LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 27, 25 September 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Robert Apes, of Ternuka, was charg cd with having trout in his possession out of season. Evidence was given that accused had been wlutebaitmg, and had caught the fish, which was found in his bag by the ranger, defendant was fined £2 and costs. A Woodville resident, Miv Ocean Thompson, had the thumb of his left hand cut off last Thursday. He was nj a railway carriage and had his hand on the door, when another passenger slammed it, nearly cutting the thumb off.

j a i-in paragraph -or, the Taranaki Scottish Society’s gathering at Inglewood we inadvertently mentioned Ist October as the date of the function. This should have, been Wednesday, 25th September (to-night). The “Southland News” says that the sawmilling trade at Catlins is brisk, according to Mr. Thos. O’Byrne, who lias returned from a visit to that district, all the mills working fullhanded. Labour is scarce, and necessary competent merit are difficult, if not impossible to procure.

The Wairarapa correspondent of the “Press” states that several of the cheese factories in the Forty Mile Bush have been offered 6i|d per lb for their outputs for this season, but have declined to do business, as they are looking for still higher prices. One factory is said to have refused even 7d per lb. In regard to the action of the Mayor of Timaru, in excluding the public from attendance at Borough Council meetings, it is interesting to note that he has been advised by the borough solicitors on the matter. It seems the law does not give the public the right to attend any meetings except ordinary meetings of the Council and even to these they are subject to exclusion for sufficient reason of which the Council is the solo judge. A “one-night” strike took place at Westport last week. It appears that recently a wharf labourer there was convicted of stealing coal, and thereafter was refused employment by the Union Steam Ship Co. The Wharf Labourers’ Union resented tin's action and the result was that the men went out on strike that night. i\s a result, however, of a meeting the matter in dispute was referred to the Federation of Labour, and the head office of the Union Company. In consequence of this arrangement the men resumed work yesterday, the strike having thus lasted for one night only. Some few weeks ago a man who works in the grounds of Victoria College, Wellington, found under a gorse bush, where he was doing some fencing, an old tin tobacco box, and in the box was a silver medal inscribed on one side: “1901, Park Memorial, Ist prize,” and on the other, “High Street School, sixth standard, English composition, Gladys Carroll.” The registrar of the college instituted enquiries. and courteously wrote to Mr. J. Waddell-Smith, the head master of the High Street School, in Dunedin, with the result that last week Miss Carroll received back her long-lost medal.

A Tonbridge (Kent) woman bad the grim experience of coining back tojife and living for two days after being certified dead. Her name was King, and siie apparently died of consumption. She was placed in a coffin, and the funeral was arranged. Two days before the funeral ber brother was in the next room with bis mother when be hoard a noise in the adjoining apartment, and on enteriifg was startled to find his sister sitting upright in ber coffin. Site died after having survived the terrible experience two days. A bad cold unfits a man and is dangerous. Tonicing’s Linseed Emulsion positively cures all colds; Is Gd, 2s Gd 4$ Gd. S

Two head of cattle were killed by lightning during a thunderstorm at Mauricoville last week. The honorary Territorial movement is making rapid headway in Dunedin; The membership is now 500; Seagulls are said to he very destructive to lambs on stations on the east coast south from Porangahan, says tho Dannovirke paper. A Pekin message to the SydnejtX “Sun” states that the sacrifice of lifoV censed by tho late floods in the Che- - kiang province was much greater than at first reported. It in now stated that upwards of 75,000 people perished. Railway travelling in Japan is much cheaper than in New Zealand. The Rev. Graham Balfour told the St. Clair people the other night that the second class fare for one trip oT 700 miles was only £l. “Wo’rei not afraid of rabbits,” said Mr. G. J. Anderson, member for Mataura, in tho House of Representatives. “Rabbits in Southland have done more to break up large estates than all the land laws of the groat Liberal Party.” The Aveathor has been exceptionally favourable for the lambing ,in North Canterbury, and tho percentages are very satisfactory. The , mortality amongst OAves and lambs has been unusually IOAV.

A party of Mokoreta young men (states the Wyndham “Farmer”) recently had a day’s opossum hunting in the bush at the head of Mokoreta. The result wqs 28 skins—Avhich, at the ruling price of 3s to 4s each, made profitable sport. , " A petition is in circulation amongst the Waiau run holders At ho Avehe sufferers by the July snoAvstorms praying for, in the case of those avlioso leases expire in five years’ time, an extension of their leases, and, in the case of the Government settlor, ; for a rebate of rent'.

A big road-making project is now prominently before tiie American public. The proposal is to construct a macadamised roadway right across the continent, from New York to San Francisco, a total distance of 3340 miles, it is reckoned that this gigantic undertaking will involve an outlay of £5,000,000, and towards the fund that is now being raised to meet the cost of the work the automobile manufacturers of Indianopolis, at a banquet recently, subscribed £60,000. The Inangahua “Times” reports that, Court proceedings are likely to be taken in that on Sunday Jast a unionist in the Progress Junction interfered with a couch containing the staff and labour going to the Clobe mine; also, that another unionist interfered with a horse belonging to the mine'' manager, and a charge of alleged abusive language is likely to be instituted. ,",,

The enormous amount of wofk that his Honoup. Judge Jones has . to. cope with in connection, with ,the Native Land Court was referred to at Wi Karauria’s bankruptcy meeting, yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Finn said: an, application for, the partition of a bfqck of land had, been made in; 19017^ t but it had not been, dealt, witlr.. The. ■ Judge was working day and night, land,yet it was proposed., to add Magisterial work to hid i .‘already arduous task. i An American visitor who is undertaking a tour, of New Zealand had quite a lot of-hard things to say about tiie Southland climate (says the. Southland “News”), and a lot of harder things to say about empty fireplaces in liurercargilL,(hotels. Almost frozen, he sought refuge in an apartment of a public building, took off his, boots, and toasted his toes beside one of the hot air radiators., ~ , A farther 'section of the Gatlins railway has been completed, i that’ ‘which carries the lino to McLennan ■ Biver, but the line has not yet Leeh opened for traffic. This extension!; will ren-

der available a large area of millable timber, and it is expected that from the outset the revenue■■ from this source will bo considerable. In March last 350 men were employed on the line, a number since reduced to 250, and it is expected that in > the near future others will have to seek employment elsewhere. • A grizzled old Aran was taken before the Magistrate at ! Cairo on a charge of having stolen some hens. In the course of the enquiry it was deposed that the pilferer’s age was 112. In view of this fact the Magistrate decided not to commit him, and asked him whether he had anyone to look after him. “Oh, yes,” came the astounding reply, “I live with my mother!’ ' , The penny-in-the-slot stamp machine at the Masterton Post Office was a source of considerable anxiety to a local Chinaman the other day. After examining the contrivance very closely, ho deposited a penny in the slot. He then awaited developments. The stamp did not present itself as he had expected it. Ho surveyed the mechanism with a sceptical look, tapped it on the top, eyed it from the bottom, and then exclaimed in disgust, “Whaf-for?” Presently some Eui’opeans who had been watching the proceedings, came to John’s rescue, and ho heaved a sigh of relief when he found that the State had not beaten aim for his hard-earned “brown.” Casein manufacture finds an ardent supporter in Mr. J. Pedersen, who was specially sent by the Government to the Continent to study the subject, Mr. Pedersen’s conclusions are; In Hamburg the high price of 2|d per gallon is paid for skim-milk, and Germany generally utilises 5000 tons of it annually for food purposes. At £3l per ton in Europe (plus £2 freight from Wellington to Hamburg) for a poor quality article, Mr. Pedersen sees a good thing in the industry. He thinks New Zealand farmers could produce casein of the highest quality, and consequently receive the Inghost price;

The Northern Wairoa- Dairy Company has definitely decided to test the farmers’ herds this season at a cost not exceeding 2s Gd per cow for the year, plus the cost of sample bottles, sample boxes and scales,' and a competent tester has already been advertised for. The cost of testing and appliances will be deducted the butter-fat cheques towards of the season (states the North Auckland “Times”). After October Ist the price paid for butterfat in cream testing less than 33 per cent, will be at the rate of one farthing less than the ruling price advanced. Something in the nature of a sensation was caused on Tuesday by the report that a small vessel was in difficulties in the hay (says the Hawke’s Day “Herald”). It was at first thought that the report referred to one of the trawlers, and the dredge put out to render any assistance required. The conjecture that it was a trawler in trouble was proved to lie unfounded, and it was soon ascertained that the vessel was a small oil launch which had put out from Clive in the morning, and in endeavouring to make Napier was in danger of being blown out to sea. One of the trawlers, however, noticed the peril cf the tiny craft, and took her in tow before the dredge arrived cr. the scene.

Sporting Notes by “Cicero” appear on page 2 of this issue. The balance-sheet in connection with the recent “Round-tho-Mountain” ■ Crclo Race showed a credit balance ot £53. The Court list for Friday’s sitting of the Magistrate’s Court includes 21 i .civil cases, three defended, and two judgment summonses. The annual meeting of the Stratford Bowling Club will be held in the BorSfvV: ough Council Chambers* to-morrow 'V,.-,. evening at 8 o’clock. i Mr. H. G. Wells’ latest novel, “The " Star,” has just been published. It is a unique literary production, inasmuch as the author has adopted the simplified spelling. Here is a sample sentence: “It woz on the furst dai ov the nyu yeer.’ , The game of “hoop-la,” in which clients are invited for a consideration : to try their skill in ringing, with light ' cane hoops, certain articles °f levy, to which they became entitled it ;< they circled them with the hoops, ha* been declared by Mr. Cutten, S.M., a game of skill. The booking for “Sinbad the Sailor” ■has been quite phenomenal. By J.dU '■this morning there were very few vac- •- nut seats in the dress circle, the orchestral ’stalls also being in solid demand. Saturday’s house should bo a record one. The members of the St. Andrew s choir and friends are organising a concert for Thursday week, and a Bloc • Club has been formed for this purpose. Practices are being held rogularlv, and .. ■ the function, which aims at establishing a fund for the purchase of n piano for the St. Andrew’s Schoolroom, • should be a most successful one. Recently prizes were offered by the “Sydney ’Globe” newspaper for the best article on “The Sale of Alcohol: Should it . .heßi-ol’ibdMlv.except i through, chemists? Mrs. Nellie Miller, of 36. Perry Street, Masterton, has received word from the proprietors ".'•‘that she had hoen successful in wm""'ning the'first prize. There were several hundred competitors. A reminder is given of the meeting ", ;of supporters of the Reform 1 arty to 'be held this evening in the Borough Council Chambers at 8 o clock, when it is proposed to form in Stratford electorate a branch of tHo New Zoaland Political Reform League. Ihe party’s chief organiser, Mr. C. 1. Lindegreen, will bo present, and will address the mooting. i : A Lithgow (N.S.VV.) townsman recently' lost a garden fork and advertised that he would like to address a i few “cursory” remarks to the thief. it . would seem as if the old adage or “Conscience makes cowards of us all would apply in this case, for on the ' following morning ho found four forks lying in ms garden. His fork was not among the number. , A half-acre section, in close proximial f xiy to the main . thoroughfare, which " recently‘changed hands, is a striking of the increase in land values ••■/'. iff.-Foxton of late years. This section ''.'•’'■‘.Was originally bought for £ls, and Isome little time after was offered to 1 auothbr 1 resident for £l7 10s and re- ■ J, 'fused'. ; Oftly a'week or so back it :n be bhtin&ed hands : again; the price .paid “ 'being;£3so'i iKI -' . ' • K ’ ' rWhen •,General , 'Bobtb was! passing through Melbourne one day on the oc- • ' d.'Ucasion'of his second visit, a poor woman pushed her way through the crowd, and advancing to the carnage side, offered the General a beautiful white rose. “I am a widow,” she said, -i “t' -wjxtid >it-is all I have to give, but. 1 . give it witlv all : m : y , ''heti'rt : .’ ''.Eiit'An uid- * dress delivered that evening the General made! mention of the white rose. He used the flower as a sorb of text, and besought all to bring the white ■lie., -rose.of)their lives-to bear upon the iivid'i.Christian, 'work of the Army. He t tvilholdnup i the emblem and called for hV.obcyvhite roses of the soul. When the rest ~nvr of the audience had dispersed, one )!j -iSi woman remained, . weeping at a-form, f - She. wished to speak to the General, .'i she said, and ho wont to her. “It was Ij-.i.KI who gave ybu the white rose, General,” She sobbed. “A beautiful gift,” answered the head, “Yes, oh yes. But, General, I stole itl” wailed the woman.

A small epidemic of running away , from homo has seized the boys of Tau- ' marunui. . A few days ago two small fry got a pea rifle and went off to imitate our old friend Huck Finn in the bush on the other side of the river. After two days’ adventure they decided that home was best after all. and returned. ■Unfortunately (states the “Press”) they succeeded in bagging a pig with the gun, and now the police are on their trail. Another youth, smarting under the injustice of an allegedly undeserved birching, joined the train after school and got as far as Raurimu, where he enjoyed himself acting as fireman to a mill till he was “sacked.” Unfortunately the attention of the local constable fell upon him, and after a night in v official company ho was placed on the train to return to the bosom of his family. His return reached the ears of his small friends before the train arrived, and ho had quite a reception ’’■.‘from them. 1 For Influenza, take Woods’ Great Peppermint Cue. Never fails. Is 6d and 2s 6d.___ s