LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 28, 26 September 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Parliamentary news appears on n-g? 2 of this issue, and the report of the Scottish Society's concert at Inglewood last night will be found on the third page. No fewer than 222,000 fat sheep and lambs left the Featherston railwav station last year, which (says the "Age"') was a larger number .than from any other station in the Dominion. The Minister of Finance (Mr. James Allen) says he knows nothing about the statement recently circulated to the effect that he would shortly proceed to the Old Country on matters connected with the Dominion's finance.

Brigadier Vince will conduct an evangelistic meeting in the Salvation Army Hall to-morrow evening, commencing at 8 o'clock. The Brigadier has had a long experience as an Army officer, having done service in the Old Country as well as in other lands.

Dr. Sloan, who is said to be a New Zealander at present Home on a holiday from China, has (writes the Auckland "Star" London correspondent) had one of the most painful experiences it is possible for human being to have—namely, to be the unwitting cause of a fellow-creature's death. Dr. Sloan, it appears, was staying with a relative named McKerrell, at Overtown Farm some four miles from Irvine, in "Argyllshire. Another guest was the eleven-year-old nephew of Mr. and Mrs. McKerrell, a boy named Connor. One day, it seems, Mr McKeri*ell was out scaring birds with a double-barrelled gun, and Dr. Sloan asked to be allowed bo try the weapon; McKerxoll reloaded the barrel he had discharged and handed it to him. The visitor aimed at a bird and tried the left barrel, which did not <>o off. He thon brought down the bird with the other barrel, and Co'tfior dashed into some bushes to retrieve it. Dr. Sloan followed, and was apparently pointing out to the boy the spot where he imagined the bird should be, with the gun. when the undischarged cartridge in the left barrel exploded. Part of the charge struck the boy in the neck, severing the jugular vein arid causing speedy death. Dr. Sloan was naturally terribly upset by the fatality, and has! hoon so ill since that he has. boon in ' the hands of the doctcr. •;

A meeting of the Executive of the Stratford A. and P. Association will, be held on Friday night. For serving a person under 21 years with liquor, two Bluff publicans were yesterday lined £8 each, and a barman £2. Mr. W. Thomson, representative of - the "New Zealand Scot." publication of which commences on November 12, was in Stratford to-day. He leaves tomorrow for Now Plymouth. The annual general meeting of the Stratford Lawn Tennis Club will bo held in Messrs. W. li. H. Young and,.' ■ Co.'s office, Began Street, en Tuesday Lsot evening October Bth. at 8 o'clock. A Wellington wire states that the h Government has purchased an estate, of 1400 acres at Hind's. South Canterbury, from Messrs Snnmenas and Blackmore for cutting-up for closer ■ , settlement.

The Napier Supreme Court was occupied to-day hearing an ■,action brought by F. E. A. Gordon, poultry expert, against the "New Zealand Times" Co. —a claim for £ISOO for alleged libel contained in a* poultry article which impugned the value, of plaintiff's birdtesting system. Additional donations towards the prize fund of the Stratford A. and P. Association are Messrs. W. G. Malone and J. Spedding, each two guineas ; Messrs James Speight, J. H. Thompson and T. C. Fookes, each one guinea; 11. Morrison (Toko) half a guinea, and the Stratford Pigeon and Poultry Society, a gold medal. The 22nd anniversary of the Primi ti've Methodist Church'takes place in about throe weeks' time, and will be celebrated in connection with the annual Synod, at which delegates* from, all over Taranaki and Wahganui wilL be present. This will be probably the last Synod under the old regime, as the Union takes place in February next.

"The only fate that awaits the political rail-sitter is political damnation," remarked Mr Lindegreen at the Reform Party's meeting last night. He instanced* Mr. Wilford, Mr. Myers and Mr. Atmore, as examples, and said that the next election would probably find these gentlemen among the "also starteds."

"The people in the Taranaki electorate," said Mr. Lindegreen last night, "arc more apathetic than they. are here in Stratford. They take things as a matter of course. They say "We're in office, and there's no, need to take any action. When election time comes, we'll just wake up and romp over them.' " Needless to say, the'Reform League's organiser had.no sympathy with the dormant policy'. \ , At the first annual meeting of the. South Otago Freezing Company, an offer from London to buy the works for £48,000 was refused, an amendment to let the offer lie on the table for three months ■also o being rejected, The amount offered represented a profit of £3OOO over the actual cost of the, works. . ;'*.; •■■ : :

The new organiser of the Reform League is a firm believer in advertising.' In response to a remark made-' by one gentleman last night', who \v,as opposed- to "exposing their hand,"' in'' other words; admitting the Press at'a; certain' meeting, Miv : Lindegreen strongly Opposed the- 'suggestion. '.'"lf you can get advertising !! for nbthiiigV'!' ; he exclaimed, "get it; but,'ir you can't, then pay for gert itv < ■'■ .yv i A- new idea, i for, KJalkoura,! for...raii|-'; ing' early' tomatoes, js] -being.' tried jby | Mr.. JT; Gilbert;, Huhdalee ,(states. „tyie-,; "Star"). He'has erected; a hothouse' capable of holding about one, hundred plants, and he intends to promote the growth by means of heat by electricity. Mtv Gilberti,hopes, ~by;( t his', nieanis, to,, secure a good early crop, and if the, experiment is successful lie will go into the project more extensively next year.

Prizes for mothers of more than four, children .will .be provided in ,a- iB,ill (; which M. Messimy,; . iW t ai', will shortly , introduce, : , .inj > the,] French Chamber. The r sum o£. £2O pef 7

chilcl is suggested,,half to. be payable: to the mother on birth, the-otiier half••' to be held by the .National Bank-as the nucleus of an annuity later in;-life.' A tax on bachelors and'childless.hotise-i noidsiis suggested as a means of rais- 1 ing parts of the'money. . ••«"'• .• The Hawera Borough Council, last ! night considered a circular from the National Peace Council of New Zeaf, land with reference-to the Defence' Act, but on the motion' of the Mayor, the Council refused to receive the circular, and passed a strongly-worded resolution supporting the Defence Act, in which it set forth that "This Council considers that any person opposing the sacrifice entailed in serving for the defence of the country is lacking in .patriotism 4 and that youths refusing to serve would be better out of New Zealand and out of the British Empire." An interesting little discussion occurred last night at the meeting convened to form a branch of the New Zealand Political Reform League in Stratford. One well-known business man said he had hitherto refrained

from taking an active stand in politics, but the last election had been too much, for him. He had found by openly espousing one cause that he had made many true jriends, and even those who were politically'opposed to* him gave him their goodwill. This opinion was shared by the chairman (Mr. T. C. Fookes) and by others present, the former saying that it was only a very miserable man who would carry his politics so far as to let them interfere with business relations. Such, a one was not respected by his .political opponents, and even his own friends, he thought, were ashamed of him.

A rumour of startling and unexpected developments likely to soon eventuate in connection with the Waihi strike. ivas current in Dunedin on Saturday (states the "Star"). It is said that a movement is on foot to ask the Government to permit the importation of Chinese or Indian coolies to work the Waihi mines. The strength of the movement is said to be centred in London, where three-fourths of the Waihi shares,are held, the other fourth being held iii New Zealand. It is stated that if the Government declino to suspend the alien immigration restrictions, as desired by the mine owners, the poll tax will be paid on sufficient coloured labour to Avork the mines, the labourers to indent f*r a three to five year period, with a ' i MmL vision that at the end of they shall he sent hack to their country," and their passage money paid by the mine owners. Such a movement is merely rumoured, hut it is said that the rumour is based on a substratum of fact.