MASTERTON.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 860, 24 August 1888, Page 15

MASTERTON.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) August 20. County matches do not seem to be much in favour with the footballers of the Wairarapa. One of these matches was played some time ago, then another was arranged, but it fell through. A third one was made a fixture for last Saturday, but as the Greytown contingent of the southern team did not put in an appearance it could not take place. A match was played on Saturday between the second teams of the Red Stars and Te Ore Ore, which the Maoris won by a fine potted goal to a try. While on the subject of football, I may mention that permission has been given to play the match with the English team on the Park Oval, which is about as good a ground for football as could be found anywhere. It is certainly not fit for cricket.

Constable Collerton made a smart arrest on Saturday. He had received a description of Henry Barnaby, who was wanted at Auckland for embezzlement, and when Barnaby made his arrival at Tinui the constable spotted him straight off, arrested him, and brought him down to Ma3terton. Barnaby was forwarded to Wellington this morning. The members of the Parkville Special Settlement Association turned out almost en masse and proceeded to Eketahuna tc vote on the proposal to raise a loan of L3OOO for the formation of roads in their block, which had been duly approved by the Eketahuna Road Board. The re suit was, I am told, that the proposal was carried by 36 to 1. The Association is said to be in an exceptionally good position, and to have money enough in hand to pay all rates for eight or nine years to come. Several buildings are pro jected in the new [ township, one of them being an hotel. A scrutiny of the votes given on the proposal to transfer the bankruptcy of Brown and Rodgers to Wellington has shown that the majority was against it, and the local creditors are therefore jubilant, so far as the whole affair will permit them to be so. The meeting, which is to take place on Wednesday will, no doubt, be a pretty lively one. So far as the proceedings at the first meeting are concerned, they were characterised by an amount of what I can only term “bully-ragging” in the examination of the head of the firm which is quite unprecedented in Masterton, and even the creditors smiled when the witness gave back some of the remarks with interest added. Farmers tell me that the season is about a month ahead of the average, the damp, warm weather having pushed the crops ahead wonderfully. The weather is again wet, though not cold, and a glimpse of sunshine is quite a rare thing. August 22.

Charles Gurote is the name of an individual who, according to his own account, has played many parts, and if his record in the local police court may be accepted as a criterion, his 3tory deserves a certain amount of credence. Some time ago he found himself hard up, and got on the books of the Benevolent Society, after which the Cemetery Trustees found work for him. This was apparently not good enough, for he struck, on the plea that the pay was not enough to keep him in tobacco. Yesterday he managed to become sufficiently drunk to be violent, and as he brandished a knife he was duly run in. He made a most desperate resistance, bit Constable Salmon in the arm, and held on till he was choked off, and scratched Sergeant Price in the face even after he had been handcuffed. In addition, he tore the constable’s clothes. This morning he had cooled down sufficiently to interview his Worship, who proved to be of opinion that if Gurote could not make both ends meet while working on charity pay he should have two months’ trial at working for nothing at all, and sentenced him accordingly. The sum of L2 found iu his pockets was appropriated to pay for Constable Salmon’s damaged clothes.

A bibulous individual also made his appearance in Court this morning on a charge of having made U3e of offensive language toward Mr H. Phillips, of the Occidental Hotel. It appears that Mr Phillips had refused to supply him with

drink,- and ever since then he lost no I opportunity for insulting him. Yester- I day he did it once too often, and he was locked up for it. Mr Stunner, R.M., said he wished that all hotelkeepers would act as Mr Phillips had done, and bound accused over to keep the peace for three months. The Borough Council had an important meeting last night. The petition praying for the abolition of the wards having received the necessary number of signatures in all the wards, was presented, and the Town Clerk was instructed to forward it to the Government. There was a long discussion over the quality of the lime used at the gasworks, two rival kilns each claiming tliat they were in a position to supply the best article. Tho question was ultimately allowed to stand over pending the result of further test 3 which were ordered to be made. The all-important question of charitable aid once more cropped up, the United District Board having made a formal demand for the payment of the assessment for the first quarter of the financial year. Several Councillors were of opinion that it would be best to comply with the demand, as there was no prospect of an amendment to the existing Act being carried this session. An amendment to pay the amount direct to the Benevolent Society was, however, carried. The Council has thus placed the ratepayers in the pleasant position that, should the Board bring an action, and prove successful, they will have to pay the amount twice over.

[By Telegraph.] Masterton, August 16. The statement filed by Brown and Rodgers shows liabilities to unsecured creditors, £3214 3s 9d ; assets, £I7OO 7s 3d £1543 14s 6d. The principal local creditors are—R. Donald, £ll4 ; Cade, £IOO ; Booth and Co., £6OO ; Gapper, £IOO ; R. Evenden, £9B ; Graham and Co., £BO 13a 9d. The chief Wellington creditors are—Mills and Co., £IOO ; Dawson and Co., £6ll 7s ; Luke and Sons, £43 ; R. Martin, £96 Us 3d; Hutson, £4O ; Petherick, £3B ; T. Ballinger, £35. The amount owing for wages is £4l ss. Masterton, August 22. While the four-year-old daughter of Mr G. Coker, lessee of the theatre, was playing behind the scenes in the building this afternoon, one of the wing scenes fell on her, breaking her thigh. The District Court sat this afternoon, but only unimportant bankruptoy business was transacted. The civil business is to be taken to morrow.