LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 32, 1 October 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Opening of the fishing season today.”

Sporting Notes by “Cicero” appear on page 2 of this issue. In the Supreme Court at Hamilton last week, R. Johnson (formerly engineer to the Piako County Council) sued Charles Manuel (Chairman of the Council), for £750 damages for alleged slander. The jury found for plaintiff, who was awarded £375 damages.

The love of animals is an excellent trait, but in the opinion of the innabitants of a little commune in the Pyranecs it has been carried a It tie too far by their present Mayor (writes, the Paris correspondent of the “.Daily 'J elegraph”). That tender-hearted gentleman lias issued the following manifesto:—“Seeing that the young people of the commune are accustomed to meet together every Sunday after Mass, and that the noise they make frightens the cocks, hens, and other village annuals, and that there results a serious agricultural loss, let us forbid dancing on the territory of the commune during the hours when the domestic animals are wont to take their repose.” “Debts of honour” are regarded seriously in the Army. Sir William Butler, in his autobiography, toils of a card party in a tent on the heights before Sebastopol. An I 0 IT for a considerable amount changed bands, and half an hour afterwards came a “fall in” for war, and a few hours later the loser foil—killed in the Redan. The I 0 U was toiai up and forgotten un til a couple of months had passed, when a letter from Cox ami Co. informed the winner that the amount of the 1 O U had been transferred to hi.a account. That half hour ’twist cards and battle bad been utilised by the ins-! or to put bis gaming affairs in order! j

The weight of a man’s brain is said to have nothing to do with his mental power, it is a question of climate, not of intellect. The colder the climate the greater the size of the brain. The largest heads of all are those of the Ifhugalshes, who live very far north, and next come the heads of the Lapps. Lieutenant James Howell, of the United States submarine FI, established a world’s record by sinking his cruft 283 ft. and cruising at that depth for ten minutes. The submarine carried a crew of 26 men, and accomplished with ease a speed of six knots an hour. ■

Gisborne was again second on - the list for the number of births roistered in boroughs during the month of July. The total for this town was 41, whilst at Invercargill there were 51. Napier and Palmerston North came next to Gisborne with 35 each. At Nelson, where the population is stated to bo only 150 less than at Gisborne, there were only 15 births registered. When the presentation of the modal sent hy the King of Italy for bravery at the Messina earthquake was to be made at Hull, it was found that the intended recipient, a , steward named Harry Hall, had lost his life while on the voyage home to receive it. Hall, it was stated, had been washed overhoard from the steamer Vigo, in the Bay of Biscay, and drowned. He risked his life to save the Italians. The medal was sent back.

A contractor with a head for figures and building estimates has worked out that Cheops Pyramid, in Egypt, could not be duplicated for less than £20,000,000. With modern machinery and the employment of 40,000 stone-cutters, haulers, quarryrnen, masons, and labourers, a duplicate of the pyramid could be erected in two years. It has been calculated that.the work really required the services of 100,000 men for thirty years. The Cheops Pyramid occupies a space ■of 12;, 1 acres, and is 746 feet high.

In Berlin the firemen wear waterjackets with a double .skin, which they are able to fill with water from the hose. If the space between the two layers becomes over-filled the water escapes through a valve at the top of the helmet, and flows down over the fireman like a cascade, protecting him doubly. The smoke helmets, largely used in Germany, Austria, Holland, and Italy, enable the bearer to breathe and see at his ease in a smoke-laden atmosphere. In some instances the apparatus includes a means of telephonic communication with the street below, 1

According to statistics just published, Switzerland loads the countries of Europe in divorces, with fortythree for every 100,000 of the population in the year, France comes next, with thirty-three, then Denmark with twenty-seven, Prussia twenty one, England seventeen, Norway fifteen, Holland and Belgium each fourteen, Bavaria thirteen, Sweden ten, Austria eight, and last on the list Finland With six. In Switzerland it is more''difficult to get married than divorced. The latter, in fact, is a very simple process, and cheap, too, the average cost of divorce proceedings being about £2. And the new Swiss civil law.i which comes into effect this year, will make divorce still easier. ■ <

> Bath, on which a syndicate; proposes to spend £250,000 for the attraction of more visitors, claims in .one .respect to have beaten all records, it hag,'it contends, given its,name to more articles than -any other town in the Britb ish Isles. Bath buns, Bath chairs, Bath bricks, and Bath chaps are among the most; familiar of these...'We have also Bath pipe, Bath Olivers, and Bath post notp-paper, Bath coating was a fashionable material for men’s suits, but the term appears to be unknown among present-day tailors. This list could possibly be extended, .but oven as it stands no other town can match it.

“The French Government is trying to civilise the Tahitian by teacning him French,” said Mr., Edmund Mitchell, who arrived at Wellington, from Tahiti the other day. “I think, they are on the wrong track altogether,, for the simple reason that their contact with outsiders is with those who speak English. On the one hand they nave the steamers, papers, and magazines from Australia and New Zealand,' and on the other hand from San Francisco, and the shortest cut to civilisation would be to teach the natives English. The place is, of course, a French colony, and pride of colonisation dictates a schooling in French, but environment is dead against that course.”

Whatever countries the, Homans settled in they left ail impression the permanent character of the g’reat highways constructed during their occupancy. “Twenty years ago,” said Lord Chelmsford, in the course of an address before the Local Government Association in Sydney, “I was in Italy, touring in the vicinity of Home, and on the Alban Mount, twenty miles out from the city, where the minor triumphs took place before the Christian era, I walked on the identical surface of the. road which was used 1900 years ago. That is an instance of the policy of thoroughness. The Roman civilisation produced’ roads as if they had to last for eternity, and so far as we can see their work is almost destined to last until eternity.”

The “Big Six,” as the American Beef Trust are known, took revenge on the consumers of the United States (says the Chicago correspondent of the “Daily Chronicle”) for the dissolution of their business, which has been practically forced by the Government. The trust, as a last act of combination, raised their prices 15 per cent, all round, a rise of 35 per cent, within five months. The price for the commonest kind of beef and mutton is now so high that even fairly well-to-do families are obliged to curtail their table. There is great outcry everywhere over this net of the trust, which is believed to bo without any warrant whatever. The packers attribute the rise to the scarcity of cattle, but the Bureau of Commerce'and Labour in Washington denies that the is, any scarcity, and generally the movement is regarded as an act of revenge on the “trust-busters” who have demanded the dissolution of the packers’ monopoly.

Scepticism as to the pressure of Dannevirke water supply when it was first installed was responsible for a story being told by the Mayor last week, when the new station was opened (says the Dannevirke “Evening News”). A well-known gentleman had adversely criticised the high prca*ro scheme, maintaining that it v/oullWie of little use for brigade purposes, and said lie was prepared to stand mi too of the tower at the Masonic Hotel and let the brigade have a shot at him with the hose, just to show how inadequate the pressure was for practical purposes. The challenge was taken up, and on the appointed day tne civilian took his stand on the tower and defied the brigade to shift him. On the second attempt the water hit its mark, and before long the doubter was hanging on to the floor of the tower, yelling for mercy, and the efficiency of the pressure was vindicated; He came down a wetter and wiser man.

Consumption prevented by taking Tonking’s Linseed Emulsion on the first sign of a cold. Obtainable everywhere. a

Owing to tlie decreasing attendance at the Waitara State School (says the; “Mail”);, duo to the prevalence of mumps, it has been decided to close for two weeks. Though the rainfall last month was 'only 12.35 inches, rain fell on 28 days out of 3U. Everybody knows that there was no rain yesterday, but the riddle of September, is, when was the other line day? There wore fourteen births, three deaths, and six marriages in the Stratford district last month. For New Flymouth the figures were: 'lwenty-four births, thirteen deaths, and five marriages. “jt desire to express my appreciathe splendid care and attention I received from the matron and staff,” wrote a discharged patient or the Stratford Hospital, to the Board this morning.

A carpenter named Henry, an employee of Mr N. J. King’s, yesterday raw a chisel into his wrist, severing an artery,. The injured man was attended by Dr. Steven. The Wellington City Council has decided to reconstruct all the cars necessary, to provide a central aisle, and to remove the top floors of double deckers. The alterations are to be carried out at the rate of not less than one per month, and are estimated to cost £5598. The Junior Civil Service examination will be held this year in November, beginning on or about the 18th; the Junior National Scholarship and Junior Free Place examination will be held on or about November 28th, and the Civil Service Senior examination and c r in examination for teachers’ certificates of .classes 0. and D. will be held in January, 1913, beginning'about the 6th ot the month. At this morning’s meeting of the Stratford Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, a letter was received from Mr ■i Joseph McClnggage acknowledging receipt of a letter re the nurse for Whangamomona. Mr McClnggage stated that it must he very gratifying to the Whangamomona settlers to know that there is a definite scheme put before them. The Board’s letter liad been forwarded to the secretary of the Whauga. movement, Mr A. Klee. The Gorman Government hay :e not , yet decided whether they a ill take part in the great Exposition wHh wlncn the opening of the Panama Canal is to he celebrated. As a matter of fact, Germany’s participation will largely depend upon the result of the American Presidential contest. If Dr. Woodrow Wilson becomes the new President, Germany will certainly be represented at the Exposition, but if either Taft or Roosevelt is elected the matter will remain in doubt for a time at least. ■ At' the 'Police Court in Dunedin last vvoejc, .James Henry Thomas was changed that.be did exhibit in a window of his boot shop a card with the intention of inducing persons to rci sort to his promises for the purpose of taking part in.a, scheme by which .prizes were gained by means of chaiico, fie was, further charged that ho did by , the deyice of $ .lighted candle guessing . competition, dispose of a clock and ..biscuit, barrel by chance. Mr. Haselden, S.M.. gave a decision yesterday, holding that a guessing competition was not' a game of chance. Both. ' ■ charges were therefore dismissed.

• ; ' 'A newspaper Having offered a prize '‘fori the most impossible item of local news, the competition was won by a wildly-imaginative genius, who sent the following brief story:—A cabman , and bus driver came into collision in i■■ -the". Street with their vehicles, so that their wheels were locked. “My dear sir,” said the cabman, “I’m very sorry for this accident. Will you kindly excuse me?” “Pray, do not men- ' tirin' it, my doah sitj ,? replied WBiis driver; “the fault was mine rather thaii yours.” And 1 after getting clear of each other they bowed politely and ■proceeded about their business with a- pleasant “Good day.” ; '"’“The' agreement having been en- ■ tored into between the two Hoards, no account for maintenance will bo ’forwarded to you.” Thus the secretary, of the Otago Hospital and Charitable! Aid Board wrote to the secretary of j the local institution, the letter being received at the Board’s meeting this morning. It so happened that in acknowledging receipt of a letter from the Stratford Board agreeing to a reciprocal agreement with regard to the payment of fees of patients from each other’s districts, the Otago secretary had to notify a case in which the agreement came into operation. The fees were those of a daughter of a co-operative railway worker, late of Whangamomona. Attention is drawn to the advertisement in to-day’s issue of the St. An-; drew’s choir concert and nigger min- j strel entertainment in the St Andrew’s - Hall on Thursday next. As the troupe contains such well known singers as Miss Mackey, Mr. H. W. Douglas, a; good entertainment may be promis-: ed. We believe the costumes will riv-; al those of “Sinbad the Sailor,” for our representative has already had a private view of the “property room.” In the concert part, songs are to be given by Miss Sangster, and Miss Lott (from Oliura), and also by Messrs. Hale, Jones, and Rabone. Tickets are being disposed of freely, and may be obtained from members of the choir and the Ladies’ Guild. The proceeds are in aid of the piano fund. Figures just compiled by tlm Cornmomvealth Statistician, Mr Knibbs, may cause the Scottish element in the composition of the Prime Minister to be a little dubious about his proposal to give a grant or bonus of £5 for every baby born in the Commonwealth (states an Australian correspondent). It is shown that there were in all 112,193 births in 1911. Included in this total were 1215 sets of twins, and 1-1 sobs of triplets. __ Perhaps before the bonus payments are 1 begun Mr Fisher may devise a scale to make things a. bit lighter for the Commonwealth Treasurer by lessor payments, on the “reduction for quantity” principle, in the cases of twins and triplets, which would, if the bonus had been payable for last year, have meant an expenditure of £12,000. The births out of wedlock numbered 7074. The ages of parents ranged from 13 to 51 in the case of mothers, and from 16 to 39 in the case of fathers. The wife of the ancient father was 39 years of ago when she bore a child. There were 11 fathers aged 70 years, seven aged 71, eight aged 72'. one aged 73, two aged 74. one aged 75, one aged 76, one aged 77, two aged 78. one aged 80. *1 one aged 82. In two cases the her was 70 -ears of age. and the mother 44, and in one case the father was 72 years and the mother 46. Fortytwo mothers gave birth to twins at the age,of 40. 19 at 41, 10 at 42. 13 at 43, one at 44, four at 45, three at 46, and one at 47. Taken on the whole, the figures may he regarded as some answer to the allegations which some pessimistic people like to make about decadence of the race in our latitudes. The specialist is Die one to-day who stands at the head of any profession or business. Herberts are specialists :n ladies’, children’s and infants’ needs. We’ve made these our particular study; we have the finest range, the newest styles, the lowest prices, which are unequalled in this town.