LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 45, 21 February 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Referring to the fact that about a dozen slaughtermen left Waitara, and that their actual destiny was somewhat of a mystery, the Eltham Arguf says: “Eight reached this district and accepted employment at Julian’s camp, where they are engaged in roadmaking. Their wages as road-mak-ers will be considerably less tiiau a« butchers.” A remarkable accident occurred recently at South Melbourne. A little girl named Eily Bannister was playing in the front garden, when a dust storm came up. The wind tore from the roof of the house a slate, which fell as the child was lifting her hand to her face, cutting one of her thumbs clean off. The little one was found unconscious in the garden with the severed thumb close by. The last mail from Homo brings particulars of an organisation which has been started in Scotland for the purpose of carrying on propaganda work in favor of National Self-Government for Scotland. It is called “The Scottish Home Rule Council,” and consists of representatives elected from the Scottish Liberal Unofficial Members of Parliament, the Scottish Liberal Association, the Scottish Women’s Liberal Federation,, and the Young Scots’ Society. The council has secured a list of a largo number of ladies and gentlemen prepared to address meetings throughout Scotland. Special literature will also bo prepared by the council, and all those favorable to the object of National Self-, Government are being appealed to her financial and other assistance. The neatest little Shopping Bag is the Japanese Dorothy, Is 6d, Is 9(1, 2s. Charles E. James, Broadway, x

The Stratford Municipal Band will render selections in King Edward Park on Sunday next, at 2.30 p.m., weather permitting.

“Hero, Willie,” cried the boy’s father, “everybody will be calling you a little glutton. ])o you know what that isf” “1 suppose,'” replied Willie, “it’s a big glutton’s little boy!”

A meeting of the Toko branch of the Fanners’ Union will be held in

the Coronation Hall on .Monday evening at S o’clock, when entries will close fo the root-growing conyjotitions. ' A man who has lately joined the board at the Waitara freezing works is said to have had a pot of beer thrown over him on Monday evening as an indication of contempt for him. it is stated (says the Mail) that Court proceedings will follow.

The largest battleship under construction is the Japanese ship Fuso. When completed she will have a displacement of 32,000 tons, and be able to fire a broadside of over 20,0001 b—nearly, three times as much as that fired by the Dreadnought.

In the road race, Stratford to Eltham and back, - run yesterday afternoon some good performances were put up. The winner was C. Corkill (4miu), and the second and third places were taken by E. Mills (3min) and Townley (2min). The fastest time was put up by S. Parker, who covered the distance in forty minutes.

Just recently out from To Kuiti, in the Pio Pio direction, 4,000 acres of bush in one block, belonging to Messrs Chambers Bros., which had previously been felled, was fired by the owners, and went up in one great blaze. This land will shortly be in grass and heavily stocked. It is indeed gratifying to the owners (writes a correspondent to the Auckland Star), 1 that they were successful in obtaining a very good burn, as the felling of the bush alone cost £6OOO.

“Is there any truth in thej statement that you intend to go in for a co-op. bacon factory and a fish market? was a question put to the chairman of the Kaupokonui Dairy Co. at the meeting of shareholders last week. “No,” said the chairman, who (says the Witness) was strongly inclined to the view that the questioner was disposed to be facetious, “but I would bo in favour of expending money in putting up a building for people who arc a bit touched in the top storey,” a remark that was greeted with much laughter.

Delivering judgment in a breach of promise case, the President of a Paris Court expressed the view that marriage no longer responded to the conception of former times, when it was based on mutual love. Tonday it was simply a financial contract. The real reason of marriage, he said, was money. The man was on the “look out ”for the dowry, and the woman “bought” a protector and a trustee for the management of her property. It was regrettable that young couples did not draw up a contract at the moment of their engagement—with a penalty clause in the event of it being broken off.

One of the most interesting subjects discussed at the recent Master Bakers’ Association’s Conference in Dunedin was the coming to New Zealand of the automatic bakery. Some of the delegates, freely stated that the advent of automatic bakeries would make awery serious alteration in the condition of the trade. Mr W. A. Kellow, a 'Wellington delegate, gave the conference full particulars of the plant and the working of an automatic bakery, and was specially thanked for the information. As the outcome of the discussion it will not be surprising, to see automatic bakeries established shortly in each of the other centres in New Zealand.

Without going out of our way to decry Waitara as a picnic resort, it may safely be said, judging from the opinions expressed by several Eltham excursionists while the return train was standing at the station last evening,' that the river port is not altogether suited for the purpose for which it has been so well boomed for the past week or two. The beach, so the pic nickers say, is too far away from the station, and the transfer to drag or launch, as the case may be, is attended by too much risk and exertion for the average holiday maker. It is not to ho compared, say, to East End Beach at New Plymouth. At the same time, in justice, it should be mentioned that the efforts of the Waitara citizens, headed by the Mayor, to entertain the visitors, were unanimously voted “0.K.” “The ‘dry’ shareholder seems to bo the bug-bear,” remarked the chairman at the meeting of the Kaupokonui Dairy Co. shareholders last Friday', and by way of refuting what had been said in the press and elsewhere he proceeded to show what the “dry” shareholder had done for the company. Another shareholder also referred to the question of “dry” versus “wet” shareholder, and proceeded to definobis own position. “I was milking last year,” he said; “I am dry now, and may he milking again next year.” The ambiguity of the remark, unfortunately for the speaker (says the Witness), left the door open to the big meeting to seize upon it as a jok > too good to he missed, and the perfect roars of laughter which greeted it showed the speaker only too plainly that he might have exercised a little more care in expressing himself. No cold will stay if driven away by Tonking’s Linseed Emulsion. Is 6d, 2- sd. 4s 6d. X

“Sorry, Bill, I can’t come to the theatre to-night! Now, don’t look so cross; yer ain’t cross, really, are yer, Bill?” “No, I ain’t exactly cross, Liz, but, still, it is a bit aggravating for a Chap to find he’s washed his hands and face for nothing, ain’t it?”

It is estimated that £13,000,000 r= invested in cinematography in the United Kingdom (according to a Lon* don cablegram to-day), and that there are 28,000,000 vsitors to the shews weekly.

A restaurant run by the city has for fifty existed in Grenoble, France. Meal*} are supplied at cost, and the food is excellent. For lid a customer can fill himself with bread and soup, and for txl he is furnished with a four-course dinner.

A foretaste of the quality of the exhibits that will be seen at the Stratford Horticultural Society’s annual show on March 6th and 7th, is given by a display of sweet-peas grown by local enthusiasts and exhibited in the window of Messrs Bellringer' Bros.’ establishment. The blooms make a very fine showing indeed, and the window is the main attarction in Broadway just at present.

According to a private letter received in Feilding recently from Durban, I. the Britisher is not having all the best of it in the new South African Republic. The writer states that with the amalgamation of the railways, large numbers of the British employees were dismissed and their places filled with cheap (mostly raw Dutch) labour. The coloured man, the Indian, and the half-educated 1 native are going to be a serious competitor in the near future. The cost of living is increasing to an alarming degree, whilst house rents have increased by 30 per cent in the last three years.

A prisoner who was placed in the

dock at the Auckland Supremo Court, ' charged with indecent assault, complained to his Honor Mr Justice Edwards that he had received no reply

to his application of the previous day

for counsel to defend him. The Judge replied that the case had been

pending several weeks, and if the prisoner wanted counsel he should 4 have made arrangements previously, instead of taking steps only the. day before the trial.' The State only provided counsel for a prisoner when there was a good chance of him | establishing his good chance of him establishing his innocence. The services of counsel could not be allowed in the present case. The prisoner thereupon conducted his own case( says the Star).

Young New Zealanders who do not fulfil their responsibilities under the Defence Act are expected to have sufficient moral fibre to appear in person to meet the penalty for such failure, instead of shuffling the burden to the shoulders of parents or guardians. The other morning at Auckland (reports the Star), the parent of a lad who had failed to attend for medical inspection under the Act, appeared at the Police Court as deputy for the youth, and stated that he had declined to allow his boy to have anything to do with the Defence Act or its operations. “I can’t hear you in the matter,” intimated the Magistrate, and the case proceeded in the absence of the youthful defendant, to the climax of a 20s fine.

In his book “Africa of To-day” Joseph King Goodrich tells of the shipment of a number of mummies from the banks of the Nile to various museums. “They were put on board a lighter in the river,” he says, “and arranged side by side. As the boat was moving away from the bank many of the mummies Seemed to come back to life. Certainly they moved, and the heads seemed to rise as if their bodies were turning so that their eyes might take a last look at the place where these old kings and queens had lain in peace for over 2000. The effect upon the boatmen was almost panicky, and even the unsuperstitious foreigner felt as if something uncanny were occurring. The explanation is absurdly simple. , The heat of the sun had caused the expansion of certain parts, but it was neVer a satisfactory explanation to those Nile boatmen, who were for a long time loath to handle mummies as cargo.”

France is waging war oq the billboard or advertising hoarding. The vast number of enormous billboards along railroads and automobile routes lias stimulated the Government to drastic action. Every advertisement board a metre square (a metre is 39 in) will have to pay a tax of £2. On a sign five metres long and two high the tax will be £2O a year, and on some existing signs the tax will come as high as £240 or even £3OO. It is readily seen that such a tax will prove prohibitory, as is its design. The billboard nuisance, great as it is in America, is even worse in Europe, and Switzerland, Austria-Hungary, Denmark and Holland are modelling legislation after the French law on the subject. The medley of small poster advertisements seen at their worst in the railroad stations of many European countries is almost as offensive as the mammoth billboard in the country districts. Characteristic, pleasing, and faithful portraits, the result of years of experience, >•> the best appliances, and i the finest materials are produced at the McAllister Studio. At this studio enlargement-making is a special feature, and the universal satisfaction resulting from the hundreds already made is an indication that your order will be carefully and skilfully done. The prices are as low as it is possible to make them indeed for this particular class of work fch© prices are the lowest in the Dominion. Patronise tha local Studio. "

At a recent sale of an exhibition

lot, Fiji tortoise-shell fetched £ls per pound, states a London cablegram.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. has received advice from London that the final order sanctioning the company’s scheme of rearrangement of their capital account will be granted.—P.A. wire from Wellington.

Councillors R. Dingle, J. D. Healy, N. J. King, and J. McAllister are freely mentioned as non-starters for the next Borough Council election. With Councillor Ward’s place to till, this will mean five seats to be contested*

The cancellation of invitations to a marriage feast, arranged to have shortly taken place in this district, has occasioned surprise to friends interested, who have been informed that the ceremony will not now take place. At least one of the parties to the proposed contract has determined not tc, “repent at leisure,”

Removing railway tarpaulins to cover hay-stacks even though the removal is temporary and the needs of the farmer urgent, is a serious offence, and farmers would do well to note a case which was heard at the Stratford Court this morning. A Toko farmer was fined 40s and costs for an offence of this nature, though the maximum penalty provided for by the section of the Act under which the charge wa laid is £SO.

His Worship the Mayor (Mr \\. P Kirkwood) informed a reporter thi morning that he would again contes the Mayoralty against all-comers. M Kirkwood mentioned that one of hit reasons for not accepting the Presi dency of the Stratford A. and P. As sociation, was that he might be abb to offer the ratepayers his services unhampered by the very great amoun of work which falls to the lot of th< A. and P.’s chief official.

Barely half-an-hour was occupied in disposing of the week’s busines; at the Stratford Magistrate’s Cour this morning. Judgment by defaul was entered, in two cases: New Zea land Loan and Mercantile Agency Co v. J. J. Fitzgerald, claim £3O 7s 4c and costs £1 6d; Court and .Cottier (Mr Thomson) v. W. H. Sadlier claim £l6 8s and costs £2 5s 6d, Mi W. H. H. Young wap duly licensee as a land agent. There were no by law cases, but a farmer from “on east,” Mr R. S. Death, who borrow .ed two tarpaulins from the Railway Department, was fined 40s and 7 costs. Mr. Robert Spence appeared fc.r the accused. No suggestion oi theft was entertained.

The Taranaki Land Board, at its meeting yesterday, approved of the offering of a'large amount of Crowr lands, aggregating about 50,000 acres which it is expected to on the market next month. The Heralc says it is proposed that a portion oi the land shall be ballotted for, am one ballot will be held at Whangamo mona. The blocks which comprise th. land are sitiiated all over the district and are known as the Whakaihuwakr South and North, Taumatamahoe Aratawa, Mapara, part of Haupeehi Blocks 6 and 10, Aria, Tapuwahine and other miscellaneous sections. 1 is also intended to offer the remaining sections in the Spotswood Settlemen 1 in the beginning of April, and it is anticipated there will be considerable inquiry for these lands owing to theii proximity to Moturoa.

“I very much doubt whether the lav would allow horse-flesh to be export ed,” said one gentleman who has f prominent place in the Auckland meat trade, when shown the telegram, stat ing that a Hawera stock buyer hac received an order from the Continen' for frozen horse-meat (says the Star but in any case it doesn’t matter, fo horse-flesh is worth more than mut ton or beef in this country. If the exporters wanted to take the place of the knacker’s yard they would only be able to kill old and broken-dowi horses, and it is quite certain tha l the Government officers would not al low the flesh of such animals to bi sent away for human consumption. There is enough inferior meat being exported already, without the addition of horse-flesh. At one time nothing but prime quality was allowed to be exported in quarters; all the inferior meat was boned and put up in boxe c —the flesh of old bulls and cows, and all sorts of meat that worn.! not b' fit for display in a butcher’s window. I, believe it is mostly consumed in Scotland and the North of England, where they cut it up into collops and mincemeat. Now the Government is allowing such meat to go away in quarters, and I shouldn’t wonder if they allowed horse to go away in course of time.”