LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 16, 11 September 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The cost of printing the report and evidence of the Cost of Living Commission was £375.

At the annual meeting of the Wellington Woollen Company, it was stated that the sum of £SUO was paid in wages above the amount paid prevents to the Dominion award. It is stated that a monthly paper is about to ho published to he known as “The Now Zealand Scot.” This will contain articles contributed by Scotchmen, and will probably bo the official organ of the Caledonian Societies of the Dominion. The first issue U to appear next month. Humpback whaling so far has not been a success with the New Zealand Whaling Company in its first season. Captain liaise, whose headquarters arc at Russell, states that the company hoped to catch 500 whales, _but so far (at time of writing), only 27 had been caught, and the season had ended. A shore station is likely to he es tahiished by next season.

Sir Thomas Lipton still hopes to lift the America Cup. He lias already made three attempts. He intends to visit the United States in the autumn when he will make arrangements fot another attempt to win the coveted yachting trophy. Sir Thomas will probably sail for New York next month. Satnrdav last was the anniversary of the Battle of To Xgntn-o-te-mann. when many soldiers, including thegal hint Von Tompskey, lost their lives As a mark of respect to their me»

ory the Veterans at New Plymouth fell in after their annual meeting an. stood in line with heads hared, while “The Last Post” was sounded.

The Druids’ fortnightly dance takes place this evening in the Foresters’ Hall, and a good time is promised.

A mob of 200 head of Ohura grown cattle passed through Tatu on their way to Taranaki last week, this being the third mob this spring. The road through the Gorge is becoming more important each year, and it is evident (sajs the Tatu correspondent of the “Omira Advocate”) that when this road is properly opened up considerable trade will develop by this route.

The Stratford Horticultural Society's special class for twelve popular varieties of narcissus at the forthcoming show should again be the wi, attraction this year, the Mayor (Mr-' V. \V. P. Kirkwood) having generously , presented a sterling silver cup suitably engraved for this attractive and useful section. The prices of the bulbs to be shown in this class is limited to one shilling each, thus giving .all a chance and encouraging growers to start a collection at a moderate costAccording to the “Taranaki Herald,” the last few meetings of the IS few Plymouth Borough Council have been unduly prolonged owing to the unbusinesslike way in whicJi the proceedings have been conducted, and again on Monday night it was not until the town clock had chimed 11.30 that the city fathers rose. The “Herald” j hopes that the climax was . reached on | Monday night when councillors them- ! selves entered their protest at the waste of time.

“I have been drinking too much sack,” whimsically protested Mr. Oscar Asche, when called upon for a speech after his performance as Sir John Falstaff, at the Sydney Theatre Royal last week. “You’ll get the sack!” interjected a ready occupant of the gallery. “Oh, no,” said the actor-manager. At this moment there was a crash of falling properties behind the scenes. Mr. Asche looked round to seek the cause of the disturbance, and then aptly concluded the sentence —“But someone else will I”

A peasant named Johann Balogh, qf Kossuthfalva, in Hungary, committed suicide by treating himself as Achilles treated the dead Hector, when he dragged him round the walls of Troy, lie harnessed a pair of fiery young horses to his cart, and, after mounting, tied his ankles firmly to the tailhoard, with a leather thong. .He whipped up his horses into a furious callop, and then throw himself backwards off the cart. When the animals' wore stopped at the next village, five miles distant, Balogh’* head had t»ee» battered to pieces against the stones. In the course of a lecture in Sydney recently Miss Proctor informed her audience that the next total eclipse of ;ho sun would take place in {September. 1922, and the spectacle will be perfectly visible in New South Wales (says the “Daily Telegraph”). As a rule, such eclipses last only two or three minutes, or oven less, but this one ten years lienee will be visible for no less than six minutes. On that oc(asion astronomical visitors and tourists will flock to New South Wales from all parts of the World, and very complete preparations will Tie made for the observation. It is at such times as tiiese that scientists obtain their most valuable information. One curious touch of superstition

came • into play when the different teams of hockey girls were being photographed on ' Saturday, says i the Christchurch “Press.!’ All the tearns went before the camera savq the Nelson players. They alleged, at first, that they did not like being photographed.' They did not want their pictures in the journals; and, anyhow, if their pictures were put in, they would have toe wrong names set beneath them. The photographer tried persuasion and diplomacy, with no avail at all, save that he learnt the truth. It was merely superstition. Each time they had their photographs taken previously they had been defeated, and last year, in Wellington, they had made a Solemn vow that they would not be photographed again. Mr. Justice McMillan commented strongly in the Divorce Court at Perth on the easy way in which the marriage bond could be broken under the new Act. He said that at one t’rae it was the policy of the law that there, should he some corroboration of matrimonial offences, hut at the present time, under the new Act, it was quite enough for a petitioner to come forward and tell a story that the Court had to accept as there was no opportunity of challenging its accuracy in any way. He sat there to do,very little except to give that which the petitioner wanted, and which, in most cases, the respondent was equally anxious to have granted. The only improvement lie could suggest was an automatic system, which would issue a proper decree on the receipt of the propcr~«)in. At present he had to perform the duty himself.

A Swiss, residing at Siautar, in the Island of Sumatra, has written norae an account of the capture and transportation of a young wild elephant in a motor-car by a resident of the town. The elephant, which was well roped, was driven to the nearest path in the forest, and with great difficulty the motor-car arrived at the spot, a kind of platform replacing the body. The elephant was induced to mount the olatform, and was strongly secured to

it. The trip to Siautar started, but difficulty at once. arose, because the dephant, whose 'trunk was free, used h : s proboscis to examine in turn the chauffeur, the seats in front, tho machinery, and finally the guiding wheel, ids last manoeuvre nearly upsetting tho car, which was brought to a stop as the journey was becoming dangerous. The elephant’s trunk was then snapped to his body, and the car arrived at Siautar without further incident. This is probably the first time that a wild elephant has had a ride on a motor-car.

Referring to the complaint of Dr. Maloney, M.H.R., that lie had been vaccinated with Now Zealand lymph at Townsville, with the result that he still felt the ill-effects of the inoculaiion, the Director of Quarantine (Dr. Norris) said (according to iho Melbourne “Argus”) that lie knew of no feature of the Japanese system of vaccination that could with advantage be taken over by Australia. Victoria has never obtained lymph from New Zealand, but prior to the taking over of quarantine by the Commonwealth the ither States secured supplies from the Dominion. Under the New Zealand system, the calf is not killed after The lymph is removed, and thus it <wunot he ascertained if the animal is dfci eased. In Victoria the calf is killed after the lymph has been secured. The Victorian system has been adopted by the Commonwealth, and lymph prepared at the Federal depot in this State is being gradually distributed throughout Australia. Dr, Maloney had reached Townsville before the Victorian lymph. Ultimately no New Zealand lymph will he used in the Commonwealth. Dr. Maloney has nointed out that five years ago the Japanese, who had been using the Victorian system, abandoned it in favour of a more scientific method. Dr. Norris, however, is satisfied with the Australian system. For Chronic Chest Complaints, Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. Is Gd. 2s Gd. S

A farewell social and dance to Mr C. C. Robertson, ex-managar of the Ngaoro factory, will bo held ir the Ngaere town hall on Friday evening. The musketry returns for New South Wales show an advance injthe percentage of efficiency of from 79 to 95 per cent. —Cable.

A settlor in the Bay of Plenty recently netted £250 from one acre of onions. Pie took forty tons of tlie vegetables from 2) acres of hind. A freak lamb is reported from Wairamararaa, Waikato. It had one head, two bodies, eight legs, two tails, and one nostril.

‘Ayhat do you think of the two cand:Mras?” asked one Egmont elector of another. “What do 1 think of them?’ - was the reply, “Well, when I think of them I’m thankful only one of them can got in.” The Court list for to-morrow’s sitting of the Magistrate’s Court includes 19 civil cases (three defended), one judgment summons, two breaches of borough by-laws, one information for excessive driving, and one for permitting drunkenness on licensed premises. Platonic affection is being discussed in the English papers. To those interested a wounded one says: “Platonic affection is the penalty one pays in old ago for procrastination in youth.” “It is also the egg-shell which is treasured by a man while someone else is eating the omelette.” The three seals that came into the Oamaru Harbour about a fortnight ago are still there. The North Otago Times states that one has located itself on one side of the small pontoons, and another was basking on the beacli on Tuesday, and the third is dead in the opening at the Macandrew wharf. Two are in prime condition, but that which has died seems to have wasted to a more skeleton. The fxroboll rang last night at 8.90, and a two-roomed cottage in Portia Street was noticed in flames. The rope of the firebell jammed, and consequently the Brigade were not summoned until the building was practically gutted. The cottage was occupied by Mr. G. Richter, and there was an insurance of .over £SO on the contents, The owner, Mr. M. Bayly, is also a heavy loser, as the qottago, which was in' very good condition, .was insured for only £SO in the United Office. The origin of the fire is a mystery. Messrs. T. 0. H. Nicholls and J. D. Watson, of Inglewood, who are the promoters of the Consolidated Oil lields of Taranaki, Ltd., were ir, , Stratford yesterday. In course of conversation with a representative cf the “Stratford Evening Post,” they stated that everything in connection with the enterprise was going most .-aUslactorily, and it was expected that Luring would he commenced at any time. Further than that, they were not prepared to make any statement at thi . juncture. When announcing at Queenstown some four years- ago the intention oi the Government to build an up-to-date steamer for the Lake trade, the Hon. J. A. Millar promised to take the vessel from Kingston to Queenstown. It is now stated that the exMinistor, who possesses a master’s certificate, will bo on the bridge when the Earnshaw makes here official run on Lake WakatipU this month. The Vessel will be able to do the trip in an hour and a-half comfortably, so that passengers will arrive at Queenstown at 6.30 p.ra. instead of 7.20 as at present.

A, remarkable rescue from drowning by a Manchester man took place at Dublin. A servant was sitting on the edge of the harbour there, rocking a child in a perambulator, which slipped from her hand, and before she could recover it the perambulator rolled over the harbour edge, and fell a distance of twelve feet into five feet of water. A man standing about 100 yards away witnessed the accident, ran to the harbour wall, and, throwing off his coat, dived into the water. The perambulator had sunk to the bottom, and the baby was strapped in it. The rescuer with-difficulty extricated ,the child, and brought it to the surface unconscious. it was taken to the house of a Mrs Smith, and a doctor called in. He immediately applied artificial respiration, and after an hour the child regained consciousness, and was restored to her parents.

For Influenza, take Wood*’ Great Peppermint Cue. Never fails. Is 64 and 2s Gd. x