LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 19, 21 January 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thursday will be the weekly hal holiday in New Plymouth for the eu suing year.

Mrs Moon has presented the Strat ford Fire Brigade with a handsonu oil painting' for competition amongsi members.

The conscription system in Norway is being made universal;- wit 1 the object of developing a nation a spirit. The reform is hailed >vitl general satisfaction.

The Queensland Government liac expressed itself favourable to Uniter Federal representation at, the exliibi tion te be held in San Francisco t« celebrate the opening of the Pan amt Canal, and to the States bearing then share of the expense. South Aus tralia and Tasmania are opposed t the proposal. New South Wales, Victoria and West Australia have promised consideration.

The best wreath which has yet been despatched to London by the Nav; Leagues of New, Zealand in connec tion with the anniversary of Trafalga Day, is the one which was sent from Wellington this year (says the Londoi Nurseryman and Seedsman, of Novem her 9th). The wreath was set in : block of ice weighing about scwt. 1 was composed of New Zealand foliage and plumes, the red rata being pa: ticularly conspicious. The branchef of the league in New Zealand work ed in conjunction in regard to tin wreath.

The fireman on the Wellington-Hut train the other day when about t throw a shovelful of coal into the fire box, noticed something , unusual, am fortunately for the safety of him set and his mate, and possibly the whoh train, picked it out. It was a stiel of gelignite, with the fuse and caj; complete. The explanation suggest ed is that the powerful explosive was actually left in the coal by the miners Railwaymen in the Wellington yards state that gelignite has previously been found in the coal heaps, but no! with the fuse and cap. The author ilies do not regard the matter as pm showing criminal intent, but it cer tainly indicates original carelessness on someone’s part.

A good deal of excitement wae caused on board the Sydney Ferries steamer Kangaroo on, Tuesday night 7th instant, a<s she was coming alongside one of the jetties in Neutral Bay. Without any warning a rifle bullet suddenly struck part of the woodwork between two of the windows in the smoking saloon, and passed out on the other side. Fortunately there were very few passengers, hut had the incident occurred half an hour earlier the bullet may have struck some one. As a result of inquiries made yesterday by the police, it is believed that tiie person who fired the shot has been found. The police, however, do not intend to proceed any further in the matter.

The vital statistics for the chief cities during December show that Auckland had the highest death-rate and Wellington the lowest. The death-rates per 1000 of population were: Auckland City 1.22, and eight suburban boroughs 1.06; Wellington City 0.58, and four suburban borough? 0.51 ; Christchurch City 0.83, and four suburban boroughs 0.82 : Dunedin City 0.99, and six suburban boroughs 0.81. There were 72 deaths of persons of 65 years and upwards in the four chief cities and their suburban boroughs, as against 85 in November The total births in the four chief cities and their suburban boroughs amounted to 615, against 758 in November—a decrease of 145. The deaths in December were 233, a decrease of 31 as compared with last month. Oi the total deaths, males contributed 120 and females 113. Forty-five of the deaths were of children under five years of age, being 19.31 per cent o f the whole number. Ninety-five ol these were under one year of age.

Tho monthly meeting of the AVhailgumomona County Council will he held to-morrow.

The Stratford Rifle Club are sending a team of ten men up to Ae>\ Plymouth next Thursday, when a long range practice match will be fired witii the northern club.

A meeting of members of the local branch of the United Labour Party will be held at the Foresters’ Hall on Thursday evening. All members and others interested are requested to attend as the business is important.

Opening a bazaar at Fulham, the Bishop of London declared that “those who put a penny or a threepenny bit in the church plate when they can well afford half-a-crowu, have no sense of honor.” The new Public Works’ Buildings for Stratford are to bo ready for occupation in six months’ time. Mr A. B. Burrell, tho contractor, was in Stratford yesterday making preparations for an 'immediate start. It lias been found by farmers living close to the sea that sows fed on fish or fish offal seldom eat their young. The habit is due to a craving for phosphates, which can be supplied by feeding bran, peas, or turnips.

During the month of December last the Stratford abattoir’s slaughterman dealt with 70 cows, 13 heifers, 1 oxen, 0 calves, 203 sheep, 218 lambs, and 24 pigs, the fees amounting to £55 10s 3d. One cow was condemned, and two partially, and one heifer, one pig, and one sheep were wholly condemned.

ihe total subscriptions received in aid of the hospitals this year on Alexandra Bay was £IO,OO0 —a fitting tribute to the beloved Queen-Mother. A statement from the secretary, made when the last mails left, showed that a substantial subdivision would be available for various specially deserving charities.

ihe Stratford dog-tax collector told a reporter this morning that there were still many “conscientious” objectors who refused “to take the col,r> 111 other words, register their nogs, and the end of the month will possibly see a few prosecutions. So lar one hundred and twenty doge have been registered.

A prominent member of a southern labour union has been spending a holiday at Otakeho, and in conversation with a Hawera Star correspondent he said the time was fast approaches when “go slow” Taranaki would take its place in the industrial world, and that the workers here in the near future would enrol under unionism lor the purpose of improving their several trades, and ultimately bring into being a United Labor Party.

A special meeting of the Stratford Lorough Council will be held to-mor-row evening, when the business will be the consideration of the loan proposals. His Worship the Mayor will move his notice of motion: “That, the proposed loan be placed before the ratepayers in four separate ' issues, viz., streets improvement, bridge, waterworks extension, and drainage.” It is understood that Cr Lawson, owing to a previous engagement, will not be present at the meeting, but " ill arrange to pair with Cr Ward.

lib spell of dry weather continues'/’"'” Murmurs of disapproval come from t.'ie man on the land concerning such treatment by the Clerk of the Weather, and, incidentally, during the reading of the daily forecast, the • i Government Meteorologist shares the blame. Last night was quite op-' pressively warm for most people, and the promise of a shower, apparent in a few drops of rain to-day, was look- ' ed to with eager fulfilment. But, alas, the dusty days of drought appear yet unnumbered.

“We had a great Christmas up here,” writes an old Whangamomona resident to Mr Joseph McCluggage, who went to some trouble to get the old man a place in the Old People’s Home at New Plymouth, from which institution the letter was written. “For dinner we had fowl, ham, roast beef, mutton, plum pudding, fruit, and each man got a stick of tobacco, matches and plenty of beer. We had the same at New Year, and a sing song, so you see we had a good time of it. We are all happy at the home.”

The question of whether fire balloons can be classed as fireworks arose in the Christchurch Police Court on Friday morning, when there was a charge of letting off fireworks in High street on New Year’s Eve. The article which was let off was a fire balloon, and Mr Cassidy, who appeared for the defendant, contended that fire balloons could not be classed as fireworks, and he quoted the dictionary in support of his contention, and produced evidence which showed that lire balloons were subjected to a different tariff to fireworks, and he held that the by-law provided for firearms or fireworks. The Evening News states that the Magistrate agreed that there was some doubt about a fire balloon being classed as a' firework, and he dismissed the information.

As to who actually made the first deposit in the Commonwealth Bank, that is, filled in the first deposit slip, and handed it across the counter, this is a mystery (states the Daily Telegraph). There were half a dozen clerks ready to do business with about a score of would-be depositors, and the first ten books were held and apportioned among the following customers, Senator Rae being No. 6: — John King Miller, no. 1; Wilfred Ernest Miller, No. 2; Havelock York Miller, No. 3; Samuel Noel Miller, No. 4; Clive Lancelot Miller, No. 5; Arthur Rae, No, 6; Edith Jane Armitage, No. 7; Mildred Rose Dew, No. 8; Donald Charles Paterson, No. 9; Emile John de Monchaux, No. 10. ,Mr Miller, it may be mentioned, is the Governor of the Bank, and this more than likely accounts for the prominence of the first five depositors. The bank was not what one would®*

call rushed with business—the offer of 3 per cent interest upon deposits up to the amount of £3OO can hardly be looked upon as a grab for competitive business—but before the doors were closed in the afternoon a sum of £5291 had been received and placed to the credit of 126 depositors.

Nine out of ten Gouty and Rheumatic subjects do not know that their health has been seriously undermined bv an excess of Uric Acid in the blood. There is but one certain cure, and that is RHEUMO—it removes the T'ric Acid from the blood and seldom fails even in stubborn cases of Rheumatism, Gout, Lumbago, and Sciatica. Sold by all chemists and stores, 2s 6d and 4s 6d a bottle. 44x

A musical treat is promised the Stratford public on Thursday evening next, when a number of local amateurs are giving a concert in the Presbyterian Church Schoolroom in aid of the Manse Renovation Fund. Miss D. Bayly is arranging the programme, and has been successful in securing the services of many of our most talented performers.

In the United States, with its 50,000,000 pigs, there was in the past year a greater shortage as compared with the previous year, in what is called the western packing area, which I includes Chicago. The shortage for | thij'iyear amounted to 1,810,000 pigs.! ..js was one reason why pig products reached exceptional prices in England, and also indirectly a contributing factor, in the high prices in Australia.

The Benefit Matinee Picture entertainment, kindly given by Madame Bernard on behalf of the widow and family of the late E. Smith, has so far resulted in a return of £6 11s towards the fund, and this sum (including £4 Is 6d collected at the doors of His Majesty’s Theatre by Mr Will Diamond) has been handed in at this office by His Worship the Mayor, Mr W. P. Kirkwood. It is, however, understood that something more on account of further ticket sales will come in. The grand total subscribed to, the fund from all sources at date is £42 18s.

A conference will be held towards the end of the month between the Taranaki County Council and the various dairy companies on the coast to discuss the question of transit of their produce. The traction engines which are the principal means of convoying butter and cheese to the grading works will, the Herald understands, cease to run on the 28th inst. The council’s action pending against Johnson Bros., and the enforcement of the by-laws, have made it impossible, it is stated, for the traction engines to carry on.

The latest exercise recommended by European beauty doctors is trundling a hoop. Strange as i tmay seem, grown-up people in England are now rising betimes in the morning and bowling their hoops, notwithstanding that such performances must strike the casual observer as rather ridiculous. But for sedentary workers and those who suffer from brain-fag, the hoop has another charm besides the exercise it entails. It prodiices a pleasurable form of concentration, as the mind must be fixed on the guidance and management of that rhythmical circle. No one crin be worrying over studies or introcate details of finance while thus occupied.

It is wise for one to look before one leaps—or buys. A Barnego settler (writes the Balclutha correspondent of the Otago Daily Times) lately bought a motor car, and his next ster was to apply to the Bruce County Council for' permission to drive hir car on part of the Barnego roa< (which iri riot open to traction or mo tor traffic, being a continuation of the soirtewhat dangerous Greenfield Balclutha road, which runs along tin banks of the Molyneux. The counci declined to grant the application, and the settler, who' lives about .half-a-mil< along' the prohibited road, will thru be denied a legal right to drive hit car to rind from his home.

■A paragraph has been going tin rounds in the press that Mr Franl* Lawry. ex-M.P., and a well knowr Liberal said at a meeting at 'whiel Mr Massey was present, that at an; time in the last 20 years the country could have been killed by bad legisb tion. Mr Lawry flatly contradict! this statement. He writes as foi lows to the New Zealand Herald:— “Instead of stating what is so ridicu lously reported, I said I once heard the late Hon. John Sheehan delivei an eloquent address, and he endec up his peroration by a strong expres sion of opinion ‘that whether tin Grey Government remained in office owhether they were deposed by tin Fox-Atkinson party, the country couh assure themselves of this immutabh fact, that it was impossible to kill i country like ours with had govern ment.’ Quite a different thing.”

Profesor David, president of the Australasian Association for the Ad vancement of Science, told an inter viewer that the congress, for the importance of the work accompli shec and the enjoyable character of thcvisit, had yielded to none in the history of the association. In view of the forthcoming arrival of the British Association for the Advancement o Science in Australia, in August, 1914 it was a matter tor congratulatioi that, at this congress, over 600 mem hers had joined the association. Tin papers contributed were not only oi great scientific interest, but in many cases of considerable economic importance. “Melbourne,” continued Professor David, “is proverbial fm its hospitality. The enthusiasm shown in this meeting is a foretaste of whai may be expected when the leaders of scientific thought from the Old World miet the scientific workers ol Australasia in the great gathering ar ranged for Australasia in August. 1914.”