LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 39, 29 January 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. Newton King Ims received the following cable from his Sydney agents re hides:—Firmer.

Travellers and explorers agree tliai the tallest tree in Australia is probably one of the Eucalyptus species, which was found on a spur of Mount ilaw J3aw in Gippsland, Victoria. Experts have ascertained the height of tlie tree to be 326 feet, its girth at six feet from the ground is 2oft. Tin. A tree of the same species discovered at iS'eeriii, also in. Uippsland, while only 227 feet high, has a girth of Soft Tin at six feet from the ground. At the Dannovfrlic Court, before Mr McCarthy, S.M., Harry Mouteith claimed £lOl damages for ejectment from the Drill Hall by William Frame, on the occasion of Sir Joseph Ward’s visit in December last. Tne defence was that plaintiff's interjections justified his ejectment, and no more force was used than was necessary. Judgment was given for defendant, with costs. A similar action against lan Simpson, for assisting in Monteith’s ejectihent, was also dismissed, with costs.

All informal meeting of members ol the North Otago anti Pastoral Association, held at Totara homestead on the occasion of the in* spcction of the agricultural experiments, decided to deputationise the Ministers of Public Works and Agriculture to have the co-operative 1 works in the South Island suspended for the time being in order to allow of the labourers being available for harvesting operations. Not only is farm labour short in North Otago, owing to the depletion of the ranks during the winter months, hut shearing was made late by so much wet weather, and would consequently require all the available men for some time to come.

A passenger steamer had an unusual experience on a recent voyage. The White Star liner Orotic, on arrival at Now York from the Mediterranean', reported being chased by an, immense waterspout. The captain first noticed the column about eight o’clock in the morning. It was nearly 800 feet high, and was then a considerable distance away. It was following the Cretic at about the same speed. The liner, ow ing to rough weather, was moving slowly. Had the spout fallen on the ship there would have been a catastrophe. Full speed ahead was ordered, and the steamer outdistanced the spout, which finally crossed the Crotic’s path about a mile astern, moving in a north-easterly direction. The annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute was held at Christchurch on Thursday last. In the morning Mr. T. F. Cheescman delivered the presidential address. Referring to the finances he said that the position was unsatisfactory.* The Institute had got into debt, mainly through the increase in the size of the transactions. At present it received a grant of £SOO from the Government. The grant was originally made in 1868 when the membership was 178. Now there were nine affiliated societies with a membershin of over a thousand. The work and expenditure had both grown extensively. Subsequently it was resolved to ask the Government to increase the grant by £250. A resolution was carried expressing regret at the death of Sir James Hooker.

Mr J. B. Hine, M.P., returned to Stratford by Saturday night’s marl train.

All American maid-servant, in recognition of her twenty-five years faithful service, has had bequeathed to her by her late mistress, a splendid country mansion on Long Island, together' with furniture, jewels, silverware, horses and carriages; Ihe bequest carries an income for life ot €B6OO.

A singular occurrence occurred at Portland lately, when the chief of a big club cut into a sheep’s carcase, ana £];?() in cnrrecy coins fell to the floor. A telephone call to the market from which the mutton had been received revealed the fact that ,a clerk had placed the money inside the carcase for safe-keeping after banking hours. Two farmers were chatting in a local auction mart the other day, and from the lips of one fell a tale, which, while it may have crossed the plain, highway of truth, has such a beautiful moral attached that we hasten to print it, for the public good and the firmer establishment of neighbourly charity. A farmer not so many miles away from Stratford saw Ins neighbour’s cattle straying on the road. He communicated with the ranger. A ow, while that official hastened to the scene the offending cattle were withdrawn, and, mirabile dictu, the informer’s cattle took their places on the forbidden, pastures. The ranger duly secured Ins quarry, and imcharitableness met its just reward.

It was estimated that over 200 people were at Dawson’s Ealls on Sunday, and four' large motor cars went up*. A party of nine, leaving til© House at 5 a.m., made a successful and enjoyable ascent to the top of the mountain, and crossed over the crater to the trig station, which is still completely covered in snow. The journey up took nearly six hours, and many hundreds of steps had to be cut in the hard snow. The party were quite unanimous that it is much easier and faster to travel in the snow than on the loose scoria. The view obtained, during the greater part of the time, was magnificent, and the descent to tic house was done in well under two. hours’ time.- Included in the climbing party were Miss Aiken (Rangitikci), Miss Hickey (Wellington') and Messrs Campbell Jackson and X. Fulton, of Stratford. The New South Wales Totalisation Commission concluded the Christchurch sitting on Thursday last. Mr. L. Til. Isitt, M.P., was the first witness. He was opposed to the totalisator on the ground of the increased volume of betting, especially in country districts. Tho totalisator had not accomplished what its supporters claimed, as bookmaking was still, rampant. His own business of book selling was prejudicially ali’ected, trade falling remarkably after a big race meeting. The Rev. R. S. Gray took a similar view. He was opposed to betting in all forms. When the liquor question was off their hands moral reformers would turn their attention to this question. Messrs. W. H. McDongall (totalisator proprietor), R. 0. Duncan, and C. R., Wolsdge gave evidence in support of the totalisator, Mr. Duncan putting in a statement made by the late Mr. G. G. Stead some years ago.

The planet Jupiter, whose volume is 1278 times that'of the earth and su-

perior in dimensions and weight to all the other planets put together, is just now attracting the attention of the astronomers. M, Giacobini, of the Paris Observatory, who has made a special study of Jupiter lias described a, red spot which posesses a relative fixity but within the last year its mobility has increased in greater proportion ' and its longitude by about 30 degrees. That is all we can say scientifically. Is it really the formation of a new continent? can we draw this deduction from this phenomenon so difficult to seize ? It is possible, but who can say so with certainty? M. Camille Flammarion however, expresses himself with far greater confidence in this matter. “We are assisting at the creation of a world. Under our dazzled eyes a new world is being created in infinity, and in Jupiter we hail the world of the future.” Not long ago a little six-year-old boy at Buda Pesth made a great pet of the swans in the lake, going almost every day to feed them. One morning he overbalanced himself while throwing them pieces of bread, and tumbled head over ears into the water. He was very little and very light, and did not sink immediately but drifted towards the centre of the lake. He was just going under, however, when one of the biggest of his pets, a snow white swan who had reared many broods of cygnets, swam close beside him. The little fellow threw his arms around her neck, and clung to her tightly as she bore him to the bank, where he was seized by his playfellows, and lifted out of the water. She then swam away, quite unconcerned, amid the cheers of the crowd who had quickly gathered.

Swimming Bolt, who has been a sad disappointment as a racehorse in Southland, displayed his savage propensities in an alarming fashion a few days ago. Ho and Bold Venture, another racehorse, had been worked on the Southland Club’s course, and were heiug ridden back to their stables by hoys named Townson and Cameron resnsctively. The unruly son of Captain Wchh, though' he was ornamented with a muzzle, suddenly clashed at Cameron and dragged him from the saddle by the log. Swimming Belt got down to Cameron, despite the frantic efforts of Townson to stay him, and tore some of his clothing a>vay. Cameron’s leg was painfully injured before he could escape, and in consequence, lie was compelled to forego a visit to the Core meeting. Meanwhile Bold Venture had galloped off, and fears were expressed that ho would damage himself, as on a previous occasion when he got free. Eventually the son of Canrohert was discovered in a vacant section quietly cropping the grass, and Cameron got him home in safety. The determined nature of the stallion’s attack can ho realised when it is explained that he had to reach np, owing to Bold Venture being a much bigger horse, and drag his victim to earth with a light muzzle on.