LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 29, 3 February 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The sum of £3OO odd is owing to the Stratford A. and P. Association on outstanding subscriptions, donations, etc. Christmas Eve, 1914, will be the hundredth anniversary of the s'gning of the Treaty of Ghent, which! closed the Anglo-American War of 1812. An exceptionally fine rimu log, containing 1800 superficial feet of timber, passed through Mr Lovatt’s mill a few days ago (says the Northern Mail). When put through the breakdown machine, the timber was found to be of excellent quality. Over a 1000 feet of 18 inch boarding of good length was secured. The timber is being used for cabinet making. “Any bird that moults a feather in February should be marketed or put in the pot: it will seldom or never prove profitable to feed any longer. The long-season layer is the only truly'profitable bird, and this is the latest to moult. This, fact has been well borne out by the egg-laying competitions.” Thus poultry expert, Fred. C. Brown, in the current issue of the Journal of Agriculture. The Stratford School Committee have to thank very many people for kindnesses extended to them in their big task of organising the School picnic. Among these was Mr A. Cliff, who very kindly offered the use of the Taranaki Agricultural Society’s buildings, should the weather be wet. Mr P. Skoglund (chairman of the School Committee) this morning Informed a reporter that the Committee was very grateful to Mr Cliff for his offer.

Fresh records have been created by the Stratford District High School There are to-day 740 scholars attending the school, 604 in the primai'y department and 137 in the secondary, the new scholars in the former department being 54, and in the latter 63. Last year the average attendance at the secondary school was 112, and at the primary 511. The school’s reputation, and its central position, appears to attract scholars from all over the province, for there are over thirty scholars from other parts hoarding here and attending -either the secondary or the primary departments.

A cablegram which appeared in the Sydney Sun last week stated that the new trial granted in the sensational case of Dr. Bennett Clarke Hyde, charged with the murder of his wife’s uncle, Colonel Swope, had been commenced in Kansas City. The proceedings against Dj\ Hyde have been in progress now for nearly three years. The first trial was concluded-at Kansas City in May, 1910. Besides being indicted for the murder of Colonel Swope, the doctor was charged with having murdered Chrisraan Swope, nephew of the Colonel, by means of strychnine administered in medicine, and with having injected typhoid germs with intent to kill Margaret, Stella, Sarah, and Lucy Lee Swope, Georgia Compton, Mildred Fox, and Leonara Copridge, and also with the manslaughter of James Moss Hutton, a cousin of the millionaire, by “bleeding him in a neglectful manner.” It was alleged that Hyde murdered Colonel Swope by poisoning him, and then set about the task of exterminating the family in order to inherit their fortune. Evidence was given that he had purchased poisons on various dates, and Dr, Stewart, bacteriologist. stated that he had supplied Hyde with cultures of typhoid germs. The jury brought in a verdict of murder in the first degree, and Hyde was sentenced to imprisonment for life. After his conviction an appeal was lodged on behalf of Hyde and the court granted the application that was made for a new trial.

With his face unshared, his clothes rather shabby looking, and of unkempt appearance, a well-known comedian stood outside the Grand Hotel, in the West End of London, recently offering five-pound notes at a penny each. Notwithstanding that the same trick was done many years ago with sovereigns, people thought that it was either an impudent attempt to gather in a few coppers for valueless bits of paper, or a little joke that some incorrigible humourist was trying to work off. Try as he might, the disreputable individual could not make the passers-by believe that they wore genuine “fivers” he was giving away in this fashion. As they came along they would give him a knowing look and pass on, little dreaming what a good tiling they had missed. Of the hundreds of pedestrians that passed during the twenty minutes that the “sale” was in progress only two thought it good enough to risk a penny. Later on, when these lucky persons made the discovery that they had secured genuine notes, they made a wild rush back to the Grand, only to find that the philanthropist had vanished. He had gone after havingsold two five-pound notes for 2d, but he had won a substantial wager from a friend. The whole business (says a cablegram in the Sydney Sun) was the outcome of a bet. The comedian laid a wager with his friend that he would not sell six of the notes in 20 minutes, and ,a's he himself afterwards remarked, he won in a walk.

The sum of £5 (conscience-money) has been received by the Minister for Finance, and by his direction has been paid into the railways account. A new regulation regarding the manner in which quarterly attendance returns in State schools are to be made up appears in the latest Gazette. The list of licensed surveyors of the Dominion appears in last week’s Gazette. It includes 473 names. , Twenty-six new licenses were issued during the past year. Satisfactory arrangements were made at the meeting of the committee of the Whangamomona Medical Association held on Friday last, and it has been decided to call for applications for a doctor, at a salary of £4OO a year. January, 1913, was not a “tfet month,” and the rainfall of 7.30 in. dies for the thirty-one days is several inches below the average. There is also to be reckoned with the fact that we had most cf cur rafr in the hist Jive days wi*h the tone'tia. down-pour of 3.05 inches on January Ist. There were only eleven days on which rain fell. The New Zealand State-guaranteed Advances Department has written to the Stratford Borough Council refusing a loan of £42,000, and stating that the £SOOO limit is still to be adhered to. It is a trifle soon to talk about securing the money, since the loan is not yet authorised, hut it should he stated that this refusal should not in any way prejudice the position of the loan. The borough’s credit is good, and, as in the case of the electric light loan, private companies are only too ready to lend money on fairly favourable terms. A Masterton correspondent reports that a rather interesting case was heard in the Magistrate’s Court last Thursday, when Tawhia Te Tau, chairman of the Rongokokako Maori Council, sought to recover from Kahu Piripia a sum of £6, the amount, of fines imposed by the Kohunui Village Committee for breaches of bylaws of the Maori Council. For the defence it was alleged that the Maori Council had neglected to deline the limits of the Kohunui pa, and have them approved by the Governor. The plaintiff was consequently non-suited. Yesterday was “a perfect day,'’ and consequently the mountain houses were very extensively patronise,!. A local party, including the Misses Wake (2),James (2),and Messrs James (2) Clousten and Rut hex turd, succeeded in conquering the mountain, it along the climb comfortably in five hours. They were the only successful climbers from the Stratford side of the mountain, though New Plymouth sent up a number of visitors who made the ascent... . One or .two drags from Stratford visited the Dawson’s Falls' house.

The ex-Empress Eugene has never laid aside her widow’s weeds since the death of her husband; but, in spite of her very retired life, she is deeply interested in the wonderful changes of fashion, and contemplates with a smile the gay panorama of modern dress. During her recent visit to Paris she asked one of her oldest and truest friends to give a partv, and to invite her smartest friends thereto. The ex-Empress wanted to know all about the latest creations, the famous creations of the great raen-millioners (Paquin et Cie>. and who wore them. Accordingly, before her eyes there filed a modern parade of fashion and up-to-date elegance. She was charmed and never fired of admiring the costly, and original creations of the high priests of fashion. But then she went on to discuss the practical side of the-ex-hibition. When the prices were named she could hardly believe her ears. “That is fearful,” she exclaimed, quite bewildered by the_ magnitude of the cost in many cases. “When I was on the throne I never paid more than £24 for. any. of my dresses, the magnificence of which was so of ten-made a matter of reproach to me. If I had paid as much as is given nowadays for a robe, I would soon have been at my wits ends.”

The death of James Wattie recalls a sensational occurrence in connection with the first New Zealand Cup, which Tasman captured in 1883. At that time E. Derrett was first horseman to the, late Hon. W. Robinson, who always maintained a good team of horses On the morning of tho race Derrett was informed that his services were no longer required for tho Hen. W. Robinson’s horses, and no reason whatever was given for tho dismissal. Derrett was immediately engaged to ride Tasman, and J. Wattie had the mount on Nonsense, who was backed for a lot of money by her owner, who declared to win with the daughter of Albany and No Name in preference to Cheviot, on whom C. Ridings had the mount. Nonsense started a strong favourite, and Cheviot was next in demand, whilst Tasman started favourite. Nonsense Tasman fought out an exciting finish, and winning honours went to the latter by a short neck, amidst great excitement. Derrett was loudly cheered by the spectators, and it was evident tiiat he had the public sympathy'with him in tho matter. It must have pleased Derrett to boat Nonsense under the circumstances, hut he had all his work out out to outride Wattie at the finish. The defeat of Nonsense cost her owner a small pot of money, and, strange to say, he had a similar experience, in England. In 18G9 Mr. Robinson had Gratitude in the Caesarevitch. He is said to have backed her to win a quarter of a million, and had to put up something like 40.000 rovs to go for the big win. Just before the day Mr. Robinson discharged Grimshaw, who had been engaged to ride the mare, and put up another boy. Grimshaw then obtained the mount on Thalestris, who beat Gratitude on the post, ami her owner was done out of a high hot that would have landed a fortune.