LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 33, 7 February 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Messrs George Henry Derby and William Derby, of Stratford, this day filed a declaration of insolvency. The W.C.T.U. monthly meeting was held ,on Thursday in the Primitive Methodist Church. After the usual business it was decided that the members have an afternoon gathering on the Francis Willard day, February 18th. The cycle road race held yesterday over a course, Stratford to Eltham and back, resulted in a win for IT. Voyle, who had four minutes start, with E. Townloy and T. E. Speck second and third respectively. There was a tie for the fastest time between iL, H .Wann and S. Parker, in the excellent going of 38 minutes.

In reply to a matrimonial advertisement inserted in an Italian paper by Signoro Giuseppina Marches!, of Piacenza (says a London paper), a a candidate who kept an appointment with her proved to be her husband, from whom she had not heard since ho deserted her ten years ago in England.

The master of the i)iss' (Norfolk) secondary schools says that one of Ins boys has this year cycled 2522 miles to atteiid school, and was late only five times 9ml absent once. A girl who also arrives by cycle and covered 2088 miles this year, had been late only thrice. During the floods, the water in places rose- more than half-way up the cycle wheels.

A code of manners lias been issued by President Yuan Shikai of China (says the Excelsior), including the following articles :—l, To salute; take off -the hat, and bow. 2. At important ceremonies, such as funeral!?, marriages, and national festivals, take off the hat and bow three times. 3. At everyday ceremonies, take off the hat and bow once. 4. When pieeting in the street, take off the hat without bowing. o. Women must obey articles 1 and 2, but they will not take off their hats. The same decree fixes the style of men’s and women’s- costumes.

There is an agitation in Germany j for a form of conscription law tint shall be applied to wknnen. The j suggestion is that they shall go through one year’s training after reaching the ago of 18, and that the curriculum shall include tuition in household economy, the care of children, the art of nursing, how to equip and maintain their homes during times of national war. According to a cable message to the Australian papers, the leaders of the movement advocate that no'woman shall be allowed to marry unless she holds the proposed certificates.

Trenchantly writes the Waimate Witness: The New Zealand Times, a paper that has experienced many vicissitudes and passed through much travail, is what is commonly called “bucking up,” in an admirable, if not riotous spirit, under the new- management, and is spilling tubs of ink daily in its wild hunt after Maseyite scalps. Its attention is furiously occupied mostly between Massey and the “squatsponsibility. Obversely, the DemiaNewspapers, like politicians, show to much better advantage in opposition, and the Times, no longer charged with the defence of the decomposing corpse of Liberalism, has entered upon a new life of sprightly and incisive irresponsibility. Obversly, the Dominion is very dead meat, stolid, stodgy, and uninteresting in its defence of the heavy gambols of the Masseyite circus.

Mr J. T. Middle-more, in the House of Commons, questioned the First Lord of the Admiralty as to what armoured ships,, small cruisers, and destroyers provided for hy Britain and Germany since 1906 had gone into service. Mr Churchill gave the Bri- , tish figures first. The armoured skips that had gone into service numbered 18 out of 31, the cruisers 16 out of 30, and the destroyers 72 out of 110. The totals for Germany were 14 armoured ships out of 24, 10 cruisers out of 14, and 75 destroyers out of 84. The First Lord remarked that the question was misleading, as it omitted the ships of the 1906 programme. Mr J, M. Hogge suggested that certain information which appeared recently in the Scotsman was capable of being used for purposes of espionage. He desired to know whether means could be taken to prevent newspapers from publishing what ought to bo regarded as secret information. Mr Churchill declared that much naval information appeared in the press that was detrimental to public interests. It was published because its significance was not fully appreciated; but ho believed that the Government could rely upon the cordial co-operation of the press when dealing with information which directly affected Britain’s defence, and which was recognised as secret.

All the prophecies by the wise ones, who shake their heads ominously andj hint at an eternal smash of sonm kind unless land values cease to upward as they have been doing now for some years past in Taranaki—all these prophecies don’t seem to amount to anything. Nobody, apparently, is afraid, prices still vault upward, the settlers, no doubt, shake hands with themselves and secretly chuckle, and the buyers are not a whit less pleased and look towards the future with smiling faces. Twelve months ago or thereabouts it was thought around Manaia that at £7O an acre the limit had been reached and commonsenso dictated a halt. The man who paid that price was regarded somewhat in the light of a person who placed himself on the edge of a precipice. As long as nothing happened to disturb his equilibrium ho was safe; but at the least physical disturbance over ho went. But for obvious reasons, nothing of this kind could really happen to the purchaser. But seemingly these predictions have not been seriously regarded, and the direction is still upward. From £6O to £7O an acre the advance was fairly swift. At the latter price there was an appearance of timidity and some cautious talk. But the pace was soon resumed, and £BO an acre has been readied. In fact, an offer at this figure was made a few days ago for a. farm near Manaia—and refused. The Waimato Witness says the owner will not sell under £BS an aero, and nothing is more certain than that he will got his price.

A magnificent black bass, weighing 1721 b, was captured by Mr llogor Lucena last week, while fishing outside Tory Channel, in Mr Berg’s launch (states the Picton Press). This is probably a record catch in these waters, the fish being considered the biggest of its kind yet hauled in on a line, and the launch party found the task of landing the monster by no means a light one.

The San Francisco Post gives “First Glimpses of 1915,” including drawings of the architectural wo,nd*s that shall be in connection with the great exposition to be held at San Francisco in commemoration of the opening of the Panama Canal. The Post - claims that more than two years in advance of its opening it is assured of a degree of participation by the nations of the world and the American States that brings it to a point where it overshadows any commemorative and instructive exposition iii the history of the world. ' \

An Invercargill private hotel (says the Southland News) has had posted in each of the bedrooms a notice that, owing to the increased expenses in connection with the business and the ■ labour legislation, an extra charge will be levied for all trays brought to the rooms and for superfluous attention involving the time of the employees. Another notice is that any incivility on the part of employees should bo reported. Lodgers are reminded that no responsibility for the loss of personal effects from rooms is accepted.

Addressing the Clinical Society at Newcastle-on-Tyne, Dr. Stiles, of Edinburgh, confessed that he was brought up on beer, and in the place from which ho came (Spalding) only enough milk was delivered, daily to go round the inhabitants for tea and coffee and milk puddings. He had never drunk a glass of milk until he went to Scotland, and then he realised why there was more tuberculosis in Scotland than anywhere else.

Since the right was given lease-in-perpetuity settlers to purchase the freehold, eighteen properties in South- i land have been disposed of, compris-*

ing 2534 acres, the largest having an area of 1630 acres, and others containing 320, 200," and 172 acres respectively, reports the News. Two meetings of the Land Board have been held since the Act came into operation, so an average of 1267 acres has been sold for cash each month.

The * practice of mixed bathing sometimes produces diverting incidents. Down South, a young man had an experience that he is not likely to forget! Having had his swim and his dive, and all the rest of it, he resumed his clothes, but, coming into the strong light of an electric street lamp, he discovered something odd about his attire. The fit was all right, but the colour had changed. On finding some gold coins in the trousers pockets, he began to pinch himself to see if ho was awake. Hastening back, he found a commotion, and an irascible personage careering round demanding police intervention, as his clothes had. been stolen. It took some little time to explain matters to the satisfaction of the injurecf party. * w