LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 8, 4 January 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Attention is directed to page 2, on which will be found the full text oi that memorable document, the British Admiralty’s recent memorandum.

The Hospital Board Avill not meet on Tuesday, the meeting having been posponed till Tuesday week.

There were 1060 births in New Zealand in 1912, as against 1910 in 1911. Other statistics were as follows Deaths, 1912 793, 1911 861: marriages, 1912 1328, 1911 1231. Individual drinking vessels for horses are advocated by Commissioner Lederle, of the Mew York City Health Department, on the same grounds that have caused the adoption of the individual drinking cup for men and women. The common drinking trough he says, is just as bad >' the common drinking cup. Ai settlor from the backblocks today expressed to a representative of this paper his admiration of the manner in which the Rev. I). C. Hates has allotted the good and bad weather. “We’ve bad,” he said, “a run of line dry weather, and the settlers have had splendid burns, and now we’re getting the rain wo want for the turnip crops.” This appears to be the general opinion. It is only the inconsiderate man about town who grumbles at the spell of rain.

Messrs Ward and Dunlop, land and estate agents, have dissolved partnership, and Mr N. F. Dunlop lias joined Mr W. H. H. Young’s staff. The tender of Mr A. Burrell, Hawera, lias been accepted for the construction of the Public Works buildings at Stratford, the price being £2250.

Members of the Imperial Trade" Commission will leave London by the R.M.S. Maloja on 10th January. Arriving at Melbourne about the middle of -February, they will immediately proceed to New Zealand. , At Waverley on New Yea* Eve the local fire brigade captain caught red-handed a cheery individual ringing the fire boll, “to show how clamorously happy he was,” as the Waverley correspondent of the Patea Press Puts it. His hilarity was not so marked when he was brought up betore a local J.P. the next morning and fined £l.

While tlio jockeys were being weighed iii lor the hurdle race at Kihikihi on New Year’s Day, a Maori youth oi generous proportions was seen to mount the scales, and the onlookers instinctively looked round for a glimpse of the noble steed that was going to take him over the sticks (says the Waikato Times). However, lie was not seen on the track that day, the brown gentleman having only desired to know his exact weight.' It was 20st lOlh. “lour land is no better than that oi the other farmers in your district, yet you always produce better crops than we do,” remarked a Wairarapa tanner to another, the other day. “W hat is the secret of your success P” Hie successful farmer replied, “I always tell my man to harrow the land until he thinks it has been harrowed twice too much, and then 1 tell him that it has not been done half enough.” I ive cars left Stratford yesterday for the Whangamomona sports, but they didn t all get there. One car sustained a broken axle, after negotiating the worst part of the road, ami the passengers walked into the township. Another had its steering gear broken, and precipitated its passengers on to the road. “It’s a £lO trip to Whanga, now,” said a local ear proprietor, after giving a graphic desci iption of the ruts and the mud now to be encountered on the renowned “saddle.” A Maori gentleman of somewhat aristocratic appearance, and who claims relationship with the Maori “Royal family, was the subject of some interest at the Kihikihi races. The ” ai kato Times states that his get-up was at once imposing and grotesque. He wore a frock coat and top hat, no vest and a dazzling pink shirt. No collar adorned his neck, but attached to ins collar band was a spotted blue tie ot no plain design. His nether gaiments consisted of a pair of riding breeches, over the bottoms of which were pulled a pair of startling socks, held in position by a pair of red suspenders. Truly a wonderful sight. ■i- The - ( . )tago J )ai ly Times explains why it is that some Government Departments, and at least one of the New Zealand banks, refuse to accept Australian silver coins. The fact is that there is a very considerable profit made by the Australian Government on the coinage of silver—so considerable indeed that it is stated that it is already being counterfeited, real silver being used for the spurious coins, and still leaving the coiners a sufficiently large margin to induce them to run the very serious risk they are . ■ The . extent ;to which the Australian Government secures a profit by the circulation of its coins in New Zealand is a profit earned at the expense of this country.

A good few years ago a survey of a block in the Rotorua district resulted in the discovery of a small lake of some fourteen acres in extent (says the Auckland Star). The lakelet was proclaimed a water reserve forthwith. Up to a few days ago it appeared to be the same as usual. The owner of a section in the immediate vicinity states that the lake has now disappeared altogether, and land from ten to fifteen feet of water is now in a state of slimy black mud. Settlers in the vicinity attribute the disappearance to some incomprehensible phenomenon of the under world, probably an earthquake shock.

A farmer of Auripo, who was much disconcerted and perturbed by the loss of one of his vehicles from' his yard overnight, recently sought the aid of the police to determine if possible its whereabouts. After diligent search, much to the relief of the owner it was located on the top of a neighbouring hill not far distant. Subsequently contentment was turned to chagrin on lindig later that- the vehicle had again disappeared. Further search being prosecuted it was once more found, but in an opposite direction, with the wheels carefully tied and immersed in some 6ft of water. If caught (says the correspondent of the Dunstan Times) probably the actors in this drama would endeavour to show they were playing a joke.

Is it not time Eltham wakened up some? A few weeks ago the local fire brigade entered a team for the competitions at New Plymouth, but they were rather late in sending the entry along, and were allowed to compete owing only through the generosity of the management and the competitors! About the same time the Eltham Argus discovered for the people of the “concrete town” that their much-prized station, ‘which had been raised a grade a few weeks before, had been badly side-tracked for years, whereby the residents had' been much inconvenienced in the matter of their goods traffic and were blissfully unconscious of the reason! Again, the Cadets down there are a keen lot of fellows at the game, and they practised assiduously for months with the intention of competing at the Christchurch military tournament, but once more “the ’bus” or rather, “the Post” was missed! Now, however, comes the unkindest cut of all. A southern contemporary does not know that the biggest thing of the kind in the world (mind you D in the way of axemen’s events is held at Eltham, and it gave the kudos to Wellington! As the axemen say: “Get a move on. matjC”

Regent Cigarettes are made from the finest Virginian tobacca. Inhalers prefer them. Smoke them and share in the Great Free Gift Scheme.x