LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXII, Issue 9704, 8 November 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Masterton Homing Pigeon Club are holdiug au interval race from Ohristchuroh to-morrow, for which four birds have been entered.

The ordinary meeting of the Masterton County Council will be held on Wednesday next, it having been postponed on account of to-morrow being a public holiday.

The Y.M.O. A. Debating Society intends to briug its season to a close with a social eveuing, to be held at the rooms on Monday, 15th inst. All members and their friends are invited. A programme of songs and recitations has been arranged.

Some time last night about two degrees of frost were registered, but at sunrise these had disappeared, and no mischief is recorded. On the 12th November last year eight degrees of frost were recorded, and this particular visitation did harm to tender plants.

At Knox Church, yesterday, the services were of au unusually impressive nature. In'the , morning the Bey. A. T. Thompson preached a preOommuuiou sermon, basing his remarks on tho text, "This do iv remembrance of Mβ," after which the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was dispensed, there being a fairly large number of communicants despite the boisterous weather. Iv the evening Mr Thompson delivered au interesting and earnest after-Oommunion address.

The Mastertou Orchestral Society will hold their next concert on Tuesday, 16th inst.

The sum of £13 was taken iv aid of the Methodist Sunday School funds at yesterday's services.

Tho local Congregational Church aud Sunday School will hold their auuual picnic to-morrow in Mr Waglaud's paddock.

At the sub-district rneetiug of Kechabite Lodge in Wellington to-mor-row, che Masterton Tent will be represented by Bros. Threadwell aud J. Andrews, who leave for Wellington in the morning.

It is stated that no loss of stock has takeu place in the Lower Valley through the cold snap. Pastures and stock are reported to be in cip-top condition. The garden at "Rototawai," Mr W. Bidwill's property, is resplendent with beautiful roses, many of the blooms being perfect.

Oaliforniau thistle is rapidly increasing in this district and threatens to be serious in the future. It is said that the seed is carried down waterways from neglected Government reserves.

The British aud Australian mails which left Sydney by the last Wednesday for Auckland arrived at the latter port at 10 o'clock yesterday morning The Wairarapa portion of the mails left Auckland by the Main Trunk express at 9.16 o'clock last night, and should arrive at Mastertou this evening.

A cab was leaving the Queen's Wharf, Wellington, on Saturday evening, when a train approaching from tiie Lambtou station crashed into the vehicle and smashed the back portion, wheels and rear axle of the cab. There were no passengers in the cab. The driver, Anderson, received an ugly scalp wound. The horses were uuiniured.

A Chinaman's horse aud cart created a diversion in Liucoln-ioad on Saturday afternoon. The horse had evideutiy concluded that the daily routine of hawking vegetables at a jog trot was somewhat monotonous, aud by way of a change set off down the street at a gallop, with a (Jelestial sitting in the bottom of the cart amidst a conglomeration of vegetables, vainly holding on to the reins. .Fortunately, the horse was stopped before it had proceeded very far, and was brought back to start once more the daily, monotonous round.

An auxious time was exoerieuced by Mr aud Mrs* E. Praguell, of Dixbustreet, ou Saturday moruiug, when it was discovered that their little two-year-old boy was missing from home. A diligent search was at ouce made by some of the neighbours, who failed to trace the litrle fellow. The police were informed by telephone coueerniug the missing child, who had iv the msautime been brought to the station. He had been found wandering iv the vicinity of the railway station, after an absence from home of three aud a-half hours. The suspense to the parents during the search may well be imagined, aud they feel very grateful to Master Drummond, who found the boy, and to Mrs Miller, who attended to his wants at the police stariou.

Out of the three huudred and twenty drawings forwarded from the various Technical Schools throughout the Domiuiou to the Palmerston North Show for competition, five were sent from the Mastertou Technical School, aud it is very gratifying to learn that one of the five received third prize in its particular class, aud carries with it a certificate. This proves that Masterton is not behind hand with regard to the drawing taleut at the Technical School, considering that the work iv question was iv competition with the Dunediu, Wellington, Aucklaud, Palmerstou North aud other Technical Schools, and also reflects credit upou the drawing instructor. Mr l< , . Edward Lamb, F.N.Z.1.A., who has only had charge of the drawing classes for the last two seasons. The successful student was Thomas A. Gray, of Mastertou, aud the subject six problems in plane aud solid geometrical drawing.

Interviews with a lumber of bank clerks, says au Auckland telegram, indicate that dissatisfaction exists in the service. Men are leaving the banks, and a satisfactory class of recruits is not coin lug forward. One complaint is that while a junior may rise to £100 in four years, it takes him ten or twelve years to reach £200. Few men uuder 30 are getting £200, and until they reach that figure they are forbidden by a majority of the banks to marry. The chief cause of dissatisfaction is that there is no grading system, and salary bears no necessary relation to competency and responsibility. Promotions are haphazard, and, wheu made, do not necessarily mean increase of salary. One may receive only half the wages paid to a man doing similar work. Promotion rests with the inspectors on the recommendation of managers, and this is stated to lead to a lot of toadying. Dissatisfaction is also felt that the banks doing business in tralia as well as New Zealand bring the higher paid officials from Australia.

Every year, between October 25th and November sth, a certain bird migrates from New Guinea and the Solmnou Islands to New Zealand, where it is known as our long-tailed cuckoo. Mr O. Bauuister informs us that it duly appeared last week, and will as usual proceed to lay eggs in the nests of a small bird, which he has noticed in past seasons feeding an infant cuckoo several times larger thau itself. This New Zealand cuckoo has no pbiuts as asoug bird, but emits a peculiar scraechiug sound. Other birds are not friendly with it, and it is wont, wheu frightened, to crouch longways on a bough, instead of across it, so that it may not be easily discerned. Its colour is often much the same as the bough on which it r9sts. It has been a Maori custom to plant late potatoes when this bird appears, as they regard it as the herald of summer. The native name of the long-tailed cuckoo is Koekoea, and the small bird whose nest it uses is the Riroriro, sometimes known as "the little warbler." The Koekoea is semi-nocturnal in its habits, and is chased by other birds of the bush, which regard it as a stranger and as an intruder.

One of the most successful races of the season was flown by the Masterton Homing Pigeon Club from Ohakuue on Saturday. The birds, numbering 35, from eleven lofts, were kindly liberated by the stationmaster, Mr Wooclbury, at 11 a,m. sharp in fine but cloudy weather. The first bird was "clocked" here at 1.17 p.m., doing the distance of 108 miles in the very creditable time of two hours seventeen minutes. This is the best velocity registered during the present season, working out at the rate of 48 miles per hour, although it is considered that it must have been about sixty miles per hour prior to the bird arriving at the Bush district, where it was raining. Results are aopeuded:—Mr H. W. Lett's '' Surf II.," 1389 yards per minute, 1; Mr H. M. Wilton's "Electra," 1383 yards per minute, 2; Mr J. Bradbury's "Overhaul," 1382 yards per minute, 3; Mr J. A. Syverston's "Speedwell," 1381 yards per minute. 4. Messrs W. Dowling and A. Miller acted as judges in their usual competent manner.

The usualineetiug of the Masterton Co-operative Dairy Company was held on Saturday afternoon. *No business of importance was transacted. ijW . Cricket (by "The Bowler" and by JH "Point") on page 2; Mr Pickwick's lun. Gladstone Notes, aud Eire-grown Flowers on page 8; Sporting and Mas-tertou-Waipukurau Railway on page 6; Home Life of the Eskimos and South Wairarapa Newa on page 7.

During the ensuing year the Wellington City Council will be represented on the Charitable Aid Board by Councillors Cohen, Morrah, McLaren and Deviue.

At Palmerston Agricultural and Pastoral Association's Summer Show, which concluded on Friday, four first and one second prizes for geldings in regular work went to horses owned and exhibited by the Wellington City Corporation. They beat ten other competitors.

The Opaki Rifle Club will commence the first of two field days tomorrow at the Fairview range. Champiouship trophies will be decided on the aggregate of both days. Shoot" ing is to commence at 8 a.m. over ranges of 200, 500, 600, 800, 900 and 1000 yards.

A dispute between the Government aud the Wellington City Council re payment of the cost of repairing water mains damaged by slips of earth on che Hutt-road near the scene of the railway duplication works, is to be amicably settled. The city authorities intended suing for the amouut, £828, and the Government offered to pay half. The Council has agreed to accept the offer.

Mr W. Dinnie, Commissioner of Police, is preparing a lengthy reply to the criticisms passed upon his administration of the police force by Mr H. W. Bishop. S.M., sitting as a Royal Commission, aud the document will be presented to Parliament this week. When the result of the Addiugtou Railway Workshops inquiry was reported to Parliament, it was accompanied by a memorandum from the Geueral Manager of Railways, dealing,as Mr Diunine's memorandum proposes,with the opinions and recommendations contaiued therein.

To-days-share market quotations appear on page 8.

A sheep dog is advertised for sale. An advertiser wants to rent a whare or room suitable for a " batch."

Grills will be obtainable at the Kia Ora Tea Rooms from 5.30 till 7 p.m., to-morrow. Supper will be obtainable after the fireworks display

An owner is wanted for a red heiier straying on Mr J. Hourigan's property at Manaia for nine weeks past.

The White Fruit Shop, next Pinhey's, is now making a specialty of high-class confectionery and summer drinks.

The Arcadia Tea llooms will be open from 5.30 to 10 p.m. to-morrow (Tuesday) on account of the fireworks display.

The poundkeeper inserts a notice with reference to a bay gelding impounded from Lansdowne.

A notice in connection with an application for divorce, made by John Henry Crawford against Florence Lily Crawford, is published on page 1 of this issue.

Messrs J. A. J. Maclean and Co: have decided to commence the sale of Mrs James' furniture at I*2 o'clock sharp on Wednes day. This has been found necessary owing to the large number of lines to be offered.

Tho cricketing season is now open, and the W.F.C.A. are prepared for big business. A glance at the Wanted Column will give some idea of the value this firm are offering, and a walk thro ugh the warehouse will be most convincing.

Hooper and Co., the up-to-date drapers, have now opened thjir first instalments of New Spring and Summer Millinery, and have now showing in their windows one of the finest displays ever made in Masterton. The goods are marked at very moderate prices., which should ensure a quick sale.*

The best and cheapest furniture obtainable in the Wairarapa is procured from the Furnishing Dept., W.F.C.A.*

Wood's Corn Solvent, a very valuable remedy for removal of corns, warts, and bunions. Price Is. H. T. Wood, Pharmacist and Chemist (by exam.), Masterton.*