LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 42, 18 February 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The general committee of the Stratford A. and P. Association are meeting on Saturday next to elect their executive committee.

The Stratford Post Office will come in for discussion by the members of I the Chamber of Commerce this even-

The Stratford Fire Brigade’s team leave by train to-day for Wanganui, where they will compete in the Fire Brigades’ championships.

The Wairarapa Daily Times states that the Masterton Co-operative Dairy Company has decided to cease exporting butter at the end of February in order to provide for local consump tion during the winter.

Calves will be vaccinated at Messrs Webster, Dobson and Co.’s saleyard? on Friday next, and the /attention ot farmers is drawn to the “caution” in the advertisement inserted by Mr B. Beere, Inspector of Stock for the Stratford district.

Consumers, of electricity will be glad to learn that a metallic filament lamp is said to have been perfected in the Old Country, which consumes about a third less electricity than the present lamps for the same candle-power. It is said also to be both cheaper and stronger.

A curious feature in connection with the dairy industry in the North Wairarapa this season (says the Wairarapa Daily Times) is the lowness of the tests. Factory managers and farmer* are unable to account for this state ol affairs.

On the Ist of March the Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Act, 1912, comes into operation, and the principal amendments affecting the public are: Still-births must be registered and notified, the undertaker becomes solely responsible for the registration of a death, and registration must be effected within three days after the death if in a borough, or seven days in any other case; burial not to be permitted until there has been obtained a certificate of cause of death, or a coroner’s order to bury, or a registrar’s certificate of registration of death ; certificate cf cause of death is to be given by medical practitioner forthwith, and to state to ‘the best of his knowledge the duration of illness, etc. Another clause of the Act is to the effect that certificates of date of birth may be obtained on payment of a fee of a shilling.

Lady Freake, the Mayoress of Dartmouth, related a remarkable experience she had had with a burglar Son). Awakened from her sleep in the early hours of the morning, and linding a man in her bedroom, she sternly demanded from him the reason for his intrusion. It was a burglar, who had invaded the privacy of her bedroom, but “such a nice one,' - ’ as he was afterwards described by one of the household. At all events, ho was exceedingly polite. When "peremptorily called upon to explain his presence, the early morning caller begged Lady Freake’s pardon, said something about the mistake he had made, and then proceeded to relieve his pockets of the family jewels, with which he had filled them. Three times did he dip his hands into his pockets and haul forth the proceeds of his goodly harvest. Then ho made a polite bow to Lady Freake, bade her good morning, and vanished. A past Government in its wisdom (says the Hawke’s Bay Tribune) decided that no wayside restaurant on the railway lines of the Dominion should be licensed to sell alcoholic liquors. From that time the wayfarer entered the ginger-pop and teapot era. Whether the change has done any good or not is a matter of opinion, but one thing is plain enough to the travelling public, and that is that they need protection from the rapacity of the purveyor of such goods and liquids as the Government decide shall be sold. For instance, if Government desires the man travelling on the train to keep sober it might just as well see that he is not charged fid for a bottle of lemonade and fid for a quarter-round sandwich. In the old days a traveller could get a whisky and soda for sixpence and a half-round sandwich and tea for the same price. A traveller to Wellington recently paid sixpence for two bananas at a railway restaurant. If Government controls those institu-l tions a little regulation would not go amiss. The people who use our trains are not all wealthy visitors from abroad, i

On March 18th the Wesleyan Church is holding a gift sale in the Old M asonic Hall, in connection with the Harvest Festival. The young men of the Church have already held two meetings, and are now starting in earnest to make the affair a success.

A remarkable cruelty case was heard at Port Awanui the other day. A native owning two cows, tied their heads and tails together. The cows became entangled in manuka, and one cow tore half the tail from the other. The animals showed other signs of ill-treatment. Defendant and £lO costs.

A serious accident happened to a farmer at Rangiwahia, in a very unexpected manner a few days ago. He was milking a cow, and the animal happened to get her head loose, and swinging round suddenly, fell on him, breaking one of his legs in two places below the knee. The unfortunate man was taken to the Wanganui Hospital.

According to a message from Oklahoma, to the Sydney Sun, a kick on the head by a mule was worth £760 to a farmer named John Allen. Immediately after the accident Allen was operated on for fracture of the skull, and when he came to he remembered where he had buried that sum of money during the financial panic of 1907. He put the cash underground then, and had since been unable to locate it.

With a view to refuting the charge promulgated from time to time that Lincoln College was the resort of the sons of the aristocracy, if such a terra could be used in New Zealand, the director of the college laid before the board on Tuesday a list of the students and their parentage. The report (the Lyttelton Times states) showed that the students were drawn from various useful classes in the community, and the board unanimously agreed that it was a sufficient reply to thp charge that the institution was a class one.

A largely attended meeting of the ladies of the Presbyterian Church was held yesterday afternoon to make final arrangements for the garden fete at the Manse next Thursday. The fete will commence at ■* 30 p.m. and will be opened by Mr Hine, member for the district. ' Amongst other attractions will be selections by the local orchestra, while a gramophone will also be in evidence. A concert will take place in the evening on the grounds, which will be illuminated for the occasion. Among the performers will be Misses Nolan, Mackey, Hopkins, and Evans, and Messrs Fulton, Walters, Douglas and others.

A private letter from Mr William Monkhouse, who is now resident in Worcestershire, England, received by a Stratford friend this morning, states he is in good health and strength and finds plenty of occupation. Mrs Monkhouse also keeps well. The land lie occupies is within ten minutes’ walk of the railway, will grow anything and grow it well (last year it gave fourteen tons of potatoes to the acre), and cost £SO per acre. Mr Monkhouse contrasts this with prices of land in New Zealand. His eldest son, Mr Allap Monkhouse. who took up the profession of engineering, and who has 'been superintending a Contract for his firm in Russia, was about to proceed to Japan on similar business when his father wrote. Touching incidentally. on politics—always a subject of keenest interest to Mr Monkhouse —he says that, in his opinion, there is more political ability among the leaders of the independent labour party than among those of either of the great historical parties.