LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 51, 1 March 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Stratford Municipal Brass Band will play in King Edward Park on Sunday afternoon, weather permitting, at 3 o’clock.

On dit that the Minister of Railways has under contemplation the cancellation of a second train daily between Invercargill and Dunedin, and that a similar reduction in the North Island Trunk service is intended.— Dunedin Evening Star.

The Government offices throughout the dominion will be closed on Monday, March 17th, being St. Patrick’s Day. Friday, 21 st, Saturday, 22nd, and Monday, March 24th, will be observed as holidays in the public offices of the Government of New Zealand.

During the hearing of a sly-grog case at r ih Karaka (East Coast) it was stated that in the Matawai district there was what was known as the “black bottle,” which was shied clear of. One man stated that after drinking some of the liquor he was blind for a week.

After being in a normal condition for five months a married woman from the country was taken from Napier to Auckland by steamer, to be returned to the Avondale Mental Hospital. During one of her peculiar moods the unfortunate woman swallowed a small pair of scissors recently, and some trouble was experienced in extracting them.

Some enthusiasts, always in search of a new kind of thirst quencher, have discovered that an imported liquor called “Bummerlunner” arouses strange feelings that are indescribable, ft comes from Denmark, and is said to bo made of aged Holland gin with crushed caraway seeds. One of the guests at Browne’s Chop House who drank a whole bottle and went to bed threw all his clothes out of the window, and his valise, and the pillows and mattresses. Then he rushed out into the street imbued with the idea that he was a cab-horse. His friends ran after him, and only succeeded in calming him down by putting a rope baiter around the victim’s neck and tying him up for the night in a stable near by, where they left him with a bucket of cold water and a sack of oats. There was a little trouble at Tuesday night’s parade of the Foxtou Territorials, and those responsible for it are likely to hear more about it in the near future. It appears that one Territorial (says the Herald) entered the ranks with a cigarette in his month, and upon being ordered to remove it by the officer in charge he commenced to give “cheek.” This continued until the commencement of physical drill, when the officer in charge ordered the Territorial in question to leave the room. Before doing so, however, he is reported to have said to the rest of the company, “Who are my cobbers now?” with the result that three or four others followed his lead. Drill was continued, and at the conclusion the roll was called in order to ascertain the names of those who had caused the trouble. This is the first time that any unpleasantness has occurred at local parades, and it is hoped there will not bo a repetition of such behaviour.

Mr Now ion King is to be congratulated on .having secured the highest honors in the Holstein Friesian cattle in New Zealand, having been successful in carrying off the New Zealand Holstein Friesian Association’s first challenge cup with his three-year-old bull. “King Fayne Segis 2nd” at the late show held in New Plymouth. Among the contestants for the championship were some of the finest bulls in the dominion. Mr W. I. Lovelock, of Palmerston North, had his imported bull “King Segis Wild Pose Homestead,” and Mr A. H. Street, of Pell Block, had the redoubtable “Clifhside Laddie,” so that the victory of Mr Newton King’s “King Fayne Segis 2nd” is no empty one (says the Herald). It is worth noting that this bull was got by “King Fayne Segis” out of “Grace Fayne 2nd Homestead”—a world’s record cow. The T.A.T. challenge cup also goes to Mr King. The neatest little Shopping Bag is the Japanese Dorothy. Is Gd, Is lid, 2s, Charles F James, Broadway, x

A farewell social and dance will bo tendered to Mr A. Henderson, retiring secretary of the Taranaki Provincial Scottish Society, in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Stratford, on Wednesday evening. 'All members and their friends are cordially invited.

The Eltham County Council’s tar sprayer was employed by the Borough Council to tar-spray Bridge street and the Eltham road as far as the borough boundary. The work was done very expeditiously and satisfactorily (seu||L. the correspondent of the Hawera What would have taken weeks to do under the old style was done in about six hours. Some time ago the Wanganui Borough gasworks had a large surplus stock of tar on hand, and the council, to use this up, decided to tar the principal streets. This scheme has proved such an unqualified success that the council will shortly consider tiie question of giving the other streets of the town a coat.

At the Rangiora Borough Council meeting the other evening a councillor entered a protest against the word “gents” being used on the notice board indicating the bathing hours at the municipal bath. He characterised the word as an “abominable vulgarism,” coined probably at some lowclass nigger minstrel entertainment in the dim past. It was suggested that the words “ladies” and “gents” on the board should be altered to “females” and “males.” Anyway, what’s wrong with “men” and “women” ?

Considerable interest was added to the ladies’ competitions at the New Plymouth show (states the Herald) by the presence of Miss Jessie Campbell, of Wanganui, whose record, a most creditable one, is the following: Since her first appearance at shows in 1903 she has scored 174 firsts, 80 seconds, 33 thirds, 3 fourths, “also starting” in 17 other events. Twelve championships, 3 reserve championships and 3 points prizes are to her credit. Miss Campbell has won 34 riding competitions, 33 driving contests, and 43 out of 68 jumping competitions.

Four cases under the Noxious Weeds Act were heard in the Inglewood Magi' strate’s Court on Thursday, before Mr Kenrick, S.M. James Hall and C. Southcombe, of Kent road, and Richard Price, of Egmont Village, were all fined £3 and 9s 6d costs, and Isle Forrester was fined £2, with a similar amount of costs. The impression (according to the inspector, Mr R. E. Fairfax-Cholmley) seems to be a common one that an occupier of a piece of land under a temporary lease of short duration is not liable in respect to the clearing of the land of noxious weeds. The Act distinctly states that the occupier and not the owner is the person responsible. The question was raised in one of Thursday’s cases.

Madame Birbeck, the lady member of the trio of transformists at the Sydney Tivoli, is. claimed to be the only woman in the world who can change her costume completely in one and a half seconds. She does it every night. She appears at first in male costume—the working clothes of a blacksmith, leather apron, cap, and all. In the space of one and a half seconds she removes the blacksmith’s clothes and appears in a long white clinging gown with her hair “done up” in the most fashionable style. Five minutes later Madame Birbeck changes back into the blacksmith’s costume. This second change occupies only a second. It is mainly a matter of taking things off. The Invercargill sessions of the Supreme Court was opened on Tuesday morning, but there being no criminal business, Mr Justice Williams was presented with the customary pair of white kid gloves. The Crown Prosecutor said: “Your Honor, this is the fourth occasion during recent years that no criminal cases have been set down for trial before this Court.” His Honor said: “It is a source of high satisfaction that this district and the whole of Otago should be free from serious crime. lam glad to say that the habitual criminal does not find the climate of Otago and Southland suited to him. What is the exact reason that there should be so little crime here and so much, unfortunately, in other parts of the dominion it is difficult to say.”

Mr T. Hutchison, S.M., gave a judgment at Oamaru on Wednesday of some importance to local bodies. An action was brought by John Gilchrist against the Oamaru Borough Council for damages for injury to a horse, caused by its putting its foot into a hole in Bibble street. It was alleged, and not disputed, that this hole was caused by a partial collapse of a drain put in some 30 or 40 years ago but for the defence it was contended that the drain having been originally well constructed there was no liability. His Worship said that from early times it was established in the common law of England that no action lay against the township or district which was bound to repair a road for an injury sustained in consequence of its non-repair, and added that that condition had been preserved in modern legislation. It therefore followed that the defendant corporation was not liable for injuries caused through its failure to repair its streets but for acts of misfeasance and acts of negligent performance, in consequence of which injury followed, it was equally clear that the corporation was liable. The fact that the drain had for over 30 years stood the test of time and weather without allowing any sign of defect, warranted the inference that the drain was properly built and answered its purpose. It seemed to him that under the principle previously mentioned the case must conclude against the plaintiff. Judgment was given for the defendant corporation. Mr Loo asked to have the costs of appeal fixed, and his Worship fixed them at i'lo. •%- :■ ""s'* is.

A theatrical benefit in Melbourne yesterday in aid of tho Scott fund realised £535. Stratford’s vital statistics for Feb-j ruary:—Births twenty-two, deaths' one, and marriages two. 1 It has been decided to hold another! Ijopiihfr Catholic social on Thursday, ■^^later. HP»ring the month of February the ! estates of 177 persons were I assessed for duty, the highest! being mat of Julia Lewis (Auck-! land), £39,517. The New Plymouth estates were:—Thomas R. Hodder £1659, Win. G. Clemoes £1199, Sarah Jackson £O6l. At a meeting of New Plymouth ratepayers last night, much interest was centred on the proposed loan of £55,000 to instal a system of over-head electric tramways, and at its conclusion the meeting declared itself overwhelmingly in favour of the proposition. The meeting also carried a motion approving of the proposals of the Borough Council to borrow forty-two thousand for waterworks extension j and street improvements.

The mail train made a hasty departure from the station this morning with the result that two youths had to make a sprint for the departing train. One tripped and fell heavily on the concrete platform, but managed to pick himself up in time to grab the hand-rail on the guard’s van. He left behind him a hat and two coppers, and many smiles on the faces of interested spectators.

i Anyone interested in artistic furniiture will find it worth their while to I visit the establishment of Mr Walter I Sparwarth, Broadway South. Mr SparI wath is a skilled workman, and an exI pert at his trade, and the samples of I his workmanship on view in his s'how-( [ room are well worth seeing. Among I these a specially designed drop-side I. cot, in rimu, attracts attention for f the neatness of design combined with ■ its obvious strength of structure. The Sutherland dining table, whose principal feature is that when not in use it can be closed up into.a small space, i is latest in furniture novelties. ; Book cases to any design, picture fram- : ing, and all classes of cabinet-making ; are manufactured by Mr Spar wath j | on the premises, and, while the qual-i s ity is high, and the workmanship! ! the prices are reasonable.

I At the New Plymouth Showgrounds ■ r yesterday, Mr Newton King conduct- ■ ed a sale of pedigree cattle, mostly ■ Jerseys, on account of Messrs C. ■ Goulter (Blenheim), C. Clarke (Auck--9' land), A. Buchanan (Palmerston Hj North), A. B. Munro (Westown), and B Tichbon Bros. (Stratford). The near- ■ est approaching a sensational price H was the figure paid for Leaflet, Mr ■S' Clarke’s magnificent six-year-old cow, ■ which was secured by Mr R. J. Linn ■ at 170 guineas. Mr Coulter’s twenty I I odd cows averaged slightly under 00 ■ guineas, and the bulls considerably ■ less. Mr Munro’s prices were much B the same, but Mr C, Clarke’s Jerseys R reached good figures, the dozen cows ■ and heifers averaging nearly seventy |, guineas. Mr Buchanan’s stock were j disposed of at prices ranging from | fourteen to fifty guineas. Mesrss Tichbon Bros, sold the two Holstein 7- ; months-old bulls at ,75 guineas each, ‘ the youngsters will go to Mr S Dew's herd at Feilding. * I The Stratford Horticultural So- ! ciety is now in its tenth year, having survived the vicissitudes incidental to . such institutions, and having now entered upon a period of comparative prosperity. It may be mentioned f that at one time the Society was in | such low water that it was obliged to [ depend to a large extent upon nurserymen for exhibits at the Show. Of late years, however, the public has been showing increased enthusiasm, l : and for the Show next Thursday and Friday, it is satisfactory to have to record that the public have responded I I so well that the Society has been forced to refuse applications for space | from nurserymen. Entries close on L Tuesday next, and judging from the f number already to hand and the many f schedules that have been applied for f there is every promise of a big and successful exhibition. The Minister for Public Works and Minister for Eailways will in the course of a few days receive the following letter from the Secretary of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce QJtfc J. B. Richards): —“We are informed by the Resident Engineer that the Public Works Department will almost immediately refuse to carry goods on the railway and tram beyond Pohokura for a period of about three weeks, owing to the necessity of sending the engine used between Pohokura and Hangar© away for repairs, and the inability to secure an engine to temporarily replace it. Tho settlers “out-back” make a practice at this time of the year of getting in their winter supplies, and the result of the above proposed action will be to seriously inconvenience them. The road over the Whangamomona Saddle may be rendered impassable by the extra traffic thrown on it. Wo strongly urge thsihfn engine be put on before the present one is sent away, and that the service should not be dislocated as proposed.”