LOCAL AND GENERAL.

During last year, five persons succumbed to the effects of influenza in the Colony. Seven deaths from the same cause were recorded the previous year.

When butter is condemned at the local Government grading store, it is sold to the soap works at Id per pound for manufacturing purposes.

Association news from Dunedin states that the weather has turned very cold again, and snow fell yesterday at Naseby and Roxburgh.

At the Borough Council meeting last evening, an application was received from Mr A. Nicol (promoter) to hold a sacred concert on Sunday evening for a charitable purpose. The permission was granted.

Cr Temple expressed the opinion, last evening, that the back streets of Masterton were as well lighted as those of any other town in the Colony, while Queenstreet was, comparatively, about the worst.

At a representative gathering ol members of the legal profession at Dunedin yesterday,., Mr W. J. Riddell was congratulated on his appointment as Magistrate, and presented with a handsome silver salver and umbrella.

The Dunedin City Council Special Committee will submit a recommendation to the Council which, if adopted, will provide temporary work for some of tne unemployed. Up till the present 147 have registered their names with the Trades Hall.

The Southland Sawmillers' Association are addressing a letter to district members requesting them to meet a deputation to ihe Premier on Friday, and support it in endeavouring to protect the timber industry by placing a duty on imported timber, such as Oregon.

There is talk in New Plymouth of getting up a petition praying the Cabinet to remit the sentence on Thomas Brown, sentenced to five years for an illegal operation. The public are indignant at Raven being set free, and are showing their sympathy for Brown.

The workmen engaged in the excavations for the wood-blocking along Lamb-ton-quay, Wellington, have unearthed the piles which formed a part of the first breastwork that was erected in front of the present Savings Bank and Money Order Office. Some of the piles are in a fairly good state of preservation.

Mr Renall stated at last evening's meeting of the Borough Council that he intended to call a meeting of the Baths Committee at an early date. He had made a promise from the platform that he would endeavour to provide the public with Baths during his term, and he was now going to take steps to carry out the work with as little delay as possible.

The municipality of Berlin has decided to hang clocks, worked by electricity, and in connection with the Observatory, at all the principal corners of the leading streets. The dials of these clocks will be illuminated at night. They will be suspended from the poles supporting the electric lamps which light the streets. A beginning has been made with seventeen clocks, and should the experiment succeed 800 of these clocks will be scattered over the city.

The following is the financial position of the Borough Council, as presented at last night's meeting :—General account, dr., £4211 0s 9d; gas account, cr., £490 6s lOd ; Library account, cr., £85 16s ; waterworks account, dr., £31 7s 2d; deposit account, cr., £104 ss: interest account, cr., £280 6s 7d (drainage), £42 10s 4d (Bannister Street); net overdraft, £3239 3s 2d; rates outstanding, £247 17s 2d; Loan account, No. 1, cr., £943 6s 3d (drainage); Loan Account No. 2, cr., £495 8s 4d (special gas).

Report reaches an Invercargill paper of what appears to have been a diabolical outrage perpetrated at Otatara last Saturday morning. A well-known settler there has suffered serious loss during the past twelve months by three fires, the origin of which is quite unaccountable except on the supposition that they wore the work ol some malevolent individual. On Friday he purchased a horse for £25, which he took out to his farm, and on Saturday morning discovered the animal lying dead in a paddock with part of its forehead blown away by a charge of large shot. This fiendish act confirms the suspicion that the fires were wilfully caused. The matter is a serious one for the settler m question, who has no known enemies, as the losses on account of the occurrence related amount to nearly £1000.

FREE FROM EVERY BLEMISH, Is the skin, scalp and hair preserved, purified and beautified by Cuticura Soap. It removes the cause of disfiguring eruptions, loss of hair, and baby blemishes, viz.: The clogged, irritated, inflamed, or sluggish condition of the pores. No other soap ever compounded is to be compared with it for preserving, purifying and beautifying -the skin, scalp, and hands, for sanative, antiseptio purposes, and for the toilet, bath, and nursery.

The registered rainfall in Masterton, jm at 9 o'clock tnis morning, far the previous twenty-four hours, was fifty-three points.

The funeral of the late-Mrs J. Gunther leaves the residence of Mrs Gole ; tomorrow at 2.30 p.m.

"The first thing to do," says an English Artillery expert, " is-to bit the enemy. The second to hit him rapidly, the third to hit him unexpectedly."

The year's revenue to date of the Timaru Harbour Board is £2000 in excess of what it was for the same period last year.

The next outward 'Frisco mail will close at Masterton- this afternoon, ab 4.45 o'clock. A supplementary mail will close to-morrow morning at 5.30 o'clock. The love-letters read in the courts of law show that very humble and quite uneducated people can, at a crisis in their lives, write very well indeed.

A man down south was charged with breaking into the house of his father. His idea was to get some with whioti to buy her presents. engagement terminated abruptly.

As showing the extent to which the " shouting" system is carried in some parts of the colony, a witness at the Magistrate's Court, Napier, mentioned that a party of five " shouted " all round in the space of a quarter of an hour.

A prominent farmer in the Winchester (South Canterbury) district estimates that this year he has slightly over 150 per cent, of lambs. In one paddock there are seven ewes, each with three lambs—something of a record for the district.

The weather to-day is depressing, and the only smile on the faces of the people is one in evidence when they see "the red, white and blue " floating above our Post Office tower, in honour of Labour Day. " Why," say they, "is it not at half-mast?"

An Invercargill fancier had returned to him, recently, a pigeon that was liberated for a race twelve months ago up north. When the wanderer returned to the loft, it was repeatedly driven away as an intruder, but stuck to its belief that it had got home at last, and, on being examined, was identified by its ring. JP

A vote of thanks to the Mayor and Councillors of Feilding for the courtesy extended to the Committee who visited that town to inspect the abattoir was passed at the Masterton Borough Council meeting, last evening. The Committee were also accorded the thanks of the Council for the trouble they had taken in the matter of gaining information.

Those intending to exhibit stock, &c, at the Carterton Show are reminded that entries will close on Saturday next. Entry forms and schedules may be obtained in Masterton from Mr W. (Leyin and Co.'s) or Mr J. B. Emmett, secretary A. and P. Association, or from the Society's secretary (Mr H. S.Moss) Carterton.

At a sale of debentures yesterday ten City of Dunedin 4 per cents, realised _98 10s; City of Christchurch 4 per cents., ;£97 17s 6d per hundred; seven Borough of Mataura per cents., jGIOO 10s; Ofcago Harbour Board 5 per cents., JEIIO ss. A number of others were passed in.

The wholesale employees at gill have signed a protest against their / «B» inclusion in the Shops and Offices Bill. It is contended that if included the probabilities are that they* will lose their holidays on pay, also payment while sick, and may have a longer day, against which the only offset would be tne payment of overtime, of which there is very little.

A novel and interesting sight was recently witnessed in the western sky at Eudunda, South Australia, at about five o'clock in the morning. High up in the heavens a very beautiful electric blue light shone ont, assuming the form of a cresent, and moved slowly in a peculiar rolling zigzag manner towards the horizon in the west. While still a good way up in the sky it gradually faded away, and went out. For some 15 or 20 seconds the light from the heavenly visitant lit up the place.

Mr J. Cripps, who died at his daughter's residence, Upper Plain, on Monday, was a very old colonist, having arrived in New Zealand in 1849. He resided at the Auckland Islands for three years, after which he removed to Wellington. Ho only stayed there eleven months, and then took up bis residence on the East Coast, where he lived for thirty-eight qp years. Mr Cripps' wife predeceased him by twelve years. Eleven years ago the deceased took a trip to the Old Country. He was eighty-four years of age, and leaves a family of seven children (three others dead), thirty-seven grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren.

A case of a character fortunately rare in the colony came before the Dunedin Benevolent Trustees the other afternoon. A woman made application for relief, and investigation into her case revealed that two of her sons, aged 25 and 26 respectively, are serving sentences in gaol, while a third, aged 18, is also supposed to be in the same place. The husband, from whom she is separated, and against whom a maintenance order of 10s per week is in force, is working and earning a fair wage. ■ The application for relief was refused, the Trustees recommending the applicant to apply to the police for enforcement of payment of the order.

When the Park Committee's report was read at the Borough Council meeting, last evening. Cr Ewington moved that the clause relating to the charge to be made for cyclists to train on the Oval jjfl be deleted. It was pointed out that the charge liad been made at the request of the cyclists and runners themselves. The custodian was kept there till eight and nine o'clock of an evening, and it was only right that there should be some charge made. The amount of the charge had been increased, owing to the season being anticipated to be much longer this year. After discussion, Cr Ewington altered his motion to read that a general charge of 2s 6d be made, instead of 7s 6d, to cyclists, and 2s 6d to runners. The amendment was lost and the report adopted as read. Known by its clean work—the McCormick Big 4 Grass Mower.—Advt. H. T. Wood, pharmaceutical chemist (by exam.) Read advertisement on page 3. —Advt. insist on trying ingo. Thousands of sufferers from that most painful malady, Raging Toothache, have not only received relief, but have been permanently cured by using INGO, the latest scientific remedy for destroying the nerve,,JM in decayed teeth. INGO arrests decay,'' tlk forming a stopping, and saves extraction. Price—l/-. Sold by H. T. Wood, chemiafc, ' and all storekeepers. Levin and Cbi, * wholesale.—Advt.

The telegraph wires are working badly to-day, there being considerable, but unavoidable, delay in transmission.

Paderewski bad an enthusiastic demonstration at his farewell concert in Melbourne, last evening.

Sir James Graham (ex-Lord Mayor of Sydney) is of opinion that the Japanese successes in the war are attributable to their splendid educational system.

At the Salvation Army, tonight, Cap- ; •tain Young, the "Warbling Wonder' part of the Wellington Lassies' Band, Tyler, and the Peterson family will be in attendance.

According to present arrangements •General Booth, head of the Salvation Army, will be in Wellington in April next. As on his previous tours, he •will visit the chief towns of New Zealand.

We learn that Mr C. H. Aldridge passed rather a bad night, and is somewhat low this morning, in consequence. These variations of condition are, however, a feature of the disease from which _c is suffering.

The piano used at tho piano playing examination held last week was supplied from Mr J. Candy's warehouse, and tlm examiner, Dr. W. Creser, made it a special point to express his satisfaction at the quality of the instrument.

Tbe fourth annual display of the Masterton Gymnasium and Physical Training School will be held in Town Hall on Wednesday and Thursday. October 19th and 20th, when 150 performers will take part. An efficient orchestra, twelve strong, will supply the music.

Lady Ward and her youngest son have been spending a few weeks in Napier, from which both have greatly benefited in health. Sir Joseph Ward is in Dunedin, where his eldest son, Cyril, is under medical treatment for nasal trouble, the atter affects of an accident at Invercargill some years ago.

There were 18 applications for the position of Engineer to the Pohangina County Council. Mr Thos. Harland, of •Carterton, who was for 25 years road overseer for the Taratahi Road Board, was select3d. The new Engineer has high credentials, and the Council is to be congratulated on its choice.

The railway and road bridge over the Hokitika river, on the Hokitika-Ross railway, will be completed within a month. It is 2,600 ft long, and will cost about £20,000. The bush has been ■cleared, and the line formed for a distance of about six miles beyond Hokitika, but the plates are not yet laid. There are now twenty-five men engaged on the line.

The organiser (Mr A. Nicol) of the sacred concert, to be given in tbe Town Hall, on Sunday evening, in applying for permission to hold the concert, asked for the patronage of the Mayor and Councillors, as the object was a very deserving one. The request contained in the letter was granted. A number of local amateurs have promised to assist in the musical programme, and the prospects for the success of the concert are at present most encouraging. Mr Richard Herbert Burke was yesterday admitted to practice as a solicitor, in New Zealand, by His Honour Mr Justice Edwards, on the motion of Mr Myers. Mr Burke, who is a member of the Victorian Bar, is being admitted into

r partnership with Messrs Robinson _and Robinson, at Carterton, where he will reside. The name of the firm in Carterton will, in future, be Robinson, Robinson and Burke.

A representative of tbe insurance company covering the stock of Messrs D. Finlayson and Son, has assessed the damage done to the stock, and the firm are now holding a salvage sale of boots and sboes. The chief loss occurred in the department where men's light and heavy working boots are stored, as they were soaked with water, the fire doing very little damage there. These goods are now being sold at half their original cost, and the whole of the stock has been subjected to a great reduction. On the subject of the naval trainingship for New Zealanders, the Minister of Defence has made an announcement. H.M.S. Sparrow is now lying in Sydney harbour. By the last mail, in answer to a letter from the Admiralty, instructions were given for the vessel to be brought to Wellington. When the Supplementary Estimates are laid before Parliament, Mr Seddon will ask for an appropriation for this purpose, and he hopes then to be in a posi»tion to furnish members with further information on the subject. Mrs J. Gunther, who died very suddenly at the Club Hotel, Pahiatua, on Monday evening, was the eldest daughter of Mr A. Tinsley, senr., of Manaia, and ■was well known in Masterton. She was on her way to this town, intending to take her relatives by surprise, when the •sad event happened. The deceased leaves a husband and family of five — four daughters and one son —tho eldest of whom is thirteen and the youngest ■four years of age, to mourn their loss. No news has yet been received locally as to the cause of death. The body is to be brought to Masterton for burial. The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Druids Lodge was held last evening, there being a large attendance of memhers. The Arch Druid, Bro. J. R. •Cole, presided. Sick pay was passed to four members. Some discussion took place in the matter of members not declaring properly on the sick fund, as provided by the rules of the Order. It was decided to strictly enforce these rules in future. Members were requested to

attend the meeting of the Royal Arch

Chapter, to be held at Carterton, on m/t Friday evening. P.A. Bro. Pickering ~' reported that the Morris-tube shooting ■competition team were practising assiduously for the forthcoming match, and that they hoped to be able to maintain their previous position at the head of the list. The receipts for the evening were t£l6. After the transaction of routine business, a social evening was spent. An experienced shepherd, with good dogs, requires employment.

A young girl to assist with housework is advertised for.

A strong spring cart, suitable for farmer or market gardener, is offered for sale. Mr John Holes notifies that trespassers on his property at Okau, or persons removing stock therefrom, will be prosecuted. Mr T. Shields, merchant tailor, has .received a large shipment of new goods for the spring and summer season, which comprise ' all the most fashionable wearing lines. Mr Shields' business now extends to Palmerston North, at which town he has recently opened a branch establishment. Only thoroughly competent tradeswomen are engaged at Mr Shields' establish■•snent; therefore patrons can rely upon high-class work. Mr Jas. Harris, the manager of the Masterton branch, i 3 a , first-class cutter, and all work is carried out under his direct personal supervision.

Good general rains are reported from New South Wales..

Chili now declines to reduce her navy, and will not sell her warships.

Hobart Council has passed a Bill to enable women to enrol as barristers and solicitors.

Preparations for the musical portion of tbe anniversary services to be held in the Presbyterian Church are well in hand. The final rehearsal will take place on Thursday next.

A defendant at the Palmerston North Police Court pleaded guilty to allowing his billiardroom at Rongotea to be kept open after hours, and was fined 10s and costs 265. Four persons were each fined 5s and costs 8s for being found on the premises after hours.

The Mayor went to Wellington by the early train, this morning, to attend a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Municipal Association, called for tho purpose of discussing the " Fire Brigades Bill." The Town Clerk accompanied Mr Renall in connection with some information which has been received in reference to the abattoir loan.