The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 92, 24 February 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1879.

The Ram Fair at Carterton on Thursday last was fairly successful, and as a first attempt did credit to its promoters. That it is capable of extension and improvement next season is a matter of course, and if the Committee will only lay down and carry out well defined rules in the future, their success will be beyond doubt. Tho first principle tlie Committee should lay down, is, in our opinion, that all exhibits arc or ought to be, for bona fide sale, and should, after delivery on the ground be altogether in the hands of tho Secretary for genuine sale. Of course tho Secretary could carry out the wishes of exhibitors as to the auctioneer who should be instructed to put them up, but the exhibitor should neither have the power to sell privately or withdraw from sale nuy rams that might be entered. On the Show Day the Secretaay of the Society should be regarded as the proprietor of every sheep in tlie yards, so that the public who came to purchase might have unlimited confidence in being able to buy in an open market. We do not say there should be iio reserve on a valuable animal, but we do'say that when any entry is made, the reserve price should be affixed to it by the owner, and that the reserve price should be published before the day of the show so that all interested may know that such an entry can only be bought at or above the price affixed to it. These rules, if applied to ordinary auction sales, would facilitate business wonderfully ; buyers would loss that extreme cautiousness which is now necessary because of the feeling which ever prevails respecting "reserves," buying-in" and other " moves" of a similar character, To a public body, such as the Pastoral Association, they are not only desirable but imperative. Unless there is a feeling of implicit confidence in tlie way in which a Earn Fair will be conducted there will not be a strong support accorded to it by the public, We do not say that the late Fair was conducted otherwise than fairly, but private bargaining was possible at it, and this, to our mind, is inconsistent with the character of the gathering and places Caesar's wife, as it were, within the range of suspicion. Far better to have a less number of entries and for each one of them to be put up to open auction without reserve, or at a reserve which is known days before hand by every person on the ground, than have a larger number shown, in which perhaps the weeds are offered for public competition and the flowers culled privately. The great deficiency in most of our local societies is not undersranding and applying sound commercial rules, and leaving too much margin for private arrangements and adjustments. We trust next season to see tlie Annual Earn Fair nm on the strictest and fairest regulations which the Committee can devise.

Tho Wairarapa Sale yards.Co,, open 011 Wednesday next.

Bread is down again Mr Jame3 Tliomp son advertises it at 7d for cash.

The Autumn Show of tlie Masterton Horticultural Society is announced for Wednesday March oth.

The Masterton Hospital contract is expected to be finished in the course of tho present week when the building will be ready for furnishing. A meeting of the Masterton Library Committee is convened for to-morrow afternoon.

Ameecting of tlie Masterton School Committee is convened this afternoon for the Election of three membors of the Education Board.

F. H. Wood, and Co., sale at their new Sale Yards Featherston on Wednesday next, Steers, Cows, fat Cattle, Horses, Sheep, Ac.,

We stop the press writes the Standard on Saturday last for the purpose of making the following important announcement, 'which, we do on the best authority, though we have not yet had the opportunity of speaking to Mr Hastwell 011 the subject, The announcement is this, that the Hon John Martin and W. R, Hastwell, Esq., will unite in floating an Joint Stock Company under " Tho District Railway Act," for tho purposing of constructing a railway from Waihenga to Greytown. We need not say how this will increase the value all property in Greytown and the Lower Valley, and we have no hesitation in saying that in the event of the,project being proceoded with, it will prove one of the most important to the southern part, of the Wairarapa that has ever been undertaken. We pliall not fail in subsequent articles, to keep the subject well before the public,

We trust to see a good attendance at the Consert for the benefit of the Masterton Hospital on Saturday next at which several wembsri of tho Wellington Choral Society will give their assistance,.; F. E.Wood & Co's., sale, at Grey town, on Saturday last was numerously attended, The various lots realised very satisfactory prices, competition being brisk. Owing to the ill-hoalth of Mr Wood Mr J. M. Girdlestone, of Masterton manipulated the hammer. We regret to learn that Mr William Smith, a Masterton carpenter, broko his leg yesterday by a fall from his horse.

Tho Hon Chief Justice Prendergest was sworn in as acting Governor on Friday last. Mr Barrister Barton will have to mind his p's and q's now. Sir Hercules Robinson may be expected to arrive in New Zealand on March 20th. The result of tho Assessment Court on the Masterton Borough Roll is as follows: —omissions added, £1,933; valuations raised, £441; total £2,3/4. From this amount must be deducted reductions mado £B2Blos on appeal and transfers and removals £Ol7 10a. Tho not gain to tho roll being about £628. Tho Masterton Institute is now open daily to the public. At present tho table in tho largo reading-room is but inadequately supplied with papers and. magazines, but probably the deficiency will bo shortly remedied. The books in the Library have been classified and neatly arranged on the shelves, but as yet the reading public have not to any considerable extent availed itself of tho facilities offered by the Reading-room and Library. The Stewards of the Wairarapa-Jockey Club.met at'the Rising Sun Hotel Greytown on Saturday evening for the purpose of settling on the recent meeting when the following stakes wero paid over to winners Butler £lB5, Vallance, £l6O, Knight £75, Ray £OO, Gillies £SO, Murtagh £ls, Hill £l3, and several other smaller sums.

At the Assessment Court, for the Borough of Masterton, on the 21st inst., Mr G. S. W. Dalrymple appeared in relation to an objection raised by the Town Clerk, that his property had been valued to low by the Borough valuator at £l2, It was arranged that lie should bo assessed in £2O, and ho took his seat. Shortly thereafter he rose and addressed his Worship, and stated that he wished to be charged on £25. This much surprised all present, and the R.M, asked his reason, in answer lie stated that since he sat down some of his townsmen had expressed a wish that he should have the necessary qualification for a seat in the council, and that if he would consent to be charged on £25, (the lowest sum giving that qualification), they would pay the difference of rate. The R.M, stated ho could have no objection to increasing the assessment to L 25, So we may expect some day to see Mr Dalrymple's name appear as a candidate for a seat in the Council.

A noteworthy instance of commercial morality is made known by a Mr Bancroft, of Liverpool. One Saturday in November he received an unsigned letter, in which was enclosed a bank note for £lO9. The only information given by the sender was that the bank note was the amount of an old debt, and accumulated interest, which he was sorry not to have been in a position to forward before. The recipient has not tho slightest idea from whom he has received this conscience money. A shocking accident occurred, on a farm near Christchurch on Wednesday, A lad named James lliggins, who was engaged with one of Samuelsoii's self-delivery reapers in a paddock, finding his machine clogged by tussock grass, alighted for tho purpose of clearing it. The horse he had been riding became restive, and by some means not explained the boy was thrown forward upon his stomach in front of the knives, The sheddcr, or guiding-rod—or, as it is some-time 3 called, the ear-lifter—-caught him just above the hip, about an inch to the left of the spine; tho point emerging on the right sido of his neck, The lad was thus literally impaled, and some difficulty was experienced in relieving him. He died nine hours after the occurrence of the accident.

A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Wairarapa Sale Yards Company was held at their offices, Featherston, on Friday, the 21st instant, Present: Messrs 0. Pharazyn, (Chairman), H. H. Beetham, and W. C. Buchanan. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, and a number of accounts were passed for payment. Messrs J. P. Russell and C. E. Bidwill wrote tendering their resignations as Directors, which were accepted, and Messrs F. H. Wood, of Greytown, and J. 0. Fergusson, of Featherston, were elected in their stead. Mr Coleman Phillips also tendered his resignation, hut it was decided to request him to withdraw it, The Secretary reported the total list of shareholders up to date, the number, being 1,024. It was resolved that scrip be now issued to shareholders, Messrs Pharazyn and Fergusson to sign the same as Directors. The i'nst sale had previously been fixed to bo hold on Wednesday, the the 26th instant, and it was resolved that regular fortnightly sales be held, continuing from that date The following regulations for the conduct of tho market sales were then adopted—viz., the sale to begin at 11.15 a.m. with sheep, to be followed by pigs, then cattle, and lastly, horses; auctioneers to draw lots to decide the order in which they are to sell, and the auctioneer drawing first sale to begin with the lowest pen in which he hasstock, and completing , all his consejutivo pens upwards, when the auctioneer in the next consecutive pen will begin, and so on in the order of the pens, No stock to be permittted to leave the Yards without a delivery order from the secretary or auctioneer ; double rates to be charged for entire animals, and wliero stock remains in the Yards over-night. Sheep will bo allowed to be drafted on other than sale day 3 at a charge of 2s Cd for the first 100, and Is for every other 100. The charge for branding and drafting cattle to be 6d per head. It was decided to erect a couple of small offices for the use of auctioneers and secretary, and a call (3rd) of 5s per share.was made payable in a week from date;:;

The Melbourne correspondent of the Ararat Advertiser says:—"The snobbery of the upper crust of Melbourne has been well demonstrated and snubbed in the case of- the English cricketers. Several invitations liavo been received by Lord and Lady Harris to be present at balls and parties, but economy or something else prompted the writers of the invitations to leave out the other gentlemen cricketers. Lord Harris has, however, made it a practice to decline all invitations in which the whole of the eleven were not included, to the mortification of Dives, Wool, and soft goods. Only two ladies accompany the team; lady Harris and Mrs, Hornsby, and alltho gentlemen are quite young. They are quite a family party, and are remarkable for their friendship, so much so, that although Lord and Lady Harris were invited to take up their quarters at Government House they declined, preferring to remain with their party."

It will lie noticed by an advertisement | in another column that the completion of tho additions'to the Empire Hotel, Masterton, will be celebrated by Host Oorbett with n Ball oh- Thursday next. Tho new wing added not only makes the Hotel one of the 1 liandsomest buildings in Masterton but it give 3 ample private accommodation for families in which the original building was deficient. Tho arrangements of the bedrooms, on tho upper floor is very convenient, all in tho liouso opening into ono long corridor, We observe that Mr Corbett 'is sparing no expenso in furnishing and fitting his now rooms. Messrs Blirikhorn and. Peacock tho contractors appear to have done their work in a very satisfactory mannor. .. The attendance at the Rev J. W. Inglia' lecture "Pen and Ink pictures of tho past," at Greytown on Friday evening last was very poor, and those who did not or could not attend have lost a treat which is only granted a very few times in anyones lifetime. Those who had the good fortune to hear Mr Inglis will scarcely soon forget tho enjoyment which was afforded them. Tho Rev lecturer commenced by stating that Greytown would have the honor (if honor it could be called) of being the smallest audience that he ever addressed, but that would not debar them from what they came to hear, as he would give the same attention to the programme as if it were a crowded house. • And certainly if death-like stillness and enthusiastic applause denotes appreciation, then was the lecture thoroughly appreciated by the fow who attended. Some people fancy I think that this sort of entertainment is dry and therefore do not attend, but nothing could bo farther'from-being dry' than this lecture. The lecturer kept his audience entranced from beginning to end;