LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 47, 20 February 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. Newton King has received the following cable from his Sydney agents re hides :— Eighth higher.

Our readers are again reminded o! tlie meeting which takes place in tin Town Hall to-night, when addresses will be given by Councillors Healy, Morrison and Paget on the electro light question.

\ A new thistle has made its appear) \ipco in some parts of the Wairarap df recent years, and is spreading wit! -great rapidity’. It is commonly know; ,jby the name of the “wind” or “star thistle, but its scientific name (if i lias one) has not yet been announced > t> A' leading American expert on th< pure food question told an America? audience that it is possible to ge many a good hint on sanitation from : perusal of the Old Testament, whici narrated some of the sanitary law; enforced by Moses with regard, to th habits of the children of Israel. A 'Welsh centenarian who has jus died attributed his longlevity to plent; cf hard'n work as a lad, the regula life he led, and in a great measur to the systematic way in which he tool his holidays. He retired from active work at -the age of 85. It is mot generally. known that tin Right llbiV.' A. J. Balfour is one ,o the clevere'st farmers of the day. A? adjustableo'.feeding-trbiigh, for youiq animals is imuse at Whittingeltame is iMr'. Balfour's bwjj ’ invention,! andj ; : rabbit-trap iVhieh catches 'the Animal; mercifully is* another of liis invention; at the age of nine.' Gisborne (hag had some fiercely ho? days of late* Quite recently, the ther mometer registered 88 in the shade which was one dpgree higher, than.th' hottest day last year. In December 1909, the thermometer ran as high a; •92 at Gisborne,'and on 12th Januar; 1908, 94 degrees was registered. Fo a week at a time in that month 81 degrees was recorded. The London Times reports tluit lasi year-174y163 acres'll land were sole by auction in England at an ave'ragi, price of<£24 4»-<per''i(cre. In the year 1910, 104,026 acres' ‘were sold, th average price being £27 3s. The papei states,that the average values furtiisi no very trustworthy'data, since tin conditions are so diverse that almos every holding must.,be taken on it; own merits. What is perhaps the • largest bir over seen at the London Zoologci; Gardens (with the exception of thoi? non-flying species, such' hs the em and ostrich) lias been placed in tin eagles’ cages. The bird, is a lammer geyer (lamb-vulture), or bearde vulture, which has just arrived fron India. The lammer-goyer is the larges of all the eagles and vultures and tin specimen at the “Zoo” is fortunate!, full grown, though it has not yet as sunied the white headdress of feather which is the badge of the adult bird. In the course of his speech at tin annual meeting of the Wellington Gat Company, the chairman said tluit th shareholders would be pleased to lean that 36 employees of the company'ap piled for, and were allotted, 1441 pre lorence shares, and on a comparlsoi of the present and last year’s balaiic sheet they would notice that the mini ber of fully paid £lO shares had beei increased by 175 shares due to tin completion of the payments by em ployees on the shares to which’ the'* were contributing by weekly o' monthly payments. The directors ar satisfied that it was to the interest? of the company that as many of it; employees as possible should be cm couraged to become shareholders. Recognising the superiority of con crete over other material for smal hi'idge and culvert work the Piakf (Auckland) County Council is setting an example which it would not he un wise for other local bodies to follow, by constructing all new works and making all renewals, where funds arc available in concrete. Already twelve bridges have been erected in this material in tho_ county, ranging from span? of Bft to 25ft, while numerous culverts have been installed, and it is the intention of the Council, where possible, to make all future works in concrete, the durability of which, over wood cannot bo questioned. A county com ci etc factory has now been workinu lor the past two years, which is a renumorativc concern, a great saving resulting to the county from the manufacture of its own pipes and piles. One of the most prominent social icformers in America is .Miss Kate Barnard (of Oklahoma), who is a inemhu of the Senate, and has the official rank'd’ Commissioner of the Department of Charaties and Corrections, with chambers in the Senate buildings. Bogiimiing a dozen years ago, at the age of eighteen the Millgate Monthly tells us, her crusade on behalf of the poor, suffering, oppressed and defenceless, in the newly-opened southern reserves of Oklahoma, Miss Barnard’s wonderful self-devotion has obtained numerous reforms in the conditions ~f the masses. She is responsible for three provisions in the State Constitution and thirty-two laws in the Statute Books, most of which wore lough< at every turn by large and powerful corporate interests. . Of stirring oratory, statesmanship, breadth of "vision and widest sympathies; Miss Barnard is universally known as “Kate” far beyond Oklahoma boundaries.

The amount to bo paid out this month by the Midhirst Dairy Factory is £9250.

The Tariki Horticultural Society’s uintn annual show will be bd i .n the Tariki Hall on 'Thursday, March 7tb. Entries will close with the secretary (Mr. H. J. Stratford) 01 Monday, March 4th.

Mr. Newton King’s staff gathered together on Saturday afternoon for the purpose of making presentations co Messrsj P. Thompson and A. Henderson in connection with their recent marriage. The presentations consisted of silverware, and were made by Air. F. W. Webster, both recipients suitably responding. Barrackcrs, beware! The following is clipped from the “Daily Mail” of dauuarv Gth:—“Fatal Shouting: While shouting at a football match between Newport and Neath on Saturday at Newport (Mon.), a spectator, Isaac Mason, 70, of Panteg, swallowed his false teeth, and was suffocated.”

Within the next few days the iron for the extension of the Stratford Mountain House is to be taken up, though the condition of the track is against heavy traffic, Mr. J. A. Thompson, who has the carting in hand, finding some difficulty in getting heavy loads through. The Austro-Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Count Texa von Aerenthal, whose death is recorded, was aged 57. He was credited with hav- • ing been “the man behind the gun” when Austria-Hungary conceived and carried out the bold plan of annexing Bosnia, and Herzegovina. In his strong foreign policy he is understood to have collaborated with the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir-apparent to the Austria-Hungarian throne. The veteran Emperor Francis Joseph, who carries a burden of 81 years, is believed to act as a brake on the forward tendencies of the younger men. Between Toulon and Paris a fast express train runs every day in the year. It is now as the cut flowers express, and carries nothing but cut flowers in baskets and pasteboard box *s for the Paris market. The violets, roses, carnations and hyacinths are on the ‘tower stands of Paris within Is houis from the time they were growing on the shores of the Mediterranean. A. good many are shipped also to the cities of Germany and Belgium, and even as far as Vienna and St. Petersburg. The packages are handled by a special train crew that sorts them out like mail matter. The speed at which “cut flower express” runs is greater than that of any other train in Europe and is almost invariably up time.

An informal gathering of carriers was held on Saturday evening for the purpose of bidding farewell to Mr. A. R. Brown, who for about four years past has been engaged in shunting in the Stratford railway yard, and who is under transfer to Ohakune on promotion. Mr. J. A. Thompson, on behalf of the carriers, eulogised Mrj. Brown for his '-energy and courtesy while in Stratford, stating while doing his duty to' the Department, he still managed to. help the carriers in numberless directions. Mr. Thompson asked Mr. Brown’s acceptance of a pipe and tobacco pouch hs 'a token of the carriers’ esteem, Mr. Brown suitably responding. Mr. ‘ Brown left for his new station on'Monday morning. It has been pointed out to us that sonic , piispiideystarujling < ~jjaay have . arisen over,a, portion of bur report of i, the A., and, P. Associatibii’sj jrecjehtTj. meeting-referring to the leasing'of |he , Show Ground. Mr. Ding.e remarked that “the place was neglected, Mr. Bayly not being in the position t,o stock the place as it ought io be ’stocked.” Later the ex-president explained his remark, stating that he meant no reflection bn Mr. Bayly, but simply that the tenure, from month to month, was too uncertain to al'ow •of Mr. Bayly putting enough cattle and sheep on the ground to keep it m good condition; This explanation .uas to members of' tlje com-’” .ipittee, ,who ’ stated that they qtute'’ understood The meaning of ,Mr; Dili-” gle’s original remark, and .when the ’ remark was published it was presumed”, chat readers would give it the intbr- ,* pretation the speaker intended. ~ *

As a sequel to a collision between a motor car and a bicycle at Hastings on December 9th (resulting in the loath of Percy Thodsen aged 11, who was riding the bicycle), Richard William Jones the driver of the motor car was charged on Friday before Mr. Me Carthy, S.M., with manslaughter. The Magistrate in giving his decision, said that the onus was cast on the Crown to show that by some omission or negligence the accused had caused the death of the hoy. Since, however, swift method's of traction had com© into existence, the standard of care necessary by those using the roads had greatly increased. On the evidence he was '.satisfied that no jury would bring in verdict of manslaughter and he dismissed the case. In so doing however, he pointed out to users of swift methods of traction whenever they had a doubt as to the consequences of continuing their course a car should be brought to a stop. Drivers of cars, had ho said, no right to gamble with human lives. In the public places of Kansas City recently the following framed list of minor offences, and the penalties therefor, has been officially posted, headed “Warning”:—Letting a goat run in a public place, £1; throwing chewing gum on the pavement or ■ tvamcar, £1; stealing a gate, £2; talking sassy (saucily) to women in the stores and other public places, £5; porters talking in a rude or ungenclc'manly manner, £2; kissing in the park, £2; allowing chickens into a neighbour’s gardens £1; carrying a bean-shooter, £2. Of all the offences enumerated, the throwing of chewinggum is the most prevalent. Thirty per cent, of the Kansas popidation, it is estimated, are chewing-gum devotees, and there is a very similar proportion in most American cities. In some cases'the health authorities have even gone to the extent of issuing notices combating the popular delusion that chewing-gum benefits the teeth "and promotes digestion. London, flower girls have fallen on evil days. With their baskets of gay blossoms at 'yarious points in the city and West End, they were accustomed to stand, hut at many of these places they are seed 1 no longer. The long spoil of hot, dry weather has been most injurious- to flori-culture, and as a consequenceNidjs caused a dearth of supplies, and has raised the price of flowers very considerably. To the flower-girl this ,-lias spelled ruin, as .her trade depends entirely on the cheapness of the market. Her customers arc mainly, those who can only afford to pay a penny or twopence for a bu ton-hole. For anyone to expend sixpence at her stall is an event which seldom happens. She relies on Quick sales to recoup her for her outlay, and the small plargin of profit sio allows herself disappears completely when flowers are scarce, as they are at present. These .yetidors of floral wares have indeed hard lives; they in iu.t rise early, must go to the markets betimes, and are obliged to be oat in all weather, often,unsufficiently dad. I heir clothes, however cheap, must lie renewed, and their footwear, too.

Mr. W. G. Malone left last night for Hamilton, where ho is acting as senior counsel for the defence in a Supreme Court case. He expects to he away,, about'.a fortnight. There are certain European habits which Maoris readily acquire, as would seem to, be proved by the action of a Maori dame who was observed thu morning sitting on the doors-ep of a shop—of course, a fish fU°,>-in Broadway, with a dog in her lap. the way, the lap-dog habit was illustrate! on the grand scale—it vas a big lap and .a big dog). But per.iaps it merely shows the adaptability of Maors to the latest fashimi: it s-( ms to on record that of old Maori dames had the lappig habit. There d i s food for spefculation-over U'e question whether ,or not the lapdog habit is not an adaptation of the lappig habit. .