LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 5 December 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A catalogue of 10,000 bales will bo offered at the wool sale in Wellington to-day. Green peas are being gold in Wellington just now at 2a a bag of eight or nine pecks. It is said that a good many men at Blackball would be thankful for a liefarty meal of "scab" bread or any kind of "scab" food but why should the term be deemed offensive? The Red Federation scabbed on honest trade unionism, and Sernple and its other officers ar© the arch-scabs of the Dominion, and live on the fruits of scabbery.—-Grev River Argius. The excellence of the fishing . in Lake Tarawera may bo judgediby the following from the.Rotorua Times: "Some very good takes were made at Lake Tarawera last week. A party of three rods, Messrs G. MBrown, E. Fowkes and F. O'Connell (Masterton), got 60 nice fish) averaging .four pounds a-piece. Another pnrtv of three, Messrs A. H. Tripe, George and Harty, secured 54 good fish.'' Five of the fish together weighed 37jlbs'.

Workers at Westport are losing £SOOO per yrcek in wages as a result of the present industrial trouble. A new sawmill is being erected at Taorou, near Taihape. There are four thousand acres of bush in that locality. The House of N Representatives was occupied the whole of yesterday afternoon with the discussion of the reports of Committees. An Auckland telegram states that Axel Joffs, charged with stabbing a man at Dargaville, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. Shortage of coal, owing to the strike, is reported to be responsible for tho closing down of a flax mill at Pakawau employing sixteen hands. ' «t

At Westport this season 1600 to 1800 cases of whitebait have been tinned. More would have been dome but the strike caused a shortage of tins. At tho Waifcato show this week, Mr William Perry, of Master ton, took the principal prizas in Komney jyfarsh sheep, ilr Ernest Short, of Feilding, being the runner-up. It is not often, one hears of Maoris giving donations to charitable objects, much i\-i they delight to scatter loose cash, but £4O has been given by & leading Native on its ooast towards a cottage hospital at Opunake. The Invercargill News appears to be proud of the growth of one of its chief institutions. It says: ''The proportions to which the local reformatory has grown are indicated by the fact that the gaol staff now consists of seventeen officers."

A flock of sheep at the Buakura Experimental Farm is being grazed on a cow pasture, to equalise, the growth of gra/sa, half of which has been dressed with guano and the other half with basic slag. It is no-' ticeable that the sheep are ( eating the latter, much more closely than the former. Tiie Merc in tile Gazette says (too truly: ''At a, critical time" like this, it ia-a b.- sve''sl»tfujd- be «uffeHng,from ian insane strike. ; The dislocation of -trade caused bv , thev widespread strike of •waterside workers will prove a costly affair to New Zealand.. It is heartrending to, reflect on the ramifications of the lasses, ..-nd one can safely predict' that the doming year will be o&e of extreme dullness in New Zealand." We have been shown a letter addressed by the wife of one of the Wellington strikers to a , friend in Mastertqn, in which an appeal ; is made for financial assistance. * -The* -woman states that the head <ff -the house hag* done nothing'' for six or seven weeks;. that • bread; is 4Jd ..per loaf; that it is impossible to buy coal; that her family: is in a. shocking condition; /and that one cannot realise til© .destitution in the homes of the workers. Mr GL R. Sykes, M.P. for Masterton, recently addressed the following ' question toiihe Minister.of Railways: AVhether there is any truth in the rumour which is freely circulated that workers- from the country districts coming to Wellington for the purpose of obtaining employment on the wharves a nd ships aro being conveyed by rail free of oosjt? The Hon. W. H. Hcrries {(Minister of Railways) replied : The statement that workers from the country districts are being' conveyed to Wellington free of charge to work on the wharves and ships is not correct. . The ordinary tariff ,ebargesj,are IjeiAg levied,; .' ;

The members of the American athletic team to tour New Zealand and Australia, arrived at Wellington by the Tahiti from San Francisco yesterday. The team 1 includes' four men, Ric./Templeton {Stanford. University),. who holds the world's records for 775 yards hurdles; James Power .(Boston), middle distance runner, whose time for the mile, is given as 4min 18 4-ssee; W. Caiighey, the youthful champion of tiro Pacific Coast; and G. Parkef (Stofektom), a sprinter who takes the place of Nossinberger, who war-; unable, at the last moment, to make the trip. Major Piexotto is in charge of the team. The quarterly ssuimnoned meeting of Stionchenge Lodge, U.A.0.D., took place on Wednesday evening jn the' Druids' Hall, Masterton, Bro. C. A. Ewington, A.1)., presiding over a large attendance of members. One member was accepted by clearance from Coronation Lodge. Bro. Stokes, of Enterprise Lodge, Dunedin, was extended a hearty, \yelcome. BroSliackleton reported on the lodfte representatives' visit to Myrtle Lodge,, which was officially visited by tne Grand Secretary, ® ra - Grant, and Grand. Guardian, Bro. F. Jennings. Both officers addressed the members on matters relative to Druidism, for which they were accorded a '.hearty vote of thanks. The installation of officers was performed by Bro. H. Hart, D.P., the following b.eing installed to their respective positions, P.D.P. Bro. Sliackieton acting as installing marshal: A.D., Bro. H. M. Wilton; V.A., Bro. G. W. Milne; secretary, Bro. E. Pragnell; treasurer, Bro. J. K. Blinkhorne; assistantsecretary, Bro. S. E. Pragnell; T.G.. Bro. W. .Tamihana; 0.G., Bro. J, Buckto.i; A.D.B's., Bros. Fairbrotlier and Calvert; Y.A.B's., Bios. E. Smith and D. Sim ; auditor, Bro. H. P; Perry. At tlio conclusion of the ceremony eulogistic refeience was made to the D.P., Bro. Hart, for the--impressive manner in which the installation ceremony was conducted. Several visitors were present from Totara and Myrtle Lodges, who were received with {)ruidic honours. At the ooncluaon of the business, the District President and visitors were entertained, a sumptuous repast having been provided by Bro. Winchester. During the evening vocal items v.ere. contributed by Bros. Wilson, Tamihana 5 O'itegan, Innes, Elder, and Mi'xtpfl Several toasts were honoured, the function proving a most enjoyable one, and terminated with the singing of "Auld Lang Syne.''

A new jetty is about to bo erected at Foxton. During the month of November, 11.40 indues of rain were recorded at Greymouth. Tho Rating Amendment Bill was read a second time in the House of Representatives last night. The Municipal Corporations Amendment Bill pnssed through Committee of the Legislative Council yesterday./ Tho debate on the Public Works Estimates will probably bo taken in the House of Representatives this evening. . > Mr G. R. Sykes, M.P., informed an Age representative yesterday that ho expected the present session of Par-, liament to cduiclude next week. While people in New Zealand ale wearing their great-coats, a heat wave is being experienced in Australia. The ■ weather experienced in Masterton during the past week lias been characteristic of winter rather than summer. There are some queer. jokers in Incercargill. A taxi with a married couple aboard hurried off to the railway" station tho other day. A placWd on the bade of the vehicle bore this inscription: "Newly married; off to Paradise.";

A sitting of the Conciliation Council was hold in Masterton yesterday, to hear the butchers' dispute. Mr P. Hally. presided. An agreement was come to between the parties, and this will form the basis of a recommendation to the Arbitration Court for an award. 1 At a meeting; of master batchers, held in Master ton, it was decided to take steps to form a. Master Butchers' Association for the district extending from Feaih'erstctti to Woodyille. Mr C. A. Tabutea/u was appointed interim secretary, and a sub-commit-tee was set up to prepare rules. A petition is in circulation in thorston having for its object the change of, the incidence of rating, When the required number odf signatures has been obtained the Town, Board will be called upon,to take a poll of the mtepayers on the guestjion. Itkia expected that thfiy exponents of rating on the Unimproved values > sent system) will take an active part in opposing the change. A iheeting of directors of the EkeMotor Service Company was held yesterday affcprnoon. Shares to the /\yduo of ,£2510 were al- . lotted, and further, applications are •to be dealt; witli at ' next meeting. Mr J. J. Knight was appointed managing and Mr F. Wise, secretary(protem). -Representatives of motor coinpanieSi , attended -the inebt- ■ A furthe#; meeting of; directors • ■ willbeheld l nexb \veek,-whsn: t|ie purchase of cars will \ lie finally dealt , with. , l.

The Lyttelton by-election has caused people to ask, is there such a thing as a "sympathetic vote?"\ : a Well, ( let us see (says the Eltham Argus). When Mr Field died his brother was put forward as a candidate, and won the «eat. .When Gifeorge Fisher died his son came out and won tho seat. When Mi Seddon died his son won the vacant seat. • When Mr T. E. Taylor died- his closest friend, Mr Isitt, came forward and won the seat. Mr, Laurenson is dead, and his brother is contesting the vaoa-ncy—judging by past experiences his chances look good. When the Maliena arrived at Auckland from Sydney, Detective-Sergeant. Hollis and l>etectiveEi Scott . and Hammond were atiendar cc?', and arrested a man- whio was travelling, under the name of Watson. The man is alleged to be a solicitor named Oliver Noel Gillespie, who. has been missing from Feilding since June, and the charge laid against him is that on dr about June Ist, at Feilding, lie received £I7OO on behalf of the trustees of the estate of James Vile, on terms requiring him. to account for the same, and that he failed to account for it. The prisoner stated that he was returning to New Zealand to explain the circumstances: surrolunding the transaction out of which the charge arose.

Lady's brooch, gem set, found in Lincoln Road, awaits ownership at this office. ; , A special meeting of the Carpenters' and Joiners' Union will be held in the Druids' Hall this evening. A reward is offered for the return of lady's necklet (amber and gold), lost last' evening between Archer Street and THsti-ict High School. Mr V. I/, Fairbrotlier advertises a. sale at the Post OfficoAuctioii Mart for Saturday. In the list to be offered is 11 gig, two gig ponies, harness, etc. ! ' > ' During the month . of December, Messrs McGruer and Co. will make a special gift to the purchasing publio by refunding all , cash purchases made on a given day. ' Every customer is requested to obtain stamped receipts for all purchases, and the refunding day will be duly advertised. Full particulars of the scheme appears in the firm's advertisement on. page 2.