LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 75, 5 April 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

For “exercising upon the Lord's Day worldly labor, business, ana work,” nine Derbyshire tradesmen have been fined Ud each. The Otago Daily Times says there is a. probability that there may be some women candidates lor election this month to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. “It’s quite simple, sir,” remarked a woman witness at the London Sessions, concerning a question of relationship. “Prisoner is my husband’s brother’s wife’s brother,”

Mr Sydney Jenkins at Cardiff Police Court (referring to a defendant) : ". L has many trades, but there is uni’, one in which ho excels, and that i the trade of drinking.’

Tho Wyndham Herald has been informed on good authority that in the course of seven months, recently, two opossum trappers made the tidy sum of £7OO from skins of the nocturnal marsupials caught in the bush come trv within 20 miles of Wyndham.

Dozens of applications have already been received by the Government from settlers desirous of taking up the 25acre sections of kauri gum lands which are to bo thrown open forthwith in the Auckland district. Regulations governing this class of settlement were gazetted a week ago.

Great numbers 'of eels were caught in the streets of Otautau (Southland) both on Saturday and Sunday, and some idea of the height of the water in the streets may be gleaned from the fact amongst others an eel weighing no less than 11.Ub was caught ip front of a centrally situated hotel.

At a conference of British, Spanish, and Belgian anarchists at Liverpool, Mr Barrett, the editor of the ‘Anarchist,’ explained that anarchism was not merely bomb-throwing, but more a desire to overthrow the rotten society system of to-day. All men ought to be equal, and revoluion was the only way to accomplish that end.

The Bruce County Council has decided to purchase a. two-seated motor car for the use of the cohnty inspector, at a cost of £lB5. The fact that the inspector had such a wide area to cover had made it imperative that he should either have assistance or be provided with some more rapid means of transport than he has at present.

An auction sale on an Irish estate at Westmeath angered the peasantry, who demanded that the land should be subdivided. Warnings were issued against intending purchasers. The papers were signed “Captain Moonlight.” Graves have been dug on the estate, and posters bearing skulls and cross-bones have been posted on the walls and fences.

The ancient Easter benefaction apd ceremony took place in the churchyard of St. Bartholomew, West Smithfield. ■ New sixpenny pieces and hot cross buns were distributed amongst 22 aged London widows. The condition of their receiving the money and buns was that they must climb over the churchyard wall and pick up the sixpences as they dropped on an old flat tombstone. The oldest recipient of the benefaction was 94 years.

Two young settlers of Masterton. who, after making a competence in those parts, proceeded on a visit to Scotland, have returned to make the somewhat disconcerting announcement that they propose making their permanent abode in Scotland. They state that land is much cheaper in Scotland than in New Zealand, and that, considering all things, they believe they can do better with their money in the Old Land than in this countrv.

A stranger paraded the back streets of /Pahiatua on Wednesday distributing packets of “Ladies” Companion,” a supposed household requisite for exterminating insects, and also preventing the spread of disease. No charge was made for the packets, but the distributor dropped a hint that any small sum would be gratefully received to help defray expenses. The one condition that was necessary for the packet to retain its insect-killing properties was that it should not be opened. However, several who had received packets became curious, and opened them. Some were found, to contain chaff and others pollard, each being highly perfumed.

Oaknra provided the lighter effects in connection with the Ministerial visit yesterday (says the News). hirst there was Mr H. J. Okey’s speedy denial that he had ever stated, as Mr Adlain had credited him with stating, that the district was neglected by previous Governments because their member was on the wrong side of the House. Mr Adlam had expressed the hope that Mr Okey would get greater consideration from the Government now that ho was on their side. Then Air Blackball rose to remove an alleged belief of Air Wilkinson, M.P., that Oaknra was a very poor district. Mr Wilkinson denied ever having said so. Then Airs J. 11. Dougherty, who disclaimed any “suffragette” intentions, made the first lady’s speech ol the tour. She likened Taranaki to Cinderella, with Auckland and Wellington as the two more favoured sisters. Sh< hoped Air Alassey would prove to be the fairy godmother, and, she concluded, addressing the Prime Alinister, “Please give ns the railway like the good old (she was going to say ‘boy’) Government that you arc.”

In response to a petition signed by 107 burgesses, the Inglewood Borough Council has decided to take a poll on i the weekly half-holiday question.

A letter received by a Dunedin citizen was re-addressed by the Postal Department in America: “New Zealand, an Island in the Pacific”! The Prime .Minister stated yesterday that one of (he best engineers of the Public Works Department, now on his way to Europe, had received instructions to visit Belgium, which led the world in light railway 'construction, and to furnish a report upon the methods adopted. It was definitely stated (says the News) that the Opunake-Moturoa railway, if constructed, would ire a light line. /A piece, of oxhide as large as a man’s hand is worth is. This is not romance (says the Dunedin Star). Waters, Ritchie, and Co. obtained at auction 12d per lb for a hide weighing - ill) gross. This is easily a record, ao 1 likely to stand for a time. On such figures (adds the paper) it would pay fanners to cultivate thick skins and lev the beef go. i How often does the Income Tax D( pertinent figure as a creditor in a ban I.nipt estate? In the statement •of -i Stratford bankrupt, an amount appeared a, living money owing to the Income Tax Department, and its presence there was commented upon by creditors. The D.O.A. explained that the item might be explained by a careless bookkeeper who based the income tax returns on the gross receipts.

A meeting of southern burgesses of the Stratford Borough was held last evening, there being an attendance of about thirty. It is understood that the meeting discussed the advisahdity of 'putting up a representative to contest the Mayoral seat at the forthcoming elections. The names of prominent citizens were mentioned, but as the Consent of these gentlemen had not been obtained, no decision was arrived

Ad though the mortality among rabbits caused by the Hoods is not regarded as a loss to the district (says the Southland Times), the misery and distress of thousands of these little creatures was not the least pathetic of the'features of the recent inundation. Paralysed by fear, hundreds of rabbits were seen clinging to floating, logs, fences, gates, and other objects winch offered a foothold. At Otautau on Sunday afternoon a party “bagged” between 70 and 80 rabbits in a very short time,, lifting them from gates and’posts. . c ' ■ j

The credit system finds no favour in the eyes of.Jfr W. G. Kenrick, S.M., , and his Worship was nqt slow to com-,.., mend a judgment debtor in the Strat-5,,, ford Court yesterday on the ( latter"s adoption of the “spot cash” plan for. paying for groceries, meat, and other household necessaries. In remarking, however, that reductions were given for cash, Mr Kenrick was not stating the position as it obtains in Stratford. A local grocer told a reporter candidly that the “spot” cash customer was iiot encouraged by his trade, and was given no bigger discount than the man who runs a monthly account. ■ His reason was easily explained; “If they run an account with us, they don’t go .. elsewhere for their groceries, but deal with the one establishment.”

At Waitara- on Tuesday (says an exchange) wha,t was apparently a joke was played in the railway office, but it remains to bo’ seen whether the Department will accept as an excuse for the little bit'of fun that it was All Fools’ Hay. It appears that the tickets issued early in the morning were stamped ‘April 3rd at the back instead of - April Ist, and as passengers offered their passes they were submitted to severe cross-ex-amination at the hands of the guards and in some cases were rather viewed with suspicion. One party, on their way to Wellington, ■ had their names and addresses taken by every guard en route. Full explanations had to lie given to each guard. If the joke was simply due to a desire on the part of the machine to' get ahead of times in general and,stile New Zealand railway trains in particulai it will probably be forgiveh.

On Juno 23, 1313, was fought the fatal battle of Bannockburn, so named after the brook of Bannock, which flows between woody banks of great height and steepness, when the flower of the English Army, led by the worthless Edward 11., perished,.-before the gallant attack of Bruce any! 'his brave Scots. A year after this Rattle the Scottish Parliament met .\at Fort Castle, and there settled Jdie, succssion of the Scottish Crown. v Associated with Fort Castle is ,Fhe thir-teenth-century Church of StCJohn. This Fort Castle which has mapy'other historical associations, has ju:tfc been offered for sale, but failed to.vidhtain a single bid. It is strange (remarks the ‘Field’) that no patriotic 1 Scot could he found to buy this interesting building, especially when we rejiVtrtttber that James TV. of Scotland v f>sed often to honour it with a visit, wovsliip in the church, and make offings at the altar, that a little latFr John Knox preached in the church), and that the religions opinions -of' Scotsmen were sorely tried whan' Oliver Cromwell turned it into an armory, and stores of pikes and and huff coats replaced the Bible and the preacher. It is a pity that uch a building should bo allowed to lall into decay and disappear. Possibly some patriotic Scot will see his way to the purchase of this historic building. Ladies! Warner's Corsets are comfortable—guaranteed so—they 'diapo fashionably. The bones cannot rust or can the fabric tear. Order nowLocal drapers, 1

The judging fort ho Stratford A. and P. Association’s Model Dairy Farm Competition will not commence until tho 25th of April, two of the judges, Messrs. Cuddio and Reakes, of the Agricultural Department, havt ing wired the Secretary that they will not be ‘able to be present in Stratford until that date. Owing to the great number of local deputations, a Whangamomona settler was unable to interview the Prime Minister in Stratford, but sucded in obtaining word with Mr Massey through his solicitor (Mr J. R. L. Stanford), at New Plymouth. Mr Stanford, in laying the case before tW Prime Minister, said that the petitioner had purchased a section of laud at Whangamomona, the frontage of which was good flat land. When tho Department had changed the proposed route of the railway, they took in all this flat land, and robbed the settler of all access to his property, with tho result that tho land was going back owing to his not having been able to, farm it for the past two years. The petitioner askedd that in lieu of compensation the Government should take over tho sec- '' tion. Mr Massey requested the petitioner to lay the whole matter in writing before him, and he would obtain reports and consider the matter. He would at least se that the portion of the flat land not in use by the Department would be returned to the petitioner.

Fpr children’s hacking cough at night Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure, Is 6d, 2s 6d.