LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 81, 30 November 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho lunatic who chopped down a telephone post at To Kiri last week, turned out a sain on .Monday night, and successfully chopped another one through. The land over which the Xapier-Gis-borno railway will pass has been sold at prices ranging from £2O to £6O an acre.

The Auckland policemen, under the presidency of Sergeant Ryan, have instituted a Mutual improvement Socio-j ty for debating purposes. Negotiations for the sale of Mr. It. Mason’s horse Zanzibar to Miss Campbell, of Wanganui, fell through, and the animal lias been purchased by Mr. Arthur Cliff, of Now Plymouth. ;

J)r. Wilson, in lecturing on tuberculosis in Auckland, stated that the regulations as far as notification nent, were not strictly adhered to, and tins had the result of causing the disease to he much more prevalent than it would otherwise be.

A peculiar accident, whereby Mr. Bis nop lost a valuable halt-draugnl horse, occurred at Clareville. A uoy was trying to catch 'the animal, and the horse evaded him every time. At last, getting angry, he picked up a small stone and threw it at the beast. The missile struck the inside of tire horse’s hock and broke the bone, with the result that the animal had to he destroyed.

A destructive grub has been unearthed in the Waihuka district, i overly Bay. It is a white grub, which attacks "the roots of vegetation, and on one a bed of strawbeiiies had been destroyed. When matured the grub is transformed into a small brownish-black beetle winch' emerges from the earth at nightfall, and sets to work in the leaves of rose trees and other shrubs, which are quickly stripped.

A piece of work carried out the Borough Council prior to the Show was tne subject of very favourable comment. This was the section of road between Pembroke Hoad and Flint Road, which was scarified, and rolled by the Council’s new steam roller. When ratepayers find that the Council’s innovation can do. such capital work as this, Councillors come into their own, and once more bask in the limelight of smiles. The fact is recalled by the ‘Manchester Guardian’ that it was Montenegro that fired the first shot in the war of 1876, and that she was the last to cease. Less than 26,000 Montenegrins with 300 guns held out with success against 117,000 Turks with 307 guns, for a period of between July, 1876 when site declared w:u, and Vp* i! 1877, when Russia stepped in. The Montenegrins then lost 1360 men killed, 3400 wounded, and four prisoners, whereas the losses on the Turkish side were over 18,000 killed 22,700 wounded, about 20,000 carried, off by disease, and 4095 prisoners. The American four-masted schooner M. Turner arrived at Auckland shortly before 7 o’clock on Monday evening from Portland (North America) with a cargo of over 1,800,000 feet of Oregon pine. She occupied 78 days on the passage, and on November 10, while sailing before a moderate north-west breeze, a large waterspout was seen. The huge column passed within a cable length of the ship, and looked as if at any moment it would envelop the ship, and should such have been the case she would have been badly damaged. The captain ordered sail to be shortened and got a shot gun ready with the intention of firing at the waterspout so as to burst it, but at that moment it collapsed and fell into the sea in a huge cataract. Two motor cars driven by Father Bergin and Mr. J. Feeney, which had conveyed the Manaia cricket team to Elthain on Wednesday, were tampered with whilst standing outside the cricket ground during the progress of the game. The cars left on the return journey at about 6.30 p.m., but both came to a stop near Eltnalh Road toll gate, and it was discovered that the lights had been tampered with and the benzine tanks filled with' water. ‘ The 1 result was that the'cars did not reach Manaia until 3.30 a.m. next day, the party having been nine hours on the return journey. Another unfortunate result of the occurrence (states the ‘Star’) was that as three of the cricket team were, down for items at the Manaia Orchestral Society’s concert, the programme at that function was seriously disorganised, A youngster, on arriving at East Street, Ashburton, one afternoon last week, under the care of his mother, came to the conclusion from a hasty survey of the well-sanded footpath and the water flowing past that he had struck something which to all intents and purposes was a sea beach (says the ‘Ashburton Mail’). Visiting a shop ho was soon in possession of a shovel, and going back to the fobtpath he laboured with good will at the sand, which lie scooped up and deposited in the gutter to the great amusement of a little crowd that gathered round and applauded his industry. The destruction only ceased when the boy, wearied by his exertion, again sought his mother.

The water in a great many public fountains, whether for man or beast, comes out of a lion’s mouth. Why should a lion’s head be chosen in preference to any other design ? This is said to be the reason : Among the Ancient Egyptians the rising of the waters of the River Nile was the most important event of the year, as it meant life and prosperity to the whole nation. This rising of the waters always took place when the sun was in the constellation of Leo or the lion, so they adopted the shape of a lion as the symbol for the life-giving waters of the Nile, and all their fountains were carved with a lion’s head. The Greeks and Romans copied this symbol, and so it has come down to us. The ‘Marlborough Express’ states that tho geological exploration party comprising Dr. J. Allan Thomson, Palaeontologist to the Geological Survey Department 1 ; Mr. C. A. Cotton, M. Sc., Lecturer on Geology at Victoria College; and Mr. L. J. Wild, science cater at the Marlborough High School, which left on Friday week to explore the Awatere district, returned on Tuesday. The beds of the Old Middlehurst and Winterton Creeks and the volcanic lavas of Mowat’s Look-out, were examined, the beds of the creeks being compared to those in the Clarence with regard to age. The results of the tour are highly beneficial to the members of the party, who found much of interest. Playful irony characterised the Hon. F. M. 13. Fisher’s remarivs m an interview with a Christchurch '.News’ reporter upon the political situation. The Minister had just stated that during his recent visit to the South Is land he had found the people generally well satisfied with the political situation. “Tho era of the slump which was predicted when tho representatives of the squatters came into power has not yet arrived, ’ he remarked. “No soup kitchens have made their appearance yet, nor are the predicted hordes of unemploy 3d anywhere to ho found. Our political opponents were always fond of pr-dbclng that our advent to pbwer meat t retrenchment and reduction of salaries :n the Civil Service, but under hm Railway Hill of this year the railway employees get increases aggr ’gating -Ill's.(100. Every year, of course, a Targe proportion of this amount was pi united by our predecessors *u .if tee, bur-, nevertheless, tho tact remains that tfe Massey Government put " he ltd! upon the Statute Book, which enables the payment to be made. As tegards He departmental salaries, considet able increases have been made, aggregating £27,640”

To-day being St. Andrew’s Bay, the banks in Stratford were not open. Mastertoa is contemplating a municipal bowling green in the town park. Tne engineer lias been asked to report.

The bones of thirteen Chinese, disinterred from Westland cemeteries, wont through in the s.s. Arahura last week, en route for China. The Wellington Teachers’ Institute yesterday endorsed the North Canterbury resolution urging the annual conferenpe of the New Zealand Institute to oppose Bible in schools. y : '

An unusual incident occurred at a Taranaki cemetery recently, wneu the coiliii of a very old lady was borne to its last resting place by. six grey-head-ed and stalwart sons of deceased.

In discussing the subject of the scarcity of fish in coastal waters, an ancient mariner advanced a new explanation to a ‘Southland News’ representative. He attributed it to the enormous increase in the number of seagulls, due to the legislative protection which these birds have long enjoyed. Mr. C. Bownie, of Murchison, lost five cows in one day recently through poisoning. It is believed that eating tutu was the cause. Mr. Bownie lost £IOO worth of horses a few months back through-the animals eating grass oyer which an arsenical compound used for dressing sheep had been thrown. The ‘sewing bee” in connection with Holy Trinity Church, ' Stratford, are holding a sale of work in the Parish Hall on Tuesday next, December 3rd, commencing at 2 p.m. The ladies have worked enthusiastically, and it is to bo hoped that their efforts will meet with the appreciation of the public, by a largo attendance. ■' p ■ The Rev. C. H. Laws, who is in a position to register the feelipg of tne Methodist Church on thd question of military training, was asked by ah ‘Ashburton Guardian’ reporter if the system as it stands at present, was considered Laws said that the objections to the system had been removed by the latest amendment of the Act, and he thought that the Act now went far enough in providing for exemptions on' conscientious or religious grounds. A fossilised skull of an extinct whale has been neatly mounted and encased at the Otago Museum. It was found in a block of sandstone at Milburn, and presented to the Museum by Br. Marshall. The work of excavating the skull, which is a fine specimen, was performed by the taxidermist (Mr. Gibson), who spent about a month on the process, which had to be carried out with great care. The fossil is said to be upwards of 6000 years old. '

Mr. W. Bennett, manager of the South Taranaki Shipping Company, wlio went to Patea in connection with the. stranding of the steamer Hawera, telegraphed on Thursday evening:— “Lifted Hawera clear of sand, made examination, damage confined to bilge and stem. Bottom not touched.' No kelsons broken.” It was first reported from Patea that the Hawera suffered almost hopeless damages when she was thrown ashore. The vessel will now be repaired and relaunched - into the river.

At a meeting of ladies held imDunedin yesterday in connection with the Senior Cadets’ prize fund, after Mrs. Godley had addressed those present, Mrs. T. K. Sidey offered a donation for competition locally. Similar offers were made by Mrs. Colquhoun and Mrs. Ferguson, while Mrs. O’Neil undertook to provide two cups for Hibernian companies. Mrs. Park also prodfiised one cup,'and is making arrangements with the heads of the gilds’ schools in order that the girls may provide cups for the boys’ schools.

The rapid growth and the increasing prosperity of the Western States of Canada and the United States greatly impressed Sir James -Mills (general manager of the Union Steam Snip Company), who recently visited those parts. He told a Christchurch ‘Press’ reporter that the development of the whole of the “Pacific slope” was very remarkable, Vancouver was growing very fast, and San Francisco was looking forward to a great boom in shipping as a result of tiie Panama Canal. The territories in the western parts of both Canada and the United States were generally looking across the Pacific with a view to the extension of their trade interests.

In a speech at the opening of the new salt water baths at Shelly Beach, Auckland, last Saturday, Mr T. W. Leys said that the baths would be 'open at certain hours for ladies each day. He pointed out, however, that the allocation of ladies’ hours as proposed meant that those who worked in offices and elsewhere could not avail themselves of the opportunity to make use of the baths. Why, therefore, he said, should men and women not bathe together in the early morning, so long as proper rules in regard to costume and decorum were observed, under the supervision of the corporation's bathkeepers? In his opinion, it was time that foolish mock modesty was done away with, and so long as the costumes were in accordance with regulations and the dressing rooms apart, he saw no reason why the bath should not be thrown open to both sexes at certain specified hours. Mr Leys’s proposal was received with hearty applause by the crowd, the majority of whom * were ladies.

Regarding the output of dairy produce from Patea, the ‘Press’ states: On Thursday of last week £15,444 worth of cheese and butter was taken aver the bar in three vessels. Since Saturday last no less than 7513 cases of cheese have been shipped, which, at £3 15s per case, the estimated value of Thursday’s shipments, is equal to £28,174. Cheese has, however, gone up in price, so it is fairly safe to estimate the value per case at £4, which will bring the total to £30,052. In addition 2250 boxes of butter have been exported, the value of which is £6543. That means that in eight days, at the lowest estimate, £52,039 wortji of dairy produce alone has been sent out. In addition one shipment of frozen meat valued at £I6OO has gone over the bar, besides 25 casks of tallow valued at £250, 59 sacks of hides, worth £295, and fourteen cases of preserved meats equal to £2l. Eighty bales of wool have also been shipped, tho estimated value of which is £I2OO. In all, exports to the total of £55,405 have gone down the Patea River in eight days, an achievement which goes to show the value cf Patea as a farmer’s port.