The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1888. The Municipal Situation.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2830, 23 February 1888, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1888. The Municipal Situation.

When two distinguished pugilists ■ recently announced that they would fight to the bitter end for the delectation of the public, and that their maulers would be equipped, not with pillows,but with four ounce gloves,, there were many who went to see the "set to" with the reasonable expectation of gazing upon a certain amount of gore anil contemplating a little battered humanity, When they got there, however, they found to their dismay that they had been bad—that it was, after all, a case of feather pillows, and that it was quite an understood thing- that no one was to be hurt or even frightened. In viewing our municipal sparring match, ratepayers have a somewhat.similar experience. They must sadly realise that they have been" had," Did not thoy expect to see the skilful and determined Gapper strike home on the potato trap of his Worship, and did not they anticipate that the Mayor hi return would double up his adversary by a pat in his capacious midriff. But alas, both artists are wearing feather pillows, instead of four-ounce gloves, and they are only amusing themselves. Can those who read our graphic and faithful report of the last round at the late Council meeting discuss the situation seriously, or b?lieve that either side is in grim earnest. _ One and all appear to us to be having a jolly lark, and to be thoroughly enjoying the fun. No one is being hurt, no one is being even frightened, and the public who nightly crowd the gallery of the Council Chamber get on the cheap a really'good entertainment. It would be childish to argue, in the face of a farce of this kind, whether any particular proposal of his Worship ought to have been entertained or rejected, the whole thing is a piece of a pantomime, which the performers evidently relish, which' very many of the public appreciate, and which the ratepayers tolerate. It does not cost much, indeed the Council has little money to spend, and if .some few things are neglected, what does it . matter ? We are told that Councillors are " keeping laborers out of the prise of their sweat and toil to.gratify a spirit of vindictiveness," but if a ratepayer asks a corporation employee whether he is kept out of the price, of his sweat and toil he will only grin'at such an idiotic inquiry; and as for the spirit of vindictiveness, it is deplorably absent. When a tell councillor offers to bet' his Worship a new hat, is the spirit of vindictiveness rampant ? There are' some ratepayers who will, no doubt, believe anything that is told to them; but we would really like, as a matter of curiosity, to establish the identity of one solitary individual green enough to swallow the yarn about vindictiveness, and about the specimen of the sweat and toil, which has been crushed out of our Municipal quartz. As wo stated before, His Worship "and his. merry, men are simply enjoying themselves at the cost of the public, If the thing goes on much longer, we would gest that a deputation ot 'feminine ratepayers should charge the Chamber, brooms in hand, and clear out the lot.

A Sydney wire cays that Broken Hill shares are now oyer £400.' ' : r The sura of £12,1*27 was put through c the totalisat'or yesterday at the races, '."'■■' ,'| Sir Francis, Boll's tenure of offioo as j Agent-Generatta not expire until the | 18thFebruary, 1889. . ' •' The Carterton School Conunitteo favor ;•, the election of the Rev. Faterson- and ■. Messrs young and Brown to a seat on the ; Education Board, Mr Henry Benton has applied to transfer section 206, Block XH, Mangaoue, to Mr John Brannigan. . Animals proved to be a cross between a rabbit and a cat have been presented to the Melbourne Zoological Gardens. It is estimated that a saving of about Is 5d per sheep, has been made during this last year oii tho expense of freezing audsending sheep to England, In Sydney "The Mikado".was pioduced at the Theatre Royal, with the thermometer at lOOdeg, Jt can be imagined what the audience, had to endure, Miss Mavibel Greenwood's name has travelled afar, it would seem, for she recently received a communication from Alma Tadema, tho famous painter, expressing a desire to paint her portrait, The total co3r,including selling and all • charges, of sending mutton to London, fromJNgahauranga freezing works is now practically 2\A per.lb,;, if insured against total hiss only, aiid .about 2 3-sths if. insured against all risks. . Messrs Lowes and lorns make further additions to their list of entries-for the next Stock Sale of 550 pood ewes, 150 fat wethers, 6 Romnoy, and 5 Lincoln Rams, The Mustercon Horticultural Show is being held in the Volunteer Drillshod, this afternoon and evening, and. is well [ worthy of a visit.'.. It is open from 12 ■ noun to 0p m, and from 7 o'clock to 10 . o'clock, • Pearson's Private Band will be present in the evening. One of the features of the' Christohuroh, United Fire Brigades' procession was , a most comical " get up" in imitation of the funny picture which comes to us from America entitled a " Darktown Fire Brigade"

Tho Masterhm Fire Brigades will have a picturesque momentoof the Ghristchurch United Fire Brigades gatheringiwMessrs Wheeler and Son uh.rtogniphers, have stated that they will present a large group picture of the tennis to each of the Brigades to hang in their rooms,Mr John Rayner, local agent for the Hornsby Reaper and Binder, has received the following telegram :—" lnvercargill, field trial:-Hornsby first, beating Howard, Johnston, and lleid and Gray. Auckland field tiial:—Hornsby first, beating Reid and McOormick.

■ It is stated that the Canterbury Jockey Club in only three meetings derived in

commission, and odd money the handsome sum of £SOOO from the totalisator, while all the other Clubs in Canterbury who had a total of thirty-one days racing during the same period, obtained very little over £4OOO.

The recent two days rainfall registered in Masterton at Mr Oockbum's gauge at the railway station,'9oiu for the entire time. For tho same period Mr J. Bennett recorded at Otahuao a fall of 'B9 inches. The total quantity of rain that fell was not by any means large, but still it will be recognised that after the dry weather we have been have been having, a fall of •90 was very fair, when for the whok of January only '47 fell. Tho reason for Mr.Wardell, R.M. being requested to retire on his pension, is stated by the Wellington correspondent of tho Press to he simply that his retire., mentis part of the general scheme of .retrenchment now being earned out,' us his office will be fillu I without any addition to the number of Resident Magistrates now holding appointments.

A southern paper says;—''At Master-' ton, a place up north, they seem ,tn havo a really jolly old buy as Mayor. He not only gives them a-water supply free, gratis, and for nothing, but he throws in a supply of fish; mid it is quite the thing for the towns people to spend their Sunday afternoons in the main street opposite the Post Office, falling for the eels which " boh up serenely from below." Some of the Forty Mile Bush settlers are complaining bitterly ol the inconvenience caused by delay on the part of the Government in paying them for work done. Ihey &ay they cannot- get enough to eat even, and that the men who are supposed to look after them are holiday making, One of them states that he and Ins wife and children lived on oatmeal and water for a week or ten days, and had to borrow that. This man got money for work on Mr 1 Muslim's line, or else hu did not know how they would have g>/t on, and he had'to give some of the other settlers some of that.

A valuable building site in Queen Street, 'Mastertmi, changed hands this mnrninj, Mr W bellar reporting to us that he has sold to Mr Jami'S Macara, a suction between Messrs Caselberg & Co.'s store, and Lowes & lorns' Auction Rooms, which has fifty-one. feet frontago, and was previously owned by the Union Bank of Australia,

A most enjojable evenings amusement is to be providi d at the Masterlon Theatre to-night, the occasion being that of the complimentary benefit to Mr Thus. Wrigley, which, apart from tho really admirable programme arranged, should be sufficient to ensure an overflowing house, Mr Wrigley bein? very popular and having many friends. Besides the drama "£100,000" and the comedy ' A Husband in Glover." The list includes a number of vocal and instrumental items by Messrs Moore, Cohmau, Gaskill, and other leading amateurs. -Therprices are low, being only Is, 2s, and 3s and a good audience should certniuly be the result of such attractions, The anniversary " Harvest Home" was given at the homestead of. Messrs J. and A; Welch, Opaki, last evening. All the neighbors were invited, as also were about twenty friends from Masterton. The largo bam was splendidly decorated for the auspicious occasion with sheafs of wheat, potatoes, carrots, and all kinds.of fruits. Dancing, interspersed with vocal items, given by several of tho visitors, was kept up with great vigor until daylight this morning. The whole affair was a great success, and the promoters, Messrs J, and A. Welch deserve cie'dit for providing Birch a jollification after the arduous work incurred by the harvest, and one which quite reminded those present of similar festivities in the Old Jountry. With further reference to the land claimed at Carterton bj the returned absentee, Mr-Thos. Blackwell, who had been away since he was a boy, we are informed that one portion of the original property, seven or eightacres, became Mr R. Fairbroihw senior's a year ago under the-Land Transfor Act, behaving been in undisturbed possession of it for over twenty years, It is the remainder, (fiye acres)" therefore, which is worth about £6OO that Blackwell is endeavoring'as real owner fo regain.. The property _it might be mentioned is situated opposite Mr Fairbrother's store at South Carterton, and that gentleman, having erected a'larga house on the pitce he has become possessed of, is lucky in not having before -him th'o possibility of being turnod off it

The thermometer lit : Mr W. Dougall's - read- in the shade at noon to-day 63 degrees. The barometer. showed a very slight rise.. ' . It issaid that ono'a turn to be killed on the English railways does not pome till ' 7,3(56,730 journeys have been made. That , is to say that proportion of journeys has ; been made during the last-year to each person who has been killed; 725,584,390 iournoys were made last year, and only 95 passengers were killed, , We hear that there is a probability of Mr R. Stanstield, the-deputy assignee leaving this district in about a week's time and consequently resigning the official position he now occupies hero. Mr " Stansfieldj we understand, has practically concluded negotiations by winch' he will become n partner in one of the leading manufacturing stationers, and book firms in Wellington. While in the Wairarapa that gentleman has made himself a large circle of f mends, by his courteous demeanour. Helms also rendered ready and valuable help in amateur musical and dramatic oircles," especially, when charity has been the object of sympathy.. These and other characteristics have made him very popular, aiid the regret which will befeltab Mr Staußfield'B departure will be' eu-mimtled with the best-wishes of those who know him, for lm fufcuio success in the Empire City,. .; . ..At a meeting of the Trustees of the '.Wairarapa Benevolent Society held yesterday, afternoon, with the llev. J. N Buttle in the .chair, the resignations of the.Revs". Paige and Fulton, as Trustees,' were accepted, "The Secretary was directed to communicate with the Colonial Secretary, pointing, out the position the Society was in through the election for new Trustees having lapsed, and owing to there being no provision in the Act to meet the difficulty. The Government, were also to be urged to make some permanent arrangement for., the relief of the poor, as there was urgent 1 necessity for it, although in the meani time the present Trustees would carry oh the Society until the Government's in- ! Btructions were received, It was decided i to continue relieving cases which were on ■ the books until next "meeting. i The stuck sale held by Mr P. H. i Wood, at Maryborough, yesterday, was one of the best and most successful ever

held in the Wniravapa The -attendance was very large, and included buyers from Wansjanui, Palmerston, Wellington, Poritua, Upper liutt, and all parts of the Wairarapa. The stuck also were a credit to the district, being all in good condition, clean, healthy, and well bred. The bidding was lnisk and spirited throughout the sale, and every line offered was disposed of under the hammer, with tho exception of two lots, which, however, were sold privately directly afterwards. The prices realised for sheep were considered to be about 9d to Is a head higher than those ruling lately, and were

as'follows;—store wethers, 6s' to fis lOil; fat wethers, Vs and '/s Id; store ewes, 2s

9d to ss; fat ewes, 6s Id; Lincoln rams, Cos; Romneys, 10s to 20s. In cattle there was no improvement, prices being still very low. Fat cows, 60s to f>o3, A line of mixed cattle brought 495; dry cows, 255; cows and calves, 335; yearlings and 18 month steers and heifers 21s 6d. Altogether about GOOO sheep and 100 head of cattle were disposed of. A OKOSS BABY. Nothing is so conducive to a man,s remaining a bachelor as stopping for. one night at the house of a married friend, and being kept awako for five or six hours by the crying of a cross baby. ■ All cross and crying babies need only Dr Soule's American flop Bitters to make them well and smiling, Young man, remember this. '" Traveller," Fees of Dooioes.—The fee of doctors is an item that very many persons are interested in at present. We, believe the schedule for visits is $3.00, which would tax a man confined to his bed for a year, and in need of a daily visit, over §I,OOO a year fur medical attendance alone 1 And one single buttle, of Dr Soule's Amoricnn Hop Bitters taken in time would save the SI,OOO and all the year's sickness. " Post." .

It was ono of the iinest sights over seen from a mercantile point of view viz., the enormous crush of customers that swarmed over the whole floor space of the spaoious premises of To Aro House on Saturday last.

. From mom to late at night every counter wa3 crowded with busy buyers of the wonderful bargains that were to be obtained from the Bankrupt stock of A. G. Price at To Aro House.

Piles of summer dress fabrics,. summer prints, mantles, costumes, millinery, underclothing, etc.. were eagerly ransacked, and multitudes of purchases made that must have been intensely gratifying to the forUiuafo visitors to tho ealo of Price's bankrupt stock at Te Aro House. Still tho purchasers have only just touched the surface, There are innumerable bargains yet of every description, as each day we shall bring forward further portions of Price's bankrupt stook atTe Aro House, Wii would not let it be thought that only the ladies' special interest had been consulted in the matter of astounding cheapness for iu our clothing department wo are showing some extraordinary cheap lots in men's, boy's, and youth's clothing, all from the bankrupt stock of A. G. Price, at Te Aro House,

It would be useless to ask the public to come early m the day, as wo find that the fair sex generally study their own convenience, and wc oan only say, ooino when you will. We have a largo staff, and will en. deavour to servo you well, quickly, and to your advantage, at the sale of Price's bankupt stook, at To Aro House.-Auvr.