The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1887. THE LICENSING ELECTIONS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2527, 17 February 1887, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1887. THE LICENSING ELECTIONS.

The time has again come round for the annual election of our Licensing Committees, and surely of all the numerous elections in .which we are called to take part, this business of appointing Licensing Committees is the most absurd and -farcical. As a rule there are absolutely' no candidates for seats on these Committees, no one regards it as an honor to sit upon them, and the very persons who are the most fitted to administer the Licensing Act are the ones who most strongly and emphatically object to sit on the Committees. Of course, candidates are found and will be found by interested parties. The publicans usually tako care to nominate a few respectable residents in whom they have confidence, and intending applicants for new licenses are also careful to put one or two men on the committee to assist them in launching their new houses. The Temperanoe fraternity, too, display some slight interest in the proceedings, and occasionally put up one or two candidates, but it is generally understood beforehand who are to be elected, and what vote each member who is to be elected will give on any particular question which may arise. Everything is out and dried, everything ig arranged, and the Liconsing Committees, when elected, have little to do beyond fulfilling the promises and vows which they have previously given to their godfathers and godmothers. The old-fashioned licensing benches where commissioners nominated by the Crown sat with the Resident Magistrate, were far more independent and useful than the present Committees. They had the confidence and respect, of the public and they were able to exercise a wise and salutary influence over the liquor traffic. It was supposed that when the old order of licensing benches gave way to the-new elective Licensing Committees the temperance advocates of the colony would have the ball at their feot and be able to curb if not restrain the sale of intoxi- i cants. This, bowevor, has proved to J be an illusion, and for all practical . purposes the present Licensing Com- ' mittees may be deemed to be a failure. ]

Messrs J. H, Bethune ■& Co. havobeen instrucfced to sell by public auction on tho 28th iiiflt. a valuable farm near Carterton, recently in tho occupation of Mr H. I. Russell Owen. Further particulars of this dosirablo property will be found in our advertising columns.

Rain commenced to fall In Carterton yesterday about noon, and continued during tho afternoon, placing Several residences out of danger, by checking-the bush fires; ,'Our correspondent writes, that the downfall-was very wJcome to that district, as Messrs Booth and Co.'s Saw Mills have been idle for about three weeks through the bUBh fires and the want of water,

We remind our readers of the performance in the Theatre Royal th'is evening ef Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera " The Sorcerer," in aid of the building fund of St Matthew's Sunday school. At the full dress rehoarsal hold last evening everything worked smoothly, and it is safe to predict that tho company will give a successful rendering of this splendid musical production. Mr Hoary Wadhara's house, at Carterton, was burned down yesterday about eleven o'clock through tho bußh fires that have boon raging in that vicinity for the past few days, it was situated on Rutland Road, just outside of tho town boundary on the east side, Mr Wadham saw the danger the provioua day and removed his furniture, etc,, to a neighbours house on Park road, He was uninsured, and being a poor man with a large family it makes tho loss very heavy for him. The Hastmgs(Hawkesßay) Star has the following on Wairarapa pruduce:-"Mr. M'Donald. of J.M'Do'uald and Co,, has. forwarded us a sample of Wairarapa butter whioh he is disposing of at Is per lb. The butter is very superior to a lot of what is called hero fresh butter and for which Is (id por pound is domanded, The local dairymen will have to vastly improve their wares if thoy wish to keep the field, as thero is no doubt tho article now being disposed of by Mr. M'Donald will make a market for itself. It is a really good article

We (Pahiatua Star) made an inspection of the Village Settlement burns on Saturday, going in at the township road and coming out at the Toritoa road, and 1 wo cannot but express sympathy with nearly tho whole of the settlers at tho very bad burns which have taken place, , Tho fire got into the bush by accident in j December, nearly two months before it ; should have been started, and through carelessness on the part of someone the settlement presents anything but an inviting appearance. Had the bush been 1 allowed to dry until the beginning of this month, the result would have been , splendid burns. A bad burn is a serious loss, but wo trust the selectors will struggle through their difficulties. The ninth annual report of the South Wairarapa Working Men's Club Company » Qreytown, is a very satisfactory ono. Tho directors have been able during the paßt year to complete the work of putting an iron roof upon tho building. They have also boenablo to pay an Interim dividend of 5 per cent., the unclaimed balance of which amounts to £8 Bs. The balanco to credit of assets has increased by about £3O, and now stands at £ll 8s 3d, tho only liabilities beyond the shares being tho unclaimed dividonds. A substantial , balance of £49 lis 3d remains to credit at the bank, and the diroctors have decided to pay a further dividend of five per cent., making, a dividend declared for tho year of 10 per cent,— Standard. Moat people would say that it is impossible that a man could livo without a skull. The thing would seem the more impossible iu the caso of a man who wasn't '• bom that way." And yet, ovon this sooined impossibility is but a, seeming one. T. P. Woodall, a man who died yesterday at | Hartsolls, Ala., from the effects'of a fall, , from a railroad car, had lived five, years without a skull, He was found five years ago lyiug in a fit before an open hearth, his head amid the hot hot embers of an expiring fire, The entiro top of his head down to his eyes had beeu burned to a crisp, and instant death seemed inevitable. As a resort, tho sureoonß romovod tho ontire>kull as low down as the sookets of tho eyes and?eqnally as far iu the rear. An artificial covering was placed over the brain to protect it from exposure, and in a fow weeks a thin film formed over it, and strango to say tho man lived, retaining all his faculties. Tho membrane never hardened, and to the hour of his death the convulsions of his brain could be easily discerned. The Otago Witness justly complains of the absurd delay in the collection and publication of the agricultural statistics, and of their incompleteness when at last they do appear. Our contemporary says: —"Agricultural statistics are glaringly incomplete unless thoy include the enumeration and classificasion of livo stock. The latest official returns of sheep in the colony givo the numbers on the 31st of May, 1885. Since then there have been two crops of lambs for increase, against which have to be reckoned large exportation, slaughter for home consumption, and casual losses. Our statists promise us returns in March for the year ending 31st March, 1886. The useless information is fitly kept for nearly eleven moths, to be tapped by our wiseacres in Parliament, not ono out of ten of whom' bother about it.' At ■ tho present moment the number of sheep in tho colony is an unknown quantity. In regard'to cattle, horses, and swine, there is no pretension to ascertain the nambor correctly annually; but then people are sometimes treated by the officials to 'estimated numbers,'and coming from officials we are supposed to believe them, though wo would not believe such misleading figures from anyono else," Tho following report of Mr F. H, Wood's sales in connection with tho Cartorton Ham and Ewe Fair arrived too late for our yesterday's issue. Mr D. MacMaster took the premier position for tho day, his stook bringing better prices than thoso of other vendors, Two tooth Lincoln! ranged in price from L2 168 to £6 7s 6d; four tooth and lull mouth do. from L 3 3s to L 4 10s, Mr Stuckey's Lincolns were next in publio demand, realising from L2 3s to L 3 15s. Mr Threlkeld's Enriish Leicester attracted considerable attention, and wero favorably commented upori' l They had been recently dipped, and the dip not being , dry somewhat deteriorated from their good i appearance; the prices of theie averaged from L3l6s Gd, Some purebred Romney ' Marsh (2 tooth), tho property ofMrC, < Pharazyn, were sold at from lis to 19s, 1

Some Shropshire Downs of Mesßrs Riddiford's fetched from £2 to 80s,' fiomney Marsh (Riddiford'a) from 15s to LI Bs. A pen of five by tho same vondors brought L 3 each, Some Cotswoldß (purebred) two tooth, belonging to Mr Reynolds ranged from L2 2s Gd to L2 ?s Gd. A line of four tooth Lincoln owes, tho property of Mr A. McMaster, brought 10a each. Theso are among; tho most important sales_ of tho day, some inferior classes being also disposed of at good prices.

A Wonderful Henn.—Many are tho instances cited of the astonishing fecundity of the various species of domesticated fowl j but thejcelebrated Wellington Hesn (whioh, strange tosay,.ifl of tho masculine gender) has a soul above the mero production of eggs, The manner in which ho turns out Venotian Blinds, etcr, is the wonder and admiration of everybody from the Governor downwards, The name of this wondorful bird ia R, W.JjHenn, and hia well known fowl-house is theFonoke Steam Window Blind Factory, Moksworth-Btreet, Wellington, -Advt,

Messrs Lowes and lorna announce thoir next stock sale for Wednesday, February 23. "

Mr A. A. White, dentist, announces that he has commenced business in Mastertonin premises .adjoining the Court House, Hall-street. _ A runaway horse was pluckily stopped in Queen-street this morning by Mr J. Thompson, who has gained quite a notoriety in performing feats ot this kind. ' There was no delivery of Wellington maib in.Masterton to-day owing to their being inadvertently left behind when the train started from town this morning,

Messrs Lowes and lorns announce the sale of the Tonui race privileges, which will takeplac'e at their rooms, Masterton, on Thursday next, Tho entries for the meeting are very largo, and the quality of the horses good. This should attiact the notice of the public. The following persons were nominated to-day for the Masterton Borough Licensing Committee :~Messrs T. B. Chamberlain,. John Harding, John Hesßey, A. W. Hogß, E. McEwon, J. W. Lainir, William Prangnell, and G. W. Woodroofe. Tho first five are the members of the old Commifctoo, and wore nominated by Messrs T. Parsons and T. D. Thompson, and the latter three by the Revs D. Fulton and J. N. Buttle. The election will take place on Friday, February 25th, The olection of a member to fill tho vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr John McDonald, will take placo on March 6th, Nominations close on the 24th inst„ at the Eketahuua Road Board Office,

_ A locturq is announced to be delivered in the Masterton Wesleyan Church on Friday evening next, by tho Rev H. J. Robjohns, a credited evangelist of tho British and Foreign Bible Society, on the " Bible wonders of last year." At Woodvillo to-day a case is to be heard against the Mangatainoke Association, in which £l6O isjclaimed asdama<»os, owing to the plaintiff (Mr T. James') property having been injured to that amount by a fire alleged to have been originated by the accredited agents of the Association,

About forty members of the Masterton Mo Corp attended the daylight parade last evening, Captain Donald in command; Lieut. A. Thompson and Drill Instructor Bezar being also present; The Company received rather a sovere drilling in akirmißhiiie; exercises and marching manoeuvres, tho object being to perfect them for the review to be held in Featheraton at an early date when MajorGeneral Sir George Whitmore will inspect the whole of tho Wairarapa forces. A meeting of the members ot the corn was subsequently held for the purpose of electing a Lieutenant, but none of the following candidates for tho hono>, were able to poll the requited number of votes, viz., two thirds of those present, exLieutenant J. Cameron, Sergeant Peacock, Corpl. D. McLachlan and Vol Leahy.

Wo (Onmaru Mail) cannot yet say that the lion has laid down with the lame, but can inform our readers that in Mr Robert Blair's yard in Severn-streot there are two hawks that have become so domesticated that they fratemiso with- tho big dog on the prdmisos. The birds came onto the premises of their own free will, and show no desire to leave, and while they maintain a peaceful attitude towards tho dog, it is evident that they aro not cowed through fear, but that tho dog himself has succumbed to n lively apprehension of the sharpness of their beaks and talons. Such a reconciliation is, so far as wo know, unparallelod in these parts, though ono often reads ot them as having occurred elsewhere on the part of animals who are the natural enemies.of one another. It will bo interesting to watch possible further developments of such an' extraordinary friendshio,

The following.ia tho report for prosontation at the third annual meeting ot the Wellington Meat Preserving and Refrigerating Company. " Your directors beg to present the annual accounts' to 30th November, 1880. Your directors regrot that the business done during tho past year does not show a satisfactory result. Largo reductions havo been made in the coat of managomont of the company. Further reductions are under contemplation, and the most severe economy will continue to be oxerciaed. Your directors aro strongly of opinion that the company is placed at a disadvantage in not possesssing freezing machinery, and they have under consideration a proposal to acquire a freezing plant, and thus be enabled to largely increase that branch of tho business. It is also necessary that premises should be erected on Lambton Quay to replace those burnt down,, and a most advantageous lease of the old Bite has been secured for the purpose. It is proposed to call up further capital to tho amount of £2 per share, for the purpose of crectingnew premises on tho Company's property; and it is intended that the calls shall extend over a period of eighteen months, and that no call shall exceed 6s per share, Since the close of the annual accounts now presented, your directors havo reason to believo that their preserved meats, of which they have a considerable stock in transitu, havo been sold at a satisfactory price. Messrs Matthews and Russell retire from the Board in terms of the articles, but are eligible for re-election,"

About that £3b to be gives away,— To the Editor-Sir, Will you allow me through your columns to let the people of tho Wairarapa know that I am going to sell all my stock, consisting of men's, youth's, and boys' clothing, shirts, hats, hosiery, &0., at a great reduction in prices up till the end of the year; and also to remind them that every one who buys goods to tho value of 2s 6d gets a ticket in my £35 competition. Think of that I By spending 2a Cd with me, you may win money enough to carry you for a trip round Now Zealand,—John Thorburn, Clothier, &c, Willis st„ Wellington. •