LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 21, 23 January 1913, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The camp for mounted men al Oringi will take place from the stl May to the 17th, both days inclusive.

Five Dunedin grocers, for keeping open half an hour after noon on tin statutory half-holiday during Christ mas week, were fined 10s each ano ■ costs. Only 354 men in all Now Zealand had to be helped to secure employlast month by the Labour Department. Of these 279 were sent to private employment, mostly in the country, and 75 to Government works.

During November last 4972 artisans and labourers were employed by the Government on co-operative works. Of these 2283 were engaged on railway works, 2300 on road construction, and 268 on public buildings.

A Melbourne man named John O’Connell, who dreamed five or six times that he had found gold not far from the township of the Caniarabo, went to the place indicated and dissevered a gold-bearing reef. He returned to Melbourne with several specimens of gold quartz.

Thirty minutes was all the time occupied by the Council last night at the special meeting. Several Couuv cillors being absent, the Mayor contented himself with a motion that the engineers’ plans and reports on the drainage scheme be adopted. This was duly carried.

The value of having ample feed foi dairy cows during the dry season is strikingly exemplified by the return received this month from Mr G. S Aiken’s, Waverley, herd of 130 cows. His cheque for the month of December totalled £2OB 16s Bd, which is not ‘far short of’the amounts received during the flush of the season, says the Tribune.

It will be of interest to county councillors and the public to learn (says the Bruce Herald) that county councils have no legal power to compel domain boards to cut down trees growing alongside a public road. This is the dictum of the Under-Secretary oi Crown Lands, as contained in a letter forwarded by him to a Milton resident who is a lover of trees.

The Employers’ Federation of New Zealand has sent a “private and confidential” communication to local bodies, asking for subscriptions towards some object or other. The Masterton County Council, in its generosity, has donated £lO 10s. The'Master ton Borough Council, which is apparently more “Scotch,” has contented itself with “receiving” the communication (says the Age).

, The Borough Council met last night, but owing to the absence of Councillors Lawson, McAllister and Thomp son, the Mayor decided to defer con sideration of the loan proposals til a more representative meeting is ob tained. This evening another meet ing will be held, when the Mayor’s motion to separate the issues will lx put to the Council.

Sunday schools everywhere appeal to be holding their annual picnic today. The Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists are combining in a big outing, which is being held cn the A. and P.’s grounds. The scholars cl the Presbyterian Sunday* Scli.uli.left in largo numbers this morning by tiair, for Ngaire. The scholars from All Saint’s Sunday school at l.ltham tls picnic at Ngairo to-day.

A reminder is given of the Presbyterian concert to be held in the St Andrew’s Hall to-night. The programme include® a pianoforte solo and a song by Miss D. Bayly, two songs by Miss Best (a talented Auck land songstress), and items by Messn H. W. Doxiglas, A. L. Jones, R. Davies, and Misses Rogers and Duthrie.

A crowd was gathered round a disabled trap in Miranda Street Soutl last evening, a young unbroken horse having provided an excellent buckjumping exhibition, during the course of which the “long-shafter” proved unequal to the occasion, and gave at the off shaft. This is the second occasion in which the animal has successfully resisted the efforts of its tamer.

Cable advice has been received from London that the board of directors ol the National Bank of New Zealand, Ltd., has resolved to make an issue of 100,000 of the unissued shares ol £7 10s each in the capital of the bank. The shares will be offered to existing shareholders in the proportion of one new share for every two shares held, at £3 15s per share, of which £2 10s will be capital anti £1 5s premium.

That Taranaki, and Opunake in particular, is a land of milk and honey, was exemplified on Sunday morning, says the Opunake Times. Whilst the milk carts .were traversing the main road to the Opunake factory a swarm of bees came down the main road tc Opunake and the “flying honey” and the “milky fluid” traversed in the same direction for some minutes.

The champion Auckland Jersey cow Lady Flora 11., has recently changed owners, Mr J. G. Harkness having purchased the cow from Mr Forsyth (says the Star). Flora 11. is reported to be a beautiful specimen of the breed, and in the ten years she has been living she has piled up a long list of show successes, which include the champion ribbon at the Auckland show four years in succession.

It should be stated that all gentlemen who are lovers of Burn® are invited to be present to-morroiv evening in the Town Hall to do honour to Scotland’s national poet. Additional, interest should be attached to the gathering, from the fact that Ncav Zealand’s champion piper, Mr John Mclntyre, and his brother, Mr Albert

Mclntyre, champion under twenty f years of age, will be present. The Leidertafel quartet figures or the musical programme, to which some of the most talented performers in the district will contribute.

In the course of his presidential address at the Anglican Synod, the Primate stated that the Synod was, in all human probability, the last one over which he would preside. His concluding words were as follow: “Let my last words—if indeed they he my last—be the expression of the/ experience of my life, that nothing if even wanting to the Church but Faith and Faithfulness. Faith, that she may never doubt her mission or her powers, though the heavens may seem to fall; and faithfulness that, filled with all the fulness of God, she may apply to all, without fainting or fear, trie gifts she hdlds for all, to the healing of all social wounds, and the binding of human souls with God.” The Primate is over 75 years of age.

The New Zealand Shipping Co.’s steamer s.s. Waimate, will be loading at the' Waitara roadstead about the loth to 20th February.

A rather unique christening ceremony took place at Holy Trinity Church, Grey-mouth, last week, v. hen eight grandchildren of a local resident were baptised. The remarkable feature was that their ages varied from three weeks to 30 years.

Apparently more teachers are available in Canterbury than was the case a year ago. The Timaru Education Board for four positions had respectively eight, nine, fourteen and twenty-six applications. Two of the latter were for town -assistantships.

A Spit schoolboy sitting for Standard Vi. was asked to name ‘three tourist resorts in New Zealand worthy of attention from visitors. The lad was clearly a village patriot foi he plumped for the new Napier theatre. '

“I do not understand why women ,will persist in coming into these courts and chattering,” said Mr Love, S.M., indignantly, at the Globe (Sydney) Police Court. “Do stop .those people talking! Do anything with them—put them out into the street. Why don’t they stay at home and cook their husbands’ dinners?”

A meeting of the Early Records Committee at New Plymouth yesterday delegated a sub-committee to associate with the Veterans' Association in celebrating the anniversary of the province and the battle of Waireka (says the News). The anniversary of the province falls on March 31st, and that of Waireka on March 28th. and the two occasions will be jointly celebrated by a picnic of veterans and pioneers on the Recreation Grounds on March 27th.

Per medium of a three-and-a-half horse-power motor cycle and side cai Mrs and Mr David Brown, of Masterton, have toured the whole of the territory lying between Masterton and Ne'w Plymouth. They reached Waverley on 'Tuesday on their return from the north. In addition to ‘themselves they carried two heavily filled portmanteaus, and over the whole distance had not a minute’s trouble with the machine. Some of the roads oyer which they passed were inches thick with dust.

As illustrating colonial precocity, the Greymouth Star has the following:— A Greymouth lad of about 13 summers the other day conversed with a local storekeeper on the weather, the races, and finally the shortage in his weekly allowance of pocket money. The latter seemed to be a sore point, then with the lad, and he quite casually re marked: ‘This country’s no good since Massey’s the boss, I’m off to the North Island the first chance ) get,” at the same time tendering payment for what he called “a packet of fags,” and walked out of the shop with a triumphant air.

In accordance with notice of motion, the Taranaki Education Board yesterday decided that clause 29 of the Board’s regulations with regard to holidays be amended, and that the holidays sanctioned by the Board wil be: six weeks at Christmas, one week in winter, one week in spring, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anniversary Day, Arbor Day. and the King’s Birthday. 'No other holidays or exchange of days will be permitted, except with the special sanction of the Board. Committees may, however, close thei; schools for the purpose of holiday school excursions •or special picnics hut immediately the date of such holi day is fixed, written notice, must ]x sent to the Board.

Those who deal with cheques should take all precautions in making them out. The case dealt with at the Timaru courthouse on Saturday morning shoived that business men cannot In too careful in this respect (states the Herald). Betiveen the figures set on 4 in the £ s d column, it is always ad vjsable to draw thick lines to prevent the possibility of figures being insert ed. The various bank® commend this, but apparently oivners of cheque books continue to make the figure col unm out with a slight dot between the £s d figures. It is also a good idea to fill up blank spaces between the wording of a cheque with a strong pen mark.

A someivliat amusing incident—-yet for - a certain mother rather serious matter, for a time—Occurred in connection with the picture show at Waverley on Saturday night. The weather was Avarm, there was'a large attendance, and the atmosphere induced somnolence. The entertainment over, people left the hall. One party, before driving home, a little out of town, visited a friend. Ready to depart, heads Avere counted. Lo and behold, one of the hopefuls about eight years of age was discovered to be missing. Where was it? Search round about proved fruitless. Then (says the Tribune) it occurred to the fond parent that it ivas possible the child might have been left in the hall. The manager was sought out, and at 11.30 the missing child ivas found asleep in the hall. There Avas joy over the recovery of the lost lamb.

At the blind conference in Melbourne a discussion took place as to the occupations open to blind people. At present it ivas pointed out the only occupations which the blind could successfully folloAV Avere basket and mat making and chair caning. Delegates considered the blind might have success at piano tuning stenography, bookkeeping, potmaking, salesmanship, newspaper reporting, farming, typewriting, and music. One speaker contended that apathetic managers of institutions had done nothing to Aviden the sphere of activity of the blind, Avho could succeed in almost any calling provided they had reasonable op portunities to acquire necessary knowledge. A resolution was carried recommending the boards of management of institutions to find neAv avenues of employment, such as pianotuning, typeAvriting, massage, and sailmaking. The question of starting an Australian Braille magazine Avas remitted to the next conference. It was decided to recommend that the next conference be held in Melbourne in January, 1915. A vote of appreciation Avas conveyed to Mr A. Shirley, secretary of the Ncav South Wales association, for valued services in the advancement of the blind throughout Australia.

During the holidays the children are bright and happy and no better time could be chosen for having them photographed. At the McAllister studic special attent'nn and extra trouble are taken to secure pleasing pictures faithful portraits of the little ones The charges compare favourably with any in the Dominion, and you are in vited to compare the results with those obtained elsewhere. No effort will be spared to add you to our ion? list of satisfied customers. Your patronage is solicited for the McAllister Studio Broadway- Stratford.