The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 1913. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 65, 25 March 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 1913. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Whangamomona County Council takes place at Whangamomona tomorrow.

Mothers and women folk generally in Brest, France, have declared war against the local municipal council. The trouble has occurred over the action of the council, nearly all the members of which are Socialists, in extending the tax of 3d per wheel on carts to perambulators. All the women of Brest have joind in an absolute refusal to pay the tax.

The American papers are already giving details of how President Wilson fills in a day at White House. Here is the new President’s daily timo-tahle, as one paper publishes it: —7 a.m., rises and, Shaves; 7.15, haH., 7.15, breakfast; 8.15, reads the pallet's; 9, at Executive offices for business; 1.30, luncheon; 7, dinner; 10,30, to bed.

At tlio Government Experimental Farm at Weraroa, near Levin, the other day, Colonel Loveday (says the Post) entertained some visiting fanners with a display of the use of explosives in fanning. He used eruptibo —an explosive of New Zealand manufacture of high power. The demonstration took the form of blowing out holes for fruit trees to be planted in, and also for going deeper in order to better effect drainage and sub-soiling. The experiments were eminently successful, and appealed strongly 10 Shannon farmers, whose land is of a nature requiring the treatment which it is understood the use of explosives accomplishes. It was explaincd that by the use of an explosive charge costing 2d, the ground was sufficiently loosened and hollowed ratio permit of the planting of fruit trees, and that the ground was at the same time impregnated with potash.

The chief organ of the Catholics in South Germany, the “Bayerischer 1 Knrier,” warns the Kaiser that the! Government are putting annually fresh manure to the soil from which spring socialism, anarchy, anti revolution. I he Empire, declares the paper, is dashing down the broad road to destruction, i

The Sydney Daily Telegraph records; the death by singular means of thej champion Jersey bull, Combination Jack, and says: The Kameruka Estate has sustained a big loss by thei death of the imported Jersey bull Combination Jack, holder of the champion prize at the Royal Show. This animal died from inflammation caused by (swallowing a piece of hoop-iron and a lead washer.

Mr R. McCallum, M.P. for Wairau, speaking at a social function at Christchurch recently, said ho felt that next session would be conducted from a party standpoint on different .lines from those of last session. Sir Joseph Ward would undoubtedly be offered the leadership of the Liberal Party, and under Sir Joseph’s guidance he expected to see the party consolidated and to see it accomplish the work of an Opposition, that of criticism in a manner worthy of it. He looked to the future hopefully.

Says Melbourne Table Talk. —Dr. Gilruth, the “strong-man of the North,” is coming down to town to discuss with the political heads the future of the Northern Territory. Taking a world-wide survey, it would be difficult to find a country with so much “future” or a future so much discussed. Dr, Gilruth is a practical man, but so enormous are the difficulties of his task that some of his correspondence lias revealed an anxiety of mind which needs allaying. After all, bo is as yet but a voice crying-in the wilderness, and bis capacity may not be judged fairly for live or ux years to come.

A houseful of furniture for 14s 6d! At Broken Hill last week, George Boss, it was alleged, owed £2 10s for rent in arrears, and would not pay. so the landlord put in a bailiff, and a sale of furniture was arranged. The Barrier Labour Federation, however, took the matter up, and by advertisement requested unionists to attend the sale to see that Ross would not lose his goods. Over fifty attended the sale, and only one man bid. He bid ridiculous pinces, and the whole of the contents of the four-roomed house were knocked down to him for 14 s 6d. It is the intention, of course, to give the. goods back to Ross. The arrears in rent is disputed, and is merely a matter arising originally out of a mistunderstanding. | , .) i •

’That the looker-on sees most of the game is generally admitted, but, it appears as if “The Colonist,” of kelson, came away at half-time, and reported the rest of the match as fancy suggested. In its issue of March 20th it says: “Taranaki intends making a great display of the district’s products' at the Auckland Exhibition. While other parts of the country are deliberating the' Taranaki people have all arrancgmeilts well in hand.” And it is hilt yesterday that the Stratford County Council, when asked, not for money (that will come later), but for mere moral support cf the proposal, resolved that the matter he held over, for a month, as the Council was not at present convinced that the ratepayers, who were the chief primary producers, were likely to he benefited much thereby. And the Stratford County Council was the first public body in Taranaki to he approached, and the one from whom a lead was expected!

The Napier Telegraph reports a narrow escape from a serious accident which took place at the Territorial camp at Oringi last week. A homhadicr h.ad just mounted his horse and was finding the right stirrup when the animal reared. Slipping on the greasy ground, the beast fell and partially buried its rider. When the horse rose and started off, the bombardier could not free his left foot from the stirrup iron, and the result was that the unfortunate lad was dragged over rough and broken ground strewn with boulders for a number of yards and also received a trampling from the horse. Fortunately the animal was stopped before it had gone very fa!, otherwise it is certain something more serious would have to have been iecorded. As it was, those who witnessed the accident wondered how the batteryman even escaped death. The bombadier had no bones broken, but is suffering from severe bruising, i lacerated arm, and shock.

It is little wonder that legislation of a puritanical order has been called for, when staid, sleeping Philadelphia breaks out after the fashion detailed in the subjoined telegram, dated February sth :—The ancient wheeze about “Sleepy Philadelphia” blew up for ever to-day when it was learned that the exclusive society bal masque at Horticultural Hall was still in full blast, and expected to last until afternoon. The costuming puts all previous masquerades in the class of Sunday school picnics. Many of the deputantes and matrons attending the ball were dressed in costumes consisting in the main of tunics falling just below the hips and pantaloons or—or—or—-yes, tights —just plain silk tights and boots. The guests numbered some ol the most prominent society folk in the East. At midnight, when Lent arrived, the clock was stopped, and the word passed that there would be nothing to go home for until noon. Toward morning the revelry is said to have passed all previous, records and limits. The schedule of meals included dinner, supper, breakfast, and lunch. Those women who appeared in mere dresses were looked on with scorn. “We know why she didn’t want to wear tights,” was the remark frequently heard to fall from the lips of those so fortunately constructed as to be able to sport the “hose and buskin” without a care.

The attendance at the Sydney Show yesterday was 74,000. Another six or seven days and the Public Vi oi ks engine will run right into the W hangamomona township. What an event for Whanga! The meeting of the Stratford Poultry Society, to have been held tonight, has been postponed till .Thursday evening. Tt is expected that the Gymkhana will swell the funds of the A. and P. Association to the extent of some £K)'O.

in connection with’ the Queensborongh cemetery scandals, a recent Hobart message to the Australian papers states that the conviction against the man who was fined £lO for removing a body from a grave was quashed on the ground that there was no evidence to show that the coffin removed contained a body.

Ihe Stanley Road School picnic will he Held on Thursday. Mr J. B. Hine, M.P., has signified his intention of being present, and Messrs Wm. Rogers and R. Masters (members of the Education Board) will also be presold. A long programme has been arranged, and included in the competitions is the mirth provoker of catch-ing-tlie-groasy-pig. Admission to the grounds is free.

The quaint Polish custom of “ringing tlic plate” was revived'in Ngaere last night when the friends of a newly married couple were celebrating the happy event. All the young men who danced with the bride had to throw a silver coin into a plate held in the lap of one of the old dames. If they succeeded in breaking the plate, the more luck was supposed to fall to the lot ol the bride. It is a tribute to their . energies that the supply of plates nearly fell short, and a tribute to the popularity of the bride that the sum of £25 17« was the financial outcome.

There died at Ben Bullen, near Capertee (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph) on March 12, an old pioneer, in the person of Mr George Hamilton, at the age of 110 years and 7 months. He claimed to he a son of Colonel Hamilton. He was bom on the Silver Queen, in Sydney Harbour, on August 21, 1802. He was married when quite a young man to a Miss Annie West. There was one child as the result of the union, Tut both mother and child died within three years. Deceased rememberecl Captain William Cox going to make the first road dyer the Blue Mountains.!

This .year we have St. Patrick’s , , Day, our Anniversary Day-, o.gr autum-,' >• nal equinox, and .Easter »1J .cppiip j within a week or so. With the equinoxes are asosciatod equinoxial gales, hut, says the Encyclopaedia Britanniea, “that popular idea has no foundation in fact, for continued observations have failed to show any unusual prevalence of gales at this season. In one case, observations taken for 50 years show that during the five days from the 21st to the, 25th of March, and September there wore fewer gales and storms than during the preceding ,and succeeding five days.” This, of course, refers to .the Northern Hemisphere. What about the Southern?

Writing in the London Evening News’on March Bth, Herr Bernstein, a member of Parliament* says: ‘‘Not even the most fiery pan-German desires another foot of French soil, but nobody can tell what may happen if France continues to choose to make herself the willing servant of others, and continues to do their dirty work.” Herr Bernstein’s statement has provoked considerable discussion in England, says an exchange. In the opinion of most people who have read it, the quotation given amounts in plain English to this: France is to bo given the choice of keeping quiet or of being destroyed, while Germany gains control of the sea.