The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1891.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3998, 28 December 1891, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1891.

8 i Mb Gbbi&tie Murbay'r last Bugges--1 tioD for the colonisation of New :i Zealand is very funny. He has 8 actually got the Contemporary Review to gravely propose that the New Zealand Government set aside blocks of land for emigrants from England ! The editor of that review has been simply '"stuffed," to use a vulgar word. At the prefaenc moment our Government require all the land i they can get to supply the local demand. As fast as they can acquire ut it from the Maories, survey it, and t. road it, it is greedily taken up.

e Suppose, however, that- unlimited waste lands existed, Mr Murray's - suggestion is absurd. Wherever really waste lands exist, the condi '. tions of success are unknown. To send out emigrants an he proposes would never do. Once there wert waste lands here, but it was then quite an open question whether sheep would succeed. The very methods of clearing land, of selecting sheep, of shipping wool, now so familiar were unknown. Had emigrants been sent ir out then a fearful fiasco would havb o resulted. They would have m»de is some apparently trivial blunders, - selected the wrong animal to breed or '" the wrong grass to sow, and come to H utter qrief. Of the old pioneers who were on their own hook, with money, but few succeeded. If Mr Murray y wants waste lands, let him try Central Africa. But there will be an enormous sacrifice of money and human life before that land is freely saleable * at from £5 to £SO an acre as our land is. The time will come, no doubt, but only at the expi-Dse of terrible '. efforts and suffering. v A surprise visit has been paid to ~ Maatciton by Customs Officer Jackman, i the result of whose observations will y probably be made known in the R.M. . Court at uo distant dace. Owing to some defect at the works, the supply of gas in Masterton gave put T on Christmas Eve, just when it was a most required. Considerable iuconvenie euce was experienced by business K people in consequence, and those who had not a supply of kerosene were reluctantly compelled to close their shops s at an early hour. On Thursday last we took great care ; that all of our subscribers should receive their copies of our almanac in the best .. possible condition. We are pleased to j learn from differeut sources thst our ,„ efforts to supply our friends with a y high class work of art this year have r been appreciated. Should any one of a our subscribers have missed receiving - a copy an early intimation to this office is necessary to ensure the omission being rectified. Diphtheria is prevalent at Carterton. 0 <me fatal case has been reported to the > Board of Health, and the public are 7 recommended to fumigate their houses '• with sulphur. A promenade concert was held at 8 Eketahuna on Boxing night, about 230 people being present. Songs were given by the Misses Drisco'l and Messrs T. Thompson, Rees, F. D. Felling, and Russell. The acoempani- * ments wereplayedby MesdatnesMaunsell and Rowse. The former also rendered a Piano-solo. Pearson's Band assisted 1 with their music, which was much enjoyed, i

Several parties proceeded from Carerton to Mount Holdswotth on Christiaa Day, and, considering the sky w « loiidy, obtained a very fair view of the urrounding country. Mr Shannon, the representative of the lew Zealand Heferee, is at present in lasterton, and vi.its the Opaki races >day. A. gentleman who has held a Commision of the Peace for several years, and rho hails from the South Island, is at resent "bushwhacking" by the day at Iketaliuna Haviutr recently reported imselt te the Constable, he now takes is turn on the Bench with the rest of he J.P's, and has already proved himelf no notice. The services in St. Matthew's Church rere conducted on Chu'stmas Day and unday by the Key. J. D. Russell, of )potiki. A valuable draught mare—one of a umber brought from Canterbury to be old by Messrs Lowes and lorns—was illed in the train in the journey between Vellington and Masterton on Thursday, 'be animal was kicked on the head by ne of the other horses. Burning operations will probably comuence in the Forly-m'le Bush uiacouple f wotks. The fallen timber is very dry, ,nd good burns are anticipated. A poll of those Alfredfcon ratepayers ntorested in raising a loan of £3OO for ormation and bridging on the Tawataia oad is to be token on Wednesday, anuary 6th. The Mararoa, whioh left Sydney on ?hursday last, is bringing three hundred ,nd sixty passengers for New Zealand. The ram fair in connection with the YeUirgton Agricultural and Pastoral Association is to be held on February Bth. The staff of the Borough is at present ingaged putting in new culvarts in Church Street, which have long been required. The licenses of the various hotels in Masterton were extended on Christmas Eve till eleven o'clock. The oonoession fas appreciated alike by publioaus and )üblic, and was by no means ill-used. Three miles of road formation is about ,o be undertaken in the Wellington No. i Block, Forty Mile Bush. The Eketaliuna Koad Board invites tenders for the work. The excursion trains between Wellington and Masterton were well patronised during the holidays, several hundred persons travelling b..th ways. The brains between Masterton and Eketabuna were also crowded, but for some unknown reason ordinary fares were charged. The spieling fraternity is at present making things lively in Masterton. The public paik appear? to be a favourite rendezvous fur this class ot the community, and it w difficult to pass through these grounds without being ruoleated in some way or other. The fruit gardens and orchards around Masterttm haye suffered severely by the heavy rales which have prevailed for the past couple of days. Trees which are un protected haV6 been completely bared. Work on the Eketahuna railway extension has not yet been c >mmenced. The men have been divided into fangs. ai.d are now engaged greeting touts, etc. It is expected that under the system which the work is being done good wanes will be made. Constable Boache is being assisted at Eketahuna during the holidays by Constable Stewart, of Wellington. It is to the credit of Sergeant Hannan and his able staff of men that the utmost good order was maintained in Masterton during the holidays. The only occupant of the cells this morning was an elderly individual, who had indulged rather freely at the cup that oheereth. A Mauriceville settler has written to a Canterbury paper, complaining of the special settlement system adopted in the North Island, and of the treatment received from the Government. Ho pointß out that during the whole bushfalliug season which has just gone by less than a hundred acres of bush have been fallen in the Mount Baker block, whioh contains £7OO acres. He states that when selectors went up to commence bush falling they found the land unsurveyedand the roads not laid off. We respectfully call the attention oi our local contemporaries in the southern portion of the dis.riot to some curious announcements in their columns. One which should be headed " Whoa Emma' states that a certain lady has aßsumec charge of an hotel and that she " wilt carry on as before." Another is a stud) in dough, by a fashionable baker, evidently a lineal descendant of Fharoah'i fritnd, which says, " In bread no effo} will be made to provide a wholesonn loaf." Our hair rues for the bread when we remember that some of oui friends who owe us money reside in thu locality, and may be innocently partaking of these loaves and may pass awaj before tbey have time to arrange theii affairs. King Pharoah, too, is dead, ant bakers may no longer be hung. A case of " the biter bitten " occurred at the Eketahuna sports on Boxing Day A well known tradesman, who is a member of the Sports Committee, was clear ing a dog from the running track, whei the cur turned on him and would prob ably have done him injury had it not been that he wielded a strong baton The dog was eventually despatched witl his tail between kit legs, but bis master observing what had happened, spran{ from the crowd and exclaiming " Lovi me, love my dog," smote the tradesmai a heavy blow upon the optic. Thi tradesman retaliated, and a lively set»t< ensued, which ended in the mastei retreating with his dog, a sadder but i wiser man. An information for assaul is, we understand, to be laid by fch< tradesman against the owuer of the dog The Otago Daily Times says : The death at Masterton, from influenza, ii announced of Mr David Henderson who is well known in this oity. He wai born in Dundee in 1843, and arrived ii Dunedin at a yery early age. Aftei being engaged in business in Oamaru foi a time, he came to Dunedin to superin tend the erection of new Knox Church A number of other buildings were con' structcd under bis direction, and he wai also engaged in bridge work, notably it the construction of the Otepopo ant Shag bridges. Mr Henderson afterwardi joined the Hon. T. Fergus, and the firn carried out the Outram railway contract The erection of Messrs Guthrie ant Larnach's factory, the extension of th< Bluff wharf, the building of the Waikaia Femuka, and other bridges, the railwaj line into. Blenheim, the New Plymoutl harbor works contract, and the construe tionof a section of the Manawatu rail way were among other larpe undertake ings successfully performed by Messn Fergus and Henderson. Upon th< partnership being dissolved, Mr.Hender son proceeded to the North Island, when he joined Mr Downesin contracting, anc latterly ho owned two or three sawmills, The deceased, who was a prominent member of the Baptist community afterwards joining the disciples o] Christ, leaves a widow and family ol three grown up sons. V\ e shall be ever ready to welcome the jrowds who may take advantage of these iesirable opportunities, and the more widelj iodistribute our Christmas gifts the better, ;hall we be pleased at Te Aro Houße. Wei. ington. In addition to offering exceptional advances to customers, such as an 'nimense rariety, a carefully selected and fashionable itock of goods in every department of the warehouse, we intend, during the remaindei >f the present month to presont all cash mstomers to the extent of 20s and upwards vith an attractive Christmas gift, at Tc Aro louse Wellington. . - ' We haye a regular, devised scale for the hings, and in proportion to the amount o mrchases so will be the value of the present this soale will be on the same lineß as on >revious years, and no doubt will give equal atisfaetion, at Te Aro House, Wellington. One thing should be noted especially, and hot it is that this gift distribution will xtend 'during the present month up to the ery'last day of December, 1801, neither aore or less. Those that are wise will herefore take care to be in time at Te Art) Jou.Be WelUngton.--ADTT i

The annual picnic in connection with the Masterton Presbyterian Sunday School is announced to be held in Woodtcfie's paddock on New Year's Day. We regret to record the death, at the age of forty-eight, of Mrs Burnott, wife of Mr Alexander Burnett, of the Fernridge. Mrs Burnett had been in illhealth for some years. The weather for the Masterton-Opaki races to-day is all that can be desired, and the gathering will no doubt be very successful. 4 halt holiday is beinc observed in town in honour of the event., and numerous visitors from the country are present. A "firstoffender," who was brought before Mr John Gardiner, J.P., this morning, was discharged with a caution. The class firing by the Masterton Rifle Volunteers is now completed, Bugler Etcn heads the list with a total of 122, Sergeant Peacock coming next with 121. The firing for the marksman's prize takes place this week. A man named John Nelson was aneßtedat Eketahunn on Christmas Day by Constable Koache on a charge of having Btolen the sum of £l3 in cash and an order for £lO 9s from one J. W. Wilson. It appears that Wilson was sleeping in Anderson's Hotel when hit pockets were rifled. Most of the money taken has been reco/ered, and some has been accounted for, but the order cannot be found. The accused was brought before a Justice and remanded till to-day (Monday). The Christmas holidays in the FortyMile Bash have been greatly enlivened this year by the touring of that district of Pearson's Baud, from Masterton, who wire engaged to play at the Bush festivities. On Boxing Day they played at the sports at Eketahuna, and in the evening paraded the streets, after whioh they performed selections at the concert. The musicians were very hospitably entertained by the residents in general, who thoroughly enjoyed the efforts of the bandsmen. Although the road from Eketahuna to Pahiatua was reported to be blocked with fallen trees blown down during the furious gale of Saturday night, the musicians were not to be disappointed in their trip to Pahiatua, so, borrowing several pxes and cross-cut saws, they had a pleasant drive through the bush with coach and four, the bandsmen removiug all the obstacles in the way in fiue style. At Pahiatua they played several selections, and were very kindly entertained. They returned to Eketahuna last night, and Came on i« Mauriceyille this morning, where they are playing at the sports, and also assist at the ball this evening. Altogether they acknowledge they have had an excellent tiip. and one and all are extremely gratified at their treatment all alonp the line. A party of four, two from Eurupuni and two from Clareville, started on a trip to Mount Holdsworth on Monday, December 20th. They reached the top of the hill at 11.30 on the following day, and had a magnificent view of the lake, South Island, West Coast sea, and the towns in the Valley. Proceeding towards the Mitre, they were fopg.d. but managed to find a large spur running ■nut which brought them to the source ■jf the Murgatarea river. They followed it down for two days, arriving at the junction of the Waingawa at five o'clock on Christmas Eve, and reached Masterton in time to spend a merry Christmaa. Alpine plants were in full bloom, and cattle and pigs were abundant.