MASTERTON

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 269, 6 August 1908, Page 3

MASTERTON

NVAUUEAPA CALEDONIAN SOCIETY. The usual meeting of membors of tho Wair'arapa' Caledonian Socioty- wa3 Held in tho Dominion, Hall. yesterday,- Mr. T. P. Lett, president, being,in tho,chair. In moving the adoption of "'the report and, balance-sheet, Mr. Lett remarked on the'satisfactory position disclosed, there being a credit balance of £66 12s.'3d. The balance-sheet was duly adopted. Fourteen new members were then electcd. Tho election of officers for tho cn- ' suing year " resulted ;as follows President, Mr. D. M'Lachlan.-;. vice-presidents, Messrs. G. L. Stewart and W. L. Falconer; direc-; tors, Messrs. R. Cameron, F. F. Day, R. Gray, D. Guild,-J. Harvey, A. Haughey, G. Heron, F. W. H. Kummer, G. and J. M?Hattie, Jas. M'Ken2ae '(TBwhiti), ; J. : B. M'Kcuzie (Boyrie'Terrace);'■ A, 'M'Leod, H. Morrison, A. Mutrie, J. H. Pauling, Alex., Turner, E. H. Waddington, W. D. Watson, T.' Wyethj-T." P. Lett, G.' E; 'A. Hood, John James, W. Sellar, J..C. Ewington; auditSr, Mr. R. Brown; treasurer, Mr. G. Sykes. ,' It was;decided to' grant: tho auditor! a- feb of £2 2s.j and it was decided'_to. refer to! the incoming : directors the question of locality of "the next; : sports'; gatHering.v The , gathering was last year held on tho Show Grounds. Mr.. J. Cross moved that no liquor be sold 'at-the "next sports meeting. This caused several-members •'to : leave' the room' and -• no quorum remained. . : Mr. F. '.M'Cay,' draper, filed -his schedule yesterday.' ■'■ '. Excavations' in a -hill within a few ■ miles of-Masterton .have resulted,in tho discovery of a clay which it ; is contended■ is, superior to anything", in' New Zealand for pottery manufacture. Specimens of the clay /which have been through tho kiln aro undoubtedly vory fine. •' , , : . '.;' ■ . The Masterton Seddon '■ Memorial ■ Technical School, a two-storied brick • building, 'with a".Very handsome and , striking frontal:appearance, will, bo completed by the contractors next week. The appearance of some fairly large stonecrushcd' boulders and stones on tho - municipal table l at the, Borough Council meeting last, night, suggested.' that..the : city fathers 'intended to pursues zealous'course of geologicjd' instruction'. -There' wore stones • piled [ everywhere, right and left of the Mayoral chair, and in front and on all sides of-i the astonished councillors. It appeared lator from' the''engineer's ■report. that the" 'specimens we're in illustration of a protest of his. The boulders, he said, were a fair sample of the.'.'.bad: metal which the .Council decided to i use, against' liis" wishek; tho flint stones were the work of the borough staff under his own supervision. Tho-j Council was not altogether- of-opinion that'tho boulders were a fair sample, and; there was a sharp interchange between tho official and Councillors Hunter and EwingtonV 2 -' 1 . . *

- :..jDu'ring ■ the- inqnthof- "July there ' wero slaugh'tere'd ;i iit'vthe Masterton ,: Abattoirs 158 cattle, 11 calves, 73 sheep, and 88 pigs., Of these'.'there;were 6 cattle,' 10' she'ep, : ..and I ipig wholly or partially condemned. Tho slaughtering fees received at tho abattoirs amounted to £105. The financial ■ return shows that -the Municipal Abattoirs pay well, although there is'reason'to believe that they, havo; been erected at a', somewhat' inconvenient .spot, for Masterton interests.

The Masterton municipal gasworks alj round show an increase • in consumption. of about 25 por cent, for the past throe months, in comparison with the three months of last year. ; Assuming that.the profits of,this, year correspond with ; thos'o .of last» year. for tho same amount of gas consumed, the business should show an •approxima.to profit of £2500 at tho' end,of 'tho financial twelve mpnths. This fact will probably mean a' further:reduction in,the;prico of gas, which, by tho. way, for cooking purposes is,already cheaper than that supplied in Wellington. ' . '

" ~ Tho'overdraft of tho general .'account of tho Masterton Borough Council is £7482 2s. ,2d. . Tho following : accounts show credit balances: Gasworks, £381 6s.' 4d.; Library, £157- 15s. .2d.-; Abattoir,. c£ls6 15s. lid. Waterworks aro, in debit to the extent. of, £14 4s. Tho.outstanding''rates amount to £614 :6s. sd. -

Since- January 1 there have beon 73 pro-hibition-orders, takenVout,-in the Masterton Licensing District. Although these orders do not apply .wholly, presidents in the Masterton electorate,- the-.number is a' consider,ablo increase'when compared-to tho corresponding period of last year. According to a statement made ih/tho Magistrate's. Court yesterday, prohibition orders are frequently ineffective,.-the only remedy ,in a number of cases being tho constant attendance of the law officers upon those persons who strive unsuccessfully to 'fight {against their,' cravings for liquor. v.. -'

-. The work of extending tho .loop-lines 'at the Masterton..railway -station - will be completed in' about two months' time. The area . at, thev,;Masterton railway station is very circumscribod, - /aid probably • before many years-, the of i; expansion ■ will cause some trouble to tho Department. It was reported - ! a.t; Presbytery meeting, held in Feilding'on Tuesday, that the late. Mr. T. C. Taylor had bo-qiieath<Mi';-.'£250 i the late Mr. Alexander £400, and 'tho'-lato" Mrs. Alexander £300 to St. Paul's, -AVahganui. Sirs. 1 Alexander also loft £300. to -vSt.;. Andrew's,.-.'•Wanganui. The PresbytefyciVecord'ed its -gratitude-for such thoughtful ..deeds, and resolved to thank the relatives of the donors.

OTAKI. Mr. and' Airs. Geo. M'Beath, who have been on a tour'of Australia; have arrived in Auckland, .and;,'will.' probably arrive ,homo in a day or so. "' ~' A 200-acre : :block of land at Ohau, belonging to Mr. C: Bell, of Otaki, has been purchased' by .Messrs'. Smith ;Bros., of Packakariki. -■ Mrs. Greatb'atcli, who died in Featlicrston, was tho'sister of; Mr. Thos. Bevon,'son., of Manakau,.atid mother of Mrs. Robert Bevan. Deceased was- one of ; tho'first white women to reside in this, district, and with lier sister, Mrs. Clark, of ; Wellington, walked, during tho Maori troubles, from Wellington to Waikawa, being guided by old Ropina. Slio endured many trials, but, like all tho pioneer settlers, made light of them. Mr. P. Meek has been appointed manager of tho Fresh Food and : Icp Company's butter factory at Reikorangi.. Mr. R. L. Seed, formerly of the local huttor factory, is at 4 present on a visit here from : tho"South Island;'; ' ' At a meeting of tho Ladies', Hockey Club on Tuesda'y-niglit, Messrs. Frank Penn, ,T. G. Stovens, and' H. Nicholson, were appointed to awara tho tliroo trophies, donated by Mesdainos Brown and' Stevens,' and' Mr.' Nicholson. It was decided to'liold a social'at an early date, and to .invito -the Men's' Club to join in giving it. The-usual monthly meeting of tho School Committee ■ -held on Tuesday night. The headmaster's report was'favourablo, and that of tlu> nispectorß highly satisfactory.^