The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1883. A MARES NEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1315, 5 April 1883, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1883. A MARES NEST.

Our local contemporary has made an effort to burst up the rates to be levied for the works undertaken by the East County under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. In its issue of yesterday it says:—

The figures bliow that the total amount proposed to be expended on these lines of road is £9,409, At the recent meeting' of tha County Council the Chairman stated that tho Council had applied for £9,353, but the Government was only able to grant three-eighths, or £3,607, and when asked hy Cr MoQregor if tho grant w.ia likeiy to lie repeated, herecommendod Couicillors not to depend too much on tho future. Now, it will be seen that the Council intend spending in tough numbers £9,000 out of £3,01*0 granted by the Government, and the ratepayers ought to know how thoy are going to do it. ;

Our contemporary lias found a mare's nest. Tho chairman at tho late- meeting in saying that " the Council had applied for £9,353, and that tho Government were only able to grant three-eighths, or £3,507," referred only to one application, viz,, the Eketahuna to Tinui road. Our contemporary assumes that the £3,507 is the total vote available for the Eketahuna-Tinui road, theMasterton-Waimata road, and the Masterton-Bideford road, whereas £9,000 are absolutely available from the Government for these three works. Our contemporary has made a bad shot this time, but no doubt will try another when the opportunity offers. We call attention to the blunder which it has made because some ratepayers might poisibly be misled by it, though no doubt the majority of them are too well informed on the question to credit such a gigantic error. The total applications of the County amounted to twenty-five thousand pounds. Our contemporary has fallen into the somewhat absurd mistake of estimating them at nine thousand,

Boys who can sing are invited to attend at St Matthew's Church this evening as chorister candidates, The regular fortnightly practice of the Greytown Fire Brigade takos place this evening. Messrs T. K, Macdonald & Co, announce tho sale of the Temperance Hotel, a well-known handsome, and commodious building in Queen-Btreet, Masterton, for the 9th insl., at their Wellington auction There were twontysix rank'-and'.file- of the Greytown Rifle Volunteers at drill on Tuesday under Captain Tully and Lieut, Cameron. Sergt Major Bezar put the Company, through drill for an hour. It was. announced at close of drill that Majors Butts and Bnniiy would inspect tho Company on Tuesday next, Tho Kolflbrt Colonist learns that from onotreeof King of the Pippins, in the orchard of Mr W. Boddington,- at lower Wnkoflold, no \m than 53 bushels of Sound apples were picked off at one Kalhorlng, whilst seven bushels were blown off by the wind and thus rendered unmarketable. The tree in question, is 80 years old, and covers a space of 105 feet in oircumferarice.. Sixty buahols faim one tree is the is the largest we have heard bt in Nelson?' With buoli trees apple growing should 1 be more remrjneratire than ths otiltnra of

Tlio I'lint rvpuiw that Mr R, O'Connor, ul tliiß city, and Mr John Mni'iin, of tho Huaniiaroa stntion, went uut deerstalking in tlio neighborhood nf Miirlinborouidi the other day, and succeeded in bringing down four bucks—two old mid two young ones, One of these may be Been at Mr Liardet's, Lambton Quay.

The Masterion Amateur Ohristys opened their soasmi list evening at the Theutio Hoyul, when they bud the good fortune to be assisted by Mr Horace Bent, the oelttbiaied negro delineator. The weather was very wet, and prevented a full attoiidanca in tho from seats, thoutrh the back portion of the '■ Theatre was filled. The Masiertun ' Striii« Band forinod the orchestra, and playod several ecleoiiona before the curtain was raised, The introductory ovorture of the Company went rather slow, The anngs "I had but Eighteen police," by H, Bent, " I Dieam of Home and Mother," by T, Thompson, and " Noreen Maureen," by J, Thompson, were well sung, the latter meeting with great favor, being a very pretty song. H. Bent's" Laughing Song" created ioars of mirth, and the finale, "Tho Girl we left Behind Us," added to tho amusement. The " girl," however, I was not a success, and was guilty of an 1 inescusablu piece of vulgarity. Mr Mills' American sand jig was marred by the music being too slow, and lie cutild not get up steam, His offoits to do so, however, tnuml favor with tho audience, Oocil Riverton's. ballad "Never more" was given with artistic force and expression and an encore oonld not be denied. He, in response, gave in very pleasing style "Why are you wandering here fair MnidJ" which was loudly applauded. Tho piece of the evening was Mr H, Bent's burlesque on Archibald Forbes' lectures as war correspondent. The audience found the fun irresistible, and every point inadsj by the lecturer was hailed with continuous laughter. Mr Bent's appearance wilh two (in plates as medals, and his important bombastic air wore almost sufficient to make his lecture " t'o d"\vii," but-when combined with allusions to well known charnotera such as King Tawhian and Mr Woodroofe The lecture wa« simply ''immense, 1 ' Mr Bent was also extremely funny in lii» sketch " Chewing Gum," and kept the audience "on the grin" ib.rough.oul. Mr J. Thompson tilled an interval by singing with considerable expression the ballad •'Molly Bawn," fur which he was oncnrod ' The entertainment concluded with Mr Bent's original sketch, "Heis Dead," which proved of a very mirthprovoking charactered sent the audience homo well pleased with tho entertainment, To night there will be a change of programme, and Mr H, Bent will givo his " Comic History of England," a piece which meets with unbounded applause wherever given, He will introduce on tbu occasion some of tho peculiarities of the public men of Masterton,

. Tho lUustriate " Zeitu»t<" publishes the following Cdinplnint:—" From Australia we receive complaints of the decrease of German schools. In many pta whero there woro at one time German schools there are now English ones, or none at all. The cause of this regretful circumstHiice is ascribed to a German want of feeling of na'iotudity, a VMM of Biutahle touchers, and of unity and public spirit among the Germaiiß, So long as the Germane do no( Bland together, and found and support schools in Australia, Germany has no ftiture there,"

When, as in a case of sickness, a dull light is wished, or whoa matches are mislaid, put powdered salt on the candle till it reaches the black pari of (he wick. Iu this way a mild and steady liijlit may bo kept throughout the night by a small piece of candle.

A writer in the" Hawko's Bay Herald" lias delighted the Ohristchurch people by his praise of t heir Avon, He says:—" In all hia travels the visitor will hardly have mot with a stream more enchanting in the curves of its winding courae, in the purity aud gentle flow of its waters, and in the homage rendered, soletmr and sweet, along all is bunks by willow, and poplar, and oak and sycamore, and lowlier growths with endless variety of character and bloom. I diclare honestly that I have never seen a more beautiful river embracing in its folds a hive of human beinga, than the Avon of Ohristchurch, and it says much for the feelini; and taste of the people whose abode it- brightens that they should have made of it a kind of pet, and adorned its banki for miles with foliage and flowera, Without itß river, Ohristchurch would be, if nut remote and unfriended, yet melancholy and slow. Let us hope ihat the town as it "Vows will continue to respect its chief natural ornament, and at nil cost preserve it from what suems possible—the foulness of a common drain."

Mr J, Ranby blacksmi'h of this town, notifies that his prices for shueiiig after tin's date will be 4s 6d for hacks and 6s Gil for draught braes. MrE, Naylor alau publishes ut corresponding notice. Mr Wardell E.M, holds a sitting at Timii to-morruiv, An East Coast cnrrespomlniit writes:— Wo are haviii,' a lino autumn fur grass, and stuck every where looks in fine cmi (lition, and should winter well, With lupard to Professor Wttrgin's storm I don't know whether it visited any part of Sow Zealand, but we had the heaviest soa last week that I have ever seen during ovor twenty years'. residence on the ooaat, and there is no doubt there must luvo beeu s»me very ronuh weather somewhere to the south-oast judging from the sot of the sea Labor is still scarce, but as tho winter sets in we shall have plenty on tho move no doubt. Our nativo neighbors having been about eu<en out by visitors from inland and the north, uro nowroturniiii; the compliment, and testing the culinary capabilities, of their friouclauf the Lower Valloy, The Works Committee of the Wuirarapa Bust County Oounoil met'yesterday to consider tenders for the Muugtyakelia Bridge The following were received : M McKonzie, £700; Ileese and Dawson, 1724; Parker & Burke, JJ779 ; A McLeod, £900155, It was resolved thai Mr McKenzie's tender he acoep'ed, It was also les'lved that the request of the Mustertoii ■ Bui'nitgh Council that Mr King's services he lent to it for one day for taking levels be granted,

After a very long dry aurt warm stretch of summer weather, it is but reasonable to nxpecb a somewhat severe winter. The "oldeafc inhabitant" prognosticates it, and the unusual severity of the last winter in intbo Old Country loaves no doubt but that our turd will noma next. Toba forewarned is. to he forearmed. Don't forget your blankets, We can supply you well, as we hold one of the largest stocks in Wellington, imported direct from the manufacturers We cannot only give lsige variety, but oxcollent value, no one better, if so well, Whatevermake you want (and we keep all the best) we c:in give you first-class value in English, German, Koslyn, and Kaiapoi manufacture, and in sizes to suit the not of the infant, the swog of the. Bushman, the single bed of the baohelor, the double ono of the benedict, and some that might almost be large enough; for the Great Bed of Ware. Wo have'also a very large range of prices, varying according to size and quality, from 7s Cd to 60.- per pair, Customers will find »'<great advantage:, in purchasing from an extensive, well-selected, and:direiitly import ted stock of blankets; suoh as they will see at James Smith's Te Aro House Wellington,, -A»Vt. ) V'x ■':">■