LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10575, 5 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Masterton Pipe Band will render a programme of music at the Kopuaranga sports on Easter Monday. There are 20 patients in the Masterton hospital at present, including two fever cases.

Half a dozen Wangamii sheep farmors appeared before the Count the other day charged with exposing infected sheep for sale.

The Mastetfto-n Amateur AiiMetic Club 'will hold two races on the Park on Thursday evening over 220 yds and 880 yds, commencing at 6 o'clock. During the .month of February the sum of £SB 2s 2d was paid by the Waitaki County Council for small .birds' eggs and heads. The ambount represents 77,505 eggs and heads. A lamb, one of twins, recently put through the Mataura freezing works, says the Southland Daily News, turned the scales <it U2lbs, which constitutes a record.

In connection Avitli the fishing and oyster industry at the Bluff, it is stated that three firms operating there pay out wages amounting to £20,000 annually. The Methodist' Conference, sitting at Auckland, has decided to establish Home (Mission stations at Rvumunga (Nelson), Gen.ville (Wanganui district), Wellington South and Gisborne. An extra minister has also been appointed for Christehurch North, to reside at New Brighton. At a banquet tendered the delegates to tho Methodist Conference by the New Theological College Committee at Auckland on Friday night it was announced that a sum of over £7200 had bean subscribed towiairds the building fund of tho new college. Promises of £9OO were made in the room.

• One of tihe most pleasing and satisfactory 'features in.connection with the horticultural show to-morrow is the ntunher of: new ■ exhibitors who, are making quite a number of entries, ■which goes to show in a practical manner that the efforts' of the Society to encourago horticulture are being ap predated.

Entries for the horticultural Society's show have now reached the record number of 650, as against last year's total of 590. This must be regarded as more than satisfactory in face of the wretched weather of the last few days. All that is now required is a fine day on Wednesday to make the show one of the most successful yot held in Masterton.

Toll-gates are something of a novelty in New Zealand, but the traveller on the Rangateua-Ohia-kune road cannot miss coming in contact with one of theso relicts of ancien;t times. Travelling by that road recently, the Ministerial party was held up by the tollgate keeper, who duly exacted has bounty. Ministers of the Crown and members of Parliament, or even press representatives, are to the Waimaa-ino toll-gatherer nothing more than the ordinary or garden variety of traveller. He is no respecter of persons. The English War Office is at last waking up to the potentialities of the cyclist soldier, and is now considering a scheme whereby the Jmndreds of thousands of cyclists' in England will, be associated with a gigantic defence movement. The idea is. that every cyeldst in England will be invited to join a body to be known as the National Association of Cyclist Defenders, undertaking that in tsho event of foreign invasion he will take up arms, and place himself at the disposal of the organisation, which it is now proposed to form.

The .usual meeting of the Oddfellows' Lodge was held last evening, a full attendance of members being present. Bra. C. Perry, N.G., occupied the chair. After the general routine of business was gone through, Bro. P. Smith gave a splendid report of the District meeting, held at the Lower Hutfc recently, and also of the initia.tion of His Excellency the Governor into the Kilbirnie Lodge. The ceremony, which was very impressive, was held in the Town Hall, Wellington. Bro. WhiskiJl also spoke at length on the immense volume of work done at the District meeting, stating that an enormous increase had been gained in membership during the past twelve months. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the two delegates for the able niiinner hi which they had represented the lodge, and for their excellent report.

In a letter received by a New Plymouth gentleman on oil matters, the writer refers to a theory propounded by an old Maori lady on the origin of the Moturoa- wells. She says that many years ago a great battle was fought at Moturoa, and the oil that they are now getting is the fat from these dead Maoris. She says that she is thinking of talcing a £1 share in the company, and holding on to it very tight. "By and by big man come from America, and be want that "share very badly; he pay me one thousand pounds—peiilraps five thousand—for that one share." The old lady had got the idea firmly fixed in her head that Rockefeller would pay any price to get shares in the company. "When you como to look at it," says the writer, "the old lady is not such a fool after all, because we all know that once oil is struck in. large quantities Rockefeller would give anything to get hold of it." The old Maori woman's logic is not so far out. although people may laugh at it. STEINWAY PIANOS.

Mr Leonard .Berwick, the distinguished pianist who recently toured the Dominion, in a letter to Messrs Steinway and Sons ,says: "I know of no pianoforte in the world to compare with your own make in what ate the essential qualities of the instrument —beauty of tone, and evenness and elasticity of touch." Paderewski writes: "Nothing new can he said of the Stein way Pianos*, it is true, for they have been justly praised by all'the modern > masters, and ! thoroughly concur in every word that has already been said. All who play Steinway pianos can but thank the manufacturer." Write to-day for particulars of the famous Steinway pianos. "The Dresden" will give you easy terms. Sole Agents: The Dresden Piano Co., Wellington. M. J. Brookes, North Island Mtinagcr. Local Representative: H. Tuns. Daniell's Buildings, 0»e«« Street. "Mas-Urtosi-

At the wool sales to be held in Wellington to-day. 4000 'bales will bo offered.

Thoro is a good demand for wheat at present on the southern markets, and prices have an upward tendency. Men for harvesting work continue very scarce in Canterbury districts, where farmers are finding the utmostdifficulty in securing their crops.

A Westpont Press message 'states that a conference was commenced there yesterday, between representatives of the coal companies and the Miners' Union, regarding the men's demands. An amicable settlement is anticipated. According to a press message from Chflustchureh, the fete recently organised by the Domain Band to provide funds for the upkeep of the Christclnirch Domain, realised a net profit of £ll2O.

The use of twopence -in-the-slot telephones, which were recently introduced in Auckland, is proving so great a success that the Telegraph Department has decided to have several more installed at an early date. Opossums are proving quite a pest at Wakapuaka, in the Nelson provincial district, where a few pairs liberated a few years ago have increased, until they aro said to number hundreds. Great damage is being done in gardens tho opossums coming down in great numbers and playing inavoc with particular kinds of crops.

By last week's boat to Melbourne, Messrs Dalgety and Co., Ltd., Masterton, shipped to the order of Messr.; Powers, Rutherford and Co., Melbourne, one 2-tooth stud Lincoln ram, on account of Mr William Perry, of "Penrose," Masterton. We stand the price ran into nearly three figures.

Mr Carnegie, having produled a list of the twenty greatest men the world has produced, application was made to one hundred selected men for their opinion on the matter. The list compiled from these hundred lists was as follows: Shakespeare,; CoLumbus, Caesar, Gutenberg, Newton, Dante, Darwin, Stephenson, Homer, Budda, Aristotle, Michael Angelo, Franklin, Lincoln, Moses, Socrates, St. Paul, Watt, Corfusius, Charlemagne, and Luther. The kauri gum digging industry, which until a year or two ago employed in the Northern* Wairoa district . some hundreds of men, seems to bo entirely failing into decay. Since the beginning of 1911, it is estimated that some of men.' have; left the fields, many ,of them being"Austrians, who have.left the Dominion'to.return to their, own country. It. is .estimated that there are now only about 150. Austrians (naturalised and unnaturalised) on the gumfields of the district, and only about 50 Britishers, mostly old men.

A miniature strike took place at the Petone main school on Wednesday. For transgressing the rales of the school and upsetting its discipline, a class wasi detained for a quarter of an hour after the other classes had -been dismissed. After they were let out of school the children put their heads together, and instead of returning to school at the appointed time, arrived a quarter of am hour late. It is certain that some stick ds .sorely needed amongst these young recalcitrants, says the Petono Chronicle.

Mr T. E. Y. Seddon, M.P., who recently obtained a shipment of Romney > Marsh rams from ho flock of Mr Bid- j will,'of South Wairarapa, for farmers J in various parts of the district, has < notified the Westport A. and P. Association that an extra one was put in with the shipment, a gift from Mr • Bidwill. Mr Seddon has asked the Association to accept this ram, to be disposed of as the Association desires, expressing the hope that it would go to a, fanner who would uso it to the best advantage. Mr F. Howard, President of the Association, has replied on behalf of the Association and sett-lens of Westland, thanking Mr Seddon for the gift.—Grey River Argus.

It was calculated before penny postage was introduced in the Commonwealth of Australia and made applicable to the United Kingdom, India, and the Dominions, that the annual loss would be £-100,000. The system has now beer. in. operation for about ton months.. Although definite figures 'have not been prepared, the indications are (says tho Melbourne Age) that upon the first year's operations the loss will amount to £425,000. The Department will not venture upon an estimate of how many years will elapse before the loss is overtaken, but it is expected to gradually decrease with the advance in postal business which is following the additional facilities that are given. Says the Ohristchurch Press : —The drill instructors connected with the local Defence Office notice a great difference between the youths of the town and those of the country. The former, tvhey say, are eager to seize upon the slightest pretex to avoid a parade, while the latter grumble that the parades arc not long enough, though they ■may have had to ride ten or a dozen miles to get to them. In one case on the Peninsula one lad rode twenty-nine miles to take the oath of allegiance. The difference is hard to understand, the only likely explanation being that those in the country come less within itlio pernicious influence of agitators.

Startling statements regarding the sums gambled away annually at the French casinos and the amount of money given to the croupiers in tips were made in the Chamber of Deputies in .December last, by M. Kerduezoc in supporting a Bill for a progressive tax on gambling clubs and casinos. Ho said the amount of the takings at Enghien, the casino near Paris, last year was £380,000; at Vichv, £ls6,ooo,'and at Trouville, £137,000. The. tips to croupiers at Enghien amounted to £69,480, t.he head croupier receiving over £2OOO, while at Vichy and Trouville the tips amounted to £29,300 and £35,320 respectively. A QUEEXSLAM) EDITOR'S LETTER.

The editor of the Cunnanmlla "Watchman," Mr J. R. Tindale, writes us as follows: "I have been living in the S.W. district of Queensland for the last thirteen years, and for nine and a half years was editor of the Thargomiiulah "Herald." During that time I have been subject to attacks of Diarrhoea, and have been in the habit of taking Chamberlain's Colic and Diarrhoea Remedy, which has always given groat relief, and quickly cured me."—- Sold by all chemists and storekeepers.

"No one, I feel sure, can speak more gratefully of Pills th -i . can," writes Mrs Corbett, 116 Street, Surrey Hills, N.S.W. "They cured me o'f settled biliousness, which seemed as though it would never leave me. I took Laxo-Tonic Pills, and they proved a perfect remedy." Sold by all chemists and storekeepers. Pirice lOio. and U 6d.

Doors at the Diill and Town Hal) will bo o]>en at 2.30 ' p.m. to-morrow for the public. Afternoon tea will bo dispensed by Mr J. Alpass.

iMr J. C. Boddington reports the rainfall record at the Upper Plain for tho 2-1 hours ending 9 a.m. on Sunday was 1.47 inches, and on Monday morning 15 points. The Mnstcrton Co-opera tivo Dairy Company have put out 22,61.3 lbs of butter during the month of February, and have forwarded 21)1 boxes for export to the London market.

Jn our report of the meeting of the Mjasterton Racing Club, we inadvertently stated i'hatiMr .Macara. was the donor of £lO towards the Building Fund, instead of Mr McLaren.

A large number of pigeons, which were liberated on Saturday in connection with the race from Kaitoke, have not yet arrived home, owing to the very unsettled state of the weather.

An eleven-roomed house at Westporfc occupied by Mr Patrick O'Brien, was destroyed by fire ow Sunday night. The building was insured for £SOO, and tho furniture for £'23o. There was vei-y little d? "■ The space in the Drill and Town Halls will be taxed to the utmost, to accommodate all the exhibits at the flower show to-morrow. The trade exhibits alone will require some eighty feet of frontage.

Tlw next best despatch of mails for the United Kingdom, Canada and United States of America will bo.via San Francisco (duo London April Bth), closing at Masterton on Friday, Bth March, at 6.45 a.m.

Decorated tables, for which thereare eighteen.entries will again be the principal feature of the horticultural show to-morrow. The. public will be asked to vote for the table they think best. In addition to the judge's award a special .prize will be given. On an Otago sheep station this year there were two veteran shearers —R. Burgess (of Sydneyl) and J). M'Leart (of Christchureh)—-who have been on the shearing boards for 41 years, ami are still able to do over 100 sheep each per day. with the blades.

A Press messago from Westport states that the stea.mer Defender T bound from Lyttelton to Hokttika r lost her propeller off Stephen's Islancl on Sunday. Captain Jamieson sailed the vessel under Farewell Spit,- but on, a south-easterly gale coming up he put to sea. The steamer Alexander towed! her to West-port yesterday mornings where-a spare propeller wiH be fitted- toher. " ." ■

• Sir William P. Hartley, .jam" miinufacturcr, speaking lasVmohth at the-twenty-seventh annual profit-sharing; at his works, Aintrce, Liverpool, said'' that although he did not claim thai, profit-sharing was a cure for all labour troubles, the spirit of it was an absolute cure. The amiount distributed was£sols, the total from the beginning being £66,50-3. Sir William aniKranceil that ho has added another £IOOO to the pension fund, to which ho has contributed over £7OOO in three years.

■ A queer lawsuit lias been filed at Oklahoma City. Jim Jackson, a farmer, has begun an action for compensation against the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway Company in respect of the illness of his family, which he declares was due to their having to wait in a cold and draughty local "station for a long-overdue train. Mr Jackson iliias been married five years, but the "family" numbers 13, including one sett of twins and three sets of triplets. He declares that the children have always been particularly healthy, and the long wait in the railway station was responsible for their first illness..

A peculiar incident is reported from the Akaroa district. A resident, accompanied by liis wife, was proceeding in a motor car down tJhe incline when, it is thought, the friction overheated the brakes and caused the ignition of some oil. The fire spread quickly, and the occupants of the car alighted hurriedly. There was ouly time to remove a travelling rug, a few smalt articles and the lamps before the petro' tank exploded, blowing the middle portion of the automobile high into the air. The motor car was hopelessly wrecked, but tho occupants escaped without any injury.

. At the Medical Congress at Timaru last week, a doctor made unique use of the Edison phonograph by producing undeniable evidence, in the shape of a .record, showing the complete success of an operation for cleft palate. The doctor's patient makes a spoken declaration on the record testifying hix complete restoration and his ability to eat, drink, and talk quite naturally, his latter faculty being quits unmistakahly demonstrated in a difficult test sentence spoken perfectly on the record, which was taken by a Dunedin firm.

' An Invercargill telegram states that Cecil Newman,- a single man, 30 years of age, was drowned near the Riverton. beach ion Sunday afternoon, while engaged in netting flounders. Tho holders of the net on the shore end let go, and Newman became entangled, and owing to the breakers and weight of clothing he was unable- to free himself. A gallant attempt at rescue was made by a young man named Sharbard, who himself only regained the. shore with difficult v.

The home meeting of the Women's Christian Tempcranc Union takes tho form of a garden party at Mrs J. Elliott's beautiful .grounds, /.Columba Road, this afternoon l .

A resident of Lyall Bay, Wellington, has a five-roomed furnished cottage. He is desires of exchanging homes for about a fortnight with a Masterton resident.

A reward is offered for tho recovery of a short-haired sheep dog (slut). It has a collar on, with a railway ticket attached.

Pimples Off in Two Days.— LaxoTonic Pills removed an unsightly patch of pimples from my face,, writes Mrs Sophie Henderson, 12, Reilby Street, Emmore, New South Wales, which for two months had resisted every possible remedy. After trying almost every .medicine I finally used Laxo-Tonic Pills, and after taking them according to directions, the pimples began to dry up, and in 48 Ihours came away when I waswashing, leaving tho skin perfectly clear and. clean. Obtainable every where. Price 10M and Is &3L

Few people stop to think that their progress and prosperity depend on that of tho whole of the Dominioi. If they did, they would not need urging to buy Dominion-made goods. Think of the hundreds of hands employed in growing the wool, shearing, classing, selling, manufacturing material, then making KATAPOI Clothing and retailing KAIAPOI Goo-In. Yes ,think— and act as ono'g good sense would suggest.

The membership of the Hastwc'i's Sports Club is ninety-two. Classes in dairying have been recently begiui in Hastings, and arc being conducted by Mr W. Morris in tho District High School buildings. Physical culture- classes have also been commenced under the instruction of Sergt. Major Just, of the Wellington Oadet Staff. Both classes promise to be >"fiighly successful, and pupils are tlis- * playing great enthusiasm. It is understood that rats are increasing with great rapidity in Ashburton, and some local business places «re said to be literally alive with the rodents. As tJhey constitute a menace to the heaMih. of tho community in tho ■event of an outbreak of plague in the Dominion, tho health authorities intend issuing orders for their destruction.

In connection with the Horticultural show which, takes .place to-morrow, Mrs D. K. Logan has kindly donated « special prize of 10s 6d for tho decorated table wQiidh receives most votes from tho general public. This in in addition to the awards made by the judge. La conneat/ion with this class, Miss Prebble invites all who show tables, to be present at the conclusion of ilhe judging, when she will give a practical demonstration of table decoration as an object lesson, which may ha utilised for future show purposes.

Some two years ago the gum trees •throughout the As'fJburton district were badly affected with a species of blight, which was retarding their growth as well as killing some of the <trees. With a, view to combating the evil a number of ladybirds were imported and liberated in the Ashburton district, and since that time the disease referred to has appreciably diminished, and some of the trees which -were then in a poor state of health are now strong and healthy.

The Eitham Dairy Company manufactured in January 282,0181bs of butter, and pays out £11,502 at 'the, rate <rf lljd per lb. The average test was 3.59. In January last year the output was 276,0541b5, and the pay otit £9995, so that there was a slight increase in the output amd a considerable increase in the payments last month as compared with the corresponding month last year. The total output for the season commencing with September is 1,207,7131b5, and the pay-out £49,587, as against 1,257,675Lbs and £45,448 paid out in the corresponding period of last season. —Argus.

A child of five has died of jealousy at Yvetot, France. Mme. Bensard, the wife of a carpenter, gave birth to a second daughter... The birth of a little sister made the other child furiously jealous. She had scarcely stopped crying since her.baby sister was born, ; arid she was so ill' that the mother put the baby into another room and took the elder child to sleep with her. In the morning the child's first question was, "Has the baby been sent away?" When she heard that it was sfcill in the house she began to sob again, and died in & convulsion of fa*. Jous rage, Mr T. Radgway is a buyer of bottles, sheep skins, and old metal.

A small cottage in central position is advertised to let, •

A tmfAiVOrth r y elderly man advertises for woi-k in and about the house, for small wages.

A good piano, the property of a lady mlho is leaving the'district, is advertised for sale at half price.

A good light for country houses is advertised to-day by Mr Albert J. Parton, plumber, of Carterton. It is nerogen gas, a non-explosive gas that is very economical and useful for all purposes.

Mr Newton, King, land and estate agent, New Plymouth, elsewhere advertises particulars of some special land bargains that have been placed in his hands for sale. Particulars are well-worth perusal. "Where did you get that lovely bat?" Even now this question is frequently heard as one woman questions another regarding a new hat. Invariably the answer is, "From Messrs Hugo and Shearer." They aro holding a special showroom exliJbit of new goods to which everyone is invited.