LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 69, 29 March 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Masterton Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution yesterday in favour of a national poll on the question of a universal half-holiday .

• The Mackenzie County Council (South Island) have just received advice from Mr Andrew Carnegie that its application for £IOOO towards the erection of a public library in Fairlie has been granted.

On Tuesday next the Stratford Retailers’ Association will hold their annual meeting, when the important business of the consideration of the halfholiday question will occupy the attention of the Association.

Yesterday’s storm was a particularly fierce one, and it culminated in a violent gale and hailstorm towards midnight. No great damage is reported. A tent dweller had to decamp owing to the “fly” being torn to pieces. The windows of the Fire Brigade Station, which is particularly exposed, suffered to some extent.

Mr Edmonds, motor engineer for Messrs A. Hatrick and Co., arrived in Stratford yesterday with a fine new 32 h.p. Hupraobile car for the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., Stratford Agency. The car is the latest model of this make and should prove very useful to the stock and land departments of the company!

In 1911 a pack of .cards was taken from the Totara Valley School oir the occasion of a school dance (says the Tiraaru Herald)'. The cards were missed at the time and then forgotten. The incident was revived last week,when the chairman of the School Committee received by post a new- pack of cards, with the following note attached: “In place of those taken away from the school dance, 1911.”

The annual meeting of the Taranaki Rugby Union was held in Stratford last night, and the proceedings concluded before ten o’clock. Delegates in a reminiscent frame of mind recalled the time when such meetings lasted well over midnight. Possibly there is less business to do ndw-a-days, but more probably the fact is explained by the very capable manner in which the chairman (Mr F; T. Bellringer) controlled the proceedings.

The March issue of “Everybody’s Journal” is to hand. It contains a new, series of etiquette articles in fiction form; a new set of articles for young mothers, which will deal with the care of the child from birth to school age; a Nature-story, by Charles Barrett ; an instructive article on the women of Russia, by M. E. Wilkinson ; and a further instalment of a serial by Mrs Humphrey Ward. The “Journal” is full value for sixpence.

At a well-attended meeting of Eltham business men on Thursday night (says the Argus), the following resolution was carried unanimously:—“That this representative meeting of Eltham business men is firmly of opinion that the proposal to hold the weekly halfholiday on Saturdays would be detrimental to the general interest and prosperity of the town, especially in view of the fact that adjoining towns, such as Stratford and Hawera, might be open on that day, also that towns such as Kaponga might not even take a poll on the question. Closing on Saturdays would also seriously inconvenience the farming community, upon whose support the town so largely depends.”

The local branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants held a very succesful gathering in the Foresters’ Hall last evening. The occasion was the visit to the branch oi the society’s president (Mr W. T. Wilson) and secretary (Mr M. F. Mack). Both officers spoke at length on the work of the society, their remarks being peculiarly interesting and instructive to members. About fifty members were present, including representatives from Inglewood, Eltham, and Huiroa, and the chairman was Mr H. Campbell, secretary of tbe local branch. During the evening songs were given by several members of tbe company, viz., Messrs Huse (Midhirst), Harvey (Eltham), and W. S. Simpson (Eltham), while J. Croft kindly played the accompaniments. Recitations were given by Messrs J. Thomson and S. Thorne (Stratford). The arrangements were creditably carried out, edibles being supplied in toothsome variety, with tea and liquid refreshments. The secretary (Mr S. Nolan) and his committee were specially congratulated by the visitors on the excellence of the arrangements, and also were the members in the mutter of the number present and the cordiality of their greetings.

As the result of the Wellington Citizens’ Carnival held at Easter, over £2200 will be available for beautifying and improving the City reserves, states a Press Association wire. Telephonic communication has been cut ’-'off with some of the local residence as a result of the gale last night. \ The Napier police have received information that George Burgess, a bullock driver, committed suicide at Wanstead yesterday by hanging himself in the Wallingford bush.—P.A. In connection with the theft recently reported from Mr Bublitz’s house at llotokare, a half-caste named William Duncan, alias William Erawata, was arrested at Waitara on Wednesday, on a charge of stealing a gold ring, valued at £2O. Accused was remanded until April 2. Further charges will be made of the forgery and uttering of cheques at Eltham.

A woman at St. Louis with nine sons is (says the New York correspondent of the Daily Mail) marrying them of to her servants as the boys attain manhood and a position and the servants proficiency in housekeeping and cooking. This match-maker in the home, who is Mrs Tichacek, wife of a wealthy marble merchant, declares, “If" a girl is good enough to work in the household for five years she is good enough to marry one of my sons.” Each servant she employs serves this probation, and when one of Them shows she has wifely qualifications up to her mistress’s standard Mrs Tichacek recommends her to the available son of 1 marriageable age next in line. Three of the sons have thus made successful matches. Three others are bachelors waiting for their mother to provide paragon servants as their mates, and the remaining three are minors. The father’s benignant comment is, “Their mother finds their wives, and I put them in business and everyone is happy.”

The publication of a letter from a Territorial at the Yaldhurst camp has occasioned widespread comment and indignation (says the Greymouth correspondent of the Otago Daily Times). The correspondent says, inter alia: — “The papers right throughout New Zealand are heralding the glorious feat accomplished by our West Coasters in marching through, yet very little iif made public ‘anent the treatment meted by the ‘exemplary’ Defence Department of ‘God’s own country.’ ■ The rain literally poured down while we tramped the gorge, and before going five miles we were drenched to the skin. Yet, like gallant West .Coasters, we went on bravely with the pro*- - raise ;of a ‘hot’ meal immediately on ' our arrival at Bealey Flat. We even-. :t tually reached Bealey Flat 'drenched . to the skin, and, needless to say, with? genuine appetites, but we were doomed tq j,still face the troubles, Which were already aggravated by marching through creeks knee deep in parts. We had to wait exactly for one hour and 20 minutes in the pouring-rain without shelter for not a ‘hot’ meal, as was promised, but for a meal of cold meat, bread, and tomato salad—certainly a meal creditable to our Defence Department. However, we marched on to meet the public works’ train; - four miles past Bealey Flat, aiid eventually arrived at Sockburh. We again disembarked and marched eight miles to Yaldhurst, arriving at 10.30 p.m. Some of the gallant 200 were able to obtain supper, but others were less fortunate. The climax of the tramp was now reached, as, after waiting about till midnight, we had to sleep in our wet clothes, as the baggage waggons had not arrived—of course, as usual. The first few days in camp were rather favourable, but to-day we were again given a sample of the charity of our Defence Department. Being Good Friday one naturally expected fish would find a place in our menu. But no! Three meals of meat were served, and those not desirous of cannibalising themselves by eating meat were politely told they could do without it, although several complaints were lodged early in the day. Now, sir, why do the defence authorities boast about their ‘conscience’ clause in the Defence Act, when a man is deprived the right of acting up to this conscience clause in camp? This is the real state of affairs in this camp.”

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