LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXX, Issue 8378, 20 February 1906, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Another case of plague is reported from Fromantle.

A cable message states that Prince Arthur of Connaught has arrived at Yokohama.

The amount of alcoholic liquor of all kinds consumed per head in the United Kingdom declined considerably last year.

By cable we le.arn that Mont Pelce is again in active eruption. An earthquake at St. Lucia damaged every building in that town.

A Paris message slates that Lord Ashburton has married, at Paris, Frances Belmont, a member of Charles IJawtrey's theatrical company.

Thus writes a practical minded contemporary :—"Poets are a luxury, not a necessity. The lay of a hen is far more valuable than all the lays of .forty poets.

The first cricket match between England and Australia took place on the 9th of February, 18(52. On the same day of 1869, a nugget of gold weighing 2269 ounces was found at Morragul,

Over one hundred thousand people have died from" sleeping sickness" on Lake Victoria Nyanza in the lfret few years, and the report on the Uganda states that the disease has begun to attack Europeans.

A torpid liver is valuable if it happens to be the liver of a whale. From this organ comes ambergris, and it is estimated that the ambergris from a single whale may be worth £10,000.

Mr J. Stuckey gives notice that he has laid poison for dogs, on his property in Perry-street. He has been compelled to do this owing to his having sustained losses in previous years through dogs worrying Show sheep.

An Oamaru paper announces that the licensee of the Queen's Hotel, the largest hostelry in that town, has leased the building to a local firm of confectioners and caterers, as from July Ist next. The new proprietors intend to use the hotel as a firstclass accommodation house for purposes of their business.

Under the new Education Act the whole of the sitting members of Education Boards will retire in May next A new election will be held under the ward system. Each education district is to be divided into three wards. The members are to be elected by School Committees as at present

" Pictorial Comedy," the journal that has m ade a specialty of the reproduction of Dana Gibson's studies, announces that the artist (of whom it had been stated that he was giving up black and white work to take up oil painting) will continue to pursue the style of art in connection with which his name has become world-famous.

Mr St. George, chemist, has commenced bnsiness in Mr Pragnells' new premises, lower Queen-street. His shop is replete with a full stock of drugs, toilet requisites, etc., of the very best quality. Mr St. George hopes, by strict attention to business, and stocking only first-class goods to merit a fair share of public support.

Mr Clement L. Wragge, F.R.G.S., in writing to a friend, says that he will probably be out in New Zealand again this year lecturing. He has a book in the press, and shortly to pc published, called "A Romance of the South Seas," which no doubt will be a most entertaining and educational work. It will be on sale shortly in New Zealand.

A deputation, headed by the Mayor, waited on the Premier, at Oamaru, yesterday, to ask that that portion of the Magistrate's decision placing the boy, who had been found guilty of placing an obstruction on the railway line, in an industrial school should be remitted. The Premier emphatically declined to do so, saying that it was necessary for the public safety that such offences should be severely dealt with, and he would not interfere with the Magistrate's judgment.

At the Eketahuna Magistrate's Court, yesterday, before Mr W. P. James, S.M., the following cases were dealt with : —T. Foreman v. J. Burling; claim £15, judgment for amount and costs £2 0s 6<l. Loan and Mercantile v. Fiyger Bros ; claim £45 9s 2d, judgment for amount and costs £3 (is Gd. Mohia Mahanga was charged with the theft of £1 10s from James Clark, Storekeeper, Hamua. Considerable evidence was taken. The accused denied taking the money. The S.M. gave accused the benefit of the doubt and dismissed the case.

Writes our Mauricevillecorrespondent:— The following are the three best aggregates including handicaps, in the competitions among the Mauriceville RiJles for VicePatron's medal. There were three competicompetitions at 200, 500 and 600 yards, seven shots at each distance :—A. A. Das™ , , 257, 1 ; C. E. Blewett, 256, 2 ; R. F. Wilton, 221, 3. The finish of this competition was somewhat exciting, C. Blewett requiring eleven points for his last three shots but owing to the tricky wind he only scored ten points, leaving A. A. Dagg the winner by one point.

In Tokio, the capital of Japan, there exists a gigantic statue of a woman, made of wood and plaster, and dedicated to Ilachiman, the god of -war. In height it measures 54 ft, the head alone, which is reached by a winding stairway in the interior of the figure, being large enough to comfortably hold twenty persons. The figure holds a huge wooden sword in one hand (the blade of the weapon being 27 ft long), and a ball 12 ft in diameter in the other. Internally the figure is fitted up with an extraordinary anatomical arrangement, supposed to represent the different portions of the brain.

The new railway station at Dunedin will be lit throghout with electricity, and steps are now being taken to procure the necessary plant, A 70-horse power engine (gas or oil), coupled to a 40 killowat dynamo, will bo installed for the purpose, and will supply a current for the new building and the lighting of the station yards and platforms. The plant will be erected in the station ground. Messrs Turnbull and Jones have secured the contract for supplying all fittings, and the work is now being carried out by the railway electrical staff. The general work in connection with the building is progessing steadily. The floor and wall tiles are now being laid, and a start has been made with the construction of the platforms. There is little doubt the station will be finished in time to open towards the end of Jul\".

A meeting of persons interested in the formation of a , Masterton Amateur Camera Club, to be run in connection with the V.M.C A., was held last evening. Mr A. Donald was in the chair and there were half-a-dozen present. It was reported that a satisfactory number of promises to join the Club had been received, and that there was every prospect of a strong Club being formed. On the motion of Mr D. A. Parton it was decided to form a Masterton Amateur Camera Club. Mr J. F. Lane was elected to the position of president ; Messrs W. Henry, A. Donald and R. W. Carpenter vice-presidents, and Mr E. Burrows secretary and treasurer. The appointment of a working Committee was deferred, also the adoption of rules, which are to be drawn up by Messrs Lane, Henry and Burrows and presented at a general meeting to be held on Monday evening next. It was decided to advise other Camera Clubs throughout the Colony that a dark room will be available to members should their members chance to be passing through Masterton. There are some thirty prospective members;

A cable message states that Yarrow Company at Poplar have acquired land at Glasgow and intend to transfer their shipbuilding works thither. 'jßk, An Adelaide message states that local* "

option polls in six city and suburban districts resulted in substantial Temperance victories, only five districts not favouring reduction of licenses.

Mr W. Wise, an employe of Mr C. E. Daniell, met with an accident while riding to work at Te Whiti, this morning. He had a fall from his bicycle and struck the metalled road with considerable force, sustaining several more or less severe injuries to his face.

A new death-dealing instrument has been invented A Lithuanian gentleman, named M. Feodor Troitz has contrived a gun, worked by electricity, which will fire from four to twelve thousand shots a minute. The range of this new weapon is three miles, and its destructive power, if all claims on its behalf are genuine, should put in the shade such trivial toys as magazine rifles. The gun only requires one man to work it.

Mr James Bennie, architect of Wellington, is on a visit to Masterton, to-day, accompanied by Mr J. Hunter, who is the sucdessM| tenderer for the block of buildings tj Wr ,

erected in Queen-street for Mr J. L. Murray. Mr Hunter was one of the firm who erected the Town Hall in Wellington, and he starts, to-morrow, to lay the foundation of Mr Murray's buildings. The architect desires to thank local tenderers who forwarded prices to him.

The " Simple Life " craze seems to have set in rather severely in Timaru recently, judging by the number of children of both sexes, who run about the town with bare feet. This new fashion in footwear, or rather the absence of footwear for children is not confined to the bay, or even to the streets, as was evidenced the other Sunday evening at one of the largest churches in the town, when a lady came in accompanied by two little boys, both innocent of shoes or stockings.

At the meeting of the Floral Fete Executive Committee, an oiler was received from Messrs Krahagen and Chapman, to give a pair of trousers made to order as a prize for a guessing competition. The offer was accepted. For the purpose of the competition a bottle was filled with buttons by Mr W. B. Chennells, this morning, and sealed by Mr E. G. Eton, and the key 4v the box into which the tickets are to l3^*

placed has been left at the Daily Times office. The prize will be awarded to the person guessing nearest to the number of buttons in the bottle.

Mr W. Pragnell advertises for sale a cob pony, and will allow any trial.

A woman for light cooking and housework is required by an advertiser.

A situation as working manager on farm or station is required by an advertiser.

A competent improver for the millinery department is required by Messrs Hendry and Buxton.

Mr J. Carpenter, of the Central Shoe Store, invites visitors to the Show to call and inspect a shipment of rubber goods, which he has just landed.

J. R. Nicol will sell on Thursday, at his Bannister-street rooms, a splendid consignment of drapery and clothing, on account of the British Trading and Importing Company. The goods will be on view to-morrow and are well worthy of inspection being new and right up-to-date. «&

Slrawson's White Oils horse oils etc., are exhibited at the Masterton A. and P. Show, under the charge of Mr Burkett, the proprietor. He has many excellent testimonials from well-known Wairarapa dents, recommending the oils for ism and lumbago.

A powerful machine for heavy cutting is the McCormick Daisy Reaper. Morrow Bassett and Co., Christchurch. —Advt.

The well known Japanese Mats, which may be used either as Hearth Rugs or Bedroom Mats, are now being sold for 2/6 each at the AV.F.C.A., Ltd., Furnishing Depart-mont.—-Advt.

The Zealandia woolpress is used on all the big stations throughout the Wairarapa. They will have no other. Masterton Farmers' Implement Company, manufacturers. —Advt.