LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 24, 27 January 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The total amount paid out to sup-j pliers by the Kaupokonui Dairy Co.j lor December was £17,072. Riverdale suppliers received £5477. —Star.

Owing to the recent fire completely destroying the stock and plant of the company, it has been decided to cease the publication of the Temuka News and Geraldine Mail.

A Bond street tradesman, whose window had been In the wars, displays this notice: “Our window has again been broken by burglars. The score now is: Burglars 2,' suffragettes 1. Burglars are leading by one point.”

The first baby in England to bring its mother a maternity benefit was born at a minute past twelve on the morning of January Ist, at Queen Charlotte’s Lying-in Hospital, an institution for unmarried women.

In the stomach of a crocodile which was shot by Mr Wells on the Merguan Estate, Madras, was found a python 13ft long, two tobacco pipes, a number of pieces of whisky bottles, and a pair of trousers.

Tan Teong, a Chinaman residing in Malay Straits, was recently fined £2O, with the alternative of three weeks’ imprisonment, for selling his adopted baby girl for £lO to buy a coffin in which to bury his wife.

The annual reports of the German and Swiss Alpine Clubs disclose that during last year 133 climbers were killed and 514 seriously injured. As usual, the majority of the victims were Germans.

Punch is to have a competitor. Lord Northcliffe, head of the great Harmsworth newspaper syndicate, wanted to buy the famous satirical weekly, but the proprietors refused to sell. Lord Northcliffe has accordingly decided to start a rival journal.

The Boswell gun imported by the Stratford Gun Club for competition amongst their members is now on view in the windows of the New Zealand Clothing Co.’s Stratford branch, and is attracting the attention of the.critics, who are unanimous that it- is a remarkably fine weapon.

A considerable number of Ngatihaua from the Matamata and Walton districts arrived in bluntly to take part in the ceremonies attendant upon the marriage of Taipu, second son of the late “King” Mahuta, and the daughter of Te Heuheu Tukino, of Taupo, on Saturday. Among the arrivals were Tupu Taingakawa (the king-maker), and Rawhiti.

A member of the Belgian Chamber of Deputies who is for his speeches on the Consular service, was making an eloquent appeal for the reorganisation of the service when the Foreign Minister interposed with the remark: “That is the same speech you made last year.” “Just so,” replied the Deputy, “I have repeated it for the thirteen years, and nobody ever noticed it before.”

A man naifted Charles Worthington, of Denver, Colorado, has discovered a new way of inducing hens to lay (says the London Chronicle).Fie has painted all the chicken coops red, and when he attends to the fowls he wears a red robe and covers his face with a red mask. Mr Worthington declares that after some months’ experience he discovered that hens were lovers of gaudy colours, and since he lias adopted his new methods his hens have been far more productive.

A novel entertainment is to be given in the Primitive Methodist schoolroom to-morrow evening, when a Cobweb Social is to be held. The tickets for admission contain a number, corresponding to a thread in the huge web, spun across the hall, and consisting oi many miles of string. Each contestant lias to unravel his or her thread, and at the end of the string a useful gift will be found. The evening should be a most entertaining one, as in addition a splendid musical programme has been provided.

That bright and attractive little publication, the New Plymouth Boys’ High School Magazine, the third number of which we have just received, continues to fulfil the big expectations which were formed of it when the first auspicious start was made. The third volume can take its place among the collegiate publications of the dominion and need fear no comparisons. With its fifteen full-page illustrations, and well-written reading matter, it is an excellent advertisement for a school which is rapidly obtaining a good reputation as a progressive institution, soon to be reckoned with among the big secondary schools of New Zealand.

From the columns of the New Plymouth Boys’ High School Magazine we reprint the following story, told by an “old boy” resident in America. “Coming home in the car one day last week, I met a particular friend who is the Educational Director of the local Y.M.C.A., and who is ever ready with a pun. Both he and 1 had been away for the summer vacation since last we met, and he was telling me of the good time he had had. ‘ He went to Nova Scotia, spending several days on the water. His cabin mate was a gentleman who contributes to the Atlantic Monthly, and my friend remarked that this gentleman, being a poor sailor, was greatly conci rned during the trip over the possibility that lie might he compelled to contribute to the Atlantic daily.”

Trades union co-operative societies in England are endeavouring to effect an industrial combination representing a capital of about £4,U0u,000. the workers will hold a large proportion of this amount. The action has been taken as a step towards united action in industrial, social, and political nia tcrs.

New naval magazines that have been built at Portsmouth have been constructed underground. They coufc gist of ferro-concrete chambers, ana are covered with four feet oi eaitn, which completely conceals their identity. It is believed that the magazines are bomb-proof.

Eight thousand gallons of milk are required to make a ton of dry casein, there being 3 per cent roughly, o casein in the milk. The present value of the by-product is, roughly, i-to per ton, and there are manufacture! s m the Old Country who are using upwards of three thousand tons of casein annually.

Giving evidence before the New York State Marriage and Divorce Commission, the Rev. Francis Moody said that in 191‘2 upwards of 100,000 divorces were granted in the United States, whilst ,the total for the last forty years was 3,700,000. ' The reverend gentleman declared that the 1 acme Coast was the greatest divorce centre in the whole world.

A rather curious lawsuit was decided (says a recent cablegram) when Mrs Givin, the international golfer, brought an action against the committee of the Chertsey Golf Club for its breach of contract in suspending her. Feeling aggrieved at something that was done by Mr Horne, a professional, who was playing her husband, Mrs Givin picked up Horne’s ball and put it in her pocket when be made a drive. The committee thereupon suspended Mrs Givin. The Coui;t held that an insufficient number of members bad ordered the suspension of the plaintiff, for whom a verdict was accordingly entered.

A faked totalisator ticket was accepted by one of the officials at the totalisator house at the Wellington races on Wednesday, and the result was a loss of £6 10s on the transaction. It appears that the ticket (a ten-shilling one) was issued on No. 18 in a certain race, and the horse failed to gain a place, but No. 13 won. The holder of the ticket, with more ingenuity than honesty, transformed the figures eight in two places into threes, and the ticket was passed, although the word “eighteen” appeared in another place. The transformation was (says the Dominion) appaientlv effected with a sharp pen-knife or such-like instrument.

In asking people in Canada what they considered was their greatest piohiem, Miss Wrench, who is accompanying her brother in his Overseas Club mission, was struck with the unanimous replies: “The children are the greatest problem the country has to face.” She mentioned on Tnursday right (Says the Times) that m New Zealand she had. heard the same thing. One resident of Westland had told her that “the children of New Zealand fear neither, man, God, nor the devil.” But she didn’t believe it. She had been charmed with the frankness and outspokenness of the children here. If it was by any chance tlny.pase/ whose fault was, it. •* ne children did hot'bring themselves dp. It was the fault of the parents, the fault of the older generation. The solution lies entirely with yourselves in bringing them up the ivay you wish,” she added.

We acknowledge receipt of a copy of the first number of the Druidic Gazette, a molithly journal published m A uckland and devoted entirely and exclusively to the advancement of Druidism. In the editorial columns it is stated: “For a long time past the rapid growth of Druidism throughout New Zealand has been a source of surprise to members of other Friendly Societies and to the outside public, whose many i inuiries have manifested the interest taken in our Order. Druids in all parts of the Dominion are approached dailv for information regarding the objects of the Society and the benefits accruing to those who gain admission thereto. The brother approached is, of course, proud to accord any information which it may be in his power to give, but is often handicapped by the fact that his knowledge is of a parochial nature. . . It is for this reason that we have decided to publish the Druidic Gazette.” The publication is an attractive one, and contains much matter of interest to members of Friendly Societies.