LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, 10 December 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

iMr D. P. Ryan has secured* the mail carrying contracts, EketahunaRailway Station and Eketahuna-Tirau-mea. In the Masterton case, A. B. Wood v. Jacob Geange, a claim for £5 14s lid for hay supplied, judgment was given for plaintiff, with costs. At the Police Court in Masterton yesterday Mary Carrig was fined 10s and 7s costs for failing to send her child to school regularly. Inspector Laughton appeared for the Education Department. In response to an application by the Mayor of Greyto\ak for a subsidy on the memorial gates for Greytown Park, a reply has been received that subsidy is Yiot payable on permanent memorials to soldiers.

At the Wanganui elocutionary and musical competitions, Messrs H. Mills, T C. Wood, E. Elliott and C. Mills, of Master ton, were second in the vocal quartette with 167 points. Wanganui was first with 168 points. The judge stated that he had the greatest difficulty in making the award, of such excellence was the singing. The annual meeting of shareholders in the Union Steam Ship Company was held yesterday, at Dunedin, when a final dividend of 2| per cent, was declared on preference shares, making •5i- per cent, for the year. It was regretted that the unsatisfactory results of the year’s working did not warrant the payment of a further dividend on ordinary shares.

The Prime Minister stated in the House that the time might come when, in order to ensure a constant supply of sugar to the people of the Dominion, the Government would have to buy out the Sugar Refining Company’s interests in Fiji. “That is a very big thing,’’ a member interject od. “I know it is, ’’ was Mr Massey’s reply, ‘ 1 and I don’t want to do it. ’ ’

A Dunedin Press Association telegram states that Mr J. T. Paul has declined ’nomination for the position of workers’ representative on the Arbitration Court. In announcing this decision, Mr Paul said: “My only anxiety in this connection is that the unions will be careful to choose a man who is in sympathy with the principle of arbitration, so that the whole community may reap the advantages of the system.” The Minister of Education stated in the House that his Department had stopped the allowance of 5s weekly to children who board and attend District High Scho’tfc, This, he said, was due to the anomaly that no such allowance could be paid children attending a separate High School, but only that attached to a primary school. Therefore, when a District High School was disestablished the children lost the allowance. A Makerua flaxmiller states that yellow leaf is becoming a serious menace to the industry, and that in another eight or ten years there will be little milling flax left in the on.eefamous Makerua swamps. He stated that the blackberry was also becoming a big obstacle in the swamps, and where the yellow leaf got in and killed the flax the blackberry became established where the flax was growing formerly. It was almost as big a problem as yellow leaf.

The contract for the supply of headstones for war graves in New Zealand has just been completed and arrangements made for delivery of 160 stones to complete Palmerston North and Featherston cemeteries within twelve months. The number required for Palmerston North cemetery is small, and should be ready for erection within two or three months.

At the Auckland Police Court yesterday, Mabel Ryan (28), Frances Ellen Gledhill (21), and Queenie Harwood (18), who were found on Chinese premises, were charged with being idle and disorderly. Ryan was also charged with being a rogue and a vagabond. All the accused were stylishly dressed. The police gave evidence that when they visited the Chinese premises they * found all the three girls in a room with Chinese. Ryan and Harwood were placed on probation for three years. The former is to go to the Magdalen Home at M ellington for twelve months, and Harwood is t<r put in three months of her probation in the Salvation Army Home in Auckland. In the case of Gledhill decision was reserved. Major J. C. Hill, of Wellington, recently petitioned Parliament for compensation for loss of employment under the Defence Department, and the Defence Committee recommended that his claims should be settled on the basis on which those of other members , of the Samoan constabulary had been settled. Mr W. S. Glenn, M.P., said that the petitioner had had his three years ’ engagement as inspector of the Samoan constabulary terminated without notice. What he desired was compensation for the unexpired part of the term. The Minister of External Affairs (Hon. E. P. Lee) said that the Government had offered the petitioner an engagement at a higher salary (£6OO per annum) as head of the police in Samoa, but he had declined the offer .. KUR VAR VANE (Regd.). ”WThe renowned Varicose Remedy. This preparation is recommended on the authority of the medical profession to be a most beneficial and healing remedy on the treatment of varicose ulcers, bad legs, eczema, etc. Prices 4/6 and 6/6. Procurable only from Gordon’s Pharmacy, Queen street, Masterton.

A party of Levin shootists visited the shag rookeries at the head of the Ohau river last week-end, and accounted lor over 20 of these undesirables. Regulations under the Explosives gjid Dangerous Goods Amendment Act. 1920, take effect as by-laws in the following boroughs:—Carterton, Ekctahuna, Featherston, Woodville, Martinborough (town district). It is stated that several Masterton Maoris who visited Ratana within the last week or two have returned cured. One of the patients was believed to b ■ suffering from a form of leprosy which European medicine could not. affect. He is now believed to be entirely cured. The Wairarapa Automobile Association is to be informed by the Welling ton City Council in reply to their request for a contribution towards the cost of fences on the road crossing the Rimutaka Hill that the council is un able to comply with the request, on account of lack of funds. “That the offer of a corporation lessee to sell the goodwill of his leasehold farm at Pahiatua be not accepted” was a recommendation made to the Wellington City Council by the Leaseholds Committee. The Mayor said that the people who held leaseholds from the council were in a bad way. They had purchased the leases from previous holders and one man paid £BO per acre, while another paid £6O. The price of farm produce hud fallen considerably since then, and he thought the lessees would soon approach the council for relief. ‘ ‘ When we had the

opportunity to sell when the times were good, ’ ’ added the Mayor, ‘‘ we should have sold.”

A general meeting of the Masterton Choral Society will be held in the Y.M.C.A. rooms on Monday evening at 8 o’clock. A full atendance of members and intending members is requested. At 11 a.m. to-day Mr A. T. Dickason will offer for sale, at his rooms (under instructions from the Masterton. Trust Lands Trustees), the lease of part section 85, Masterton, situated at the corner of Bruce and Dixon streets. Particulars are advertised.. As only a limited number of suits and costumes can be made before Christmas Alex. Donald, ladies’ and gent’s tailor, notifies his customers that orders should be placed at once. Orders for the New Year are now being booked for holiday suits and costumes. The many patrons of the Cosy De Luxe will be both surprised and delighted when they read of the extra special two-star feature programme announced for to-night, “The Invisible Divorce,” a real modern life pieture. and the second one is the happy, snappy comedy success “Help Wanted Male, ’ ’ the story of a telephone girl’s legacy of £2OO and what she did Aith it. Seats can be reserved at Henderson ’s or Theatre, 1288.