LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, 22 February 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A well known private hotel in Auckland was sold a few days ago for £17,000.

In 15-rounds fought last night at Wanganui between Eugene Volaire and Andre Dupre, Volaire won on points after an even fight. The total eclipse of the moon was plainly visible from Masterton yesterday morning. Totality commenced at 1.48 a.m. and lasted for 1 hour 38min.

Steps are being taken to move for the amalgamation of the four boroughs of Dcvonport, Takapuna, Northcote and ’Birkenhead. Motors were able to pass over the Packakariki hill on Wednesday, the slip, which brought down 500 tons of hillside on Sunday, now being cleared sufficiently. Lorries are still forbidden traffic. / The New Zealand Automobile Union has decided to recommend fol inclusion in the new Motor Regulation Act that horse-drawn vehicles should carry a red tail light, and that push “bikes” have a red reflector.

When the proposed petrol tax was under discussion at the half-yearly meeting of the New Zealand Automobile Union the position of the fishing community was mentioned. One of the delegates considered that it would be a fair tax on the fishermen, as they carted their fish over the roads.

At the meeting of the Masterson Technical .School Board last night itwar. decided to write off an amount of about £9 tv ing for rent of a cottage, the tenant having ’eft, “no address.” Mr J W. Blackman remarked: is generally expensive to chase money cf that kind.

A Wanganui “Chronicle” reporter was shown a sample of Australian wheat, for which 5/6 a bushel is asked. It was riddled with weevil and not even up to the standard of good fowl wheat. The berries had a shrivelled appearance, and compared very unfavourably with some of the locally grown Tuscan variety. The first shipment of Australian fowl wheat is due to arrive at Auckland by the Katoa in a few days. The purchase has been made by the Government, and the price will include the ordinary duty, but it will bo lower than the price recently ruling for southern. The bulk of the shipment will be distributed from the ship’s side.

” The* beautifying of railway stations,” said Mr T. D. Lennie Suring the course of a lecture to nurserymen at Dunedin “is a system which might well be adopted in New Zealand. One or two stations in the Dominion have some wry pretty gardens and approaches, but they have been grown solely by the man in charge, and there has been little encouragement on the part of the Department.” An interesting comparison may be made of the extent to which labour is employed in the various classes of farming throughout New Zealand. There are no paid employees on 1491 agricultural holdings, 3819 dairying holdings, and 12.317 pastoral holdings. The number of employees are as follow (the figures irf parentheses showing the number of holdings employing labour): —Agricultural (8998), 18,417; dairying (35,006), 78,564; pastoral (23,895), 49,399.

A committee of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce reporting its regarding a parcels service via San Francisco or Vancouver, state • hat the proposed service of 40 days bad little to recommend it against the present Panama service of 38 to 42 days, and the extra charge would be unwarranted except in exceptional cases. The committee, however, urged that the postal authorities be asked to allow an increase in the size of parcels carried via Panama from 4ft to 6ft in length and girth combined, even if some increase in rates would be entailed. It was pointed out that the present size restriction places British exporters under a disability compared with, the Americans, who use the San Francisco or Vancouver routes.

A small English letter mail*is expected to reach Masterton to-day. The railway bridge across the Tauranga Harbour is fa.-t n-arly completion. Prolific growths of mushrooms are t) be observed around Masterton since the rain. A team of Auckland cricketers will leave next week to play a senes of matches in Fiji. Applications for 10 blocks df t»o Mount Pisa (Otagc'i run, aggregating 128,522 acres, number 200. Official statistics of the import of motor vehicle- into M'.v 1923 show that c»f the cars, 73 cent, were delilven d to North Island ports and 27 per cent, io the South Island. In 1922, the North Island received 70 per cent. A bo: lie of lajei beer, at least 30 years old, was recovered from the wreck of the steamer Wairarapa, which has been at the bottom off the Great Barrier since 1394. Those who sampled the liquor sail it was: as good as any to be had in Auckland. A petition from certain carrying firms in Wanganui came before the Borough Council asking that Q'O Council pass a by law pn.hilnting taxidrivers from carrying more t» .ui 201 b of luggage for each passenger carried, also protesting against the taxi-drivers without passengers, whether charged for or not. councilkr.-. considered the request was ab u’G; and decided not to take any acton An accident which narrowly escaped proving fatal occurred on Monday when the top porcicn of a wall built of concrete blocks, in a house that is under construction in East street, Claudelands, Hamilton, was blown over by the wind. Several men were working on and near the wall when the accident happened, but fortunately no one was struck. Attacked by a wild pig while he was attemping to capture it at Marsden, near GYcymouth, Mr G. D. Coburn, well known in West Coast trotting circles, was lucky to escape without any serious injury. Ho is now laid up with several stitches in one of his legs, the result of a wound caused by the animal’s tusks. Mr Coburn, with his dogs, succeeded in running the pig to earth. The animal rushed him, afterwards escaping. Mr Coburn, bleeding profusely, managed to reach his horse and trap and drive into Greymouth. Four new guns for the Sixteenth Battery are due to arrive in Christchurch shortly. The new weapons are 3.7 pack howitzers. They fire a shell of 201 b, and have a range of 6000 yards. They are intended for close support for infantry. They arc an entirely new weapon, evolved t-ince the war, and used with great success in frontier fighting in India. The guns can bo wheeled or packed on horses or mules, and can be quickly bkd, and brought into operation. after their arrival they will be fired rthe battery, probably at Springfield. W A flock Southdown ram donated by / Mr Jlobert Buick was put up to wuejr tion at the Masterton ram fair yesterday in aid of the farmers’ queen (Mi** E Burling). It was knocked down in. succession to Mr O. A. Bunny 5 gns, Mr Guy Williams 4 gns, Mr W. A. Burling 4 gns, Sir Waiter Buchanan 2 gns, and was finally purchased by Mr D. Ingley for 4 gns. Another ram, a 2-shear flock Southdown, donated by Mr R. M. Perry, was offered also on behalf of the fanners’ queen. Ths sheep was knocked down in succession to Mr W. A. Burling gns, Mr J. M. James 8 gns, Mr J L. Murray 5 gns, and was finally sold to the Mcßae Estate for 7 gns. The danger to lilfe arising from the presence of weeds in the Havelo- k North river was exemplified on Friday says the “Haw'kcs Bay Herald”) by the fact that two lads were nearly drowned. A youth went out to the middle of the river to rescue some sheep, which were in difficulties. He was caught in the weeds, and when he became almost totally exhausted he called out to his brother, who was working about 100 yards away. His j brother, fully clad, swam to Lis rescue, I and it took him all his time to get his I brother and himself ashore, owing to j the entangling water growths. Both I boys hold swimming certificate’:, and | were quiute capable of swimming cons siderable distances were it not for the I weed obstruction?. ' * Bay mare lost, j Home wanted for boy. Furnished rooms wanted. ’ Stirrup lost near station. I Grant Six motor car for sale. I Black and tan smooth-haired dog lost. ! Gold brooch set with pearls lost at • Showgrounds. The Wairarapa Farmers’ announce ' that their boot sale is still going ( strong and advertise a few specials in the wanted columns. | Load wanted by Monday evening for motor lorry going to» Dannevirke. | Auction sale at Gerrand’s this afternoon. I The Masterton Auctioneering Co. will hold their usual weekly sai *his afternoon. Particulars are advertise on page 8. Mrs R. M. of Dun Principal of the famous “Kiex-ma ? ” Treatment for Skin Diseases, wishes to notify Masterton residents that consul tat ions may be arranged at her rooms at the Empire Hotel from Saturday, 23rd, to Tuesday, February 2G. “Klexenia” is a treatment that is always successful in cases of eczema, psoriasis, trene and all skin eruptions, including scalp troubles. The Klexema Principal may be consulted free. Ring for appointment. Telephone 1493. The captain and the ship’s cat were the last to leave the British steamer Somcrsby (3647 tons), which was wrecked off Cape Finisterre, in the Bay of Biscay. Eight Wilton rugs were stolen fro n the belfry of Chcrtsey Parish Church. This is the latest of an extensive serie.q of carpet thefts from Surrey churches.