HASTINGS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1249, 6 February 1896, Page 20

HASTINGS.

The local lodge of Oddfellows is without doubt one of tho most practical institutions of its kind in New Zealand, and, unlike many other lodges, it takes in hand and thoroughly discusses every matter brought before it. At the last meeting several very important questions, which will be discussed at a district meeting to come oil* at Waipawa in a few days, were thoroughly gone into aud decisions arrived at. During a discussion it was pointed out that the general laws had recently been revised and much altered by tho Executive of the Order in England, but it was thought there was still room for improvement. For instance, one new law says that "A candidate shall pay half hi 3 entrance fee when he is proposed, and the remainder at his initiation ; such fee shall be returned if he is not accepted." Now, if he is not accepted he can hardly be initiated ; how, then, is he to pay the monoy "at" his initiation and have it returned if he is not accepted? Another rule provides a penalty which, if not paid at the time it is inflicted, shall Lo deducted from the member's funeral allowance. That is surely a liberal discount, but one which cannot bo much punishment to tho member.

At present Oddfellows' Lodges are governed by three sets of rules which are virtually repetitions. In the first place they get the 't general laws" as arranged in England, then they have district rules which must bo in accordance with the general laws, and are virtually extracts from them, and thirdly, they have" lodge bye-laws which have to be in accordance with both general laws and district rules, and are, as a matter of fact, merely repetitions of these two. The Hastings Lodge are taking steps to have this alterecl. They have appointed as delegates to the district meeting P.P.G.M. Bro A. A. George, Las now acted in a similar capacity for about ten years; P.G. Bro W. G. Martin, the enterprising permanent secretary of the lodge; and P.G. Bro R. C. Sturm, another veteran who has done good service.

The district meeting is to be held at Waipawa on tho 14th, and all members attending have been specially requested to remain in Waipawa for the night, as the members of the Waipawa Lodge wish to entertain their comrades in a manner for which they are famed. An item which has been x-elated to me, and which is recalled by the above, is too

good to be lost. The question under discussion was fixing a permanent date for annual meetings, and the date suggested was a Friday. Of course it is well-known that religious matters are not allowed to be discussed in lodges, but one member

stuck out hard and fast against Friday. He was pressed for a reason, for to most

members Friday seemed a good day for leaving their homes, as it gave them Saturday for recovery. The member hesitated for some time, but ?t last, having visions of Waipawa before him, possibly, he admitted that it was on account of religious scruples. A banquet was inevitable after a district meeting, and it was very hard for a Catholic member to be compelled to sit on a Friday evening and see his coadjutors gorging themselves with the good things which to him were forbidden on that day of the week ! The lodge gave way ! At the risk of being thought tautological I have to record yet another fire, Herman's well-known auction room having become a prey to the flames on tho morning of the 29th. The building is one of the block on the railway reserve, and townspeople have never become tired of predicting that a fire in that block could not possibly be stopped. However, it has been proved otherwise, thanks to our thoroughly efficient fire brigade. They made a record which will be hard to beat in tho colony, if not elsewhere, for although the alarm was given after midnight between 1 and 2 a.m., they had five jets of water pouring into the flames in eleven minutes, and this time |s guaranteed as correct. The fire never got outside the walls of the auction mart, which was 80ft long with 40ft frontage to Railway street, close to where the railway-station used to stand. The brigade have-, been publicly thanked for what is admitted to be a remarkably smart piece of work. The ram fair can hardly be said to have been an enormous success, although a good deal of stock changed hands privately. The fact is, as has been before pointed out, there are too many breeding for show purposes now.

The drainage contract is pretty well finished, but there are a few small sections that have apparently been overlooked. I noticed a line of rocking-chairs in a store a few days back which two years ago were being auctioned at 50s each, now they are being offered at 22s Gd. On probing for a reason for tho apparent discrepancy, I learned that they were of Chinese make !

Yesterday (Sunday) was an awful day, with heat, drying wind, and dust, but about 10 last night some rain fell, which made life just bearable, and that was all.