LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 28 March 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

S» far this month less than a quarter of an inch of rain has fallen in Master! on.

At the Gisborne Magistrate’s Couit vesterdnv. Fergus Gale Dunlop, solicitor, was lined £SO for failure to have his trust account audited. G. H- Lvsnar for failure to make income tax returns for two years past, was lined £lO on each of two charges.

Mr IT. S. Alpe, who is walking from New Plymouth to Wellington on behalf of Dr. Barnardo’s Homes, left the Palmerston North Post 'Office at H a.m. yesterday for Woodvillc. He was farewelled by the Deputy-Mayor (CT. i • Jackson).

W. Mackie, cyclist, who won the Ti-maru-Christchurch road race three years a(t o , and F. J. Carey, another cyclist, have been disqualified for 12 months by the Mairchau Cycling Club from riding anvwhere in New Zealand, on tlie ground of illegal conduct at a recent meeting, when a light was alleged to have occurred.

Andrew Takirangi, the young Maori who pleaded guilty yesterday to having stolen 30s from Hepa Morris, was brought before Mr Free, S.M., in the afternoon for sentence. After hearing the probation officer’s report, the Magistrate convicted accused and placed him on probation for 12 months on the condition that he resides at Homewood.

Last session Parliament voted the sum of £SOO for the purpose of having suitable sites tested for the establishment of an astronomical observatory. With a view to testing the suitability of Fantham’s Peak, 6400 ft up on Mount Egmont, two Hawer a members of the New Zealand Astronomical Society, Messrs F. Gawith and P. O. Dea, made an expedition recently, and they will furnish a report to the Government astronomer. After darkness had fallen they made observations with a 2Hn refracting telescope. They state that the seeing conditions were of the best.

Mrs Marie Burn, the village schoolmistress at Hockliffe, Beds., England, was fined 10s for an assault upon a 13-vear-old schoolboy, Leslie Osborne. Dr. Fawcett said that there were 20 bruises on the boy’s shoulders and arms. The boy said that lie Hit another boy. He was then taken into school and thrashed by the head mistress with a stick, which broke across his back. The chairman (Colonel Fenwick) said the magistrates considered that the boy had an unduly severe thrashing. A new method appears to be a complete reversal of all one has ever heard on the subject of tea-making. Put the requisite amount of tea into a wellheated pot; pour in about a cupful of boiling water, and seven seconds afterwards pour this off the leaves and fill up the teapot with boiling water. The first cupful of water, which one throws away, is said to carry with it the deleterious properties in the tea. Certainly, tea made in this way is deliciously fresh and fragrant, and second — and even third —cups don’t have that horrid stewed taste of tea which lias been standing for some time.

At the conclusion of the performance of the Newcastle Steel Workers’ Band in Masterton last night, the visitors were entertained by the members of the Masterton Municipal Band at a social gathering in the Municipal Social Hall. The Mayor (Mr O. N. C. Pragnell) presided, and extended a welcome to the visitors, and congratulated them on their success throughout the tour, these remarks being supplemented by Mr G. R. Sykes, M.P. In his reply, Mr A. H. Baile (conductor) expressed the band’s thanks for the hospitality extended to them. He also thanked the Masterton Band for their assistance. He mentioned that the tour, which commenced 13 months ago. had so far been self-supporting.

Tlie Newcastle Steel Workers’ Band delighted the audience at the Masterton Opera House last night by their excellent playing. The band is undoubtedly a world-beating combination, and clearly demonstrated how brass band music should be played. The players produced a wonderful volume of full round notes from their instruments, but at the same time were so well under the control of Conductor Baile that the piano passages were played in a sweetly soft and appealing manner. The performance was a real musical treat, and the audience was so demonstrative in its appreciation that repeated encores were demanded.

“Definite speech training is an urgent and immediate necessity,” declared Miss Rose Evans, of Manchester, in a paper on this subject. “Although today thousands of our children can write, spell, do sums, sing and work well, they fail to speak their own native tongue as it should be spoken. Nor must the plight of secondary school children be overlooked. With them the standard of speech is at too low a level. Children from uncultured homes, and those from country places, are at a disadvantage. Unfortunately snobbishness is too often rife, and we cannot get a complete breaking down of class barriers and a real fusion of classes in our secondary schools until speech lessons are regularly given to all the boys and girls in them. English speech is being taught in our schools. But it is worth our while to consider whether school teaching is not too haphazard.”

'The members of the Newcastle Steel Workers’ Band were taken for a motor drive this morning by members, of the Borough Council and other leading citizens. They left by the mid-day train for Palmerston North.

There must be mrfney in -kumaras, says the Auckland Star. A Rcmuera resident noticed a resplendent motor car draw up at her house, and, assuming it to be an ill-timed social call, she hurried to make herself presentable. Judge of her astonishment when the door was opened and a Maori lyoman stood with a basket of kumaras. The Maori woman visited the houses in the stiect, causing consternation at every home, and finally drove away in the ear, with a Maori youth as chauffeur.

Addressing the Manchester Publicity Club recently on “Advertising as a factor in the modern world,” Hir William Edge said: “One thing all advertising men insist on to-day is the straight truth. It doesn’t pay to live a lie, and it doesn’t pay to advertise a lie.” This was being accepted by millions of peope in all civilised countries, and intelligent housewives were beginning more and more to look to the advertising pages of magazines and newspapers for assistance in spending the family income. The time is coming, and it may not be far distant, when magazines and newspapers will be bought for the value of their advertisement pages.

At the annual meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society at Vincent Square, Westminster, a gold medal was awarded to Sir George Ilolford for a wonderful bank of cymbidiums, in which new specimens bore such quaint names as Redstart, Butterfly, Curlew, Lapwing and Warbler. A novelty which secured an award of merit was a giant snowdrop measuring lAin from tij)~ to tip of the petals. It was named Bvzantinus, and shown by Mr C. T. Musgrave, of llascoinbe, Godaiming.

The success of the shop-day held by the ladies of the Lansdowne Presbyterian Church was largely due to the different districts having their own stalls. Much valuable produce in excellent condition was given, and the gross takings, about 120, amply rewarded the Guild, reflecting credit on the Indies of the outlying districts, who, at considerable inconvenience, canvassed for and brought in their goods. In addition to those mentioned in a previous report, the following rendered valuable assistance:-—Lansdowne cake stall, Mesdames H. A. Cunningham and L. W. Howard; sweet stall, girl guides, under Mesdames J. Allan and Wilkinson. Other helpers were Mesdames Good and F. Wrigley. A record alimony decision was made by Mr Justice Owen at Sydney last week, when lie ordered Joseph Reuben Gardiner to pay his wife permanent alimony at the rate of £3600 annually. With her own income of something over £9OO a year, that will mean that Mrs Gardiner will be in receipt of £4500 annually. The case has been an interesting one. for Joe Gardiner, who owns many boot shops in the city, is a wellki own figure in the city. Mrs Ray Gardiner secured a judicial separation fiom her husband last year, and, during these later investigations by the Court it has been proved that Gardiner's income is £IB,OOO a year, derive 1 from the shops and from large real estate investments. And in addition to his payment of £3600 a year, Gardiner has been ordered to pay the income tax on it, meiely a further £9OO each year.

“It has been stated,” said a fiaxworker to a Southland News representative, “that llax workers are leaving the 'llax industry in order to take positions as ploughmen at £2 to £2 10s a week. Do not believe it. You will not find a flax worker take to the [dough unless he is compelled to do so by lack of work in his own line, and at present the flax trade is very busy. The £2 to £2 10s was spoken of as if it were such a big wage that it was attracting flax workers from their own employment, but £2 to £2 10s is such a wage as the flax worker would scorn utterly. He can earn without any trouble 16s a day, which would leave him clear a far greater sum than the maximum £2 10s spoken of as the ploughman’s wage. I know flaxcutters, novices at the game, who can cut two tons of flax a day, where the flax is good. That is equal to 22s a day. A good cutter would cut three tons or more. When one remembers these facts, the assertion that flax cutters are taking to the plough will appear in its true light—utterly ridiculous. ”

Dealing with inland transport, in an address before tlie Wairarapa Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, Mr T. R. Barrel - said the whole of the railway freight rates were being re-cast, and lie thought favourable consideration would lie given to the suggested reductions in primary produce, and improved methods of transit by the establishment of fully loaded through night freight trains to ports. He believed that the Department intended to run night freight trains and have them at the ship’s side each morning. Since 1915 rail freights had increased 050 per cent, while shipping had appreciated 80 per cent. Moreover, the railway charged for gross weight, which allowed only 36 boxes of butter to the ton, whereas the shippers allowed 40 boxes, though the charge necessarily was higher owing to the distance the goods had to be carried. Naturally, it would be said that the Board had been coining money and was now relaxing a little.. He assured them that Wellington was the cheapest port in Australasia, and 150 per cent cheaper than the main ports at Home. Moreover, they had the most up-to-date facilities in the world. The manager of the P. and O. Company said that of all the ports he had visited in the world Wellington was the most modern for loading and handling cargo. They were not extorting money from either producer or importer. They had had no endowments to support them, but the foundations had been well laid by the pioneer members of the board, and they were- now able to make concessions. “We have i not lost sight of the producers’ interests,” concluded Mr Barrel - , “only the reasonable attitude of all the interests represented have made this possible. ” Two peasants at Sonnenberg, in Austria. discontented with their wives and families, agreed to exchange families and see if they could find happiness. One of the peasants had three children and the other five. The peasant with five children refused to exchange his family for the smaller one of his neighbour, whereupon the latter suggested two oxen should make up the deficiency, and to this the other readily agreed. They then sought divorces in order to legalise their position, but later repented, and they met again to see if tb.ey could not cancel the bargain. To this once more they agreed, and during the night the wives and families went back to the original husbands, but the oxen remained in place of the two children. He now refuses to return them. The villagers, appreciating the comedy of the situation, serenaded" the parties.

The ’Varsity (Oxford v. Cambridge) boat race was rowed to-day.

The Auckland Zoo shows- for the financial year just ended a profit of £lO,000.

Mr F. Norris, of Masterton, has received the following letter from the Wellington Education Board:—“1 am directed to acknowledge your efforts for the Institute for the Blind, and to offer you the congratulations of the Board on the highly satisfactory results. ’ ’

A Dunedin Press message states that the family fo the late Alexander Thomson have handed over to the Otago Museum a priceless collection of Maori and other curios, the chief of which is a huge moa egg. There is only one other complete moa egg in New Zealand which also is in the Museum.

“What do you think of the accommodation in no-license Masterton?” was the question put to a member of the Newcastle Steel Workers’ Band. “Oh, the accommodation is tip-top, but theie were not enough bed-clothes on last night, and we could not use the linoleum, as it was tacked down!”

A Masterton resident yesterday received a letter which was addressed to him in the year-" 1920 from England to India while he was en route to New Zealand. The letter has been knocking round various post offices for 5 years, and has now reached its correct destination.

At the monthly meeting of the Council of the Masterton Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday afternoon, the following important matters will be brought forward:—Railway. —The railway administration are anxious to receive suggestions for the improvements of its many services, including the speeding-up of the time-table. Dairy Control. —The Associated Chambers of Commerce desire an expression of opinion concerning the proposal of the N.Z. Dairy Produce Control Board to adopt the “absolute control” of all produce manufactured in the Dominion.

Seluiappor fishing in Marlborough Sounds compares very favourably with the sport of catching kingfisli in the northern portion of New Zealand, and surpasses it as to accessibility (says the Marlborough Express). Last Monday Mr and Mrs Fred Downes, of Wellington, landed seven large sclinapper, the total weight being 691 b, and the largest fish registering 251 b. On the following day six more were caught, aggregating 601 bin weight. The whole catch on both days was made in Te Mali in. Bay, Pelorus Sound, within ten minutes’ rowing of a tourist resort.

Harness for sale. Governess wanted. Unfurnished rooms to let. Number plate lost off car. Apples and pears for sale. Chicken brooder for sale. Lost tyres advertised for. Bread obtainable at Pomeroy’s. Competent cook (man) wanted. Druids’ Lodge meet on Monday night. Ladies’ black hat and cardigan lost. Jolly Boys’ dance to-night in the Municipal Social Hall. The Dance de Luxe Committee will hold a special dance in the Exchange Hall to-night. The Masterton Auctioneering Co. advertise a sale of drapery at their Mart on Wednesday next, at 1 p.m. The Wairarapa Electric Power Board advise consumers that power will be cut off from 1 p.m. until o p.m. tomorrow.

Mr Peel 96 Lincoln road, w-lio is leaving for Napier, advertises his splendid home for sale. Particulars in For Sale column.

Miss Daisy Donnelly will be at the lecture room, Municipal Hall, on Monday and Tuesday next, to give private dancing lessons. Classes commence after Easter.

“Stainer's” oratorio, “The Crucified ion,” will be rendered by the “Wesley” choir on Sunday evening, April sth.

St. Matthew's Church will hold a garden party and sale in Mrs H. H. Beetham's grounds, Cole street, on Wednesday next.

Fly and Young will run motor excursion via Gladstone, Ahinruhe and Carterton to-morrow afternoon. Seats may be booked by 'phone 1126. A farewell dance will be tendered to the Australian athletes by the Wairarapa amateur athletes on Tues lay night in the Municipal Social Hall.

The annual meeting of the Wairarapa Football Association will be held in the Y.M.C.A. on Monday, March 30th, at 8 p.in. All members and supporters are requested to attend.

The chairman of directors of the Vogel’s Vision Gold Company will report to the Wairarapa shareholders and others interested in the Kawarau river, at a meeting to be held in the Municipal Hall on Monday night. Note the altered place of meeting.

Even father must have a new coat sometimes, at least we think so, and we don’t suppose we are the only ones that think that way either. Try and get him to have a look at what ‘'The Shopping Centre’’ are showing. He will be delighted and so will we be to have the pleasure of showing; him our values. W.F.C.A., Ltd.

Attention is drawn to the advertisement of the anniversary services to be held at Wesley Church to-morrow. The Rev. Arthur Mitchell, of Feilding, will preach and sing at the three services, and the choir will render the anthems, “By Babylon's Waves’’ and “Come Unto Me.’’ “The Original Fisk Jubilees ’’ is the title of an evening with the Jubilee Singers, which Mr Mitchell is giving on the Monday evening in the schoolroom.