Masterton Musical and' Elocutionary Competitions Society. Par-i ticulars can be obtained from the] Secretary, Mr W. Gillespie. Messrs Read and Douglas, hair-i dressers and hairworkcrs, at the corner of Perry and Queen Streets, have a replace advertisement in to-day's is» sue. Mr Herbert A. Jones, architect* Masterton; invites tenders for tha' erection in brick and. reinforced concrete of business premises in Queen Street for the Masterton Trust Landa Trust. Plans and .specifications mayj be seen at the office of the architect. Mr Frank Dunre has just received direct from the English manufacturers a very fine consignment of sterling silver goods, including match boxes, sovereign cases (to hold from five to; 20 sovereigns), and a large assortment of serviette rings in all the latest designs. Messrs Maclean and Co. will hold a clearing sale of furniture on account of Mrs 6. J. Laurence, at the premises. South Road, on June 28th. Tho auctioneers will also offer for ?ale oil behalf of Mr G. J. Laurence, his freehold property, consisting of a wellbuilt o-roomed house, carpentering plant, timber, etc. Particulars will be advertised later. Messrs Dalgety and Co., Ltd.. have received instructions from Mr F. W. Burling, Bank Line, Carterton, to sell by public auction the whole of his first-class herd of dairy cows. The! list includes 50 first-class springing dairy cows, horses, pigs, hoggets, farm vehivles, implements, milk cans, and general farm requisites., The sale •'wilktake Thursday < and intending may inspect the herd bv arrangement. - .-v' ■ The second anniversary of,the coining into operation of No-License in: Masterton, will be celebrated in the Town Hall next Friday. The annual report will be presented by Mr Jabezj Bridges, and short addresses will be give a by prominent members of the No-License party. Songs by Miss Muriel Bennett, of Wellington, and other vocalists and instrumental music will make up the programme. The chair will be taken by the Mayor, Mr J. M;. Coradine.