The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1912. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 2, 27 December 1912, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1912. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A lad not out of his teens has had a prohibition order taken out against him at Woodville. Two boys—Henry Wilkinson and Thomas Culinau—belonging to the Kaikorai school (Dunedin) were this year awarded gold medals for eight years’ continuous attendance. One of the boys appeared with a broken arm in a sling. During the performance of the cowboy act at Wirth’s Circus at Wyndham one night one of the horses, in turning sharply on the wet grass, slipped and fell, breaking its leg, which necessitated its destruction. The rider escaped with a shaking.

Treasure hunts are not always acceptable enterprises, as a well-known Christchurch business man discovered on Wednesday. It seems that bis front gate was given as the clue for the hunt in connection with the Lancaster Park fete, the result being that his garden and grounds were overrun and trampled down by those in search of the hidden treasure.

During last year 548 proficiency swimming certificates were issued to school children in New Zealand, 66 of which were for distances of a mile or over. Special mention is made of the performance of Alice Corbin, of the Hastings District School, who swum 2 miles 330 yards, and of H. Thompson, of the Napier Boys’ High School, who swam 3i miles.

An interesting and rather unusual instance of one of the many advantages arising out of the co-educational system of America comes from the University of Mis-ouri, where some enterprising women students have just organised a “patching bureau.” This bureau, which undertakes to renovate the wardrobes of the bachelor professors and male students at reasonable charges, will serve as a kind of employment bureau for needy women students, working their way through the university, who, by the aid of a_constant supply of sock-darning and button sewing, will be enabled to purchase books, and generally “ease up” their straitened circumstances.

Sir Homy Edward M'Callum, G.O. K.C.M.G., who lias boon Governor of Ceylon since 19U*, has resigned office on account of ill-health. , Two buttons, a battered halfpenny, 1 and two matches figured in the collection on Tuesday in aid of the Hospital fund. ; The heat was so intense yesterday at Now Plymouth that one victim to| sunstroke is reported. This was the, only genuine stroke that has come under our notice. The others were the result of being “in the sun.” A lire at Toko last night totally destroyed a five-roomed house occupied by Mr E. H. Finchman, at the corner of the Standish Road. Particulars are meagre. There was an insurance on the house in the Alliance Office, but the amount was not ascertainable to-day.

The local hospital collections on Tuesday resulted 111 the funds being augmented by £BO. Close on £IOO is now on hand, and several lists and boxes have still to come in. Of the boxes handed in, Miss Eileen Bernard proved the most successful collector, having tho sum of £7 2s to her credit.

The Stratford Municipal Band netted a sum of £lO 10s through Christmas carolling. In addition to the sum collected, eight person > have promised to forward cheques A visitor to Waitara informs na that the efforts of the Waitara Band resulted in a sum of about £2O being collected. The highest amount received was £2, and tho lowest Gd. A farmer in South Canterbury recently lost 163 lambs in less than three days. The trouble is believed to have been caused by the presence oi a dead sheep in the yards when the lambs,were tailed. The carcase war removed by an man who used the knife, and the infection got on to the latter from the man’s hands. Sir Herbert Maxwell, president of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, has announced the discovery in a peat bed near Kirkcudbright, in the southwest of Scotland, of a hoard of gold, silver, agate and other objects and ornaments. Included in the find was a number of coins, some of which had been minted in the ninth century, and bore the stamp of a Mercian King, whilst there were also several issued by the Emperor Charlemagne. A boy of fourteen at Birmingham was. in 'the habit of giving himself light electric shocks in his hath. Usually he used a small medical battery, but one day this month lie connected the wires with the electric lighting fixing in the room. The strong current could not be controlled by the instrument, and the charge, distributed by the water in the bath, electrocuted the boy.

Speaking on the Bible in schools question at Hastings, Inspector Hii’ said: “I ask you as reasonable beingr to consider this question of dogma. 1 want simply to say that the child should learn to love not only his parents, but his God through his parents. Are we going to put three men into every school to train the childten in three different creeds neithei of which can be proved? Where is the good in it? All these children now so happy together will be taught tc dislike each other-” At the last meeting of the Egmont National Park Board it was reported that an acetylene gas .plant had been installed at the Dawson Falls Tourist House at a cost of £2l. The caretaker of the Stratford house wrote resigning his position, and Mr Morrison was empowered to fill the vacancy. It was resolved that the Government be asked to vest a forest reserve 'oh the Pembroke Road in the National Park Board. The Government grant of £2OO was allocated as follows: North Egmont Committee £65, Dawson Falls Committee £65, Stratford Committee £SO, and Board £2O.

Clerical circles are exercised at a statement made by the Bishop oi Lincoln to the effect that clergymen officiating at sacramental services are likely to become intoxicated unless the wine is well diluted with water. Speaking at a temperance meeting, the Bishop confessed that he had often been practically intoxicated during his 40 years of priesthood. When he had "had to consume the remainder of the consecrated wine he had, on many occasions, been distressed by symptoms of giddiness and a momentary eclipse of his usual strict sobriety. Such experiences ought to be avoided by the more liberal dilution of the wine with water. Evidence for the defence In the prosecution instituted by the Health Department against two Auckland milkmen for selling milk below the standard in fatty solids, was taken last week. The suggestion of the prosecution was not that the milk had been adulterated in any way, but that by the use of the cream separator the natural percentage of butter-fat had been reduced. Defendants deposed that the milk, purchased under a warranty as being pure, new, and sweet, had been pasteurised, before being sold, but stated that pasteurisation could not reduce the butter-fat in any way. It was also stated that unless the milk were pasteurised so that it would keep, dairymen could not carryon business in Auckland. One of the defendants said that fresh milk and pasteurised milk was never mixed, because that would lessen the keeping quality of the milk. Both defendants "denied having separated the milk (says the Star). The case was adjourned till January 13 for legal argument.

Street-cleaning if: exercising the mind of, the Lord Mayor of Sydney, and enforcement of the recent bylaws is being carefully watched. Instructions to patrolmen to take up their duties during the holidays wore issued by the Lord Mayor last week. This was made necessary by the disgraceful state into which the principal thoroughfares were turned by business people and entrepreneurs on tbe previous Friday . and Saturday. Shopkeepers, who are just now reaping a rich harvest in toys and Christmas gifts, may not be held to be responsible for the littering of the streets (states the Daily Telegraph), but the fact remains that quantities of wrapping paper continued to be blown all over the place, to the disgust of the Lord Mayor, who is endeavouring to keep Sydney in something like a presentable condition. Added to the ordinary nuisance, complaints have reached headquarters regarding the distribution of show handbills, a practice to prevent which special by-laws were passed. The Lord Mayor does not care who the offenders are—whethere they represent the greatest show on earth', or the spruiker’s snare—where any person connected with any public entertainment is detected in the act of distributing a handbill he will be prosecuted. For the rest, the ratepayer who thoughtlessly drops a cigarette box or a piece of his evening paper on the roadway, he may consider himself lucky if he does not come before tbe magistrate later on.

If you have a cold, take Tonking’s Linseed Emulsion, and you’ll soon find that you haven’t a cold at all. 1? 3d, 2s Gd, 4s 6d.

The Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Labourers’ Union has appointed an organiser at £0 per week. JlanfairpwllwyngyUgogeiythyndrobwlantysiligogogoch (help!) is the longest place name which exists anywhere. It is only a little village in North Wales. The name means something like “the church by the little lake by the vallev on the hillside.”

iA business man in a country town (says the Auckland Star) last week bought a supposed box of pills, and found the contents to be a rounded piece of wood. An inspection of the remainder of the chemist’s#k>ck of the supposed specific showed-mey, too, were lumps of wood. It is suggested the “pills” came from the land of wooden nutmegs. An envelope addressed “Father Christinas, Nelson,” was received at the Nelson Post Office, having arrived in a country mail. It contained two letters and a description of a doll which each child would like Father Christinas to send. The postal officials, in the course of their duties, often meet “snags” in addresses (says the Evening Mail), hut they almost invariably rise to the occasion. However, they were in a quandary in regard to the letter under notice, as Father Christmas had omitted to leave any address at which his correspondence had to be delivered. The letter was eventually handed over to one of the staff, who undertook to reply to it; so that the two little ones will not have their confidence in appeals to Father Christmas shaken.

At a St. Patricks’ College (Goulbourn) gathering, Bishop Gallagher said when men were losing their individuality and in dependence the popular theory was “everything for the people and' nothing by them.” The old cry of degenerate Pagan Rome was becoming again fashionable—“bread and play” from the bounty of the State. Even men of wealth took a pride in having their children trained in all accomplishments by. the public taxes, not by their own thrift and industry, self-reliance, and adherence to principles of economy and obedience to the dictates of conscience. Roman Catholic schools, supported from the hard won earnings of the poor, were no unimportant factor in the formation of a higher and nobler social type.

The new law compelling land agents to provide a fidelity bond of £SOO and pay £5 a year as a license fee is now being brought into operation, and land agents will have to comply with this requirement before January 1. The matter was touched on at the Magistrate’s Court in Christchurch on Tuesday, when the defendant in a maintenance case said that he had experienced “a bad month.” “Well,” remarked Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M., “you won’t be able to get your license.” The defendant said he was now treating with the authorities, and lie could arrange matters. “Well, if you can find security for £SOO, you can find money to pay for the maintenance of your child,” concluded the .Magistrate.

The holidays, so far, have passed off auspiciously. The weather was all that could be desired, with the result that holiday-makers went far afield. The races at New Plymouth and the Carnival at Eltham were the principal attractions for this district; and trains, .motor cars, and other means of conveyance were extensively used to reach these gatherings. The mountain, of course, and the natural beauty spats in the district were not without their coterie- of patrons.. The tradespeople report excellent business leading up to the holidays, and altogether it is safe to say that no more satisfactory Christmas has been experienced from all points of view for many years. Throughout the Dominion beautiful weather conditions prevailed and the same hopeful accounts come to hand.

Owing to conflicting opinions regarding the Christmas programme presented at Bernard’s Picture Theatre on Christmas night, a representative of the firm waited on a clergyman of this town who attended the performance, and asked for his opinion of the films shown. The reverend gentleman replied that he had gone with an open mind to see the scenes depicting the Passion of Our Lord, believing that he could not pronounce judgment until the picture had been '-con. He considered that while the film betrayed stilted and strained acting, and several discrepancies between ihe records in the New Testament and the pictures shown, there was nothing which he, as a Christian, could condemn as being unfit .or harmful to place before the public. The other items were of a character which did not conflict with the keeping of Christmas Day, and, to the mind of this gentleman, the whole programme waswell chosen.

Copper Presentation Goods, the newest styles now on view. Prices low. Charles E. James. , z