LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 78, 14 November 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. Newton King !>as received the following cable from his Sydney agents, re hides:—“Eighth bettor.’

The Borough Council decided last night to pay its half (about £6) of the cost of an iron fence between the Fire Brigade building and the Egmont Club’s new building.

Cr. King said at last night’s meeting of the Borough Council that he was pleased to see that the overdraft was being gradually reduced.

The Rev. R. S. Gray, of Christchurch, recently from Maine and pro hibited America, is announced to give an address in the Town Ida 1!, Eltham, on Wednesday, Novemoer 15th That popular fixture, the Whangamomona Athletic and Axemen’s Sports, will he held on Boxing Day, December 2Gth. The programme of events is published in another column. A dance will ha lield in the Whangamomona Town Hall in the evening. The cost of the projected railway lino from. Kalgoorlie (Western Australia) to Port Augusta (South Australia), which has passed the Federal House of Representatives, is estimated at £6,000,000, and the increment of value that will be given to the land through which it passes at £15,000,000. All amendments to provide for the cost by land grants or otherwise were refected.

Last night Mr W. R. Bredow of Raupo Park,Douglas,despatched by train a consignment of thirty purebred Lincoln rams. ; mostly six-tooths to the order of Mr. J. D. Piper, the wellknown sheep owner of Makuri. Mr. ; Piper’s confidence in Mr. Bredow’s breeding is shown by the fact that about four years ago he procured a big draft of rams from him. Mr. Bredow has added to his stociv Du, first prize Lincoln ram at the Hawera show, having purchased it from M'r. W. H. Wybourne, Whenuakura.

There were three absentees from the meeting of the Borough Council last r ight. Cr. Ward wrote under- date October 24, from Auckland, asking for two months’ leave of absence. Ho stated that ho was leaving that day for Sydney. Cr. Morison telegraphed an apology for absence from Dunedin. Cr. Paget did not attend, being absent in Auckland in connection with the illness of Mr J. R. Mackay. The Council gave leave of absence in each case. In a case at Middlesex Sessions last month, it was stated that a man who was charged with attempted housebreaking had in bis possession a book containing some hundreds of address es. Many of the addresses were those of houses which were unoccupied during the holidays. The Chainr.au; It is what one might call a “Thieves’ Directory of Empty Houses.” Counsel for the prosecution: Yes, it is a nice little plan. The Chairman: I wonder who is the editor?

A correspondent- of the Melbourne “Argus” states that a startling incident occurred in the homo of Mr. R. Moon, at Buchan, Mrs. Moon put her infant child to bed, and tucked it in, apparently as safe as usual. Later, when she turned down the bedclothes to lift the little one out again, she was horrified to see a large black snake coiled up beside the child. The mother snatched the baby from the cot, and, upon an examination being made, the infant was found to be unharmed. During the excitement the snake escaped.

Later details of the murder in Nigeria last month of Mr. H. P. James and his companions in an unknown creek of the Niger delta, show that before the tragedy the people of Ekeie mo, who were aware that Mr. James had been engaged in studying their language and customs, sent down the creek a couple of war canoes filled with' young boys to serenade the visitor. Each canoe contained some fifty natives a singer being stationed in the bows of the two boats. Solos were rendered by them in turn, the remainder joining in the chorus, the absolute harmony of the soft native songs producing a charming effect. Two clays later Mr Janies was set njion and murdered and his body loft lying in t ;o bush.

One of the most surprising swindles ever perpetrated in Chicago came to light one day recently, when fifty Chicago clergymen discovered that they had been defrauded by means of counterfeit bank notes in a most ingenious manner. A young man and woman presented themselves at the bouse of one of the most prominent clergymen hero, and, exhibiting a wedding license, asked .to ho married. The clergyman married thorn in his drawing-room, which is a perfectly legal procedure in this country. After the wedding the bridegroom said that lie would like to give the clergyman JO dollars (CO), as a foe, hut unfortunately he had no change, and would he obliged to offer the clergyman a 50-doll,ar bill (£10). The clergyman accepted the banknote, handing the man 20 dollars (£-1) in change. Ho afterwards discovered that the banknote was a counterfeit, but not until next day did it come out that, in all. Hie couple victimised fifty clergymen. The police believe that the man and woman belong to a gang of conntei frivers who have taken this novel method to dispose of their ■‘Hash” notes.

The executive committee of the A. end P. Association will meet this evening. Six tenders were received for the el ection of a new hotel at Whangamomonn, Mr E. W. Hoddard being successful in securing the contract. Mr Dufiill is architect for the now building. Mr E. Jackson, secretary of the Stratford A. and P. Association, left for Wanganui this morning for the purpose of . attending the show. Ho nas already had numerous offers of entries from Wanganui exhibitors. ft was decided at the meeting of the Borough Council last night that the reward of £lO offered for seem-

ing the conviction of the person who damaged property at the Kopuatama cemetery be paid to Constable Mackintosh, who was in charge of the case in which a hoy was convicted in the Magistrate’s Court of doing the damage.

Cheese-makers should take notice thai entries for tho cheese competitions to take olace at the Taranaki Show to lie held at New Plymouth on November 22nd and 23rd, close to-day (Tuesday, the 14th inst). The competitions are for white and coloured cheese, and should command good entries.

Our Toko correspondent writes: — “Mr. Max Gernkoefer’s eldest boy met with a very nasty accident last Hiursday morning. Whilst riding across the farm, the horse took fright and bolted, unseating the lad and giving him a severe kick in the chest. Dr. Carbery came out immediately ho was rung up and took charge of the boy, who, much to the relief of his parents and friends, is now making rapid strides on the road to recovery.”

Last Wednesday a special train of twenty trucks containing 300 odd dairy heifers left Hawera for the Waikato. The heifers were all Jersey and Holstein grade. They were bought by Mr F. McGovern, of Te Awamutu, from Young, Hobbs and Go., and Gillies and Nalder. These heifers were carefully selected and were 'considered the finest line of empty heifers that have yet left Taranaki. They arrived at their destination in good order, and wore 3s much admired by Waikato farmers. This line we referred to when Mr McGovern was recently in Stratford.

A Wellington newspaper relates a peculiar incident which occurred during the progress of a cricket match at Kelburne Park on Saturday afternoon. Tiie second ball in the game struck a batsman high up on the leg, and exploded a box of £ - ax matches he had in his trousers pocket. For an instant the player thought that the sting of the burn had been caused by the ball only, but on rubbing his leg he found himself to he on fire, and, without hesitation, pulled tlie ignited pocket inside out, scattering a variety of coins it contained over the field by the same action. / The pocket was destroyed by the exploding vestas, and several of the coins were discoloured by the phosphorus, and the player’s limb was slightly burned.

The Taranaki Agricultural Society are up with the times in general arrangements for the forthcoming Show. A large staff of men are on tiie ground preparing for the extra number of exhibits that will he penned at this year’s Show. . Several improvements are being effected, and one most important to pedigree cattle breeders is the new covering that is being provided for all hulls. This is a step in the right direction,, and should encourage exhibitors to enter the most valuable animals on the farm. If breeders will only show to the committee that they appreciate the progressive move the Society is making, it will, no doubt, mean that next year the Taranaki Agricultural Society will venture further in providing conveniences for show purposes. Breeders and fanciers should not forget that entries close on Saturday next, the 18th. inst. The secretary, Mr. A. Cliff, leaves to-day for the Wanganui Show to gather more entries from that district, and during his absence Mr. Bewley will receive entries and give any information required regarding show matters.

The experiment about to be made by the Borough Council in tarviating High Street will be followed with a good deal of interest, says the Hawera “Star.” Present operations are designed to reduce the crown of the road and prepare a bed for the application of a course of tarvia. Although the use of this material will be new to Taranaki, it has been tested in Christchurch under the observation of Mr Cameron, the borough foreman, and lie found the results quite 'satisfactory, for it has outlasted ordinary asphalt, and the cost is not materially greater. In England and on the Continent results have been highly spoken of. The process is first to lay down a good bed, then spread a coating of tarvia, and upon tnis put a comparatively thin coating of metal and roll it. The tarvia under this compression binds the metal, and then another coating of the same material finishes off the road, and gives a fine, hard surface. ' It is claimed that a road so constructed stands traffic very satisfactorily, is practically water-proof, and effectually provides against both wind and dust. The question of cost remains to be tested. Tarvia has to be imported from England, and the freight charges will make it expensive, but it is cqlcukited that the saving in time and labour laying down the road, together with the longer life of the road, \yill compensate largely. 7 v

Regulations governing the receipt and transmission of “wireless” telegrams are published ,*n the GaaMuk The charge for the transmission of radio-telegrams to or from ships approaching or leaving the Dominion from or to any telegraph office, is lOd per word, allocated as follows: —Ship station charge 4d per word, coast station and inland charges 6d per word. !n respect of messages transmitted on behalf of the Government i lie Kite shall he one-half of the above dirges. For messages for places beyond New Zealand the charges shall b-- for crdinary messages lOd per word, for Government messages 5d per void, and, in addition thereto in each case, the charges for onward transmission published’ in the table of rates in the Post and Telegraph Guide. The charge for press “wireless*’ is fixed at 5s per 100 words or fraction thereof, allocated as follows:—Ship station charge 2s 6d per 100 words or fraction thereof, coast station and inland charges 2s Gd per 100 words or fraction theteof. For places beyond New Zealand, in addition to the above charges, the charges published in the table of rates in the Post and Telegraph Guide shall apnlv.