LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 83, 15 April 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There will be no mails for Auckland to-night, as tho XCarawa is not running.

Mr S. Sharp lias donated a gold medal to tho Stratford Football Club, to bo presented to the most improved player in the coming season.

No less than fifty “sisters of Captain Scott” presented themselves at the memorial service in St. Paul’s Cathedral, and several of. them got through by dint of hard lying.

A report has appeared that the Cabinet has selected as general manager of railways an official holding a high position with 0110 of the big English railway companies. A Press Association message states that when questioned on the subject, the Hon. Mr Herrios (Minister of Hallways; said ho was unable to make any announcement.

A farmer in the Otama district, near Gore, whose farm adjoins the Mataura river, has, as a result oi the iloed, recently gathered 100 sacks of potatoes that had been washed out of the ground and piled up againsi the fence. Another farmer has gathered fifty sacks, and still another thirtv sacks.

The latest idea in mourning come? from America. A rich American man ufacturer, who was in mourning foi ids nude, took it into his head to In displeased because he saw on his table white porcelain decorated with flowers. So he set his nits to work, with the result that the coal of Pennsylvania was utilised to make for him a service that would harmonise wit 1 the crepe band on his hat. Thus mourning china was invented, and ii lias been a great success in New York. Now inconsolable widows, and even' ruined financiers and neurasthenic young wastrels use a of coalblack china as significant of their woes. The inventor of this “funeral china” has had such a demand for his goods that he lias been obliged to set up works, and if his “American uncle” did not- leave him an immense fortune, he at least caused him to evolve a “notion” that has brought him one.

The most deadly insult one can offer a French policeman is to say to him “Death to the cows!” A lew days ago in the Hen ties' Appeal Court, M. de Savignon Laromhiere (says the Haris correspondent oi the London Daily Mail, of February 28th), the Judge explainetl to a policeman that the cow was “a noble and beautiful animal,” and therefore its name could not bo considered a term of opprobrium. Yesterday a vagabond win)'came up on appeal before M. d ' Savignon Laromhiere had bis original term of imprisonment doubled. On hearing the sentence the prisoner called the Judge an “old. cow.” Immediately the Judge, forgetting bis philosophic defence of a few days before. ordered the vagabond’s ’.erm ol imprisonment to be iurthcr increased by live vears for insulting him.

He sure yon get rid ef that cola I Take Tonking’s Linseed Emulsion and make certain. Price Is Gd. 2s Gd, 4? til per bottle, at chemists and stores, s

The first issue of the Australian Men's Magazine, the official newspaper of the Church of England Men’s Society in Australia, has been published. It is edited by Rev. A. B. Tress, organising secretary for Victoria, and published in Melbourne. A woman named Airs O’Cousins, residing in Richmond, Melbourne, was attempting one evening recently to shoot sparrows in her back yard with a poa-rilie, when she shot Patrick Hayes (72), who lives close by. The bullet entered the old man’s thigh, ana cr.cc'd him considerable p:.in. The Timaru Post records a occurrence which took place last week. A long train of waggons, picked up at various stations, came into the Timaru railway yards, and sitting on a coupling chain between two of the trucks was a fowl. How it got there and why it remained there only the bird knows. All the railway men know is that she rode in as if the experience was most common.

As tho Melbourne express steamed into Gunning station the other morning three men were seen riding on tlie buffers. When the train stopped the men jumped off. They were chased through a Chinaman’s gardens by the police and railway officials, and over a bridge spanning Gunning Creek. The men, who were armed with long knives, in sheaths, ultimately escaped.

A Sydney paper was recently under tiic painful necessity of stating that they were in receipt of a solicitor’s letter, and that an announcement which appeared under the heading of “Births” was in fact untrue. “The birth notice sent us was a forgery, but at the time we inserted it we believed it to be genuine. We now express our sincere regret for this publication, and will leave no stone unturned to discover the forger.”

A brewer’s drayman who went into hospital in Beilin suffering from acute abdominal pains was examined by Rontgen Rays, which revealed the presence of a foreign body at tho seat of the disorder. An incision brought to light a pair of artery forceps, which must have been left behind at one of two previous operations, carried out respectively seven and three years ago. For at least the shorter period the man had been following his strenuous occupation with this instrument in his abdominal cavity.

Much amusement' was ’caused early on .Friday morning in Symonds street, Auckland,' by the stubborn behaviour of a cow which had strayed from a neighbouring paddock. The animal, with great determination,-took up its stand in the track of:-the trams, and for some little time insisted all efforts to move it. Two trams were held up for a short time, the cow threatening with its horns all who felt disposed to dispute its right to the public road. Finally, amid much laughter, a little girl, who was obviously known to the animal, called it by name; and the cow followed her peacefully back to its usual haunts.

We (Hawera Star) are informed from native sources that Te Kakupukoro and Ngarangi Katiteia, from this coast, have lately visited Turanga (Poverty Bay) for purposes of conference with East Coast natives, and since their return have been visiting tiie natives in various parts of Southern Taranaki and reporting the -results of their visits. The natives Have been discussing the proposal to place them on the same footing as Europeans, and have decided that for the present, at any rate, they must decidedly oppose any such proposal. They are also anxious that there should be no interference with the administration of the Public Trustee in relation to tlieir land. Further, they have addressed a letter to the Premier asking an explanation of the position he and his Government propose to take up in connection with the wishes and proposals of the West Coast lessees in respect of lands of which the leases shortly expire.

A Glebe (Sydney) provision merchant named Williams was fined £0 with Gs costs in default a month’s gaol on -a charge of keeping unclean premises, and on a charge of attempted bribery he was fined £2. with 6s costs, in default fourteen days’ gaol. The facts were stated by Arthur C. Pattson (Board of Health). He said he saw half a side of bacon hanging in a shed in the yard uncovered. Close by was a large pit, containing 80 cubic feet of manure, which was crawling with insects. The earthen floor of tbs shed was strewn with manure, dirt and debris. In a cart in the shad was half a box of butter. The interior of the cart was dirty, and covered with stale grease. Along the sides and under the canopy over the cart, the space was thick with cobwebs and spiders. The shed was not protected from flies and dust. The be'nehcs and cupboards were in a dirty state, as they were thickly coated with grease, dirt, and insects. The storeroom contained rubbish, dirt, and old bags. Williams Itold the inspector that his landlord would not do antylilng for him. Witness left- hy the .back gate and Williams said,

“Don’t go away "ct. Is it any nse offering you this?” at the came time he held out a sovereign. Williams said, “You had better take this, and gmi tr, 2 a warning this time, 1+ is the bust time yon have been here. Witness refused to take the money. Usually \un smile when von are in a good humour. Smoke Regent Cigarettes, and keep smiling. Fragrant •o>d mire, they are the be=t for the -.'w. T Ladies! Warner’s Corsets are comfortable— guaranteed so—they shape fashionably. The bone* cannot rnsr. nr can the fabric rear. Order v' I s-a! urapots

few Plymouth has thrown out the Jf-holiday poll, there not being enough signatories.

Mr Walter Mills is announced to give an address to workers in the Stratford Borough Council Chambers to-night at 8 p.m.

The Stratford Gun Club’s Championship of Taranaki will be fired to-mor-row on the Racecourse. The match will start at 10.30 a.rn. A good deal of interest is taken in this competition, and visitors who care to witu..ss the shooting will be heartily welcomed.

The Kaponga Rifle Club are sending' a team to Stratford on Thursday next, when the local team will be represented by the following: Rifleman N. Thorpe, C. Jackson, E. Brocklebank, C. H. Speck, A. Wickham, A. Sangster, W. Brocklebank, J. McMahon, J. Mitchell, Rogers, A. Mackay, H. Oollop. Emergencies: G. Sangstei and F. Arden. The match starts at 12 o’clock sharp.

Before leaving the school yesterday the chairman of the Taranaki Education Board (Mr H. Trimble) informed the headmaster (Mr F. Tyrer) that he would instruct the Board’s foreman of works to instal a stove in the infant class room in the coldest portion of the room. This should give the tiny youngsters one of the cosiest classrooms in the school.

The chairman of the Taranaki Education Board (Mr H. Trimble), Messrs R. Masters (a member of the Board), P. Skolgund (chairman of the School Committee), and Mr G. Smart (a member of the committee) paid a visit to the Stratford District High School yesterday, and inspected the heating arrangements of the various classrooms. Mr Trimble stated that it was evident that the % stoves were not working satisfactorily, and something would have to be done.

; The usual morning calm of the editorial sanctum was somewhat rudely disturbed to-day, 'when a solitary and boney specimen of a cow nosed its way into the room. There was a bold brave rush and a “shoo” by an indignant paperman, and the enemy beat a hasty and undignified retreat. The narrow escape of the “sub.” and his lieutenant was thereafter a matter for considerable merriment and rejoicing among the staff.

While householders all over the district are installing grates, where open fires burned formerly, they may find some satisfaction in knowing that even those people, who burn firewood by the hundred cords, have found the ill iproblem of wood fuel a puzzling ■One of the reports presented to the t jji,Council last; night, stated that wood r (fuel, for the abattoirs could not be m v-obtained, i i Gr.- Dingle said as chair?l{ - ;man /df the Stratford .Co-operative Dairy Company he had recently been forced to have grates put in at the butter factory. They had advertised for tenders for timber, • and not a single tender had been received. Even before this, they had used the wood merely to assist the coal, because they had found that the steam producing capacity of the wood was very small. After all, ho considered that coal was hot ipore expensive than wood, even , if the latter could be obtained.

Mr 0. A. Wilkinson has received a letter from the Prim© Minister in regard to his recent Taranaki trip, thanking him for his co-operation in making the trip to thfe electorate so successful and enjoyable. The Premier states that his visit was both instructive and interesting, and he is sure the information he was enabled to obtain during the course of hie tour will be of the utmost value in dealing with affairs relating to the district. Mr Wilkinson has suitably replied, stating that all are agreed that the Minister’s trip to Taranaki was most successful, and cannot fail to result in good to the district as a whole. Mr H. J. H. Okey, M.P., is also in receipt of a letter from Mr Massey in a similar strain.

A Press Association message from Dannevirke this morning reads :—Preliminary to the main camp of the Wairarapa, Manawatu, Taranaki, and Napier battalions at Oringi, a number of Territorials, who have to make up deficiencies in parades, went under canvas yesterday for that purpose. The weather was extremely wintry all yesterday, but cleared up during night, and to-day is beautifully fine. The main camp commences on Friday, for which comprehensive arrangements have been made.

Mr E. Russell Jones, former chairman of directors of the Auckland Cooperative Terminating Building Society, will be in Stratford next Monday evening, the 21st instant, and the directors of the Stratford Building Society have engaged his services for the purpose of giving an address upon the evening of the same date upon the operations of such societies and the benefits to be derived from membership. It is worth noting that the Auckland society has some twenty-six groups in full swing, and that its total income is nearly £IOO,OOO per annum. It has also granted to its members loans amounting to some £581,095. The profits for last, year were £10,468, which bring the accrued profits up to £73,724. This amount, of course, is divided pro rata amongst members upon the expiration of their respective groups. The directors of the Stratford Building Society have had numerous applications for shares in their second group now in course of formation, and those desirous of taking- up shares should do so before the end of the current month when the list will close. Excluding those allocated to Eltham and Inglewood there are considerably less than one hundred shares undisposed of.