LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10560, 16 February 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

It is proposed to hold a sports meeting at Hastwells at an ©arly dato. The Lanxdowne shool picnic is to be held at Willow Park, Opaki, to-day.

The latest return from the Masterton dredge 'is l-lozs. 3dwts. for 128 hours' working.

Several cases of housebreaking and t'heft camo .before the Supremo Court at Timaru this week.

The Masterion agent of the Laibour Journal reports for this month that trado is " fairly satisfactory." Mr J. C. IJoddington reports that 78 points of rain were registered at the- Upper Plain for the 24 hours preceding 9 a.m. on Tlhursday.

The Jim-vesting operations in Otago have again been interfered with by rain, winch, it is feared', will have a damaging effect on tho crops.

Mr M. Lavery, solicitor of Masterton, Jias 'been engaged to appear in a divorco case of sonic interest, which is to bo heard at the next sittings of the Supremo Court at Napier. Master ton and Wairarapa motorists will lx>. pleased to 'know that -the Featherston County Council intend? making improvements to the Kimu~ taka road.

Heavy rain fell in Masterton last niglht, and throughout the district. Reports from the Lower Valley show that rivers and streams are in a flooded condition.

The Supremo Court lias granted letters of administration, to the Public Trustee in tlio estates of Jolro Greenbank, late of Masterton, hotelkeeper; and Henry .Scott, late of To Wharau, labourer.

Tho estimated population of New Zealand on December 31st last, exclusive of 'Maoris (49,844), was 1,025,406. This is an increase for the 12 months of 21,026, or 2.09 per cent.

The birtUi-rate for tho Dominion lastyear was 25.97 per 1000 of the moan population, and the death-rate 9.39, as against 26.17 and 9.71 respectively n tho previous year.

Tho following out-put of eggs was marketed during the past twelve months,.by the Wairarapa Egg Circle: —Masterton 22,289£ dozen, Carterton 6983f dozen., •Maurieeville 5227f dozen, Greytown 2112J dozen.

'■ At the meeting of tho Wairarapa Egg Circle .last,evening, the Secretary. Was instructed- .to write' t'& *'; the W.F.C.A,, thanking them for tlho way in-which they had stood .by the Circle, in connection- with tho marketing- ofeggs.

The sum of £7700 was distributed yesterday amongst suppliers to the B-allanco Dairy Company's butter fac. torics and creameries. This represents payment for January milk at tho rate cf Is per lb of butter-fat. Tho company has received a cable stating tlhat the Remuera shipment of Ballance butter realised 132s .per ewt in London.

With an utter disregard for coiv sequences, some person has again obliterated the name "Purakau" from tho railway station near Masterton, which was given, that name against the will of tiho people. At a meeting of the Petone .branch of the St. John Amibulance Association on Wednesday evening, the Mayor presented the .Hessey challenge shield (recently won in Masterton) to the sue. cessful team —Messrs Smart, o Steinmailler, Raistriark and Ryan.

Farmers in the Waikato are 'having a particularly prosperous time tins season, high prices prevailing for almost every branch of farm produce. The country in that district is now looking better than ever previously, accordingto the opinions expressed % tho oldest settlers.

The Martinborough Star says:—Mr W. McCa 1 raont,' bridge contractor, of Masterton, who has secured the contract for the dismantling of the old Waihenga bridge, has arrived in Martinborough, and expects to be able to start operations in a day or two. Longbush settlers .are moving vigorously towards getting telephonic communication with the outside centres. Five settlers have already signified their definito intention of joining, and a public meeting will'be held some time this week to further consider the. question.

At the civil sitting of the 'Magistrate's Court in .Masterton yesterday, Mr L. G. lleid, S'M., gave judgment 'for, the plaintiffs, iby. default, in the following cases:—William Keroble Wcl'cfii v. Thomas McLaehlan, claim £2 4s (id, costs 18s; Julia Ann Cotter v. Kn'na Niui, claim £l3 13s, costs £1 7s Gd. In the judgment summons case James Whittaker v. Donald Stewart, a claim for £7 12s 7d, defendant was ordered to pay £1 per month, in default seven days' imprisonment.

A Masterton resident just returned from Hamilton was considerably impressed by the favour in which tho Reform Party is held, right through out the Waikato. Men who for years were strong supporters of the Ward Government, voted at tho lasfc election for the Keform Party, being of fthe opinion that a change was urgently necessary.

Interesting and remarkable revelations have been made by the secretary of the Mendicity Society regarding the lot of the London street beggar. This official states that investigations which Jnive boon made prove that the men who post themselves about the city soliciting financial aid of passers-by, make more money than the average British, workmen. Their incomes, of course vary, but it has been found that 5s represents the average daily amount collected by the street mendicant.

BfBLIEF AFTER FIFTEEN YEABS "For fifteen years I suffered from constipation, and I could get no relief," writes Mr Frederick Fuller, saddler, New Canterbury Road, Petersham, . N.S.W. "Then I saw Chamberlain's Tablets advertised, and taking them according to directions, found they (relieved mo after the first dose or two. At one time I was completely doubled in two with, wind in my stomach, but I do not know what that is now, for Ghaniberlain's Tablets have completely cured me." Sold by all chemists and storekeepers.

When in perusing the results of our Wool Sales you read: "Practically all the merinos were secured bv the various woollen mills, the bulk of the halfhreds having also been bought for the ~amc requirements"— it brings home to one the important bearing of local industries on local prosperity, doesn't it? And the immense importance of purchasing KATAPOI Goods. V'erbum sap!

There lias .been a sharp drop in the prico of pigs in Taranaki. The Sports Protection League is making considerable .headway in the various centres, and the membership is rapidly increasing.

Fishermen in the Bay of Plenty are procuring great catches of fish, which are of excellent quality and most satisfactory in weight.

According to a traveller who has recently been practically all over Southland during the last few days, it is years since so much crop, including grass and grain, has been laid down by tlio weather as is the ease this year.

The English cricketers in Australia commence a return match with New South Wales to-day. It is to be hoped that rain will not interfere with the play, as was the case in the first match', as New South Wales is easily the strongest of the State elevens. Jt is quite possible that New South Wales will make as good, if not 'better showing than the Australian team.

h is understood that the Postal Department intend to instal the underground system of telephone Avires in New Plymouth in lieu of the present underground system. The Chief Postmaster has notified the Borough Council that Mir E. Shrimpton, telegraph engineer, is expected in Plymouth at an early date, and that ho will discuss the matter with the Borough officials. At its meeting on Saturday the Eketahuna County Council received a letter from t'lio Hukanui Sports Club asking for tlio use of the county grader to assist in preparing the track for the annual sports meeting on. March 28th. Tihe letter requested .that the charge be as nominal as possible, as the work was for the public benefit. The request was granted, and it was agreed to make only a small charge. The overseer said the plant would be sent to Hukanui during t'ho coming week. A Paris husband suing for a divorce, gives as his Sole reason for his petition that, being unable to a fiord a maid .he lias up the back of his wife's dress every day, and sometimes several times a day. If he. goes to the theatre his enjoyment is previously •marred .by the fact that madanie usually wears a Princess robe which has 49 buttons, and <he-generally finds that he has made a mistake in the fastening after he is about ha If-way through. He appeals to the law, therefore, to release liim from his slavery. The Returning Officer (Mr W. Gillespie) has received the following returns of expenses incurred by. candidates for the Mastentbn seat ?at the general election: —Mr G. R. Sykes, first ballot £'l99 3s sd, • second 1 ballot£49' 8s) total- £248 lis 3d: :Mr A-. AV: Hogg, first-ballot, £37 iOs lOd, second ballot, £SO; total, £B7 10s lOd. Mr Herbert's expenses are not yet •available, but will reach the Returning Officer to-day, Some people at New Plymouth found AAfirth's Circus a very expensive show to visit. It is reported that pickpockets relieved ono man of £3O, .another of £l6, a third of £6, and a fourth of 30s. There was also some pocket picking at the Hawera races. Evidently the light-fingered gentry are following the crowds, and people going to the races this week, says a Taranaki paper, wlio abject to lose their .money through any other medium than- the totalisator had better see to their pockets.

In the course of a Coroner's inquest held into the circumstances of the sudden death of a baby at Newton., Auckland, the mother gave evidence that she had vainly endeavoured iby telephone to summon, medical assistance. The disapproval of the jury was officially stated as follows: —"The jury desire, from past experience, to record the fact that many medical practition. err, in Auckland fail to attend cases to which they are summoned by telephone. Tllio jury request the Coroner to forward this rider to the Hon. Minister for Public Health."

TJie examination of slaughtered pigs at the local bacon factory hy tho Government Inspector is a very thorough one, -and when pigs are wiholiy. condemned the carcase is so cut and slashed about with a knife as to render it unsaleable. Sometimes it.is only the head that is tints slashed, iii these cases there are merely tubercular signs in the throat, and the head is condemned although the rest of the carcase is perfectly wholesome and passed for consumption.—Eltliam Argus. A beo cnlturist contributes some interesting data to "Popular .Mechanics" concerning the worlc of bees in gathering, honey. He calculates that a quart of honey represents ho less than 48,000 miles of flight between the hive and the flowers. Also, that in June, which is the busiest mouth of tho: season, the workers of one colony easily cover as much as twice the distance between the earth and the moon in one day. The distance of the moon from the earth miles. Therefore, the gathering of about ten quarts of lionov means, totalling the (light of all the workers of the colonv, a flight of som e 475,200 miles. The Prince of Wales has long been known, as an enthusiastic stamp collector, his collection having been commenced at an early age. Jn 1906, when only twelve years old, ho entered for the London Philatelic Exhibition, where he showed collections of the French Colonies and Liberia, both of which were marked "not for competition." lit company with his father and 'his 'brother, Prince Albert, ho has visited most recent British stamp exhibitions, and his philatelic knowledge is reported to be extensive. In addition to the countries already named, his Royal Highness is said to have a strong pencba.ut for the .stamps of his namesake colony, Prince Edward Island.