LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 89, 13 April 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Anyone having a hnckjuniper which they wish ridden are asked to communicate with the secretary of the Stratford A. and P. Association. The horses will he ridden in connection with the Imckjnmping event that is proposed to he added to the programme.

A party of ladies on tlio East t oast are at present engaged in deer-stalk-in'; says the Age), and from all accounts arc* likely to develop into (P’lte as good stalkers as their male friends and no doubt further reports will announce the downfall of a good lew heads.

A final reminder is given of the visit to .Monmahahi State Farm on Monday next, loth inst. The parh will go In mi'i l train in the morn!no and return I> v tin’ oven mo’s until. Iho seerotary "of the A. and V. Association will receive names of those intending to go. oonveyanees will moot the mail train at Monmahahi oration to eonvev tin' parly to and from tho iarm, ami Iniieheon will ho prov.dod.

Mr TP d :ickson has received word that tl'.c mail trail: will slop at .M;dl;irst railway station oil Monday morning to pick" up passengers wiio wish I o'" v sit the IVtru.muhak; Mate harm. Me in hers of the Strafford Operatic Society are reminded that the next practice of Pinafore will he held at the Parish Hall on Thursday next at 7.30 o’clock, when a full attendance is requested. Farewell services will oe conducted at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church to-morrow morning and evening by the l?ev d M. Thomson, M.A., who leaves for his new charge at Knxtnn shortly.

According to returns published in the Gazette, Canterbury, aim Ctago are the only districts in the .Dominion in which there are more sp nstors than bachelors, the numbers being 22!)i) and 2765 respectively,' which is equal to an excess of over il per cent, ill burv and ever 16 per cent, in Otago, In the Auckland district there is .an opposite state of affairs, there being 7263 more bachelors than spinsters, which means that the excess is equal to 25 per cent. Bachelors are defined as those 20 years of age and up wares, and spinsters those of 15 years am upwards. Settlers in the Fitzherhcrt district complain about the practice some people make of turning old horses out on the roadside when they arc past work, says the Palmerston Standard. At the present time there are tnree or four of these old stagers hanging about the roads, and as they make a practice oi laying down on the mads at night, will sooner or later be the cause of a serious accident. It would be far more merciful if owners of t.ms class of horse would destroy them when past the useful stage, instead of allowing them to wander about the roads until death puts an end to their sufferings.

The fact that it is not always freezing in tlie Antarctic will come as a surprise to a good many persons. A Sydney lady has received a letter from her son, who is a member of l)r. Maw-son’s expedition, in which he states that the weather was “bright and sunny just like Sydney,” when the party landed on Adelie Land. Gum winter had not then set in. The winter proceeds“lt is a perfect heaven. The scenery is wonderful. Hie great icefields resemble the ruins of a Celestial city.” Some of the icebergs seen on the voyage were as h gh as the Sydney post office tower, and a mile in length. The writer had gained 201 bin weight since he left Sydney.

A popular fallacy is thus disposed 0 f by the Nelson Colonist: —-There is a general impression throughout the Dominion that in Nelson there are about three single girls to every bachelor. This idea is exploded by a table published iu the lutest issue of the Gazette, which shows that in Nelson there are 7561 bachelors of the age of 20 years and upwards, and only 4932 spinsters of the age of 15 years and upwards, or an average of 153 bachelors to every 100 spinsters. Another table show# that there are altogether 26,958 males in tne disti ict, and 21,505 females, of all The unmarried male persons total 17,814. and the unmarried females 12,388.

A band stand that shuts up like a suit case and travels on wheels from park to park is in use in Minneapolis, where it has given satisfaction to the public and the park commissioners during the years it has been in operation, says the’February Popular Mechanics Magazine. The folding band stand rests on heavy truck wheels, and is 20ft by 30ft in sine. It is large enough for a band of 45 musicians, and is equipped with chairs, music racks, gasolene torches evening concerts, etc. It stands sft above the ground, and is protected by a railing. Three or four men can set it up in an hour, and it is easily folded for transportation. Only two horses are required to haul it to the barn where it is stored. Its cost was only £OO. The lyre bird, one of the most beautiful and interesting of Australian birds, is approaching extinction. It is hunted for its plumes, despite the fact that it is on the list of protected birds, and hundreds of “tails” are sold annually. The Royal Australasian Ornithologists’ Union, realising that the lyre bird is practically doomed on the mainland, is endeavouring to have it acclimatised in Tasmania. The Government of the island State is willing to help, if specimens arc sent across tire straits, and Mr. Robert Hall, cf the Hobart Museum, will see that the birds arc liberated in suitable localities. The difficulty is to secure live specimens, for the lyre bird is as shy as a hare, and Mr. 1). Le bouef (director cf the Melbourne Zoological Gardens) has long been seeking to obtain some wihtout success. The young birds are easily captured in the nests, but cannot be reared.

From Tasmania comes an election story which is good enough to reproduce. The candidate was a former Premier of Tasmania for a period of one week. He was speaking at a place called Sandfly. It was 11 p.m. before he wound up, and then a hostile motion was proposed and seconded without any unnecessary delay. Then the candidate rose to the occasion. He talked and he' talked until long alter midnight, when he was told tnat it was morning. He assured the audience' that he was _ quite prepared to stay till next morning as there were few places indeed where he could get an audience of whom he had a higher opinion. At I a.in. about fifty of those tnen present took their _ departure, while most of the remainder were sound asleep. Still the candidate s eloquence flowed on unchecked. Ihe kerosene lamps had gone out one by one until only one was left aliglu. About o a.m. the speaker declared that the audience could now do just as they thought fit. The score of persons remaining were roused from tho.r slumbers, and the hostile motion which was moved six hours previously was declared carried unanimously.

Last night at Kaponga the Public Hall was crowded to the doors, many people also standing at the hack of the stage, when the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie gave a lecture on explorations in Wesern Otago, founded on his own very interesting experiences. The lecture was illustrated with scenic views and afterwards a number of cinematograph pictures illustrating the dairy industry were shown. Those were certainly good, but Mr. Mackenzie told a “Stratford Post” representative that they were not quite to h s liking, and he hoped to get bettor views taken to semi to the Old Country. The views include pictures of the processes of butler and choose making at Eltham and Riverdale and ensilage making at Marten Junction experimental plots, but most of them were too dark. The Prenrer’s lecture last night was given in fulfilment of a promise to the Rev. air. Scolt, and ilit' proceeds are to lie devoted to the new Methodist Church fund. A very hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr Mackenzie. It is desired that ho repeat the lecture in Stratford, hut as vet Mr. Mackenzie is quite e.nahle t> indicate any data nnrui which ho is likelv to be able to do so.

Mr !’. iMV7\. .Morison cordially in'•••itcs the burgesses of Stratford to moot him at the Town Hall next Tuesday evening at 8 o'clock, in conneclion wit.; the Mayoralty. As an indication cf ,the interest that Taranaki dairy farmers are taking in farm and fodder experiments it may be mentioned that some 70 Eltiiam settlers, visited Moumahaki State Farm on Thursday this week, it will be of special interest to those who intend to make the excursion from inis district on Monday to know that extensive experiments in foddergrowing for dairy cattle have been made during tao past three years, and ti;is alone should be sufficient inducement for a large excursion of local fanners to Moumahaki on Monday.

It is said “prohibition does not prohiiiit” it may not be so in tiie United States, but not in China. In the three years s nee tiie issuance of the intiopium edict, the Chinese production of opium has been reduced nearly 70 per cent and Sir Alexander Hosic who is familiar with tiie situation declares that the poppy will disappear Bern Chinese soil within two years, And tans we shall see in live years the extinction of a business to whose accompanying habit millions of Chinese wore supposedly and actually enslaved History furnishes no parallel for this amusingly rapid reform, a reform, remarks the Tientsin Atlas News, all the more wonderful since the opium crop of China was worth £100,000,000 a year. At Macon, Georgia, on February 16 Mr. George Mann was granted a decree of divorce on the grounds that the ghost of ins, wife’s first husband Haunted his wife and himself, and the difficulty was so great that ’t was utterly impossible for the couple to live together. It was stated that Mrs Mann promised her first husband that she would not marry again. 'lbis promise she violated, and it was solemnly testified in court that the' first husband’s spirit nightly appeared with groans and reproachful glances. 1 bis so preyed on Mrs Mann that she ultimately left her husband, when the ghost disappeared. The Court granted the d voice, and the unhappy husband hopes that the spirit will be appeased and no longer trouble him. The usual monthly meeting of the Stratford Domain Board was held in the Borough Council Chambers yesterday afternoon. There were present: Messrs. G. N. Curtis' (in the chair), T. H. Penn, W. P. Kirkwood, and K. MeK. Morison. It was decided to

again write to the Borough Council requesting them to remove the rubbish near the Fenton Street Reserve, and continue the formation of the street to the swinging bridge. Permission was granted to the Stratford Lawn Tennis Club to lay down courts in Victoria, Park North, the site to be approved by the Board after inspection. Additional seats in King Edward Park were decided to be erected, and the secretary was instructed to obtain quotations for iron seats. The Cha:rman gave notice to move at next meeting that the wages of the Board’s employees be raised from 8s to 9s per day. Accounts amounting to £5 5s were passed for payment. The meeting called by Mrs. Shngstcr, convenor of the ladies’ committee in charge of the arrangements,for the forthcoming Scotch social to .be held on the 21th May in connection with the Taranaki Provincial Scottish Society, was held in Messrs. C. and E. Jackson’s rooms, Broadway, yesterday afternoon. The meeting was very largely attended, and great enthusiasm was displayed. The chair was taken by Mrs. G. Sangster, Mr. J. Mackay acted as secretary, and the following were among those present:— Mesdames. Glasgow, Grant, Paul,_, W. D. Anderson, Balfour, A. Morison, Sangster, J. Mackay, Fulton, Smart, Spdmaii, Patterson, McNeely, Campbell. McDonald, A.Mackay, Spence, McAllister, Petrie, Smith, Henderson, A. W. Reid, McGowan, McCluggage, Bonner, Misses Smith, Scott, Wyllxe, Irvine, B. Morison. Arrangements .for the catering were fully gone into, each lady present giving promises of help. It was resolved to hold another meeting at the same place on Tuesday next, April 16th, when working committees will he formed. A vote of thanks to Messrs. Jackson for the use of their office terminated the proceedings. _