LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A largo English mail is expected to reach Masterton on Thursday next. The Eev. L. M. Isitt is expected in Masterton on tlio 23rd inst, and will stay until tho 26th. Au announcement setting forth the virtues of Suratura Tea appears in another column. Messrs Lowes and lorns advertise for private sale two second-hand buggies, one trap, sets of harness and saddles, A Palmcrston resident has mado a model of a Ferris Wheel, a model of the' Eiffel Tower, and a model of the Tower Bridge for the Palmcrston Exhibition The models are all in fret work.

The North Wairarapa Gun Club notify that tlioy nro prepared to purchase pigeons in any quantity at Is 6d per pair.

The mail-carrier to Homewood, East Coast, returned to Masterton yesterday, being unable to get any further than Cripps' Creek, owing to the impassable state of tho road.

The Wellington correspondent of the New Zealand Eerald gives publicity to a rumour upon " authority that cannot bo ignored " tiiat the Eon, J. G. Ward will not be a candidate at the next general election.

As indicating the demand for houses in Auckland, it is stated that a firm of house agents received seventy applications for a five-roomed house they advertised, and sixty-two applicants for a six-roomed liouso,

We remind those interested ot the free concert which takes place in the Drill Hall this evening. Amongst the speakers will be Mr G. Smith, M.H.E. for Christchurch, and Mr McNab H.H.lt. for Mataura. Tho Government Life Insuraneo Department has progressed favourably during tho year, the new business amounting to £608,000. Thero are upwards of 31,000 policies on the books, assuring an aggregate sum of £9,500,00 sterling. An ancient drawing executed a thousand years oeforo Christ has been dis coyercd at Corinth that resembles a bicycle in outline, The melancholy suspicion arises that even bloomers may not be a product of modern civilisation.

Mr Joseph M. Hickson, who was in the Wellington Magistrate's Court a year apo, has been appointed Clerk of the Magistrate's and Warden's Courts and Receiver o£ Gold Revenue at Te Arolia. Mr Hickson's many friends in Masterton will be glad to hear of his promotion.

Mr H, Hoffcins, of tho Akura Dairy, wishes to reassuro his cuftomors as to the quality of the milk supplied by him, Ho states that all his milking is done in the paddocks and not in a yard, and invites the public to visit his dairy and satisfy themselves as to its cleanliness,

A measure which tho Hon W. C. Walker is introducing entitled " Tho ! Law Practitioners and New Zealand Law_ Society's Act Amendment Bill," provides that candidates for admission as barristers or solicitors may bo of either sex.

s The Wellington Education Board now c controls 108 schools, maintaining 358 y teachers, including ninesewing teachers. B Tho strict average attendance of children last quarter was 10,850, and the working average, on which capitation is paid, 11,031. Altogether 1101 children were 1 admitted to tho various schools during i' the quarter. Sergeant Kiely and other witnesses left by the afternoon train on Saturday togiye evidence at the Supreme Court in the case iu which William Walsh, t alias Harry Tompkinson, was committed ' for trial on a cliargo of breaking into ' Mr W, Shaiv's shop. The following oases are set down for ' hearing at the criminal sittings of the 1 Supremo Court which opens to.day I John Lindsay, forgery; Arthur Walcott, forgery; LottieKreig, forgery;, Tamos Murray, false pretences (three charges); ■ Alexander Urquhart, sheep-stealing; Morris L.Ormstcin, breach of tho Bankruptcy Act; William Smith, theft; Austin Kirby, threatening to accuse .T. Herman of an infamous crime with a view to extort money; William George Bassett, accessory aftertlie fact; Alfred ' Blyth, alias Seager, alias Norton, housebreaking; Thomas James Donnelly, stealing from the person; William 1 Walsh, alias tompkinson, theft; 1 Alfred Ashbolt and Patrick Cassidy, I libel; Herman Wcisuer, rape; Henry 1 Bigg, alias Day, breaking and entering, 1 At a meeting of the Executive of the i Duncdin Women's Franchise League it t was resolvedl. That tho Executive a record its indignation at the childishness I exhibited by the members of tho Lower 1 liouso in discussing Mr Kelly's Bill f providing for a half-holiday for domestic c servants. 2. That while a half-holiday 1 is a greater necessity for domestic ser- h vants than any class of male workers, c the Executive holds itto he most injudi- I cious that girls should by Act of Parlia- o ment be driven from their natural 1 shelter into the street, whether they d wish it or not, and would ask the Legis- p lative Counc" to expunge from the Bill I the clause with this objectionable pro- n vision. h

Messrs I.owfis and lorns add to their salo list for VVodnesday nest—livo fat bullocks mid niuo hundred store wethers. "To kick the bucket" is said to have originated in the time of Queen Elizabeth, when a shoemaker named Hawkins committed suicide under peculiar circumstances, placing a bucket on a table m order to raise himself high enough to reach a rafter above, then kicking away the bucket on which he stood.

Among tho spoil brought up by tho n anganui Uiver dredpre have been found such things as a clock, silver bracelet, gold pin, watch, iron enamelled plates, cups and saucers; nlso many coins, both foreign and English, corno out as bright as though just from the mint, while there are numbers of kniyes and forks and n pocket knife, besides a collection of old iron, one piece evidently being the cross from one of the up river churches.

Accordingtoalnte issueof tho London Daily Graphic, a man between seventy and eighty years of age was found by tho police wandering about Lavender Hill, Battersea. and being unable to give an account of himself or his friends was conyeved as a " wondering lunatic" to the Wandsworth and Clapham Union. It was then discovered'that he had iu his possession pocket-book containing nearly £lO in gold, and an envelope addressed "W.U. Dennesou,' Datmcryerke, Hawk's Bay, New Zealand.

A resident of Cartel ton having a namher of npplo trees which were suffering to scaly blight, and having a quantity of Santonine Balsam in his possession determined to try what effect it would have on tho scale. Ho accordingly dressed his trees, and is now pleasantly surprised to find that they aro perfectly free from blight, and tho bark presents a clean, healthy surface. Tho proprietors of Santonine Balsam, Messrs P. T. Bnllock and Co,, will give somo of the balsam, free of charge, to onyono having trees which require dressing. "Here are two items of information," remarks tho Sfhei/ Mail," which camo under our notice last week. Last year a firm of this city shipped to and sold in Mew Zealand and Tasmania sufficient manure to properly treat 135,C30 acres of land. Last week a big four-masted barque arrived here from New Zealand with 5,766 bags of wheat, 9,379 bags-of chaff and 2,519 bales of straw. The total imports of chaff last week amounted about 39,C.)0 bags. These items bring to the surface tho thought that Now South Wales is exporting manures to enable farmers hundreds of miles awav outside her boundaries to* grow produco for use in Sydney."

Wo commend the following to tlic notice ol the local collector ot tlio dog tax:—A Wanganui collector of the dog tax some time ago experienced great difficulty in collecting the tax from tlio residents of one of the suburbs. After cudgelling his brains as to how to collect the dues on the canines a bright idea occurred to him. On a fine day he strolled leisurely through said suburbs, and stopping soveral small children he sawpkying in (he street-, said with a genial smile, "Now,which of yon children Ims the prettiest dog ?" fiach claimed to liayc the best, " Well," said the collector, "Iwill be judge. You bring the dogs to mo and I will givesixpencotothconewhohastheprcltiest." The children ran away delighted and brought their canine pets, numbering in all eight dogs. Mr Dog-Tax Collector took down descriptions of the same, and tlio names of tho various owners. After which he awarded the sixpence. In a day or two tho owners o£ tho said dogs wore called upon. P,osuit, 60s for tho outlay of Cd.

An ex-New Zealander, writing from Johannesburg, says Johannesburg is a wonderful place for the timo it has been in existence, It is all right for tradesmen, but anyone coming here without a trade is next door to suicide, Jf you hear of any such contemplating coming here advise, them strongly to remain in New Zealand, as it is a paradise for the labourer compared with South Africa. In Johannesburg alone there are 100,CCO niggers doing all the work. Tradesmon simply act as supervisors, blacks doing all the 'graft.' South Africa, so far as agricultural pursuits -are concerned, is the most rotten country under the snn. All the way from Capetown to Johannesburg, a distance of 1117 miles, I never saw an acre of land under cultivation, There is no fanning and little grazing, and ii poor sample at that, If it was not' for its mines the place would not be as large as Kakanui. None of the places I havo seen so far will compare with New Zealand,

Kobert Butler, who lias just been sentenced at Melbourne to ten years' imprisonment for breaking and entering, Las Lad but little of liberty for the last tliirly-tlireo years. Tlio following is a list ot bis previous convictionsAt Melbourne, in 18G3, twelve months for larceny in a dwelling; at Melbourne, in 1864, five years for robbery and six months for receiving; at Melbourne, in 1871, under the namo of George Leo, five years for burglary; at Duncdinin 1876, under the name of Kobert Butler, four years for burglary; four years (concurrent) for larceny; four years (concurrent) for larceny; four years (concurrent) for larceny; four years (concurrent) for house-breaking; at Dunedin, in 1880, under the name of liobert Sutler, eighteen years for burglary and ten years for larceny (concurrent). At tho latter sessions ho was acquitted on a charge of murder,

Tho Oherver, referring to the will of the late Mr Charles Hooking Carter, says The late Mr 0, E, Carter has left tho bulk of his property to public purposes. His will is practically on the lines of one he had prepared in 1894' and was, consequently, well considered. For years he had been considering a Home something on the linos of tho alms houses of the Rreat London trading companies, and wilhayiew to providing sonw such retreat for tho pcoplo of Wellington and Wairarapa in generations to come, the late Mr Carter has bequeathed property to tho valuo of £IO,OOO. ■He has also made provision for tho payment annually to an Anglican minister of the sum. of £25 a year in connection-with this endownment. As regards Wellington, helms bequeathed property to build an Obseryatory, and fit the samo with all necessary appliances, including a powerful telescope. His valuable liabrarj ho has left to the town for which he has already done so much, and it is hoped Carterton will show its duo appreciation of this his last and most valuable gift by providing a public reading room for the use of the residents and yisitors to the 1 town, i

The Sydney Daily Telegraph gives , th.o following account of tho recent , suicide of Mr Evan Prosscr, of that city: ] —A deliberate case of suicide and attempted murder occurred at Neutral % shortly after noon ycstSfdayj when Mr Evan Prosser shot himself at his residence, liaymoud-road.and afterwards twice fired at Ins wife. About ten minutes after twelve, Mrs Prosser, having heard the discharge of firearms,' immediately ran upstairs, and, going into the bedroom, saw her husband lying on the floor, with blood flowing from under his right ear, She endeavoured to raise him to his feet, but while doin? so he pointed a revolver towards her and fired two shots, one of the bullets grazing her neck. She eventually managed to get possession of the revolver, and immediately sent for jjr Shirlow, who, upon bis arrival, ordered the removal of the unfortunate man to the North Shore Hospital, where attempts were made to locate the bullet by Drs. Shirlow, Clarke, and Eorko When the revolver was handed to the police it was discovered that four of the chambers had been discharged, Mr Prosser retained his consciousness until lie arrived at the institution, when he collapsed and expired about i p.m. Mr Prosser, who was CO years of age, was at one time connected with the late firm of Messrs E. Prosser and Co., wholesale druggists, of Sydney, which business passed into the hands of the Australian 1 Drug Company some years back. The 1 matter was reported to the coroner, who 1 has ordered an inquest to be held,

Mr G, A. Fairbfother announces his usual Carterton stock sale for Tuesday, August 11th. |

About a dozen applications havo been received for the positions of instructors to the various classes at the Evening School.

Owing to the impassable state of the roads Mrli. Brown was unable to conduct the Anglican service at liaugitumau yesterday. The third annual meetincr of shareholders of the Now Zealand Farmers' Dairy Union, Ltd., will be held at Palmerston Mi on Tuesday, the 25th inst.

The Committee of the Evening Classes meet tonight at the Borough Council Chambors to deal with the applications for the positions of instructors and various other business, The meeting takes place at 1 o'clock. Tlio Kcv. ,T. Eullarton-Smith conducted services in St, Matthew's Church, Slastorton, both morning and evening, yesterday. The liev. A. C. Yorke officiated at Carterton,

A meeting of ratepayers in the Alfrcdton Hiding will be held in the Alfredton Hall on Saturday next for the purpose of discussing matters in connection with the expenditure of Biding and outlying district funds, Mrs ,T. F. Robinson requests us to acknowledge, through our columns, the kindnesses which she has received for herself and family from friends and neighbours since the death of her late husband. A small gold rush has set in near St. Balhan's, Dunedin. A son of tlio local constable lias discovered goldin a branch of the Mahuherika river, and several miles of ground along tlio terrace has been pegged out, Good prospects of coarse gold have been found. On Saturday last the Park ranger detected four boys breaking branches nd taking wattle bloom from several trees in the Park. He has reported the matter to the Trustees, and it is probable that proceedings will be taken against the boys, whoso names have been taken down. Tho writer of Search Lights, in the Christchirch Press, says he is glad to seo that Mr Smith has gathered some grains of sense-and sand-in his visit j Home" to havo a crack with the Queen about this 'ere iron sand." In a frivolous and silly debate on the servant girl question in the House, the only slab of wisdom uttered fell from the lips of He Hem! Mr Smith 'asserted his belief in tho good old Tory maxim that an Englishman's house is his castle and wasn't going to havo an Inspector poking round his kitchen. Well spoken, Mr Smith.

James Edward Fitzgerald, tlio last of the four F's, who once ruled this land (Featherston, Fitzherbcrt, Pox, and Fitzgerald), Las passed away full of years and full of honour. In old times when he led the House as Premier, lie was noted as an orator, a scholar, and a gentleman. It was almost a pity that sucli an eminent man should haye become absorbed m tho Civil Service, but even as Comptroller-General, hemado his mark and dignified tho high office which ho filled. Therewere intellectual giants in thecal days of New Zealand, and tho late Mr Fitzgerald was foremost amongst them. The deceased gentlenip was the father of Mrs Brandon, wife of Mr Brandon, the manager of tho local branch of the Bank of Now Zealand.

Says a Eangitikei paper: A witness who was called for the prosecution itr a case which occupied tho Marlon S.M. Court all day recently, found himself drawn this way and that by tho conflicting demands of the law and of Cupid. Ho had been summoned to give evidenco on his wedding day and unless ho was given his opportunity to depose before his train started for Ohingaiti lie was doomed to be a bachelor for at least another night. This view of the matter was put feelingly beforo tho Magistrates engaged upon the case. Just after the dinner hour was struck, and although they evinced signs of impatience at the prospect of having to defer the mid-day meal, they consented to take tho would-bo Benedict's evidence before adjourning. This having been dono the latter departed for the train in record time. By tho time ho had put about threo hundred yards between himself and the Courthouse, how oyer, lie was imperatively recalled by Constable Moon toreceivo some instructions from tho Justices, and he caino back with his face full of expressions of protest and anxiety. When released, as ho was a moment after, owing to cries among the by-standers of " poor fellow, he'll miss the train," it is no exaggeration to say thathcsnddenly disappeared. He was, no doubt, running in double harness beforo the day was done.

The large congregations that assembled a.t t-ho Drill Hall yesterday to take part in tho farewell meetings of Captain Wansbone and Mr Dave follock practically demonstrated tlio esteem these young men are lield in by the Mastcrton people. In tho afternoon upwards of five hundred must havo attended the meeting, whilst at night the seating accommodation. of the flail was taxed to its upmost. A solo with auto-harp accompaniment was well rendered by Mr Willie Wansbone, the audienco manifesting their appreciation in an audible manner,_ as they did also with two farewell trios that followed,' Farewell addresses were delivered by several soldiers and Mr Kitchen, of Wellington, who spoke. in vory high terms of Captain Wansbono's work, The latter gave an effective Bible reading on the subject of" Christ in Jericho," and then very feelingly bade farewell to the Masterton people, whom, he remarked, had treated with great respect and shown practical sympathy with the Army's work by liberally supporting it witn their money. A farewell coffee supper will be held in tho barracks to-morrow njght.