MASTERTON.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 859, 17 August 1888, Page 14

MASTERTON.

(from our own correspondent.) August 11. Brown and Rogers, builders, who held a private meeting of their “creditors yesterday, filed their schedule in the Bankruptcy Court to-day. I have not yet seen a statement of their assets and liabilities, but I know that there are a number of creditors in Wellington where the firm had a pretty large contract. I am informed that the annual show of the Wairarapa Poultry Association,which closed yesterday, will not prove a financial success. The attendance, owing no doubt to some extent to the weather, was not at all what I should have expected, and the receipts at the door must therefore have been small in proportion. The quality of the exhibits was really good, those of Mr A. Elkins especially being far above the average. Mr Elkins took by far the greatest number of prizes, and what is even more to liis credit, everyone of them with birds of his own breeding. He holds the cup presented by Mr H. H. Beetham for the year, the conditions made by the Society being that it must be won twice in succession or three times at intervals before it becomes the absolute property of the exhibitor. After about four weeks’ of rainy weather w r e are at last having a fine day ; but the sky looks decidedly threatening. Reports from all parts of the country describe the roads as being in a most deplorable state, and a contractor with whom I had a conversation to-day, states that it is next to impossible to go on with work, as the soil is to© wet to keep the shape into which it is put. August 15. The Wairarapa North County Council has got over the difficulty caused by the resignation of the chairmanship by Mr Mackay. For some time it looked as if this place of honour would go begging, as all the Councillors who are at all qualified for it persistently refused to look at it. Mr W. H. Beetham knew by past experience that the office involves a great deal of work with no thanks ; but he gave way in the end, and allowed himself to be elected. Tlie business transacted at yesterday’s meeting of that body was not very important, if I except the question of charitable aid. It was resolved to give tho North Wairarapa Benevolent Institution temporary assistance by direct money grants in place of guarantees a 3 formerly, and to ascertain how much is expended for charitable aid by settlers within the county. This, of course, includes the finding of a large army of swaggers, many of whom would be horrified if anyone were to offer them work, and the return, though I can only give approximate results, will therefore be very interesting. A bushfeller named Larsen met with a serious accident at Eketahuna yesterday morning. By some means his axe glanced off and cut right through one of his boots, completely severing two toes. The sufferer has been brought down to the Masterton Hospital. At last there is a prospect of fine weather. We have just had fully four weeks of rain, with only a day that was quite fine during that period. Now we have had two fine days, and the sky is still clear, and, what is more, the barometer is high. Grass has taken a splendid start, and the crops everywhere look very well, the damp weather and absence of cold having helped them on wonderfully. The now goldfield at Mahakipawa is receiving a good deal of attention here, and a number of men have left already to try their luck there, while others are waiting for word from them, ready to follow should accounts be favourable.

[By Telegraph,] (from our own correspondent.) Masterton, August 10. A private meeting of the creditors of Brown and Rodgers, builders, was held this afternoon, Nothing definite transpired, but it is said that the liabilities are £2500, and that the debtors offered to do the bpst they could to meet their liabilities. The creditors, not seeing that anything could be made out of the estate, advised the debtors to file. Miss Sutherland, matron of the Wellington Hospital about six years ago, and now in Melbourne, has presented a set of silver surgical instruments to the Masterton Hospital.