MASTERTON.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1165, 29 June 1894, Page 18

MASTERTON.

Masterton, June 21. Nineteen County Councils in the Colony have expressed themselves favourable to the formation of a County Council Association. At a meeting of the Wairarapa North County Council to-day, it was decided to request the Hutt County Council to convene a conference in Wellington to discuss the question. Mr E. Davidson, a travelling representative of the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Company has requested the Wairarapa North County Council to pay doctor's expenses and reasonable compensation for loss- of time and money caused by his horse putting its foot through the planking of a bridge and rolling over on him and breaking his leg.

At a meeting of the County Council to-day estimates for the year were passed* The Council was asked to relax wheeltire by-laws in the matter of mail coaches, but refused to do so.

In the Magistrate's Court this morning, Mr T. Hutchison, S.M. gave judgment for the plaintiff in a case in which E. H. Waddington claimed .£l2 8s from L. E. Hornblow, as commission on the sale of a printing plant. The monthly meeting of the Wairarapa

North Benevolent Society was held to-day, but the business transacted was only of a formal character. The weekly meeting of tho Masterton Literary and Debating Society was held last nigh!;, when Mr N. Bunting gave an excellent essay on " Gordon, of Khartoum." A conference of the Wairarapa North County Council and the Eketahuna and Mauriceville Road Boards was held yesterday to adjust boundaries. The Wairarapa hounds had a successful run at Clarevillo to-day. There is a very largo attendance at the Hospital ball to-night, visitors being present from all parts of the district. The Drill Hall is elaborately decorated foi tho occasion, and the function is tho most successful of its kind ever hold in tho district. Juno 22. Tho Hospital Ball on Thursday evening was a great success. Over three hundred persons wero present. Tho tickets show that there were four more people at tho ball this year than last. A man named Brodie, who is undergoing a sentence in the Wellington Terrace Gaol for tho larceny of boots at Carterton, was brought before Mr T. Hutchison, S.M., today, and charged with stealing a rug belonging to Tawhiao te Tau. The accused pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to an additional two months' hard labour.

An eight-roomed houso on the Upper Plain, belonging to Mr Albort Prentice, was destroyed by fire on Thursday. The houso was unoccupied and unfurnished. Tho origin of the firo is a mystery. The building was insured for .£l5O in the Standard office.

The house of Mr Wilson, on tho Upper Plain, was broken into on Wednesday night during the absence of the occupants, and a number of articles, such as knives and forks, jewellery, &c, removed. A man named Charles Malonoy has been arrested at Glencoe, on the East Coast, by Constable Collorton, on a charge of breaking into tho Makuri Hotel during tho absence of the licensee. Tho man has been remanded to appear at Pahiatua. Tho question of rating on unimproved values was again brought beforo tho Wairarapa North County Council at its meeting on Thursday, and it was resolved, on the motion of Councillor Cockburn-Hood, seconded by the Chairman, "That the clerk make a return showing the number of local bodies in favour of rating on the unimproved values, and copies of the same be forwarded to the members representing the Wairarapa district." Tho Chairman of the Wairarapa North County Council and Councillor Smith have been appointed a committee to wait on the Premier to endeavour to get the Rating Act amended so as to enable County Councils, where no Road Board exists in any riding, to strike the full six-farthing rate in place of an outlying district rate. The engineer of the Wairarapa North County Council has reported that the present position of the toll - house at Taueru is taken advantage of to some extent for evading payment of toll. The Council, after considering tho question of tolls, decided on Thursday to ask the special ratepayers interested if they will agree to pay special rates and have the tolls at the Taueru andTawataia abolished. The estimated general expenditure of the Wairarapa North County Council for tho year 1894-95 is .£1270 8s Gd. The rates in arrear to the Wairarapa North County Council at the end of March last amounted to .£275 15s lOd. Masterton, June 23. A man named Michael Wheeler, alias "Crooked Mick," has been arrested at Palmerston North on a charge of having entered the shop of Mr W. Shaw, in Masterton, and removed therefrom a number of more or less valuable articles. At the adjourned meeting of the Masterton Horticultural and Industrial Society on Friday the resignation of the secretary (Mr J. C. Alpass) was received with regret, and Mr T. Gillespie was appointed in his stead. Dr Butement and Mr J. Tucker were elected vice-presidents, and a new committee was appointed. The revised rules wero adopted. Mr Eli Smith waits upon the Post-master-General next week to urge the establishing of a Post and Telegraph Office and appointment of a permanent official at Alfredton.

An interesting scientific lecture was givem by Mr W. H. Jackson, headmaster of the Masterton School, before the members of the Masterton Mutual Improvement Society on Friday evening. The lecturer was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. At the adjourned meeting of the Masterton Licensing Bench on Friday, the application of Mr Stewart for a license for the Marino Hotel at Whakataki was adjourned till the 29th inst., to permit oi : certain repairs being effected. An application of Mrs Low, licensee of the Star Hotel, to have her case re-opened was refused by

the Bench. The sale of refreshments left over from the Hospital ball realised .£lO 16s 6d. It is expected that, with the Government subsidy, the result of the ball will be an addition to the funds of nearly .£2OO.

Mastebton, June 25. A nasty accident occurred during the progress of the Red Star and Te Ore Ore football match on Saturday last. By some mischance Alex. Chambers, one of the Te

Ore Ore players, was knocked down and fallen upon, with the result that he sustained a fracture of two ribs and a dis-

placing of a third. He was attended by Dr Butement, and is making satisfactory

progress. It is reported that another attempt is to be made to secure a charter for a working men's club in Masterton. I am afraid, however, that unless the thing is worked on very high and independent principles, the fate of the project will be the same fore.

A letter, which was posted in Wellington on June 2nd, addressed to a " Mr P. Brown,

Plains House, Upper Plains, Bangitikei," has just reached Masterton aftei a most

circuitous tour. In the first place it was sent to Masterton. Then it found its way to Palinerston North, and afterwards to Gisborno, Napier and Danevirke. Although tho name of Brown is legion it is a strange thing that nobody can be found to claim the letter. Perhaps the fact that it bears a penny stamp has something to do with it. Masterton, June 26. The usual fortnightly meeting of tho Wairarapa North Liberal Association was held in tho Foresters' Hall on Monday evening. There was a largo attendance of members, tho chair being occupied by Mr C. Hughes, vice-president.' A letter was read from Mr A. W. Hogg, M.H.R., expressing his appreciation of the honour conferred upon him in electing him patron, and wishing tho Association # well. Officers were then elected as follow:—President, Mr J. Baumber; vice-president, Mr J. Yates; secretary, Mr D. S. Papworth: executive committee, Messrs A. Gardner, J. Gilpin, P. Hyder, W. L. Falconer, J. Stone, W. H. Cole, A. Vile, P. Murray, W. Cullen and W. Eassmussen. It was decided to hold a debate at the next meeting on the question of Municipal Government.

A fine collection of exhibits has been presented to the Masterton Museum by Mr A. Austin, of Langdalo Station, Whareama. The museum has now become quite an established institution, although no caretaker has been appointed and no money is as yet available to put it in order. In all probability a public meeting will shortly be held to devise means for procuring cases, &o.

Another lecture was given by Dr Butement on Monday evening to tho members of the Ambulance Class. Tho subject was the functions of the heart, which was treated in a most able and interesting manner. It is reported that a petition is to be circulated for signature, praying tho Masterton Trust Lands Trustees to tako some action in the direction of erecting a town hall. The theatre, having been closed, the town is now absolutely without any place of public amusement. There is still a large number of unemployed about Masterton. Most of them appear anxious to work, but fail to obtain* it. Masterton, June 27. In the Bankruptcy Court this afternoon, Patrick Carr, contractor, was adjudgod a bankiupt on the petition of Myer Caselberg. Discharges were granted to Thomas George, Robert Eiddick, Percy Cobb and Henry Stevens. Several other were held over. T. L. Thompson, bankrupt, is being publicly examined to-night. The fourth of the series of sixpenny concerts in connection with the Masterton Wesleyan Church Was held last night. In the District Court to-day, before His Honor District Judge Kettle, a case was heard in which G. S. W. Dalfymple claimed from the Wairarapa North County Council a sum of £G 2s for expenses as Deputy Returning Officer at tho recent licensing election. The defendants paid £& 6s into Court, for which amount judgment was given, plaintiff having to pay costs.