The Wairarapa Daily MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1891.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3942, 19 October 1891, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1891.

These are a considerable number of Wesleyans in Eketahuna; indeed, this is the only denominatioa which has, up to the present time, opened a church there, and established regular services. The Eev. John Dukes, of Masterton, pays periodical visits to this township, and for days together goes in and out amongst the settlers, and is much esteemed and respected by them. From a letter published in another column, it might bp surmised that Constable ftoche, of Eketahuna, is one of Mr Dukes' flock; this is, h&wever, by no means the case, and the testimony borne by the rev. gentleman to the high character of the constable is altogether disinterested. The rev. gentleman finds that a very grave injustice is being perpetrated against an innocent man, and he rightly regards the outrage as an offence against a community in which he takes a deep interest. Briefly stated, the position seems to be that a constable offended a publican by "doing his duty," that the publican has demanded his removal, and that the Government has actually conceded the demand. Practically, the Government has laid down the principle, that if a constable is obnoxious to a publican, he must go. Were the Government asked if they removed constables on the recommendation of the responsible inspectors of the department they would, if Jhev replied truthfully, be compelled to admit that they acted on the certain people of the district. The way' in which the matter is worked is exceedingly cunning. The person who, desires the removal of aconst&bja gets: up a petition to the Minister. We i are assured that such a petition has been sent, but no copy of it has been allowed to see the light, and the names !of those who haye signed it »ra unknown. The whole thing is done in a disgraceful and underhand manner. An officer who has earned a splendid reputation and enjoys the confidence of the community has his reputation smirched by secret backstur influences. Why is the Editor of our local contemporary, who is surely in a position to give full particulars of this scandalous affair, so reserved about it ? Is he a party to the condemnation of an innocent man? Can he name any action on the part of the constable which justifies bis removal ? We hope our friends at Eketahuna will not allow this iniquitous arrange mentto be completed without challenging the right of t'ie .Government to commit such high~handtd proceed ings. It is their duty to protest against the police of the Colony oeing subordinated to the publicans,

Mr Scobie McKenzie thinks the threat about swamping the Legislative Council is pare gasconade. An abnormal growth of sorrel is materially affecting the crops in some of the fields around Masterton.

Pigs are injuring the railway formation in the M»nawatu Gorge. The Commissioners have furnished the ganger with rifles and ammunition to destroy the depredatorsMr J. M. Boscoe has been appointed postmaster at Alfred ton. We remind horse owners that nominations for the Taratabi-Uarterton Hack Club's meetiog close to-nght. It is asserted that the unemployed on the Makuri road are earning from 7s to 12s per day.

A man named Evsrard, who was accused at Sydney of systematic criminal assaults on females, which mystified the police for some considerable time, has been found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment for life. It is understood that Lieut-Colonel Sir Frederick Thomas Sargood, KX'.M.ii., will succeed Sir Graham Berry as Victorian Agent-General in London.

Influenza, in a mild form, is spreading over the colony of Tasmania. The s.s. Rotomahana, ou her first trip between Melbourne and Launceston, broke the record held by Huddart Parker's Coogee, proving herself the fastest ocean-going passenger steamer in Australasia.

The Caulfield Cup, run at Melbourne or Saturday, resulted in a win for Ngaroo, Forest King being second and Clonard third.

The po'ice station at Pahiatua is now nearlng completion. The buildinps, which are being erected by Mr Dawsun, will be a great improvement to the town, and a haven of rest for the weary "sun downer."

The newly-formed Masterton Cricket Club had a successful practice matoh on the Park Oval on Saturday.

A young man named GUI, working on Nesdale's section, in the Feikvng district, slipped over a cutting the other day and broke his leg. He was taken to Wanganui.

The Minister of Lands is getting the land regulations translated into Maori, in order that the landless Natives may ascertain under what conditions they may select holdings. Landless Maoris are said to be becoming very numerous. Mr Herbert John Isitt, of Brancepeth, Masterton, has applied for a patent for an invention entitled, " Isitt's Patent Non-corroding Airtight, Heat-resisting Bi-sulphide of C&rbon carrier," being a pot for carrying bi-sulphide of carbon for the destruction of rabbits.

A storekeeper of Pahiatua met with a warm reception from one of his customers from whom he was endeavouring to collect an account the other day. He had put his head inside the customer's door, when he received a terrible blow on the top of the cranium. And it was only by the interference of the "guid wife" that he survived to tell the tale, Two children named Henry were poisoned at Gisborne through eating the leaves of a native plant known as rangiora or paku paku. The younger, a boy of four, has recovered, but the other, a girl of seyen, is in a very critical condition.

Efforts have beer, made to induce the Railway Commissioners to run special trains from Masterton on the occasion of General Booth's visit to Wellington, but so far without success. That dreaded disease, influenza, has, according to the Ranmtikei Advocate, obtained a good footing in New Zealand, and seems to be travelling down the coast. We hear that a very large number of people are afflicted by it up Hawera way and that quite a large proportion of the Wanganui people are laid up. Within the last day or two it has also become very prevalent in Marten. Our Eketahuna correspondent writes —A slight error occurred in my report of Mr Hayward's case against Mr H. Burling. I stated Mr H. Burling was acting on behalf of his father. It should have been, Mr H. Burling was acting on behalf of his sons and son in-law, and the case broke down on the legal technicality raised by Mr Beard that the wrong person had been sued. The Eketahuna correspondent of the Woodville paper writes : An indignation meeting was held here last night to protest against the removal of Constable Roche, the majority ot thuse present being Mr A. W. Hogg's late supporters. The opinion of those present was decidedly against the removal, and it was alleged Mr Hogg was making himself a party to the transaction. The Supreme Court is being appealed to for the purpose of quashing the decisipn ot the Wanganui Licensing Committee in refusing to renew several licenses at the Jaajt annual meeting, on the ground that the houses were net wanted. The Chief Justice at Wanganui on Tuesday took voluminous evidence in thecasa. and the )e?al points involved will be arpued in Wellington, The Hawke's Bay Herald demands a public inquiry into the case of a roan named Ross, who is dying in the Walpukurau Hospital. It appears that Ross, while drunk, fell off a vehicle he was driving. He was theti arrested and locked up for drunkenness, and kept in tht cell from Saturday night to Monday morning, when he was removed te the Hospital, and it was found his spine was broken. His depositions were taken, and in them he charges the arresting constable with making him several times get on bis feet and allowing him to " drop all of a heap, ".and with inflicting outer deliberate injuries upon him. A police enquiry kss been held by Inspector Pardy, but the fifefajd is not satisfied without a public investigation.

A curious bet has been made in Danei virke (says the Advocate). A wejl known insurance agpnt, and no fool either, has staked £1 with an orally well known storekeeper, that before the &Gtb. in«£, Mr Angus Mackay will Denominated to the Upper Chamber. Of course there is a huga"goak" somewhere in this, but the ]<>b is to sea it, The boxing contest for £25 a-sid* between Arthur Francis and Bob KHcwood, which came off m the Masterton Theatre Royal on Saturday night, was witnessed by about three hundred persons. After five rounds bad been fought, during the whole »f which Francis appeared to be acting on the defensive and several times claimed a foul, Kirkwood's second came forward and announced that his man was out of condition and was compelled to give up the fight. This announcement was received with groans and hisses by the audience, who fully expected to see a knockout. The referee (Dick Matthews) then declared Francis to be the winner, but had no sooner done so than the stage was rushed by the audience, who by this time had become infuriated and suspected a " slinter." gjxkwood's second, however, invited any 'person who wag dissatisfied to inspect his man. This invitation yas accepted by a good many, who afterwards expressed fche opinion that Ifrrkwood wai thoroughly " done." At the close of the proceedings Klrkwood intimated that he was prepared to fight Francis in a month's time for any amount he liked. Boys' summer clothing just received at the Wholesale Family Draper? Warehouse, TeAro Bouse. The following are all made to our spS?!*! Older :- Boys' White Dr'U "Sailor" Suits, Gilt i^"*" 8 «>nd trimmed Blue Braid, from 4/9 each at Te A,TO House, Wellington. Boys' Cream Drill "Sailor" Suits, Collars trimmed Blue Braid, Gjlt Buttons, from 5/0 each at Te Aro House, Wellington. Bop' Drab Drill Sailor Sui f .s, Collars trimmed Blue and White Braid, Gilt Buttons, from 6/6 each at Te Aro House, Wellington. Boys' Blue Serge Sailor Suits, White Braided Cojlar. White FlanneJ Fronts, Arm Badges, jLanyards, Ac.,' from 6/9 each at Te Aro House, Wellington.

Boys' Blue Serge Sailor Suits, Collars trimmed Red Braid, with White Singlets and Lanyards, Beautiful Badge on the Arm, from 12/6 each at Te Aro II >use, Wellington.

Messrs Lowes & lorns add to their stock sale for Wednesday next, 4 springers and 40 Koraney ewes heavy in lamb. The Government are evidently " backing down " in the matter of Legislative Council appointments- The ' Lyttelton Times' hints that not more than six appointments will be made, and that the " calls " will be as satisfac» tory as those made by the Atkinson Government.

Land Court Judges are to be attached «o one district, instead of movin? from district to district as at present. In view of this regulation, the Advocate says, Judge O'Brien is to have the Wairarapa district, extending to Hastings and Hawke's Bay. At Mr J. T. Smith's meeting at Merivale on Saturday evening, a lady member of the audience requested those present to record an opinion in reßpect to women's suffrage, and a motion favorable to the extension of the franchise was carried by a large majority.

Mr Alexander Baillie, who was for some years employed on the staff of this paper, and is now reporter on the Armidale Chronicle (N. 3. W.) has been appointed shorthand instructor to the Armidale School of Arts.

The entries for the forthcoming show of the Masterton Agricultural and Pastoral Association, which closed with the Secretary on Saturday night, are expected ta svrpass in both numbers and quality those of any exhibition before held in the district. The exact number of entries has not yet been ascertained. Forty thousand feet of timber havo been sent by a timber merchant of the Forty Mile Bush to Invercargill, to the order of a freezing company there.

A handsome silver-mounted salad bawl has been presented to the Masterton Agricultural and Pastoral Association by the proprietor of the Wellington Evening Post as a special prize for the best fat bullock exhibited at the forthcoming show. A lady vocalist who was deemed worthy to sing with Santley drew a four pound house at Masterton last week, but an artist who succeeded her on the same stage took twenty. The latter, however, was a pugilist, and muscle has more charms than music for people in this town. The rowdyism which appears to accompany these pugilistic displays i* not, we trust, the main attraction.

We are told (says the Bruce Herald) that there has been a pood deal of cattle stealing lately from the bush at Akatore It seems incredible that such should be the case near Milton and in so welluopulated a district. But our informant ought to know. He owns cattle himself ; has lost some of them, and says he has reason to believe that they have been stolen.

Mr H. Marsh, Secretary of the Municipal Fire Brigade, has received from the United Fire Brigade Association of New Zealand, seven long service medals for presentation to the following members of the brigade who have completed the necessary length of service, viz., Capt Pickering, Liouts. Baumber and Tait, decretary Marsh, Treasurer Prangnell, Firemen Smith and B icon. The medals, which are masterpieces of silversmith's work, will, we believe, be presented to the firemen by His Worship the Mayor at an early date. A correspondent of the Hawke's Bay Herald says : The weasels are increasing in the direction of North Makaretu, where the other morning a settler found a turkey lying dead with a hole in its throat, through which one of these vermin had sucked its blood. An ide* of what we may expect should the Rabbit Board carry rat the wish of some of thorn may be gathered from the following cutting from a Home paper ; Mr T. Saunderaon was going over his farm at Beudndge Hay, near Morpeth, the other day, followed by bis collie dog, at about 30 yards distance, when he heard the doe give a sharp bark, such as it is accustomed to give when raising a rabbit. Of this he took no notice, till he heard a succession of three given with more vehemence than the first. On looking round he s»w the collie pursued by a swarm of about three dozen weasels, some ot which were on ber forequarters and some on her hind, the rest following in keen pursuit. He called to the dog, but it made off at right angles, and did not seem to heed his calls, tie followed and was not long in coming up with the dog. The weasels did not pay much attention to his presence, and he had difficulty in beating them off. It was not before be had killed about nine of them they were dispersed. In all he killed thirteen. He tried to get the dog to follow and attack the rest, but she would not. He pursued them himself for some distance, and when he returned to the place where he had mado the slaughter he found a little one dragging off one of the largest of the dead ones.

A letter nine years on it* travels is a rare occurrence now-a-days. Cn the 6th September, 1882, Herr Lt-_ —living in Prenzlau, Germany, senjb a letter to hfc brother aj; the Wellington flqtel, Ghristchurch, New Zealand. The missive arrived safely, but never the hands of the addressee; and now, after nine years strayinp, has been returned £o (the sunder, Coijntlei.s. German, French, and English postmarks and remarks cover the envelope, and apparently it laid unnoticed for a Jon" time in a letter box at the Wellington Hotel. The envelope beprs the English postmark October 3, 1882, the date of its arrival at the hotel. Another date is June 8, 1891, with the inscription "Non re elaime," and "Not called for." On the 18th August it fell into the hands of Herr , His brother, to whom it was sent, died long since.