LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 33, 22 January 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At a wedding that took place recently in Brooklyn a corpulent best man was unable to enter the carriage, and had to walk to the church.

Seeing its reflection in a plate-glass window in High Street, Kettering, Northamptonshire, an escaped bullock charged the.window and shattered it. Truly the vagaries of the weather passetii all men’s understanding. Yesterday quite a number of people left for the Mountain, but only two persevered as far as the Stratford House. They crossed : over to the New -Plymouth side, in a heavy snowstorm — this in what ought to have been the hottest part of summer. It is no wonder that Stratford is being visited with an epidemic of influenza that threatens to lay up half the population.

•I; The highly. ’ unpopular \ Californian tiiistle is being treated for ensilage in the south by, way of experiment. The experiment is,being carried out'by Mr ,Dibble," of the fields .Staff of the, AgaitoJttiral-])cpartn|eift, on the (farm, of ,J\Tr.( C.,’ Anderson,, at Bakin-’ fluv/The , stgck itr,,question is being ibuilt entirely of the thistle, which had grown so large and heavy that it was cut with a reaper and binder. Arrangements have been made moyc stacks about the district. In , another stack wheat, oats and Californian thistle have been used.

At Mr. T. Webb’s residence, Fair Farm, Warwick Road, on the evening of January 18th, a very enjoyable time was spqnt.at.a party given by the neighbours to celebrate the opening of Mr. Webb’s flue barn, which measures ,‘]2f t 'by 2(>t. Dancing was kept up till 1 -min. Songs 'were contributed by' Miss Rogers, Miss Harvey, Mr. Abrahams, Mr. Belcher, and Mr. J. Paxtinson. Mr. Hancock acted as M.C. Music was‘.'supplied by Miss Birkett (piano), Mr. L. Rogers, and Mr, J’., Pattinson. The. ladies supplied a most .bounteous supper. The gathering broke up with three cheers for Mr. and Mrs. Webb. Any time the barn is vacant it is at the disposal of the settlers.

At a meeting held in Brisbane last week a society was formed of Russian settlers in Queensland. The organisation is called the Russian Nationalists’ Liberation Society. Delegates were elected to the society which will consider a course of action in matters for which the society has been constituted. Not only is it desired to perpetuate and foster under the freedom of the State and Commonwealth Governments the best customs and most elevating traditions of the race, but it is understood the foremost principle is to give assistance to those who by reason of their political predilections have come under the ban of the Muscovite authorities and are desirous of reaching the friendly shelter of' Australia’s shores.

Tommy Kwai, a smiling Celestial, returned to Auckland recently, says the “Star,” after a trot around a big portion of the globe, extending over the bettor part of last year, but in the stress of travel he had lost the photograph forming a duplicate to that retained by the Customs Department at the time of his departure, and thereby hangs the tale of a little inconvenience 'which Tommy was put to before being allowed to join ins bosom friends ashore, and his profitable little business in Customs Street. He protested his bona tides to the Customs officials, who boarded the boat, but, unfortunately, they did not remember him, and but for the performance of a good Samaritan act by Ah Chee, a well-known fellow-country-man, in guaranteeing payment of the poll-tax should satisfactory evidence not be forthcoming as to identity. Tommy might now have been on his way to Sydney en route to the place whence he came. A search among the records in the photographic gallery of the department this morning revealed the original photograph, and consequently the wanderer returns a free subject.

A nice point relating to the rules which govern the deliberations of public bodies cropped up at the'Southland Education Board’s last meeting. The Board had gone into committee and passed a resolution affecting a teacher. When open Board was resumed a member experienced in Parliamentary practices proceeded to traverse the whole question, when the motion for the confirmation of the resolution was brought forward. Members took exception to the re-opening of a discussion which had been brought about by the sacred privilege of committee secrecy, hut the member clearly demonstrated that ho was well within his rights, and that he was acting in keeping with Parliamentary practice. The point is one that has a direct hearing on the deliberations of all local bodies, and is worth keeping in mind by those who arc averse to the secrecy on matters to which they consider the fullest publicity should be given, ft might be just as well to add that public bodies are too prone to go into committee on questions which directly affect the welfare of the community.

Mr. Spillman, who is to replace Mr Sheridan as manager of tne abattoir, arrives this evening to take up ins duties. s*

A special meeting of the Borough foiineil will be field this evening to consider the question of purchasing a road roller.

A great deal, of work has recently been put in on tfie track to the Mountain House, and it is confidently expected that at an early date it will oo possible to run a motor-car right up to tiie house. On Wednesday lasb Mr. Olsson, of Regan Street, and n friend, got to the rim of the crater, but owing to the thick weather, they d;d not proceed further, returning as it was drenched to the skin.

Mr. F. W. Kemp is at present on a visit to Stratford. The firm of Kemp and Sawle is now established in the Bay of Plenty district, and has recently acquired the freehold of Great Mercury Island, at the north of the Coromandel Peninsula, on which four thousand sheep and four hundred cattle can he grazed. On the island at present there arc two women, one of whom was horn on the island, and the other was taken there as a child, neither having left the island since. With the change of ownership they will have to see something of the out•sido world.

Mr. I). Ogilvy, at present manager of the Cardiff Factory, has been appointed general factory manager of the T. L. Toll Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd.,_ in succession to Mr. Y. A. McKenzie. Mr. Ogilvy was formerly in the service of the Joll Company, and left to take charge of Cardiff. Whilst there his company’s .output secured the .highest average grade at tjie Moturoa Grading Works. Mr. McKenzie,, who has been manager for the Joll Company for the past two and a half years, goes to Gisborne to take 3barge of a large proprietary factory there.—“ Star.”

Some years ago a tearful hero burst into Sotheby's and pleaded that his Victoria Cross should not be sold (says a London newspaper). Somebody or other had left it in his possession, and, until the announcement of its sale, he had completely lost trace of it: , The chivalrous owner generously returned it to him. A pathetic story of another kind was revealed a few weeks ago at the same rooms—an heroic tragedy of father and son. First came a little group of Crimean medals awarded to Farrier-Sergeant Atkinson (it .vas an Atkinson who wrote up the Victory’s log-book), and he was one yf that little band who captured the Russian cannon from which the Victoria Cross is made. He lived to realso in grief and pride what he had done. For Fate willed it that at Paarleberg his heroic son—Sergeant A. At, Vinson—of the Yorkshire Regiment, should win the Cross and die. By *a merciful army regulation it was handed over to the old Farrier-Sergeant ifter his boy’s death. The ,awards to father and son were not divided when ’.old by the order ofl Mrs. Margaret Atkinson, of Armley, and in the end i purchaser gave. £7O for them., /■ . : Mr. C. C. Kettle, S k M.j appears to be looked upon by-a number of women i in this city as an arbitrator, between ‘ i their husbands and. themselves’, and a good deal of that gentlexhanl-S’'time is occupied! with such casesj sßays the- 1 Auckland ‘‘StaT.lV7/Even' rtthe4) sittings•: in Court it .is no undoramoit thing for f It woman to enter the'rooM andisayyim>< i clear voice: “I want to sPAMr. Ket- -A tie,” as if that gentleman was alwflys mpen to appeal to. Such a case pcinrfed oh Wednesday morning, making i brief interlude in a dry legal case. The woman’was young, and,’ as usual, in these cases, had a baby in her arms. The clerk whispered to the wonan, who seemed excited, and then spoke in a low voice to Mr. Kettle, who at once replied: “Oh, we cannot undertake. to; watch her,. husband ior held” The ylerki then-took,;the;.lqdyy out to instruct her what,to[ dp,,(Then i ; . came an irate-wife,-who declared her busbapd -had beaten . her s.black rand bluej * and' made various' other allegations. The husband immediately made counter, assertions, each wgnted the other prohibited from liquor, and each asserted it was not necessary in ’•heir particular case. Ultimately Mr. Kettle remarked: “This is going to lake up too much time. Come again on Friday, and try to settle your differences in the interim.”

One of the differences of procedure .11 New Zealand and English Courts was demonstrated at the Magistrate’s Court, says the Christchurch Tress,” when a constable giving evidence in, an obscene language case, mentioned in Court the language alleged to have been used.' The Magistrate, Mr. H. W. Bishop, at once jtopped him, and Sub-Inspector McJrath said that the'constable who had jeon in the London force, had been iccustomed to giving evidence in such a manner in the Old Country. Mr. dishop said that he could understand the language being mentioned if the Ho art were cleared, but certainly not when spectators were in Court, and especially when those present included women. On his asking if such were the procedure in other New Zealand Courts, the Sub-Inspector stated that while he was stationed in Wellington, jeveral years ago, the Magistrate had insisted on the language in such cases being read in Court, while Mr. M. Donnelly said that during the time of \ former Christchurch Magistrate such i course had been adopted. Mr. Bishop said that he did not blame the

constable in the least for his action, is he was only doing his duty, but as long as he himself presided over. ,a Court he would not allow the language m the charge-sheet to be repeated.

Recently the Customs authorities at the Bluff had a scrap of brown paper, on which was the following legend, sent to them for elucidation:—‘‘Engine broke down at Green Point. Send iclp.—(Signed) T. Crockett.” The locument had been enclosed in a botle which had been picked up on the Jhatham Islands on November 30, and t had been forwarded to the Head Office at Wellington from there. The whereabouts of Green Point is not exactly as well known as, say, London, but after considerable trouble the Wellington Customs people discovered hat there was such a place at the Bluff. Naturally, Mr. T. Crockett, who is a well-known Bluff citizen, was it once summoned to explain the why and wherefore, but he was as much in die mist as the authorities themselves. However, enquiries were made, and it was gleaned that on August 25th of hast year, Mr. Crockett was having a boat tried, the engine of which ternaorarily refused duty. The other well- W known residents of the Bluff were bandy at the time, and, thinking they would have a good joke at Mr. Crockett’s expense, wrote the legend referred to, placed it in a bottle, ahd committed it to the briny, thinking that it would merely drift to the Bluff wharf or the foreshore, and that some of the people would pick it up. The incident had almost escaped the mommy of those who were responsible for it, when the Customs Department took a hand in the game. It is interesting to note that the distance from the Bluff to Chatham Islands is 700 miles, and it took the bottle three months to get there. The whole business has provided great amusement to Portites.—“Southland Times.”

'Members of the Operatic Society arc reminded of the practice of “Pinafore,” which is to take place in the Parish Hall this evening. The district officers of the Taranaki district of the Manchester Unity, indepedent Order of Oddfellows pay their official visit to the Midmost Lodge this evening. Mr S. G. Burgess, Grand Master, is at present in town on a visit.

The great seaside picnic this year promises to be better than ever. Everybody is going. The business pi\ raises are all closed on Thursday, February Ist, for this occasion. Humours have been put in circulation that the trains are not going to stop at Midhirst, Waipuku, Tariki, and Inglewood. Such is not so—the trains stop at all stations advertised, both going and coming. Arrangements have been made for the trains to leave New Plymouth and the Breakwater later this year, so that those present can have a longer day. Tickets are to be had at Bellringer’s only.