LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 41, 11 October 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho f 'usual inouWily ' meeting of '.the Toko Farmers’ Union will be held in the Coronation Hall, Toko, on Monday evening next. ; Office hours'to be observed, ip, future oil ‘Saturdays! in the Public Service throughout the HnrMiiion will be from 9‘ a.m3 to 12.noon.d«i’iiVg thfe inphtho of October to March, intoach 1 year,,,,with thp cxyeptihjij "of tlto disf fcriet offices ,of tjie raent, where suchj,arrangembn'|s' /ffi art necessary wilt, bp . made by ' thp head of the Department. ,\ :: ' • A vessel of'so tons, with rpopi’pp its flush deck for 40 bbysp lias /, been obtained by the- “Daily M'irroijd’.tor nsp as a training-ship, by : tho London, Roy; Sea Scouts. It was deckled at a, meeting of the Scouts’ Association.that tap ship should be named the .Mirror.. Lieu-tenant-General Sir 11. Baden-Pcwpll telegraphed to* the ‘‘Daily Mirror’: “Sincere thanks. Hood news regarding Scouts’ ship.”

The system, wherever adopted, of investigating the cause of every fire that occurs seems to have a valuable deterrent effect. ( “World’s Work” says: “Every lire is a crime. That is the law in Berlin. And why not? Run down the truth about any lire, and some one person will be found whose ''negligence was the cause of it. Somebody stored dangerous quantities of inflammable or explosive goods on his premises, or he built a frame structure next to a crowded sweat shop. He took chances with human lives —because it was cheap. The police investigate every fire, and the responsible person pays the cost of putting out that fire and damage besides. Note the result: In Chicago, the American city of equal size, the annual fire loss is (3,000,000 dollars; in Berlin 300,000 dollars.” An extraordinary story is reported in the Berlin newspapers of a police raid on a famous “all night” restaurant in the Prussian capital, the establishment having gained some uoLo.iety through a number of its female habitues donning male attire. As a sequel to a number of complaints, the police entered the premises and arrested an actress v wlio was in the habit of giving nightly performances at the restaurant. The police also took the names of all those present, with a view to charging them in tne morning. The detectives, however,, found that they had to do with a party of “society’’’ people invited there by a well-known German princess. The lady forbade the police to molest her guests, but the unfortunate actress was taken away and sentenced to four weeks’ imprisonment. Mr. Edward Pearson, the young farmer who was injured in the motor accident at Waituna, still lies in the Palmerston Hospital in a bad way. He has been delirious, with but one-lucid interval—when the bandages were removed from bis eyes and lie, found he could see. His face war, driven completely in by the collision with the wind screen of the motor-car, his nose being driven into his skull. One eye was destroyed, and the other ruptured. The latter lias been put together and stitched, and there is some hope ol the sight being restored. Mr. Pearson momentarily recognised the nurse, j wlimi the bandages were taken off. His features have all been brought back into position, and stitches inserted whore needed. The greatest danger is the injury to the base of the skull. It is considered remarkable by the medical men (says the “N.Z. Times”) that a man so dreadfully injured should have survived so long. All that surgical and nursing skill and devotion can do for him is being done.

Shell-back snails arc at, present working devastation in Master ton vegetable gardens. The Christchurch Young Women’s, Christian Association campaign to raise Cl-5.000 for a new building, closed on Tuesday. The total collections produced £57136 17s. “You’re a seaman, 1 believe ?” t said the sub-inspector in the Dunedin'Police Court the other morning, and the witness replied : “No, sir, I’m a Scotchman.” And his name was Macdonald, ! * ye ken. The second shipment of the refinery plant for the Taranaki Oil Wells, Ltd., was expected to leave London about the 10th of last mout)i. The rotary drilling plant is in Sydney, and is expected to arrive in Auckland on 16th October. The Prime Minister has told some of ids supporters that, if heSjkds the House in a real working moomnext week, he sees no reason why Parliament should pot prorogue on October 21 or thereabouts, but the older Parliamentarians declare that the more likely date will be the second week of November. An Auckland telegram states that them claim for compensation by Frederick Harris, miner, against tne Wai.hi jfcCompany, has been settled by defendant agreeing to judgment for £250. Plaintiff was struck on the head by a i piece of rock falling. His sight and I Hearing were permanently affected. ' A representative of a London firm ! in New Zealand recently booked ro- , frigerated space for 7000 cases of New 1 Zealand apples on a steamer of the ! San Francisco line. The cases will be 1 railed from San Francisco to New 1 York, and then shipped to London. By ' this new route transit will occupy only i thirty-one days, compared with an av- ! erage of 45 days by the Magellan rente, j The “Woodville Examiner” says the ; Reform Party Government struck a { piece of luck, in Woodville last week. I Two or three weeks vago the late Mr. • Burnett, who died on Friday, arranged with the Government for an annuity for which lie deposited £IOOO. All the papers were, signed aim deposited, and nothing was paid by the Government.

“If you cannot reform a man by JT*' treating him like a, man, it is pretty certain you cannot reform him hy treating imp like a dog.” The ‘Outlook’ is of the opinion that the prisonerphilosopher who published the above in ‘Good Words,’,a,monthly journal issued by inmates, of .the Federal prison at Atlanta, Georgia, struck the keynote of modern American penology. The “Gore Ensign” reports that a drapery firm in that town was badly victimised the other day, A young lady entered the shop and enquired the price of a costume. A suitable garment was selected, but as the customer was a stranger she was asked who was to be held responsible for payment. She gave the name of a wellknown local lady, and the order was duly executed. On the latter being referred to she denied all knowledge of. ttho. party giving,. the order. The matter was placed in the hands of the police,, hut , so far {no -clue has been obtained./,, ~: . i ,

i ‘ A gentleman!, who; has been visiting the LUd Country,! found that while ho has iih London’lie had to' pay 2s for an

afternoon tea,l inferior in every essential’ to what Tile Could' get iiere for sixiphnee'. ! i lie mdmtts that the rooms 'wefo/fashiiinably ' fuTnished, and perh'aps; tne cUarge'WaS'mainly made for the ‘ ‘look-rOundj ’bias the out-backer front .Gipppaud, thought when he put up' at | a stylish he.tqi in Melbourne, pyaere, Eg said, hue.got “nothing sen-. ,sibl© .itonfiat, there was a grand' show of serviettes and silver..” The timber industry on the Trunk Juts delevopeu into immense proportions. Upon enquiry the travelling representative oi the ‘Wanganui Gifronicief ascertained tliat tflere are now fully fifty mills operating oetween Jlarton and Taumarunui. Tne cutting capacity of these mills is equal to over y,u(J(J,OL)O feet-per month, and fully IUU,OUU,UOO l : eeß’ ( pel‘Bannum. Excellent with the ccnstryiytipjLoE|Lj i l ! \s,,ayfl Burnand’s timbqy objective point dyyug,.about,, six ipijqs’ into the busli. It jty, ihqi/jth© industry there ;w(iJi shortly, afford.employment for fully 2pQ men..

V The. season: for .bffth Auckland rock and Stewart Island'/oysters wni close

at the end of October. During this season the oystors-fTom the south have ho.eii very plentiful-Sii Wellington, but the same cannot be said of those from ,tho north. For' some reason there has ueen little demand, locally for the Auckland bivalves; and yet they are reported to be of much better quality tins year than ever previously. This latter fact is attributed to the picking which is now regulated by the (iovernment. The oysters are being allowed to mature, and premature gathering is not permitted. It is admitted that last year the oysters were very small, and that is, perhaps, the reason why they are not so popular this year. The Customs revenue collected in Wellington last week is said to have constituted a record for New This may be accounted for by the fact that there has been a big rush of oversea shipping to the port, and several thousand tons of general imports were discharged last ■ week. The total amount collected was £34,496, which is more than double the amount collected in the corresponding week last year, and which shows a very substantial increase on the revenue collected during any of The past eight weeks, The beer duty collected last week totalled £244 8s 3d, a decrease compared with last, year, when the total was £453 4s lid. * Under the head of “extraordinary business,” Councillor McDonald, at a meeting of the Dunedin City Council, said he had read in the paper on the previous evening that quite a number of the reporters who had been attending the Council meetings during his lifetime, or at any rate, during the last ten years, might not bo there on bis return to the Council. He understood that they had received notice to leave, and he wanted to take the opportunity of publicly paying a mark of respect to the very great courtesy be bad received at their hands during the past ten years. The public of Dunedin, ho felt sure, were grateful to them for the manner in

which they had reported the business of the Council, and for the justice they had done to Council meetings. He simply wanted to pay a personal tribute. Complaint is made in the current issue of the “New Zealand Railway Officers’ Advocate” of the long hours stationmasters, clerics and cadets have to work on some of the Main Trunk stations. The “Advocate” urges a reorganisation of the .hours of sta-~ lion duty generally,’is urgeiHly necessary, especially in the Auckland district. It is quoted that at Taumarunui the stationmaster is scheduled to work 72 hours a week, and the goods clerk 54. The shift clerks do 61 and 53 hours, and the No. 1 shift includes 7i hours’ Sunday work, for which no uaynient is made. One cadet works 51 hours weekly, hours from 3 p.m. till 12.15 a.in., with half an hour for tea. The average overtime of each member of the staff works, cut at between two and throe hours daily throughout the year. Similar cases arc cited at other stations. _ t

Tlio Otago Society for the Prevention of , Cruelty to Animals lias carried a resolution condemning coursing as a cruel form of sport. A sharp shock of earthquake was experienced at Waihi at 5.30 this morning, the direction, being from east to west.—P.A. wire. “Both parties are equally certainone is certain the amount is owing, and the other is certain it’s not owing.” A lucid:observation made by Mr, J. 11. L. Stanford at the Court this morning. A sitting of the Court was held at 9 o’clock last night, in order to remand Anthony Ckluge charged with alleged theft at Brisbane to Wellington, to appear at the Court there on the 18th, when an officer will have arrived from Brisbane with the original warrant. Mr. Joseph McClnggage, J. 1., presided.

For driving loose horses through the Borough, B. Green was convicted and fined 10s, and 7s costs, and W. Brown, for driving at night without lights, was mulcted in a similar amount. The Borough Inspector prosecuted, and Mr W. G. K. Kenrick, S.M., was on the bench.

In view of the approaching marriage of General Baden-Powell. a commtitee of English Scouts suggested a levy of Id on all present and past Scouts, in order to' present the Chief Scout with a wedding present. Local Scouts may send their donation either to the Scoutmaster or to the Scout SergeantMajor, “Let it slip this time, and I’ll give you os,” was the remark that the Borough Inspector alleged at the Court this morning, was made to him by a by-law offender, when caught in the act. “I saidj, ‘Don’t you try any of those' capers on me,’ ” added the Inspector.

A violent gale was in various parts of Central Otago on Saturday night. A steamer en route from Kingston to Queenstown had to shelter in one of the bays, and did .not reach the latter place till nearly midnight. At Arrowtown roofs wore blown off outhouses, and in one case a verandah was blown over. Heavy rain fell on Sunday, and the Molyneanx- River rose considerably. It washed away, a portion of the Main Road at Miller s Flat.

Magisterial clemency was extended this morning to a farmer, who, wending his way home from a day’s ploughing, had no lights attached to the cart. The offender made a plain, straightforward statement to the effect that Ins hors'o had stuck in a creek, and ho had much difficulty in getting it cut in time to get home before dusk. Mr. W. Q. K. Kenrick, S.M., wiio has lon<* turned a deaf ear to the “excuses” of cyclists and others, remarked that he would enter up a conviction, hut would not inflict a fine. And the farmer left the Court in the best of humour with everyone, including even the Borough Inspector. A Christdhuroh boy who is one of the squad of New Zealand Cadets who visited Canada writes that , when , ail the teams reviewed at Toronto, ■ the Duke of : Connaught remarked: >fi. “Well done, New Zealand boys. That 1 is the best 1 march'this afternoon.’ The Governor-General also complimented them upon their uniform, remarking that it was a particularly useful and. sensible outfit, A Toronto i [newspaper.,; commenting on . the, New, Zealandiiboys, said:i i“Theso boys ate ' .simply marvellous., Some of the teams show-‘excellent drill, but they: will have . ( to-go A long distance to: get .up to New I nj] ■■■„. t • At the Magistrate’s Coprt tjiis ipornihg, before Mr; 1 W; G. K. Kenrick, J S.M I ;, (judgment' ’by default was given’ iin the following! I 'undefended civil cases—*F. W. Wake (Mr. Wright)* v-r W. W. Davis, claim £l7 8s sd, and costs £2, 11s 6d; P. C. Price (Mr. Wright) v. 0. Lovett, claim £1 9s, and. costs 55, ; In, the judgment summons case Glassofl <7. J’.'' Hill, claim £ll, there being no appearance of and no excuse offered, debtor was ordered to pay the amount forthwith, , ( in default seven days in Wellington . ; ,,prisoh..,i (()UdJtA*AM)I ; ebi l Septefbbei'’s' ; ,c6htiriuops, yrupfaij was : ‘ffe'sp&nstblh fbr the Jos3, r; of, CQiisid.er- "' * able tim'e at 1 the tirriber, ijnill.Si. Taiuii ayUnhi reports 1 26 ! Wet days, .during the, "inohth, while fit Horbpito the number “AVas 27, Arid at Taihapp. 2,4.' As a re,- . suit of this’ (states the ‘Wanganui :.Chronicle’), the dheqnes paid to the workers would be much smaller’ than if c finer weather had prevailed.' A mill hand or bushman in the Waimariho district is in the position 'of Having to rely on the weather to, make a good month’s wages; and, in consequence, he notices more than anyone pise whether the weather has been good or bad. If he is under the impression that it has been good, he is disillusioned when he “lines up” for his fortnightly pay.

The plaintiff lived twenty miles inland from Tanmarunui. the defendant resided at Tangiteroria. many miles into the wilderness far north of Auckland, and _ the claim was £1 6s 6d. Both parties interested should have met at the Stratford Court this morning, but the defendant alone braved the journey. Why he did not have his evidence taken at a local Court, defendant alone knows'; instead he made the journey, and had the doubtful satisfaction of seeing plaintiff nonsuited. He returns to the northern township with the knowledge that the action can again bo brought against him at any time. Being ignorant of the intricacies of the law, he nrobably has a very adverse opinion of British justice.

A happy instance of brotherly lovo, shown by a native man towards a European, was related by the Hon. Dr. Pomare, in conversation with a reporter recently. He was speaking of the four leper patients at Quail Island—two Europeans and two natives —and he said that one of the Europeans became so friendly with one of the natives that he was greatly overcome at parting with the native who recently left the island, cured. “Well the other day I was in Wanganui ” continued the doctor, “and I saw the native, and ho told me that he could not keep away from his friend any longer, and he was going hack to the island to nurse him 1”

Judgment was given yesterday at Ingle,wood by Mr. W. G. K. Kenrick, S.M., in the McLeod case, wherein Mrs. Miller, licensee of the Tariki Hotel, was involved in several alleged breaches of the Licensing Act. Considerable interest was aroused over the case on account of the deplorable condition of the victim of the alleged “lambing down,” Alexander McLeod, when ; he entered the New Plymouth Hospital, after having gone through over £4O in about four coles. When the case was tried, evidence largely pointed to the fact that the ‘lambing down’ 1 had taken place before McLeod arrived at Tariki. The defendant was charged on three informations with selling linnet'’on or about Julv 3 14, and 16, 1912, to Alexander McLeod, a person already in an advanced state of intoxication; and further charged that between the 2nd and 14th of July, 1912, being the holder,of a publican’? license, she did unlawfully permit drunkenness to take place on her licensed premises. A fine of £2O was inflicted, but the license was not endorsed.

The, ordinary monthly meeting of the Borough Council will lie held on Minday evening at 8 o’clock.

Last night ip the Parish Hall teams from the New. Plymouth Brotherhood and the Eginont Club Parliamentary Union debated the question of State Control v. "Prohibition, the former side taking the .affirmative. New Plymouth was represented by Rev. Burton and Messrs W. 1* oroes, A. Snowball, and H. B. Reid. Sirs. Herd by Rev. Header, and Messrs. C. D. Sole, J. McAllister and J. McMahon. Mr R. McK. Mormon, the “Speaker, occupied the chair, and the judges were Dr. Carbery and Mr F. A. lyrer, the umpire being Air. Robert Spence. After a keenly contested debate, Neu Plymouth wete adjudged the victors by a narrow margin—B73 points to 806. Supper was afterwards parcaken of at the Club, when Dr. Carbery and Mr Spence, by request, gave some “points” on debating in general, and the reasons why Stratford lost. Di. Carbery emphasised the importance ol “preparation,” placing it as the keynote of success. A special vote ot thanks was accorded to the Press, for publicity given to the Club’s debates. The mysterious loss in Cambridge oi a roll of banknotes to the amount, of some hundreds of nounds sterling was reported to the local police on Saturday morning, .the owner of the missing money having only arrived in the town from Auckland on the previous day for the purpose of completing a business transaction. According to tiie information given to the police, a £SO note was paid over about four o’clock as a deposit on the mirchase in course of negotiation, and tlie balance cf clio money, in notes of various denominations, was placed by the owner in his hip-pocket. The man then made his way direct to the business premises for which lie was treatin'- and was engaged until late at nhrht in stock-tak-ing, subsequently slcemn >• in a mivate residence. ICobbery would eppear to be out of the question, and it is presumed that the roll of notes worked its way out of its possessor’s pocket and was dropped in the street. The steamer Wimhledqn, . which has arrived with a cargo of case oil from Philadelphia direct, had a very narrow escape from by tire just before sailing for New Zealand. The utmost despatch was used in order to get the Wimbledon away from her loading berth, which she vacated at 9 p.m. on July 29, in order that her place could be taken by the British oil-tank steamer Trinidadian early the following morning. Whist the latter vessel was loading, the petroleum refinery caught tire, and the flames rushed along the pipe line to the end of the nier and readied the Trinidadian before she could ho removed to a safe distance. Her commander (Captain A. H. Edmonds) and his crew made a gallant effort to save their vessel, hut at last the crew was ordered into the boats and the captain, who remained to the last on board the burning vessel, had to have himself by jumping overboard, leaving the vessel to burn herself out.