LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 12, 19 May 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Stratford Borough Council hold an adjourned meeting to-night to consider the year’s estimates in committee.

A female first offender, on a charge of drunkenness was convicted and discharged by Mr S. 13. Hunter, J.P., at the local Magistrate’s Court this morning. Tenders are being called by the Public Works Department for the construction of the Okahu tunnel on the Stratford-Main Trunk Railway. The time for receiving tenders has been extended from April 30th to dune 30th, but the time fixed for completion has been reduced from four years to three years.

The commercial column of the Sydney Morning Herald of the 10th met. contained the following:—“New Zealand wants bacon. An inquiry was on the market yesterday for 1000 pieces of “green” meat for prompt shipment

—SOO sides and 500 flitches. The same buyer was also asking for a price for about 700 pieces for shipment in. about a month’s time. Should this order be secured by a local merchant, it will considerably relieve the position in Sussex Street, where stocks are altogether in excess of requirements.” As there is a duty here of 2d per lb. on bacon, it is evident that prices must be much lower in Sydney than here.

The Stratford Poultry Society’s Second Annual Show, as already announced in these columns, is to take place on July 2nd and 3rd. This fixture should easily become one of the most important in Stratford, for poultry keeping is a part of the pleasant business of life in which everyone may take a. hand. The Society is deserving of hearty support, and it is to be hoped that the entries, which close on Juno 23rd, with the Secretary, Mr T. Ladd, may prove a record. The committee hold the usual weekly meeting to-night at 7.30, when all interested in the fancy are requested to be present. The business to be transacted will bo the allotment of special prizes and trophies.

Every article in stock reduced in price during our Third Annual Sale. Fancy Goods, Stationery, Glassware, China, etc., Charles E. James, Broadway.

The Presbyterians express thornselves as highly pleased with tiie

“rally” observed yesterday. There were large attendances morning and evening, and the services were exceptionally hearty. The minister (Rev. .). Patti son) says lie would like to see a similar “rally” every Sunday.

A sports meeting will be held at Midhirst on Thursday. An energetic committee have the arrangements well forward, and the initial meeting pro-

mises to be a, great .success, and should the committee get the encouragement,, this will probably become an annual fixture. The programme is made up of 20 events, and should bring forth fairly keen competition. A dance in the evening will finish off the day.

The outcry raised in Germany against the decrease in the birth-rate has been somewhat calmed by the publication of official statistics Showing that 39 more babies in every 1000 live through their first year than was the case ten years ago. In large cities, the number saved reaches a much higher figure, a gratifying result of the successful campaigns for “babysaving” waged by State, municipal, and private organisations, through which have been established milk depots, baby clinics, free nurseries and supplies, and plentiful instruction and assistance to mothers in the care of infants.

In citing legal authorities at the Auckland Supremo Court in a case in which a. man was charged with bigamy, Mr J. R. Reed, K.C., caused a good deal of amusement by mentioning a case of which a man in Ireland had given himself up to the police on the grounds that ho had committed felony. The unfortunate man, it transpired, had married two wives. Both of them were living with him, and as there was no prospect of peace and quietness at home, as a last resource he had gone to the police station as a haven of refuge. * j

According to the Napier papers, there appears to be a rapid increase in that town in the number of persons suffering from appendicitis. So much so, in fact, that the seriousness of this complaint has become a matter for general comment. The resident medical officer’s report submitted at future meetin'gs of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board is to show the number of patients suffering from this complaint who .have been admitted to the Napier Hospital each month,, the number of operations performed, and the number of cases that have resulted fatally.

The local contingent of the Mounted Rifles, comprising about 30 men of “D” Squadron, Queen Alexandra’s Second Mounted Rifles, returned to Stratford on Saturday afternoon, arriving at about half-past four o’clock. Judging by , reports, : they had a less lively time than the dismounted arm of the service, although, in time, a few ( stories will doubtless filter through. Weather conditions were not too good, and colds were fairly prevalent, but such minor troubles passed unnoticed in the general interest which both men and officers tpok in all the work attending the sham warfare. if, I ,

Under the direction of the isociety leaders of Philadelphia over 2000 high school girls in the “Quaker City” have joined the “no feathers” brigade, members of which are pledged to refrain from wearing arty plumage which can Only have been obtained by torture and ruthless killing. It has been suggested that a systematised propaganda against the slaughter of animals and birds for women’s clothing should ho conducted throughout the high schools of America and “antifeather” brigades formed in their hundreds, so that the girls may have an opportunity of assisting in stamping out these cruel trades which merely pander to women’s vanity.

Ihe peaceful town of Castlemaine 0 ictoria) had a dispuieting experience one day over a week ago, when all the furies of the skies seemed loose in it. A street tree, with a girth of 6ft. was struck by lightning and brought, torn and twisted, to the ground; and the current ran down the roots, fused or broke the gas main, and as the gas came through the ground it was ignited. Soon the tree was a mass of flames, and burning gas covered a wide area. The gas company says that 20,000 ft of gas were lost. Many buildings vibrated during the storm, and 80 out of the 108 telephones in the town were fused. The residents were grateful when heavy rain cooled the atmosphere.

The discovery of six human skeletons beneath an old house was reported from Oakland, states a Sydney Sun cable from San Francisco on May

7. The police believe that the remains are those of a mother and her five children, and that the whole family was wiped out by some murderous maniac. The-remains were unearthed by a workman who was cleaning out the cellar of the house, having been buried within half a foot of the surface. The identity of the victims has not yet been established. The woman was .apparently about 6ft. tall, and the ages of the children appear to have ranged from four months to 16 years. It is thought that the bodies were consumed by means of acid, and that the bare bones were afterwards buried. The remains of the baby were well preserved. They had been carefully wrapped up in a piece of paper bearing the name of Tranered.

Blow, blow thou wintry wind I Blow all yon know! Rain, hail, or snow, You may be most unkind. Really, I do not mind, For I’m immune—secure j I take Woods’ Peppermint Curt, Leaving ill-health behind.

Strictly speaking, H.M.3. New Zealand is not a “Dreadnought.” She Is an “Indefatigable,” that being the typical ship of her class.

A casual camp to enable some of the “Terries” to put in their course under canvas will bo held at Oringi this week', commencing on Friday, and breaking up on May 31st. The men who have not done the required number of parades went into camp this morning for four extra days. It is expected that about 700 men will be p--" mt.

The following notice affecting the rate of interest payable on deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank appeared in the Gazette published on Thursday : “Notice is hereby given that the savings bank rates of interest on sums not exceeding £3OO are increased by one-quarter of one per cent., making the interest payable on such balance three and three-quarters per cent. instead of three and a half per cent, per annum as at present. In the case of accounts with balances of over £3OO to credit the increase will apply only to so much, of the balance of such accounts as do not exceec £300.”

It will ho interesting, not only bo those who are habitually “Up before the Beak,” but to others, to know that there is no such thing as a Police Court in New Zealand. Every town possesses a building which is referred to indiscriminately as the “Police Court,” or the “Magistrate’s Court, ’ although the former appellation v technically a misnomer.' The Policf Court is a common institution in Great Britain, where the Force appears as the prosecutor in potty criminal cases but our Magistrate’s Court is not wholly devoted to such cases, and hence the false analogy. Still, as tin saying goes, “What’s in a name ” and a court under any appellation is capable of enforcing “seven days” quite hard enough for most unfortunates.

Lord Kitchener had an exciting experience at the Cairo races on May 6 (says a cable in the Sydney • Sim), whey he fodiid himself among a nest of cobras. The Consul-General occupied a special box in te grandstand. A movement under the flooring caught his attention, and when a servant made a search he found a cobra 12ft. long. A snake-charmer was brought, and he started to whistle on a reed to induce the snake to come into the open. To the astonishment and alarm of Lord Kitchener’s attendants, live deadly cobras which had been- lying within a few feet of him came forth, swaying gently to the musio. The charm was broken by an excited attendant, who rushed forward to slaj the snakes. The charmer jumped for safety, and the snakes moved off into the crowd. A minute of the w ildest excitement- followed. Each snake was followed by ; a shrieking crowd of Egyptians till it was overtaken , and killed.

The danger of a very common practice in city offices was demonstrated on Saturday night, when, probably, a serious fire was narrowly averted. Mr Lawrence, who has offices in Fork Chambers, happened to be paying a Visit to thd premises at about ten o’clock on Saturday night, when he detected a smell of burning. Its origin was discovered in a kind of half-open

lumber room at tbe back, where soim live coals, the remains of an office ' fire, had been deposited in a wooden box. A hole had been burnt through it, and also the floor beneath, when Mr Lawrence, with tbe aid of the police extinguished the incipient -fire by means of a few buckets of water. The damage done amounted to practically nil, but had the outbreak not beer discovered in' time, the possibirgjcir discovered in time the probabilities would have been somewhat alarming as, under the conditions, the whole block might have been gutted. It would be well for others to take warning, as failure to have a proper meta 1 receptacle for coal ashes where fires are used in office buildings is an indictable offence. The “gone out” ap pearance of soft lignite coal is also very deceptive, and as this incident proves, it is not safe to trust ashes in a wooden box even when they are apparently dead.