LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10557, 12 February 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mr S. Jones, of Masterton, had a severe attack of cramp while competing at tho Carterton swimming sports last week, and had to be assisted out of the water by fellow-competi-tors.

There are 22 patioats in the Masterton Hospital .at present.

The Bacon Factory in connection with tlio Waiugawa freezing works'will open in the course of a few lays.

Evory twenty-four hours Now Plymouth at present consumes approximately 1,333,750 gallons of water.

Water polo is largely patronised in the public baths in the Auckland district.

During the past year the Wairarapa Egg Circle disposed of 620 dozen eggs to clients of the Wuuga-nui Circle.

The garden thief has been making his presence felt in the orchards of the north, a.nd in several cases the fruitgrower has had his trees entirely strapped of their crop of fruit.

The police arc proceeding against a hotel licensee in the Feilding •district for employing an unregistered barmaid.

It is stated that the Canterbury mlarket for table poultry tin's season is better than any other market m Australasia.

The Waihi Brass Band had a groat send off on leaving to take part in the Gisborne contest. The people of Waihi evidently 'had a high opinion of their Band.

To overcome the shortage of labour in Otago, it has been suggested tha.' the townspeople should close up for a week or so, and assist in gathering in the golden harvest. The Masterton'Fire Brigade and Fire Police were out practising in the Park yesterday morning', with a view to competing a,t the Dannovirke com petitions! :■'.■■<■ . •

A Reform Party "rally" is to be held at Feilding to-night. Two halls havo been engaged, and there will be abotit a dozen speakers. The apple orchards in Masterton ati comparatively free from codlin moth this year. Blights and insects generally are not so plentiful as in previous years.

Shearing operations .are now practically completed in the Masterton disf trict, although small lota of wool continue to arrive from the outlying districts. The clip, on the whole, has been well up to the average. The New Zealand Rugby League has received <a caible from England asking what are the lowest possible terms for which the League will transfer Francis, itho well-known Auckland forward, amd ex-AH-Black.

Mr J. 0. Boddington reports that there were 166 points jf win registered at the Upper Plain for the twentyfour hours enling 9 a.m. on Saturday.

The latest return from the Worksop dredge is 44ozs. for 125 hours' work. The membership of the Wairaraipa Egg Circle is now 101, distributed as follows: —Masterton 41, Carterton 32, Greytown, Martiniborough and Featherston 18, Mauriceville and Mangamahoe 10. The Wairarapa Egg Circle disposed of 36,615 dozen eggs during the last twelve, months, and received £2lOl 6s Bd, being an average price of Is per dozen. The expenses amounted to lfd per dozen, leaving a net price of la per dozen for the year.

A motion will be submitted at the meeting this week of-the Wairarapa Egg Circle, ito have the circle registered as .a body under the "Incorporated Societies Act, 1908." This is thought necessary owing to the growing dinien&ions of tflie CHrcle.' ; ' - • Tho address delivered at tin* Y.M.O.A. Strangers' Tea last evening by tho Rev.-J. Young, on. mission work among the Zulus in Africa, was much appreciated by all present. Mr D. Threadweli occupied the chair... A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the speaker, and also ithe ladies who assisted with .provisions for the tea Several members latfterwards went to Solway Home, where.-an address .was given by »Mr D. Pryor. A gentleman! from the-South Island, who recently visited' Masterton, con. sidered that the Park was one of the most ideal pleasure grounds he ha,d seen, and thought that the Borough Councillors were doing right m endeavouring to improve the grounds as much a.3 possible.

The first issuo of the "To Puke Times," a paper just started 1 in the Bay of Plenty district 'by Mr T. H Wilsone, formerly of Masscrton, has just .readied us. It starts out on the sea of journalism with all the appearance of a full-rigged ship.

A-returned New Zealander 'affirms •that Queensland 'has outstripped, tho Dominion in its progressive land, policy, and big areas are being secur. ed. The next step is tho construction of ia> railway to open up Crown settlements, and townships are springing up like mushrooms. The services in the Masterton Congregational Church yesterday were conducted', by the Rev. J. H. Me--Kenzie, of Onehunga, the Secretary of tilie New Zealand Congregational Union. In the morning Mr McKenzie took for his subject "Waiting Souls," aaid in the evening he preached a very inspiring sermon,. In Central Otago there is laud, at present carrying about one sheep to the acre, which, if cut up into fruit farms, would support a family on ei'ery .15 or 20 acres. Jt is regarded as pro. bablo that land in this district will shortly bo cut up for closer settlomeir. Dunedin merchants are making enquiries from Southland dairy factories for cheese, but so far as is known tho whole output to tho end of April, an., in some cases May, has been secured. Southern papers record that tho local demand for cheeso is good, and any factory which had parcels to seli now would probably secure 7d per lb.