The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 323, 24 November 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1879.

A correspondent, writing to us on the approaching Mayoral contest, says :- In the person of one of the candidates for the Mayoral election we have one of the pioneers of the Masterton Small Farm Association, Messrs Renall, Carter, and Jackson have more claim on thejfgratitudc of the present inhabitants of this district than any three men living. They, with others, purchased the whole of the 120 town acres, and with a liberality and foresight not often to be met with, set aside and endowed the town with some 30 acres in perpetuity. For convenience the Crown Grants for the whole of the town acres were issued in the name of Mr Carter, and he gave a title to all purchasers. There ' was nothing to prevent these three men from selling the lands (now held in trust for the town) for their own benefit. Many ot us who arc now reaping the benefit of these men's wise liberality are little aware of the amount of time and money they have devoted to the township, and when one of their number comes forward and seeks the highest honors we have to bestow, it becomes our bounden duty to set aside party feelings and allow him to take that position so justly his due. Since his first settlement in the district Alfred William Renall has taken a prominent part in promoting and personally executing most of the public works in the district without

fee or favor, and that lie has the ability to fulfil the duties appertaining to the office of Mayor no one can doubt." We quite agree with our correspondent that Mr Eenall deserves consideration for past services, but we should be sorry to see the election determined by any mere feeling of gratitude for past favors. It is to the interests of the Borough to return the man best fitted

for the position, and it is our duty to point out that the interests of the Borough must be paramount over any question of mere sentiment. If it can

be shown that Mr Eenall is better fitted for doing the work of the Council, by all means return him. If, on the other hand, Mr feist is better calculated to discharge the duties of the office, it is a public duty on the part of the burgesses to give him the preference, To a certain extent the views of

the candidates, as expressed at to-night's meeting, will affect the result of the election, But the weight to be attached to them is limited by the fact that a Mayor is powerless to cany out his own views unless he has the support of a majority in the Council. The functions of a Mayor are to preside at Council meetings, to see that the business

thereat is conducted in a proper manner, and to take care that the wishes of the Council, as expressed by resolutions, are carried kto effect. The main question for the burgesses is which candidate is the most suitable for filling the chair at meetings and giving effect to the decisions of the Council, and we trust the election will be determined on these grounds and not prejudiced by side winds.

On Saturday last, at a boys' cricket match, Greytown beat Featherston in one innings,

A rifle match, Single v Married was fired at Greytown on Saturday last, The single men scored 299, and the married 242.

A late Cape paper says:—" Business in Natal, since the war, is in a very depressed condition. Merchants, who did not anticipate so early a termination of hostilities, are overburdened with stocks of grain and provisions, the markots for which are glutted. Mealies (maize) has been sold as low as Is Gd per sack of 2001bs.

A cricket match was played at Featherston on Saturday last, between the Masterton and Featherston Clubs. In the first innings Peatherston triumphed, Mr I. J. Salmon making 63 off his own bat, In the second, Masterton was retrieving the lost ground, when bad weather compelled the players to knock off. We will publish the scores in our next issue. The friends of the Rev J. Paterson will regret to learn that he met with rather a serious accident at Kaikoura a few days ago._ He was in the act of mounting a restive horse, when the animal reared and fell over some logs. The result was that Mr Paterson's shoulder blade was dislocated, but fortunately he sustained no further injuries. He returned to Wellington as soon as possible after the accident, and is now doing as well as could be expected. The Presbytery of Wellington held the usual 'quarterly meeting en Wednesday last, the Rev James McKee acting as Moderator. The Moderator reported that Mr Eobert McGregor was now prepared to come up for his final examination prior to applying for a license. At the request of the KevP. Brown, Messrs J. McGregor and W. w. McCardle wero appointed assessors to form with him a provisional session at Waihenga and Burnside.

The annual Wesleyan district meeting was held in Wellington lust week. Araon» the properties purchased during the year for church purposes was half an acre of land in South Greytown and five acres at Maunceville. With a view to the more efficient working of the Wairarapa, it was decided that Masterton should for the future be its head. The Scandinavian mission in connection with the church was spoken of in favorable terms.

The girls at Girton (says the World) are organising a fire brigade, and they are doing it without ' fanfaronnade,' but in a spirit of thoroughness, energy, and selfhelp and with an independence of the aid of man which I consider simply appalling We had the privilege of talking the other day to a fair and altogether feminine young student, who is herself underpin* the training of a fireman, and who told us all about it. It seems that in the event of a fire m their college the ladies would really have to depend on their own exertions, so they have determined to be equal to the difficulty.

A couple have been sentenced to matrimony in rather a curious way. A young man and a young woman were contesting possession of a piece of property, the one claiming under an old lease, the other under an old will "It just strikes me," said the judge, "that there is a pleasant and easy way to terminate this old law suit. The plaintiff appears to be a respectablo young man, and this is a very mce young woman. (Laughter.) They can both get married, and live happily on the farm. If they goon with law proceedings it will be all frittered away between the lawyers, who, I am sure, are not ungallant enough to wish the marria'o not to come off." The young lady blushed and the young man stammered they ■liked each other a little bit," so a verdict was entered for the plaintiff on condition of his promise to marry the defendant within two months.

The French Moniteur, writing on the subject of Imperial Federation, expresses He belief that the chief event markin* the close of the century would be a federation of all British possessions bound firmly together into the Empire. The same paper thinks that the forces by sea and land which the Empire would be able to dispose of would be so colossal that they could only be counterbalanced by federation of the other States to maintain the bslanceof power in Europe. Sir Wilfrid Lawson, at an agricultural dinner in Cumberland recently, told a good story illustrating the effects of hard times on the farmers :-One Scotch farmer had determined, in spite of the bad times, to pay his rent if it were his last shilling and saying to the factor who received it, l lt is my last shilling," he threw down a roll of notes. The factor counted them and said, "There is £SO too much." Odds, man," said the farmer, " I put mv hand m the wrong pouch."

[ The following account was presented the other day to the Edenbury Board of Guardians:-« To Patrick Grogane, the debtor, to eating and drinking a relieving officer with a can of paste, and brush, wlide travelling to put up advertisements in eight divisions of the Union, £l." The charge was for posting notices relating to the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act Why it was necessary to eat the relieving officer with a can of paste and a brush! deponent sayeth not; but thechargefor so great feat appears very small. Yery few people, even in Ireland, would have done it for the price.