LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10578, 8 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The. 'Masterton Fire Brigade held an outside practice last evening. Mr J. 0. Boddingtou reports that ■the rain fall registered «t the. Upper Plain for the 24 hours preceding ■ 9 a.m. yesterday. The latest return from .the Musterton dredge is 22 ozs. sdwts for 135 hours' working. The Masterton Ladies' Swimming Club decided at.rits meeting yesterday afternoon, to hold the annual meeting early in August. Tho Masterton Homing Pigeon Club will hold its next race, from Wellington to-morrow, when a large number oi birds will compete. A large number of birds belonging to members of the Masterton Homing Pigeon Club which took part in a race from Ivnitoke last week have not vet arrived home. Tho birds met with some very severe weather on the day of the race] which carried them a long way out of their course. Nature's Embrocation. — ROOKE'S Eucalyptus Oil. me finest that Australia produces. There's something distinctive abou* ROCKE'S.

Thero aro 321 teachers in the service of the Hawke's Bay Education Board.

The Carterton Trust and Agency Co. have for sale 2-tootli purebred Southdown rams.

A single house fly, allowed to live through tflio winter will by the following September 'have 5,598,720 millions of defendants. Wo tovo this on the authority of an exchange. Needless to say wo never counted them ourselves.

The Addington railway workshops aro the largest in -Now Zealand, employing 523 men. Potone is second in importance, w-iiih. 470 men, and Hillside third, with 417 men.

Tho field force of the United States geological survey is searching for minerals which shall furnish the three necessary elements contained in a fertilizer —namely, phospluate roeik, nitrate salts, and potash salts.

In writing of the tomato as a food, a well-known doctor said .that unquestionably it possessed a high dietetic value and had 'been especially recommended for iiise in cases of blood impoverishment, a suggestion which perhaps rests upon the fact that it contains ft considerable amount of iron.

Tu a general way the potato crops in the Manawatu district that have come to maturity this .season are very satisfactory and fairly free from Might. Owing to the wet weather experienced early in the .season, however, many of the seed potatoes did not grow, and a considerable loss was experienced in a number of cases.

In Inspector Hill's annual report to the Hawke's Education Board, he says: —"It would give me real .pleasure to find suitable provision made for school gardens. The schools in Napier have no land available, but the purchase or lease of an acre of land in Nia-_ pier South would supply a great want, and could be .vised as a. training and. experimental plot for pupils at the technical and board schools." The Dunedin correspondent of the Lyttelton Times states that a feeling is steadily growing among shopkeepers that a universal Saturday half-holiday would be of benefit to all. It is proposed that the matter should be considered at a special meeting of the retail section of the Otago Employers' Association, with a view of having compulsory closing hours fixed by .statute in order to give a- universal Saturday half-holiday.

Extraordinary scenes occurred during a fire which broke out in the railway goods' sheds.at" Wonthaggi, Victoria, recently. A well-known business man. was attempting to rescue-some, of lus furniture from the flanies, when the captain of the fire briga'de resented his interference.-.-As a result, the engaged in a stand-up fight. After a while the police intervened, but this was resented by the (brigade, who then turned the hose impartially upon the police, firemen and public. The drenched crowd, loudly hooted them for this performance.

The Masterton-Longibush coach met with a rather serious mishap whilo travellinglto Longbush on Wednesday .evening, in which .Mrs Grant, of Bannockburn, a Avell-known Gladstone resident, was seriously hurt, having her colliar-bone broken. It seems that the driver of the coach forgot to leave a letter at a certain mailbox, and ran back to do so, and his horses, during his alreence, took fright, and bolted. Mrs Grant jumped off, and in doing so met with the injury mentioned.

The members of the Kuripuni Methodist Church held a garden party at tho Sol-way showgrounds yesterday afternoon, with the. object of raising funds for the church. The attendance was pood, notwithstanding the un- , pleasant weather, and a very enjoyable afternoon .was spent, during which various games were indulged in, and afternoon tea -partaken of. It is understood that the funds will Immaterially (benefited, and in everyway the 1 out ing must be considered a success. From Lodz, in Poland, comes the story of how a bishop narrowly escaped being crucified. He was seized by 30 irate women, members of a fanatical sect known as the Miariawittens, who declared that they would put ham to death as atonement for his alleged sins. Tho bishop was securely bound band and foot to a cross, and was then left to his fate. In tho meantime the (authorities got to hear of what was going on, and a detachment of police ar_ rived just in time to save the hapless prelate's life. ,

The Masterton Ladies' Swimming Club held their final meeting in connection with the .postponed swimming carnival. Mrs P. R. Cook presided over a well-attended meeting. A motion' was piassed thanking the donors of prizes and trophies, land it wias decided to hold them until next year's carnival, when it was hoped that the club would receive sufficienifc support to warrant tho holding of a carnival on a big scale.

Some time ago what purported to be ■a genuine specimen of the "man fish"* was placed on exhibition in a Napier shop window and afterwards presented to the Borough Council to-be added to the collection of curiosities in.the museum, stays the Telegraph. The specimen was bought in America, and was supposed to be tho remains of an actual fish. For some time past the curiosity, which, had the body of a fish with a very human-like head, and chest and forearms, bias,been adorning itJio walls of one of the rooms in the i council chambers. The other morning i one of the officials was -surprised to notice that what had been looked upon by many as a skull of bone had been eaten away by a nat. Part of the arm was also missing, the rodent evidently having a good meal. The substance is undoubtedly a composition, >and the arm was kept in position by a wire, not a bono. The head was supported by a stick, and it is evident that the .thing was u clever fake manufactured for the pui-pose of swelling the returns of some American factory. The specimen will not be exhibited in the museum.

The Maurieeville Rifle Club wii! continue their weekly competitions on Saturday. 9th inst., the ranges being 500 and'GQOvds.

A farmer in Southland recently tjhreshed a crop of oats which returned the excellent average of 100 bushels to the acre. This made the twelfth crop taken from the paddock.

A recent letter from Home states that Worcestershire experienced eighteen inches of snow during Christmas week. The downfall .necessitated the employing of 300 men to clear the streets.

Steady .progress as oemg made with the construction work at the southern end of tho South Island Main Trunk line. The formation ; has been completed ia« far as Parnassus, and the rails have been laid almost to the station. Ballasting is in r -full swing and is nearing completion.

Tho secretary of the Mastcrton Ladies' Swimimiing Olub has been instructed to make arrangements for making a suitable presentation to Miss Annie O'Leary, who so .splendidly upheld the prestige of tho swimming club at the -Championship meeting recently held at Christ church.

Warmers dn the Man'awatu districts generally are taking considerable interest in the proposal to manufacture casein. There are some, however, who are opposed to the proposal on the grounds that while good prices are be<ing obtained for pigs it will pay better to give tho skim milk to the porkers ■than to use it for the matufacture of casein.

In connection with the Mastertmi Ladies' Swimming dub, whose carnival ■wsvs definitely (postponed owing to (insufficient entries, which die club considered were too small to ensure the (public of a programme such as it has in 'the past arranged for, .and thought itihiat 'it would be more satisfactory to all .to postpone the carnival until next year, when arrangements would be made to have outside clubs strongly represented.

■ s Tlie necessity for the consideration oft the interests of the "third party" in' industrial disputes was Urged by Mr F. G. Ewington in some'remarks on the subject of Capital and Labour at the annual meeting of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. "The time is coming," ho said, "whilst in these industrial crises, when the third party —■ that is, the public;—will have to be considered. It is no longer merely n question between workers and employers. It is becoming more -a question between these two parties and .the'public generally, and provision ."..sliQiild be made for the: proper -represeivtntion of: the rights of this pstrty."

One effect of the present coal strike" in England has been to re-awaken local interest in the oilfields of the Dominion. As is generally known, a fadiTv largo amount of oil is being got in Taranaki, but accordiiigto some authorities the oilfields of the West Coast of the South Island, when developed, will far eclipse those of the North Tslijui.d oilfields. Some big financier* in Europe are said to bo very directly interested in the .West Coast fields, and at present operations having for their object the thorough testing of the fields are being prosecuted. The results are being awaited with considerable interest.

A rpony race meeting at' Fitzroy (Vic, last week was full of incidents of an unusual character. A galloway and a pony .were fatally injured, and both had to be i&ot on the course. Three injured jockeys were dispatched to the hospital in an ambulance. A horse, together with its owner and rider, viere disqualified for 12 months, two protests were lodged,and dismissed, and the programme had to be increased to eight events, owing to the large entry of ponies.

The Secretary of the General Post Office (has issued a circular to holders of private ietter-boxes, dn which it is stated -that owing to the increasing business of (the Department and the necessity for sorting letters at distant points, it would greatly facilitate the work and conduce to the prompt and •ccurate delivery, of letters, etc.-, if private-lbox holders would advise their correspondent's in- all ease,? to show the number of their private >box in the addresses on them. It is suggested

\'i.fc this anight be done by private-box holders having the numtar of their private box shown on their letterheads.

Two of tli« staple industries of th*"> Bluff and Stewart Island (have in ado their commencement—the oysfcering und .miiitton-birdiiig. The oyster season, which bogiiit on March 1, has for some months past boon the cause of extensive overhauling of the various trawlers, and several hundreds of pounds have been expended in that manner. The season is one month later this year, mid the first of the bivalves will be eagerly awaited for by the over-patient public.' The quality of the oysters this season will be good, as is always the case after ane of the periodical comparatively "sick" " seasons. The first of the mutton-birders got away to the Titi islands about the end of February, and the 'others will not be slow li 11 following. At the weekly meeting of the Endeavour Lodge, 1.-0. G.T., last night, there was a good attendance, presided over by Mrs Flanagan. Routine business was transacted. Three new members were initiated into the order and one friend projxised for membership. Fraternal greetings were received from Bro. Trevelyn (Auckland district) and were heartily received. The Lodge then adjourned till next week, to allow ■members to join in the social evening which was provided by the sisters, it being "Sisters' Surprise Night." Refreshments were provided, and various games were indulged in and readings given by members, altogether an enjoyablo evening being spent. The item on the syllabus for next night is "Somebody's "Birthday," a prize being given to the member who guesses whose birthday.

We regret that the nominations foi' tlio Mastcrton Racing Club's autumn, mooting were not available last night;

Horatio Bottomlcy, says a London cable, is suffering from a nervous breakdown, and his examination in bankruptcy has as a consequence been adjourned.

According to a cable from Perth (W.A.), the notice paper of tho Australian Labour Association contains a, resolution from Kalgoorlie in flavour of a republican Form of Government.

At tho Xapier Supreme Court sitting yesterday, a Maori lad named Tai Mi. kare, who pleaded guilty to a charge of forging and uttering at Waipawa, was «idinittod for probation for two years.

Tho following team has been selected to represent the Carterton Fire Brigade at the meeting of the United Fire Brigades Association at Dannevirkoon Easter Saturday and Monday:—-F. Jackson, It. Canton, McKenzio (2) and B. Byrne.

During the voyage of the lonic from London to Wellington a third-class passenger gave birth to a daughter on January 25th. Jt was decided to name the little one lona. A birthday subscription list was circulated laonong the second .saloon passengers,, and the mother was presented with a very substantial sum for the infant.

The cricket team selected from tho Totara (Carterton) Lodge of Druids to play Stonehcnge (Masterton.) Druids at Masterton on Saturday is:—C. Reid, W. Ticehurst, C. Zillworid, H. Knowles. H. Playle, C. Whyte, H. MioKenzie, F. Boydhouse, P. Hodder, E. Mason, and another. Play cemmeuces at 2.30 p.m. " ."

He waa an Englishman just out, and went to a land agent with a new to buying a sheep station. "Do you know anything about raising sheep?'' asked .tho agent. "Oh, yes," said tho Englishman. "You buy <a hundred' wethers, don'teher know. In. twelve months they each have two lambs. Then you sell the old sheep and have the lambs to the good—to say nothing of'the fur."

■Mr A. Withy, Secretary of Taxation; of Land Values Association, addressed an open-air meeting opposite the Post Office last evening. Mr Withy spoke > on Land and Labour Problems, and was given an attentive hearing. Mr A. W. Hogg introduced the speaker. Mr Wither will hold another meeting this evening (weather permitting), the title of which is "The Working Man's Income Tax, heavily ■ graduated the wrong way."

•Finest tomatoes i» any qiuintity>and' T a limited number- of .apples may'..be ob-" tiainedaat Mr 'Robinson's nurseries, 9b' : Villa Street, 'phone 201. _c ..

The annual meeting of the Masterton Chess Club will he held in theY.M.C.A. rooms at eight o'clock thisevening, when members and intending, members are requested to attend. . Mr J. Carpenter, of the Central? Shoe Store, draws attention., to his supply of working boots for workingmen. Prices are quoted, and a guarantee is given- that every pair .shall give excel- . lent wear and comfort..

Messrs C. Smith, Ltd., are now allowing an early shipment of new season's goods, and ithey invite " theirclients to call and inspect the new fashionable materials in- dress wear,, and choice novelties in fancy weaiv :