Commercial.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3481, 10 April 1890, Page 2

Commercial.

Messrs Lowes & lorns'report a very large .attendance, at their stock sale yesterday; They had a full entry of I both -sheep and cattle, tho former f showing tin iuipr.ovQiiienb |n Vn|iteß, t while oattlestill remain almost unsile- \ able, ' Fat wethers, top prica for heavy weights,. 10s Id; 'medium, 9s i Id to' 9a 8d( wethers, 8s 8d to 8s 9d 1 9j to/e | Umlv biding ewfii' i

7s to 8s 3d; culls, 2s Gd ( to 4a; lambs, 43 to 6s Bd, for cood unshorn. Store bullocks passed—no demand, i A line of heifers brought 27s 6d; fat: heifers, 37s 6d to 40s; yearlings,: 12s 6d; calves, Bs,, Only a very small entry of pigs " suokors" . came., forward, which bronght 4s6d and ss, Horses were dull of Bale.

Masterton-Opaki Jockey ClubSpecial Meeting. A special meeting of tlie above Club was held in the Club Hotol last evening, seventeen members being present', and Mr T. Chamberlain (President) occupying the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed,, the President stated that the object of the present 'meeting was to consider the advisability of holding a hack meeting on the Opaki on Queen's birthday.' On the last hack meeting he stated, they had lost £5, and it was to be.- decided whether, under these ciroumstances, it would be wise' to hold another meeting this year, A heated discussion here took place on the position of the Club, and surprise was expressed generally at the Secretary not having produced a balanoe-sheet for the last hack meeting. , ,

The- Secretary, explained that he was 5. out of- pocket, but he did not think' it necessary, (as he had not been, asked) to make out a balance sheet.

A member: But you have been asked. Even if you had not, you should have producedit without, The Treasurer (Mr Elkins), said he . felt it his duty, to express his entire dissatisfaction at the present state of the' Club. There had been no balance-sheet presented, and they could not- tell in what position they were. Unless some alteration was made he would resign from office altogether, The Secretary: I will leave the room, and then discussion can taks place. lam quite willing to resign, in fact, I have long wished to do so. The President remarked that the Club as a whole was in a good position, but he did not think any advantage would be. derived from holding a hack meeting. After some further discussion, Mr Buick moved, that a hack race meeting be held on the 24th of May, under the auspices of the North Wairarapa Haok Eacing Club. Mr Eoss seconded the motion, which was earned,

The . following stewards were appointed:—Messrs W. Hirsohberg, J. Drummond, Walker, Hacara, Henderson, Boss, H, Yates, J, Harvey, Campbell, lorns (2), Cavo, Baick, and Muir. The Secretary, was instructed to writo to Messrs Macfarlane and Hill, and ask if tlioy would .act in the capaoity of liandicapper and starter respectively. It was decided to hold six races, the programme of which are to be immediately issued, and comprise: Hack Hurdle Handicap, of L 25; Maiden, Lls; Birthday Cap, Lls ; Flying Handicap,- LIS; Welter Handicap, Lls; Consolation, LIS. Nominations will close on 3rd May, weights will be declared oil the 10th, and acceptances on the 17th.

It was also decided by the meeting to. hold a two-year-old open race in December next, nominations for the same to bo called at once.

A resolution was passed, that tho Secretary be requested to produce a balance-sheet of tholate hackmeeting and that a yote of thanks be accorded him for his past services, with the request that the Club be informed if he could not conscientiously continue to fill the office of Secretary. . Mr Sellar was appointed Secretary, pro tern, and in the event of Mr Fitton finding it necessary to resign, it was decided to hold a special meeting on the 28rd inst, to fiUllie vacancy, Instructions having been given for the ploughing of the gallop, the proceedings terminated in the usual, manner..

, The St Maur Comedy Company* , Mr St. Maur's Company arrived ! to-day, after a most successful season , of fourteen nights in Wellington, 1 during which time Mr St. Maur has , received most flattering notices from the press. ilrCoker, of the Theatre , Royal, has] specially engaged this Company, which is an exceedingly powerful one, to appear in two of their most successful pieces to-night, , and to-morrow, but owing to existing arrangement* it will be impossible for them to appear longer than the , two nights. We have already (jiven , tho plot of the excruciatingly funny , comedy, "Arabian Nights," which is to bo the opening piece. Mr St. Maur, who comes to us with a big English and Australian reputation, has played the part of Arthur Hummingtop in London and the provinco of England for three thousand nights, and has therefore made the character paitof himself. It is said to be one of the best pieces of light comedy acting ever witnessed on the English speaking. stage, Our esteemed and favorite actress and vocalist, Miss Florence Seymour, comes with Mr St. Maur as leading lady, and plays the part ot Mrs Hummihgtop, a part which does not give her great scope, but which enables the actress to display the lighter shades of human nature, and to give us' the pioture of a : loving, though jealous and charming' wife. Miss Seymour will also sing by special request" Home.Sweet Home,' Misses Hetty Kennedy and Eily Mayo are both, entirely fresh faces, and are from the principal theatres of Melbourne and Sydney, their performances having beenspokenwel! ofby the press. Miss Kennedy will play the Gutta Perchagirl, and Miss Mayo Humming, top's American niece, Miss Georgie Smitlison, anaotressof great experience, will play Mrs Gellibrand, the mother-in-law who causes all the trouble, Mr Frank Gerald, a very popular actor, will play the artist lover Ealph Ormerod, Mr Berkeley Joshua Gellibrand, and Messrs Fred Clifford and Ghas. Hill will all lend Mr St Maur able support. Entirely new scenery will bo a special feature of this Company. Everything will be done in first class style and on a scale of completeness never before attempted in Masterton. Arabian Nights will be 1 played for this night only, and tomorrow Sir Chas, Young's great play " Jim the Penman," with tho gjitire ' strength of tho fifteen of t lie Company, with Mr St Maur ju his 1 original creation of James Ralston, No doubt this Company, which is a very strong one, will hive, as they deserve, two bumper houses, [ The destruction caused in Brisbane ; by the floods is described as terrible, ' and the authorities are paralysed, at ' the enormous loss and dsffetfcTn 1 which lias been caufiCcl.' " '• J Tliero aro 15G7 men in tin police ' force.of New' South Wales, Of them 1 U are over ,60 years old, 42 from 1

- Wairarapa North County . Council. Engineers Report. The following report was read at the meeting of the County Counoil last Tuesday evening. Masterton Hiding.—Masterton to JVaimata, Contract No, 3S) (river protective work.)*-The succession of lighL freshets experienced- during , tlfe%) month have somewhat interfered with tho; progress-of this work, and-pre* vented its earlier completion. The pile driving, which .forms the greater portion of the undertaking,, is now completed and. the wfewsables prepared for securiiig to Them. This latter, work, together 3 with, other minpr details of the contract, will be finished during; the current; : week. Metalling operations', "under contract:, entered into in August last, hav&, been resumed on the Kahumingi ana Masterton sections of this .line, and will be continued during the greater, part of this month, This expenditure the Council will- recolieot, vide my report of lltli' December, 1889, is in anticipation of. the ensuing year's rato and will involve an outlay of approximately L2O. Oasilepoint Eidino.—Masterton to Waimata Eoad.—The metal repairs in the Mangapakeha Yalleywaa satisfactorily completed on 24th of last mouth, The survey work executed for Akitio JRoad Board was the 20th ulto.,' and plans and, speoip cations furnished to- that body a week later. ' ALFREDToNRroiNQ.'T-Eketahuna to ffinui Eoad. Contract Ho. 22, (Bridge building),—A portion of the timber required for the : construction of this bridge has been landed, on the site of the work. The contractor, r ' however, is not in a position to proceed with it owing to a-quantity of the material having heed, condemned for defectivo quality and which will have to be replaced .by fresh timber. This misfortune will entail a further delay of. 10 days or a fortnight- ipihj) completion of the work, or the exSfc materials will have to be 'procured from the saw mills in the vicinity of Masterton. Contract No 23 (road ■ formation &e.,)—This contract is now approaching completion or the contractor hopes to.be able to proceed with the extension included in Contract No, 24, towards the close of the moflth. The metalling repairs contract Eket'ahuna and Alfredton has indifl'erent headway > during the month and at, the present rate of progress will occupy, the remainder of the current month in its performance. I would recommend that no furthor payment bo made until the work is finished and that the cost of spreading since .the expiration of the. contract tirno be charged against the contractor, as there is no reasonable excuse for the inactivity which has characterised the execution of his work since his commencement.

Opaki to Manawattl Boad. Contract No. 27—(atrecfcformntion,Ekctahuua) —The metalling operations which are , still proceeding, will be finished in a week or ten days' time. I have, subject to the Council's approval, arranged to allow the contractor to defer the execution of the conflyiipn of theetreet work' with the Opakno Mahawatu Hoad, as at present it would materially, interfere with tho prosecution of the Ekctahuna Road Board's works on the Parkvillo branch road. I have, therefore, to reqmj that the Council may confirm my action in the matter.

i Contract No, 29, (footpath kerbing) : —This work , will be finished in the course of a . few days. The kirbing throughout has been laid down, and more men aro now engaged in coil--1 struoting and placing the culverts which oarry tho drainage beneath the footpaths into the street system of ■ drains. The work generally has been performed in a careful and efficient manner,—l am, &c., C, E. Bbemneh. A Sensational MurderA son national murder was perpetrated at St Kilda, near Melbourne) late on the night of March 20, when George May, son of R, W. May, a florist, of Carlisle street,St Kilda,was shot dead by his nephew, a lad of sixteen, named J, H, Bennett, as ho entered tho gate of his father's garden. . Tho shot was heard fjttut half-past eleven, and. when the tiSjfc, hours ran out, May was found deli with a bullet through his heart. The police were soon on the spot, and searched the place, but could not find any trace of the weapon with which the deed was dono,and therefore concluded it was a case of murder. Tha detectives first proceeded to Mr May seur.'s house to question the inmates as to what deceased had been doing, and there they discovered young Ben. • nett, who lived in the house with his mother, He appeared agitated, and on being closely questioned-by the detectives ■ he acknowledged he had committed the murder because ho hated' the deceased for striking his mother, He further confessed he had purchased the revolver a fortnight before, and kept it ready loaded for an opportunity to shoot his uncle ; That opportunity ocourred on the night in question. He knew bis : uncle would come home about half-past eleven, and before that hour lie slipped out of bed, ran to the gato, and hid in the hedge. His usR came along, and was opening Hfle gate, when tho lad fired the shot, whioh went Straight through his uncle's heart.- He never waited to see the result but crept up to After the shot was. fired the called out murder once before dropping dead, and this was'heard by neighbours, whp gave the alarm, Tho murderer, was employed as an ironworker; ''Ho'lived with his mother, the sister of deceased, in the same house with Mr May, sen,, and his murdered son, Deeded was of a_ taciturn nature, and about a fortnight before shook his sister roughly and struck her. This appeared to rankle in young Bennett's mind until it terminated in the tragedy now told.

Darin? Robbery fr London. _ A dating robbery was committed in London on the eveniug of December 17th. While a postwan. was delivering letters' be wa3 garrotte(Hfcd deprived of lis bag,, containing registered packets of great value, The scene of the robbery was in Hatton Garden district, where the diamond merchants and jewellers carry on business, and it appears that the • thieves had carefully planned the affair so that they might secure rich booty. The postman had a registered letter addressed to a man named Crosby, who occupied a small room on A a second floor. When he entered th<T rooti) to obtaip a recejpt he was inirnefjjatqljr poized ffom' behind by two IMP, who held Mm roqndthe throat till be was inßengible. When

self looked io the room, and his bag of lettere gone.' Ho immediately gave the alarm, butllo trace of the thieves could be found. Nobody had Been them except a boy, who noticed nothing extraordinary about their appearance. No doubt the robbery had boon maturing (or some time, for the, room was taken by ~ Crosby eight weeks before, ostensibly to carry on a jewellery trade, but 110 one over saw hini do any business. It *#'•, is belioved that the thieves intended to secure tlio Capo mail letters, many of which bring diamonds to Hatton Gardan, but fortunately tho mail arrived early, and the lottors woro delivered on tho previous evening! however, they secured a valuable collection of diamonds and jowels, which are worth £6OOO or £7OOO, according to an cstinwto of tho' merchants who expected the A v letters, though the Post Office estimates the loss at only £2OOO or £3OOO, The police have mado great efforts to traco tho thieve?, but without avail, for they have only a vague description of Crosby, whose neighbors very rarely saw him.