LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 7 November 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Building permits issued in the Borough of Masfcerton during the past ■two months amounted to £3394 16s. During the past year 375 dogs were in Mastprtpn being an increase of'seventy five in the preceding yeaNoxious weeds are said to be flourishing in the Blenheim district, and owners of property are kept busy in keeping the pests underhand. The Masterton Municipal"'"Baths have not so far been very largely patronised, owing, no doubt, to "the unseasonable weather.

ft is officially announced, says a London, cable, that Major General Sir Harry Barron, Governor of Tasmania, lias been appointed; Governor of West Australia.

Owing to another local body taking up tlie Masterton registration letters for motor cars and motor bicycles, the Masterton registration letter in future will be M.S.

The building trade in Auckland is very brisk at present, says the Star, while there is an improved demand for properties. It is anticipated that from now natil the big exhibition next year there will be a strong demand for all kinds of property. Over £IOO has bera. collected' in the Taumarunui district for the Rev. H. O. Hanley, who lest one of his legs through a railway accident, and the members of the Diocesan Synod also presented Mr-Hanley with a cheque for £lO5. The Rangitikei Advocate states that an attempt will be made to upset the recent poll at Marton at wliich rating on unimproved value wa-s carried. it.is alleged by supporters of 'the other side that documents pointing put how to vote were circulated on the. day of the poll. '.,„.-

The protruding hatpin nuisance was in evidence on'the People's Day- of the Manawatu Sfiow. One aged gentleman had his face badly .scratched by a hatpin which protruded quite a .number of-'inches. -It. would > appear as if the authorities will require to take stringent measures to put a stop to this menace to society. /

' Settlers who have commenced shearing are bewailing their lot. Scarcely one full day's work has beejn done, and it is no - likely that any further shearing will be* done this week. The rains of the past, few days, however, .if they retarded shearing, will have a very beneficial effect in the country generally. Tho dairy former mo doubt considers the weather ideal.

The additional storage accommodation at the Waingawa freezing works will be completed by the:end-of.'.Dec-ember. The killing board i.s also being enlarged,, and eight ..additional, butchers' will be engaged, making the total number on tho board twehtyeight. the company will consequently be able to handle am /increased amount of stock. DON'T BE WITHOUT A PIANO!

I'iiluuii-xton North pays its librarian n .salary of £l2o per annum. Killing operations at the "Waingawa Freezing Works will probably be in full swi'.ig in the course of a week. • The Thursday Cricket Compptitins will, weather permitting, commence on the Park Oval this afternoon. ' Km it is reported to be very scarce in South Island towns at the pretime. The shortage is duo to the scarcity of Australian sunplies. I j A trophy has been donated by Mr L. Xicolj jeweller, of Ma-stert-on, to the Masterton Cycling Club. The member securing most points in the j season's events. I Constable Gregor,.at.Carterton, yesterday morning arrasted a man nam- , cd Williams, on a warrant charging ! him with the theft of n bicycle at Masterton a few days ago. and failed : to return it. The Canadian Cadets who are at ; present touring the Dominion, creat;ed a very favourable impression in j the South Island. It iB anticipated j that their visit will have the effect I of creating more enthusiasm in teri ' ritorial ranks than has hitherto been ' displayed. 1 i A visitor who has just 'arrived at ■ ! Wellington from Taupo states that - the prospects for the {ishing season L there are excellent, and that the streams are "overflowing with trout." Visitors were, he said, already ar- ) living in large numbers, and there 5 were indications that the coming sea- - son would be a recoi'd one in every ) respect. > j We greatly, renret having to lose , j the. services of Miss Cross, Superi.nt'■ 'tendent of the Kuripuni Sunday p I school (says the St. Matthew's Par--1 ish Magazine. Miss CrOss.Jias beon j ordered to take a rest for a while. ' i She has been most faithful and suc--1 I cessful and has won the confidence i • and respect of our people at Kuri- _ j pumi. ..An informal gathering of j friends / ihet; ,bn. October 19t.h at | Denbee's to 'say good-bye, and preI sently a token of regard* is to be for- ' warded to Miss Cross.

I A' former butcher of Marton, who I had supplied meat to a resident, and , was obliged to sue for the recovery of . the amount represented, said in the i Court that of all the many accoints on his books the-case before the Court was the only one he had had jto sue/for. He did not mind _w:p----j "ing out deserving cases, but when' a j -maw-was Jeft iJIOQQ. as.ijie defendant "was, he (the defendant) should bo compelled' to pay "tucker" that he and his family ate.

The Wairarapa Amateur Athletic Club will" open the reason in the Pjirk Ova]-tin's afternoon, when a number of events will be decided. The Harrier Club'will conclude the season with a novice handicap extending over 2-JS-miles. So that with the opening of the cricket season' followers rf athJetic sports should have an enjoyable day. From present indications amateur athletics rhould l be very strong iu Masterton this year, amd it-is not unlikely that a championship or two will find its way to the district.

"King" Mahuta (writes the Huntly correspondent cf the' Auckland Star) has built a very fine new, residence, at Hukaiuu, a short distance from Waihi. The louse is n\i todate in every respect. Hot and cold water, acetylene gas, ami electric bell service being installed. The furnishing will run into about £IOOO. The marriage of one of Mahuta's sons, and the opening of the new residence will be thd occasion of a big ceremony somewhere about the Now Year.

..During the third readme; of the Railway Bill, Mi- H. H. Poland moved the following amendment: —"That on and after January Ist, 1913. all children under five years of age shall he carried free on all New Zealand Government railways." Mr E. Newma;'i (Manawatu). while sympathising with the proposal, said the Government would nr\t be entitled to give such a concession until they had carried out their promises to the staffs. The amendment wa.s rejected by 37 to 30."

A nool en the farm of Mrs Ellis, Brookhouse. Winsford. Cheshire, was the scene of a remarkable c^nnic 4 - between a swan and a valuable Shire horse belonging, to Mrs Ellis, termini a ting in the horse being drowned. For some months a couple of swans, with seven cygnets, had made their home . on -the:, pool., - .-.when", vthe horse went to drink it appears the female bird, made a savage attack upon it. The horse's forelegs became embedded, in the mud. and he was unable to move, the bird meanwliile, having flown on his The violent flapping of the swan's enormous wiiifrs gradually stunned tlie animal and he fell into, the water and wa.s drowned. Only two or three days previously the .same swan I attacked two cows, severely injuring them.

An almost incredible story, but ono the truth of which is vouched for ('says the Hawke's Bay Herald) is told of a schoolmaster in one of tho country districts in the backblocks of Hawke's Bay. It appears that agricultural instruction is given to tho pupils, and thafc it takes a practical form. Tho.soil tarsome of the garden plots was not sufficiently good to grow the desired crops, and application, was made to the ' avfthorities' for a -supply v of manure. In due course some superphosphate arrived at the .school,,.and to the .;..amazement and subsequent disgust of the scholars each one of those interested had tiny particle of the .preparation placed on the tip of his tongue! What for? The accompanying letter contained the following sentence regarding the manure: "Let the children test this," and the only possible explanation of the guileless dominie's action is that he misread the word "test" for "taste."

The Mustorton Cycling Club has a roemberslup of 400.

Orchards and gardens in Taranaki wore <la:nag<v.l considerably last week by the strong winds.

A block of land in Taranaki which a number of verus ago was offered for £2OOO. was the other dav sold for £50,000.

During the past year rural instruction, in connection with the secondary depart men ts of district high schools in Now Zealand, was given in seventeen schools, the total number of pupils being 499. Capitation payments ave.ragod £6 7s per head-.

Followers of horse, racing are more or less superstitious, and an amusing story is told of a Xew Plyomuth sport's win on the Zealand Cup on Saturday. For a few days he had been, closely studying the form of the Cup candidates, but could- not make up his mind as to which horse he was going to support. On Friday night the question was settled. At midnight his wife presented him with a -son, and the proud father thereupon decided to back Midnight Sun for the Cup. This he accordingly did. and the "tin" coming off, vhe picked up a nice little sum.

I -During the past year manual hv » struction was given m-6G percent of the public and secondary schools of the. Dominion. In the Southland Education Board instruction was given in OS per cent of the schools, and in the Wanganui district 95 per cent ) received instruction. In the Welling- \ ton district "4 per cent held manual ' instruction c-.las.:-s. Elementary handwork was the chief subject taught, there in this branch. Agriculture and dairy work was taught in 832 classes, with a total roll of 15.000 pupils. Payments by way of capitation and'-sub-sidies on voluntary contributions', amounted to £20,392 10s.

A meeting of the Masterton Cycling Club was held la.st evening. Mr F. Jackson pro-siding, and there being a good attendance.dt members. Thir-ty-five ladies and fifty gentlemen were elected members of the club. It was decided that the subscription fee for ladies and juvenile members be fixed at 2s 6d. A committee was appointed to wait upon the Caledonian Society with reference to placing cycling events on their sports programme. The chairman undertook to secure, a suitable room-for holding meetings.. ~ The Newtown.--Cycling Club forwarded a donation, which a . itot-e-<of. t(ha:n.kH- 'pa-swsed; • . -Mr C. Walker'vesigned from the scretarysbip, and--Mr T. Treenwa-s appointed to fill the "positron:. A meeting, of the directors of the Workmen's. Friend Building- Society was held in Mastortoin. last evening. Tliere were present Messrs J. A. McEwen (chairman). T. B. Braggins, H. J. O'Leary, B. Chapman, P. J. Hunn, and A. E. Winxenberg. Twenty-four new shares were allottod. The return of the subscription of a deceased member.was ordered to be,;paid to the widow. A meeting of the. ftutes Division Committee was fixed for Friday November loth, at 7.30 p.m. It \v:is decided to hold the 'annual meeting of the society in the first week in January. Messrs W. H. Jackson, F. J. Hmm and' J. Shaekleton were appointed a Valuation Committee.

I The Masterton. ~,W.C.T.U. .hold a 1 social in Knox Hall on Tuesday afternoon. There was a large attendo:nce 'of members and friends. The chair was occupied by Mrs DevonportT(President). The meeting was opened with a hymn, and the Rev. A. T. Thompson lead' iu prayer. The president, in her address, ipoke of the good work done during the past year, and hoped that in the approaching year the Union wo::U show still further progress in each of its departments. Apclogies for absence were received' from Revs. Serpell and Olds, who wore absent in Dsmievirke, Adjutant Hultouist CMivs Te Tan) through illness, and the Misses Sutherland and Miss Jones. The secretary read the annual report showing an increase of membership. The treasurer's report showed a substantial balance to the credit-of the Union. 1 The reports of the Superintendents of | Literature' to the backblccks and home meetings were also read. InI teresting addresses were given by I Revs. Thompson and Yodiq;, and PasI tor Swincrd. The president men-, I tioned the indebtedness of the Union to the .managers,of Knox .Church for. their generosity in granting the free use of Knox Hall for their meetings during the year. During the afternoon, items were contributed by the following:—-Recitation-. ""Miss Sernell; song. Miss G. Church; recitation;, Miss D. Dixon; song, Mrs Redman. Afternoon tea was partaken, of. and' after two new members were initiated, the gathering was terminated by Pastor Swinetd pronouncing the benediction. *£.<.

A ploughman.; with team.|.is required to plough 100 a.Tec flats, by Messrs G. H. Penv and Co.

Tenders are invited hy the Eketahnna Borough Council f< - the erection of a pavilion on the Alfredton Road Dowia'n. Plans and; specifications may be seen at the office of Mr H. A. Jones, architect. Masterton, or-at the Borough Council-Office, . Eketahum.

The ladies in search of dainty neckwear, gloves; veilings and handkerchiefs, will' be well repaid by a visit to the W.F.C.A. fancy <li'apery counter, for there is displayed all the latest novelties, making a very wide selection, with special low prices.

Messrs Minnifie and Gardner have on page 1 of this morning's issue, a word of warning that should bo read with interest by householders, and no doubt they will give practical expression of their appreciation to the film referred to.