LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 26, 29 January 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho “Stratford Evening Post” will not 1)0 published to-morrow, arrangements having been made to allow the staff to participate in the town’s annual holiday, which has now grown to he the great event of tho year in Stratford.

The prescription of lying in bed until noon, which has been advocated as a panacea for old age, is ridiculed by Sir George Bird wood, who, writing to the London Times, says: “1 would rather be some monstrous flatfish at the bottom of the .Atlantic than accept life on such terms.” Sir George has just entered on his 84th year.

To date over 9000 calves have been inoculated by the officers of the local branch of the Department of Agriculture, and it is expected that before the end of the season, the end of next month, between 6000 and 7000 more will he treated. The number, it is understood, will not be many, if any, in excels of the total inoculated lasi season by the Department.

The right to practise massage in Japan is entirely restricted to the blind, according to a speaker at the recent Blind Conference in Melbourne.

“Living temperately consists in every man finding out for himself what suits him and sticking to it, whether it be four meals a day or two, roast beef or Brazil nuts, a bottle of brandy or undiluted pump. There is no general rule for all; if a man himself he will have to loot the says the Pall Mall Gazette.

The 70-year old gentleman who recently arranged with Mr S. J. Collett (Government Tourist Agent) to do the walk over the Milford Sound track, has returned after a most pleasant time (says the Dunedin Star). He \ states that he enjoyed the walk thoroughly. He cannot understand how some of the young people make a fuss over the trifling obstacles to be found sometimes .amidst the magnificent scenery on the To Anau-Milford track.

Seathewaite is the wettest spot in England; probably in Europe. It consists of a farmhouse and three small cottages, and is situated in Cumberland, at the foot of the Stye Head Pass, which leads over the mountains into Wastdale. Here took place the heaviest downpour of rain ever recorded in Great Britain in 24 hours. This happened in 1897, when over eight inches fell; and there have been no fewer than seven other occasions when falls of more than six, but less than eight inches. have been recorded.

One of the Red Cross surgeons at the war had an opportunity of observing 670 cases of severe wounds in Servian soldiers, and expresses his surprise at the rapidity of healing and the aseptic condition of even the most dangerous injuries. Men shot through the body by bullets which penetrated the liver, the lung, the spleen, and the intestines, recovered after a fortnight or so without much evidence of ultimate harm. The modern bullet is rendered aseptic by the enormous heat of the burning powder.

“The intemperance statistics of France are appalling,” says the Daily Telegraph’s Paris correspondent. “Roughly, it is estimated that one out of every fifteen Frenchmen is connected either as vendor or distiller with the liquor trade. The keepers of cafes and bars alone are close on a million in number. There are also almost 900,000 wine-growers, that is, who distil alcohol from their own products, in addition to the 12,000 odd aniseed distillers and brewers. The S wealth and political ‘pull’ of this ‘bistocracy,’ as it is sometimes called, are so great as to make its position almost impregnable. Only from the awakening of public opinion to the dangers of this vast army in the heart of France can any substantial reforms be expected.”

A letter which contains an extraordinary request and is regarded officially as being the work of a degenerate, ' or a foolish practical joker has been placed in the hands of the Acting Inspector-General of the Penal Establishments in Melbourne. The writer stated that he had formed certain ideas of the severity of floggings administered to prisoners, and lie desired to have them confirmed or corrected. He wanted ? accordingly, to have a flogging administered to him by a public flagellator at a place and a,time to be fixed by himself. The governor of the gaol was instructed to write replying that the flogging of prisoners was ordinarily conducted by the public flagellator, who was a prisoner, and was therefore unable to enter into outside contracts. '

Thus the Mercantile Gazette: Calendars are getting every year more expensive, and competition in the value of the gift is getting keener. Is it wise? Is it necessary? What is a calendar, anyway, from an advertising standpoint? It is a pretty gift designed to give a moment’s pleasure till the recipient gets another calendar that is prettier. It has little value as a salesman. As a rule it is designed not to sell the goods,-of the user, but to sell itself to the merchant. He sees an attractive piece of lithographic work and he immediately becomes infatuated with it, and thinks that because it is attractive to him it will help him sell his goods.”

The stenotype—a small machine designed to displace shorthand writing—the use of which has been successfully demonstrated in New York, is similar to an ordinary typewriter, and’has twenty-three keys. The working of it is based on phonetic spelling. Several letters can be printed by striking one key, while it is possible to strike two keys with one finger. The twentytwo keys represent seven consonants, and every combination of sounds used in speech, together with about 150 standard abbreviations—the sole code that the operator must master. With the machine a speed of 180 words a minute has been obtained. The machine is not being sold to the general public, the sale being restricted, to students of business schools qualified as competent operators in order to keep the device from becoming a drug on the market.

Public bodies must expect to have various curious requests made to them at various times, and a communication that came before the Taieri County Council on Friday (says the Otago Dailv Times) must certainly come within this category. The writer, a grocer at Kaikorai, stated that a few months ago ,while driving home from Brighton, his horse shied and backed him against the fence alongside the Kaikorai Stream. The owner now wanted him to pay 8s to repair the fence. The fence was in a very bad state of repair from one end to the other, and the writer wanted to know if he was “entitled” to pay the amount claimed or not. He concluded by expressing the good intention of following the council’s direction in the matter. Councillors were in some doubt as to the ownership of the fence, and after discussion the matter was left in the hands of the engineer with power to act.

Some 7000 civil servants New Zealand are interested in the election of candidates for the Civil Service Board of Appeal, the polling day for which is fixed by the Public Service Act for Monday, May sth next. The Postal Department elects one candidate. the Telegraph Department one candidate, and the remaining Departments fof which there are no fewer than ,0?) two candidates. So far. the Post and Telegraph candidates have not been publicly announced, but two aspirants for the votes of the other Departments are already in the field in the persons of Mr F. J. Mount, solicitor, of the Dunedin Land Office staff, and Mr A. H. Holmes, clerk of the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington. The term of office of the successful candidates will be three years, and their sole remuneration will be a travelling allowance (fixed at a minimum sum of 12a 6d per day) when absent from their headquarters on Ap. peal Board business.

The Quebec Telegraph sadly observes: “The cost of living is admittedly high, but the cost of dying is so high that most of us prefer to worry along.” a

A horseman dressed in armour, after the fashion of a medieval knight, rode through the city of London on the 11th inst. Ho was advertising a picture show. At the Police Court next

day he was fined for causing sightseers to congregate, and so block the traf-

Mokai residents in the Taupo district failed to get their letters one day fast week. The bags were under a tarpaulin in a railway truck, and a spark from the engine set them alight, and they were consumed in the flames.

The amount placed to the credit of the fund on behalf of Clyde Redshaw, who had both hands cut off by a railway train, as deposited in the Post Office Savings Bank, totals £1463 12s 6d. pearly £IOO has still do come in.

The directors of the Wairarapa Caledonian Society expelled therefrom a member who had misbehaved whilst in Highland dress and disqualified him from attending in kilts any function held under the auspices of the society.

Fishing in the Mangawhcro stream a day or two ago, Mr Robert Spence landed ‘eleven speckled beauties. The average weight of the fish was about four pounds, while the four largest turned the scale at well over four pounds each. The fish were in splendid condition and nicely marked.

One of the gatekeepers at Tren tham was arrested on Saturday, sayr ,the Post. People were sent with marked half-crowns, to see if they could pass through without a ticket. The man is alleged to have accepted the jbribes, and on being arrested and searched, it is said that the marked coins were found in his pocket.

A new departure is announced in connection with Mr Dent’s “Everyman’s Library,” namely, a complete encyclopaedia in twelve volumes, published als a volume. The editing of this particular work has been entrusted to Mr Andrew Boyle, who will have his first volume ready in January, and hopes to complete the entire encyclopaedia, before the end of the year 1913. How large an enterprise this is may be gathered from the announcement that each volume will fib nearly 650 pages, and that the entire work contains something like 6,000,000 words. There will also be well over 1000 illustrations.

“Will you walk into my parlour?”

was practically the invitation issued by the Red Federation to Labour generally for the present peculiar conference (writes the Wellington Post). *The fly has walked, but the fly hopes to harness the spider with his own strands, for fly purposes. The officia, reports of the meetings plainly reveal the fact that the delegates are danc- . ing mainly to the tunes played by the “red” 'band who dominate the assembly. The United Labour party, who have many sergeant’s and cor- - poralo, but no captain, are suffering for their leaderlessnesS. If one strong man had been in command he would have opposed the folly of agreeing tc official representation at the conclave ‘' ■'Convened by ultra-socialists.

Some remarkably fine dahlia blooms Srpwn by Mr F. Davis, of Warwick »oa/d ? were left at the “Stratford Evening Post” office yesterday after noon, “just to indicate,” Mr Davis said, “how successfully dahlias can be grown in Stratford.” The blooms, which are most perfectly formed, are of bp-to-date cactus variety, and in elude “Dorothy” (a delicate pink of great beauty), “Hyacinth” (pink). “Flame,” “Faunus” (fawn-coloured shade), “J. H. Jackson” (dark magenta), “Coronation,” (bright scarlet). “Orepuscule” (a very fine shade of orange), “Primrose” (primrose shade) and “Mabel Needs,” (brilliant scar let). All the blooms are quite r show condition, and a credit to Mi Davis’ Care and attention.

The Stratford 'Pacing Club have been complimented, and deservedly so, for the excellence of their arrangement! in connection with their recent meeting. An incident which happened in the management of their totalisator if worth recording. A local sportsman, who had made an investment on r certain horse* was unlucky enough tf lose • the ticket, the loss of which he reported before the machine closed fo' the race in question. He considered the matter ended there, but was considerably and pleasantly surprised th( other morning of receiving a lettei containing a cheque for amount won by lost ticket. “On checking the number of tickets paid, we find tha* the lost ticket was not presented”— thus the note, from Messrs Marett and Fox, of Napier, whom the Stratford Club had wisely secured to conduct their totalisator operations. Mr R. B. Anderson,who has this year undertaken the disposal of the school excursion tickets, informed a report ' er.this morning that over 1100 ticket? had So far been sold. Yesterday he had been forced to refuse tickets te . soine adults, 1 owing to the fact that there was not a big enough demand foi children’s tickets, the Railway Depart metlt requiring an equal number o J \both adult and children’s tickets t r b© sold. Given fine weather, am' present prospects are exceedingly bright, this year’s big excursion should be a record one. We again remind readers of the train arrangements. Ex cursion trains leave Stratford at 8.10 and 9.5 a.m., ,and return at 4.20 and 6 p.m. The school excursion tickets fare not available for the 8.50 a.m train from Stratford, or,the ordinary train from New Plymouth in the evening, which leaves to-morrow at 5.32 The Toko train leaves at 7.45 p.m. An unusual occurrence was related to a reporter yesterday afternoon h; Mr W. A. Hewitt, manager of tin » Stratford branch of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company. While jon holiday up North, Mr Hewitt said he visited Mr Wagstaff’s place at T< | Aroha West, in company with Mr W. Montgomerie, late of Stratford, and was Shown a new and up-to-date milking shed, which had been set on fire in three different places through tin sun’s rays being reflected by mill ■ cans on to. the weatherboards of tin shed. The cans had been turned hot tom up, and were leading toward the shea, and some of the holes burnt in the shed were more than thre° inches wide, while several smaller holes, representing each can, ran down the side of the shed. Fortu ' nately one of Mr Wagstnff’s sons hap poned at that particular time to hr going to the shed for a piece of liar ness, and discovered the fire; otherwise the results might have been disastrous.

The Rev. W. A. Butler informed a reporter of the “Stratford Evening Post” this morning that he was calling a meeting on Tuesday next at 8 p.m. in'the Parish Hall, to discuss the formation of a Stratford branch of the Over-Seas Club. S6mo particulars of this patriotic organisation will | be found in our leading columns.

At a meeting of the C.E.M.S. last evening it was decided to organise an open-air service, with church parade, to be held on Good Friday (21st of March) in Victoria Park. The cooperation of members of public bodies, Friendly Societies, and others will be invited.

The Stratford County rates are coming in freely now as farmers are anxious to avoid the 10 per cent which is added after February 4th. One local resident paid his cheque for £260 this week. This is not a bad single contribution from a district of small holdings. |

Mr Maurice I. Jury, well known in Stratford and district,where he was in business for some time and who for the last five years has been farming at Pohokura, has disposed of his fine property to Mr J). M. Pitcaithly, late! of Hawke’s Bay, and is leaving Taranaki for Onga-Onga, near Waipawa. Mr Jury has been altogether twenty-j one years in the Stratford district,! and will carry with him the good wishes of many friends for his success in his new location.

The Stratford district hqp a great name for its butter and cheese-mak-ing capabilities, but if one should mention “fat lambs” to a Canterbury man, he would probably look askance, j and think such wonders are not pro-i duced here. In contradiction of this, Messrs Pitt Bros, sent their first draft | from their Stanley road property toj the Waitara freezing works lasbj week, and the manager reports on them as the best line of lambs he had! killed this year. 'The draft consisted; of over 600, and the average weight; was 33Jib. As the lambs were fed; entirely on grass, it shows what ourj farmers could do if they grew rape for finishing eF, as, the southern farm-’ ers do.

Some relics which appealed to the hearts of Scotchmen were exhibited at the Burns gathering at Gisborne by Mr J. R. Kirk. One of the articles was an exact model in porcelain of the house in which Robert Burns was born. There was also a* jewel case made from part of the post of the bed on which Jean Armour was born, and another was a trinket, box made from part of the woodwork of the hostelry kept by Nance Tinnock, and referred to in Burns’ works. The latter two articles must be of considerable age. for in the old days the beds were built into the houses, and Jean Armour’s house was in existence when Burns was born 154 years ago.

The following translation of a letter which appeared in the Luneburgerheidt Nachrichten, a German newspaper:— “As soon as Germany has command of the sea,which will be before long, .1 would advise our Government to turn their attention towards an island named New Zealand. It would not take much, to get possession of it, because they have only boys as soldiers, and are too far away from England to get any help there. 'lt is a very fertile land; it produces an enormous quan tity of butter, cheese, beef, mutton and wool, all products much needed in our country. The country is also rich in gold, coal, oil and other miner als. The first nation of the world— Germany—ought to be in possession of it.”

“This strike is of national import anee,” said Mr T. M. Wilford, M.P. addressing the slaughtermen at Petonr on Saturday night. “Don’t think it i; local; don’t think it only pertains t( you people immediately concerned Every single person is directly or in directly concerned. The problem o labour is never going to he solved by Act of Parliament. As a matter ol fact, it is never going to he solved ir our time. As to solving it absolutel; —that is impossible. If we were al equal to-morrow, which of us woult drive bh© dust cart?” “That questior could be quite simply answered, M Wilford,” said one of his audience “It might be simply answered, bn could it be effectively answered P don’t think it could.” “Yes, it could,’ was the reply of the ioptimistic ecoip nomist, according to the Post, “read the books of Karl Marx.”

A young man of 31 years, who ha r been arrested by the police in Wei lington, came up at the Auckland Po lice Court on Monday on a charge tha 1 in November last he obtained £3 from Carl Kalman by means of false pye fences. Chief-detective McMahor stated that this was a case of tin wrong man being arrested. There was a man of the same name wanted for the offence stated, and informatior had been sent to Wellington, where the police had arrested the man now before th Court. Almost immediately he arrived in Auckland he- satisfied the police that he was not the man whr was wanted, and was released on hk own bond. Mr McMahon asked (saj-f the Star)( therefore, that the prisone: be discharged, and the Magistrate granted the order of discharge.

At the Auckland -Police Court or Monday a charge against Harold Lo gan of’having discharged a firearm ii Princess Street, Avas dismissed on the contention that the “firearm” was ar air-gun, and .that as it had not beer discharged in Princess street or an.' other public place, it was not a “firearm” within the meaning of the Act Th© circumstances (as related by the Star) 'vere that young Logan, in prao’ tising "’itli his air-gun at the back o' his house, had, by a stray shot, crack ed a neighbour’s AvindoAv, and com plaint to the police resulted in th present charge. His Worship said that under the Act an air-gun "-as i “firearm,” in so far as it affected the safety of people in a public place, and the present information, not relating to a public place, Avould have to Ik dismissed.