LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 11, 10 May 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A prohibition order was granted igainst a local resident at the Court this morning.

Airs. F. Marlow, who has been unwell for some time past, has gone on a visit to her mother, Mrs. Mace, at Oaknra.

Judgment was given by default in the following cases at the Mag strate’s Court this morning:—F. A. Cramer v. A. E. Kemp, £-4 -3s (id, costs 18s (Air. W. G. Malone); J. Masters and Sons v. Charles Teague, £2 Is 3d, costs 10s (Mr. Fookes). Tn the case of E. Robertson, charged with furious driving, the defendant was lined £l, and witnesses’ expenses £1 Is Gd, bv Mr. AY. G. K. Kc-nnck, at the S. Ai. Court this morning. Alfred Nelson, for driving loose horses, was fined 40s, and 7s costs, this being a second offence of recent date, hci riding bicycles on the foolypiith A. Sti'pp was fined 10s and /s Con it costs, Charles-Milner was fined 6s, and a schoolboy was convicted and discharged.

Two local sports were out in quest of the much-relished cock birds yesterday afternoon, and decided to try a field of carrots, notwithstanding various notices posted here nnd thei e warning them of the dire consequences of trespassing. In the evening they chanced to meet the owner of the pro • perty returning from the races, and he asked 14 they' (the sports) had been out shooting lately. “Yes,” said_ the senior sport, “I got two lovely birds, one each barrel, off your property today.” The wrath of the owner can be imagined when lie refused to have a “refresher” with the sports, the language being too snlphurions for pilot. The owner intended keeping those birds silent for Sunday’s dinner, having invited special guests. However, “there’s many a -slip ’twixt the cur and the lip!”

Says the San Francisco Argonaut: While Mr. Roosevelt has always professed himself a man of dauntless courage, he has never found the hardihood to take a truly . courageous course. From the beginning- of career until now he has persistently moved with the tide. He has been, on' every side of every issue and of every movement of his time, hut ho has never for one hour stood boldly for a cause not momentarily in favour or against ,a cause not momentarily in eclipse. He has never, like, Washington, Jackson, Lincoln, l or Cleveland, _ stood firmly for anything because it was right against "the clamour of the impetuous hour and the overwhelming multitude. This tost, the severest of all trials of moral hardihood—the one test by whic.i truly strong men prove their character- Mr. Roosevelt has always declined. And he will decline it to the end of his career. For all of his pretensions, for all of his amazing audicity, he has not in him the manly virtue to sustain an unpomilar or declining cause. Theodore Roosevelt is not the .stuff of which true heroes arc mads. Tidings of a hitherto unknown race have been received in despatches.from Stefansson and Anderson, who are conducting an expedition in the far north. The strange race was located in Victoria Land, north of Cape Bexley. One theory of their origin, says the New York World, is that they may be descendants of an ancient Icelandic colony from Greenland. Of unusual interest is the fact that the natives hear names that can he translated into English, suggesting that survivors of the Franklin expedition may have lived among them.. They have some Scandinavian characteristics, and are different from any other American aborigines. Two of' them wore beards of a reddish colour, and all had light eyebrows. Nothing learned from-,them indicated that the race as it exists today had evr seen a white man. The courier who first went forward to parley with them lost his life, when a native attacked him with a knife. Friendly advances were finally successful. and by moans of the sign language ami the assistance of native guides, communication was held. Tt had been believed that the territory was uninhabited

A dress-baslret left- in the gangway of a corridor car on the tSyduoy-^el-bourne express caused some excitement a few days ago. The conductor looked for the owner, and finding her, requested her to remove it. She indignantly refused. Checking the tickets, the conductor found the basket still in the wrong place, and resting on it was a hat about the size of a parasol. Angrily, he kfted the basket in order to carry it to its proper place. As he did so a hatpin fell out of the bat, and in a rage he picked it up and jammed it through the hat into the basket. Instantly there arose a most frightful howl. The conductor dropped the basket in a fright, the lady who owned it burst into a series of screams, which alarmed all the passengers within hearing. While the pandemonium still raged the conductor plucked up sufficient courage to see what was in the basket. He had visions of some' horrible tragedy, but when he lifted off the lid out frisked a. little collie pup, which frolicked about with huge delight, and for its happy release forgave Idm for the pinprick. But the puppy was taken to the dog-box, the basket was removed to the luggage receptacle, and the bereaved lady was forced to bemoan her fate in the'ladies’ carriage.

Another step has been taken, says the Standard, in the perfection; of the turbine, which has caused so great a revolution in propulsion during the past few years. This is a new reversible steam turbine. Experiments and demonstrations have already been made with the now machine by Mr. W. J Wainwright Brown. Using a model about d()in in length and about 1 Sin in breadth (as size designed for use in automobiles), and with a steam pressure of 801 b., Mr. Brown has reversed from full speed in one direction to full speed in the other in a few seconds. A full description of the new machine would prove highly technical, hut it is sufficient to say that the reversing is affected by synchronised discs rotated by screw spindles extending outside the turbine casing, which are made to open or close nozzles, and give the steam a left or right direction upon the blades. Designs arc now being prepared by the Improved Mechanisms Company. Ltd., for the construction of a 2000 b.p. machine on this new prnciplo, and it is proponed to adapt all sizes for the use of ammonia. gas in place of steam. The enormous importance of the new invention as affecting the fast liners has brought it under the notice of several of the large steamship companies.

For procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order, W. H. Wisbart was fined 20s, and 7s Court costs, at the Court this morning. On a judgment summons heard at Hie S.AI. Court this morning. Alfred George was ordered to pay T. H. Williams £7 Bs, In default 11 days’ imprisonment, warrant to ho suspended to Ist Juno. Another of the fortnightly assemlikes under the auspices of the Foresters will he held on Monday next. The Nnacre orchestra will supply the music, and a pleasant evening is promised. i The preparation of an accurate soil map would (says the Farmers’ Union Advocate) mean probably years of hard geological works, and thus in a country where soils are. so diversified as in New Zealand, might be considered practically impossible. Something, however, could be done in obtaining a map which would convey sufficient information to guide intending settlers in their selection of a locality in which to take up the particular line of farming they may fancy. At present, one might be led to assume that because, say, Taranaki is devoted to dairying that it is only suitable for that class of farming, whereas a knowledge of the soil might, reveal greater possibilities in other directions. It might be possible to secure the necessary data for such a soil map, through the Agricultural and Stock Departments, if certain questions, such as were sent out a few years ago by the Agricultural Conference, were added to the forms for grain or wool returns. “Rubber estates in general seem to be having a gay time with their native labour,” writes a New Zealander resident in Singapore to a member of our staff. “About a fortnight ago a vaudeville show got stranded here, and. one of -the actors joined a rubber estate on an island near Singapore. He arrived, and was met by the manager, * who ordered some coolies to carry the new man’s stuff up to the bungalow. The coolies, who, 1 dare say, reckoned they weren’t engaged for that sort of work, turned on the manager and very | nearly .chopped bis head off. The actor thought he’d better lend a hand, and ! incidentally he had it nearly severed. The manager died from his Avounds, and the actor has gone back to the stage.” The AA-'riter adds that another- ; manager was unable to pay his men • owing to Lis directors keeping him 'I short. He explained, but the explanation did not suit one coolie, who used : hie knife with fatal effect. The native - got ten years in chains, and an extra - two for appealing. The residents pe--1 tit-ioned to have the man “strung up,” . but were unsuccessful.