LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 21, 29 May 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Taranaki Fire Brigade Assoei!ilion’s second annua] Conference and Demonstration is to be held in Waitara next February. Warner’s Rust-proof Corsets. li the latest models, the bust is low and full. Flexible corsettmg above the waist is the result—the newest figure fashion. Perfect comfort with figur-

Parliament will be opened on June 26th. A Masterton resident while enjoying an oyster supjjer on Saturday evening, struck too small pearls in one of the shells. An expert states that the pearls are of considerable value.

liie failure of a cow belonging to an hotelkeeper at Morristown, South Africa, to yield her usual supply of milk was discovered to lie due to the animal’s adoption of two baby pigs as nurslings.

During the last four years there have been seventeen changes in tho teaching staff at the Patea District High School, or an average of over four a year. The Press asks—Can this he in the best interests of the pupils —or of the teachers?

Ihe Taranaki Education Board yesterday decided, with reference to the visit to New Plymouth of H.M.S. New Zealand, to leave the question of holidays in the hands of tho various school committees.

One of the foundation blocks of the A iKiam Booth Memorial Training College in Wellington is to he laid by the Prime Minister, the Hon W. 1* •; Massey. The others will all he laid by representative citizens. The ceremony is fixed for the afternoon of June 9.

“There is still far too little attention paid to summer and winter feeding amongst farmers, and with the allowance for the present stage of development there is much to be done in this direction,” said President Wilson at the Farmers’ Union Conference at Maeterton.

The monthly figures in connection with the Stratford and Midhirst CowTesting Association are published in this issue on pagj 7. A considerable falling-off in the returns compared to previous tables will be noticed, but this may be set down to the recent rough weather and the lateness of the season. •

An object of interest to the passengers on the Hinemoa when the vessel called at Dusky Sound last week was the wreck of the Union Company’s Waikare. The hull is still lying on its side, and at the time of the Hinemoa’s visit the sea was going through huge rents in. the decks and gushing out of the portholes, like geysers.

Some time 'ago Mr Jack Robson purchased a very valuable bush some two miles nearer Stratford than the ; site of the present mill at Pohpkura. ' ' ... Mr Robson is now engaged in shift-. ifig his Pohokura mill and plant to the new hush, \yhere it will be tl eel close bbside the railway line.i JThq,* , timber tti he dealt with, is ’ mostly heavy rimu of Very luglpquality.,, dpi

. The 1 EaVliik 1 Seftlei- has hbep'.nil formed that a resident of Waiharakcke, Mr Hjalma Swanson, has been " successful in producing an engine which promises' to be of considerable, importance in the mechanical world. During the month he received information that his invention, which has been j successfully patented, has met so much favor that an After of £sp6o ; '- has been offered to Mr 'Swanson'’'Tor 3I " his rights, hut was refiised. : iStihject m ‘‘ to, the engine standing climatic, tesfiq ' >ve understand that the fortunate inVeil, tor is to receive £20,000 outright ; ' for his interests. ’ ''

A case in which- a Territorial' and hi® late employer are the principal parties will, it is understood, .shortly come before the Court. If is l alleged oil what must be considered excellent authority that on the Territorial in question returning from camp at Oringi he found that his belongings had been sent to his parent’s home by his employer and that no wages were allowed him in lieu of notice. As it appeared on the surface to be a dehberate case of being “sacked’ because ho had gone to camp, the Territorial made it his business to acquaint the Defence authorities of the circumstances.

A rudder with a doorway into its interior is a feature of the mammoth Cuiiard liner Oqnitania, so soon to be launched. The rudder has just beenplaeed in position, and is so huge that a doorway has been constructed in the, lower part to admit workmen, so that they can remove the pin which connects the rudder to the ship. This pin is 4ft in length, and bigger than the heaviest projectile made for modern artillery. A special appliance had to he constructed in the ship to lift it into position. When delivered at the builder’s yard the rudder was in three parts. After they kad been connected, and laid upon the grolmd, the distance that had to be walked to pass round the complete rudder was over 100 feet.

A gig driven by Mr Hart, contractor, of Inglewood, collided last even-* ing with a spring cart on a bridge just the other side of Toko. Mr Hart, who is engaged on a large well-sinking contract at Huiroa, was driving into Stratford with a friend. It was after dark, and both the gig and the spring cart were without lights. They met on the bridge, and the gig received the worst of the collision. Both occupants were thrown ont. Mr Hart receiving some severe bruises to his foot. He was taken to the Junction Hotel, Toko, and Hr. Paget was summoned to attend him. Mr Hart was then brought to the - County Hotel in the doctor’s car. The occupants of the spring cart are nniknown. Ladies! Warner’s Corsets are comfortable—guaranteed so—they shape fashionably. The bones cannst rust or can the fabric tear. Order r“' Local drapers. gj

A “chopper” of more than ordinary dimensions was on show at Cuff and Walsh’s butcher’s shop yesterday. The piece of pork was a two-year-old I sow bred by Mr C. B. Walsh, and its total dressed weight was loOlbs.

A splendid record of school attendance was brought under the notice ni the Wanganui Education Board. Ihe Wanganui School Committee reported that ft pupil named Charles Higgins had attended the committee’s school for 10 years without missing a single iialf-day. The committee recommended that some mark of recognition should be made. It was decided to award Master Higgins a certificate,

There was a very largo attendance at the Foresters’ Hall last Qnignt, when another of the series of assemblies given by Mrs Bianchi was held. Music was supplied by Mrs Bianchi, assisted by Messrs. F. Jans (violin), and S. Parker (cornet). Mr Tocker was M.C. Supper was provided by Mrs Brooking. During the evening Mr Tichbon .rendered a comic song, which was enthusiastically encored.

Strange methods of greeting the" spring are practised in the commune of Nagyhdlmagy every year. It is a kissing market, and the institution this year has been more successful than ever. All the women and girls are at liberty to kiss strange men. From the surrounding district all the; young women who have been married since last Easter arrive at the kissing market and kiss strange men to their hearts’ content.

- 1 The question of school holidays was discussed at the Meeting of the Taranaki Education Board in New Plymouth yesterday. A suggestion was brought forward that instead of having two holidays of a week each in May and August, the schools should be given one of two weeks in June. It was pointed out that in the case of teachers generally so much time was taken up with travelling that they really received no holiday at all. The Chief Inspector (Mr Ballantyne) expressed himself in sympathy with the proposal, while Mr Whetter stated that there was a unanimity among teachers and parents tha£ a two weeks’ holiday was better. The News’ report of the discussion states that it was decided to adopt Mr Masters' suggestion of putting the two proposals before .the schools prior to fixing the holidays for next year.

A sequel of the recent shooting accident at Matapu came before Mr Kenrick, S.M., at the Elthain Court yesterday, when Arthur Elliott, of Matapu, was charged with discharging a' firearm so near the highway as to endanger the public. , Defendant pleaded guilty. Constable Wade stated the facts. Elliott fired two shots at a'hare and missed. The hare ran across ! the paddock, and when Elliott fired the third time it was in a line with the road 1 . Elliott saw a boy passing previous to firing,the third time, and 'having spoken to him waited until ho was safely out of the way, but a little girl who was following he did not see, as there was a dip in the road through which she was walking, This girl was shot, receiving a pellet in her face, and several more in her body. Elliott knew nothing of havinghit tjre girl until he was told of i three hours after.- Elliott said it was purely an accident for which he was very sorry. He had no idea any one was within range or he would no' have fired! His Worship deprecated the careless use of firearms which he, declared was very general, and fined Elliott £1 and 14s 6d-costs.

Some people decline ’ to doff their hats while the National Anthem is he ing either played or sung. An ocei> pant of the “drees circle” at Victoria Barracks, Sydney, on Friday last when the children of the Paddings ton School Board district went through their Empire Day performance, deep; on his hat when the National Anthem was being honored at the close o the proceeding^. ; The man who thu; made himself conspicuous (states tin Daily Telegraph) folded his arms ant looked contemptuously at the crowd of “grovellers,” as he had previously designated them. A lady standing close by took in the situation and acted promptly. She removed the hat from his head and placed it upon the seat which the owner had occupied “WJmt did you take my hat off for?” he demanded. “Simply because ym wouldn’t. take it off yourself,” war the apt reply.

“People talk sometimes of the church of the future,” said Dr Cleary, in a sermon preached at B&ngiora. “and wonder what it will he. We can prophesy as men who know that the church of the future is that church which take® care of the children of the present. If there are churches or or ganisations about which complain of irreligion or empty churches, then we know that these are the churches ,which for 30 years or more in thin nation of ours have steadily neglected the children of their various faiths. We can stand and look to the futuic without dismay, because we know that we are leaving behind us a generation with-hearts full of the spirit of Clod, We thank (Joel. that we Catholics have not, perpetrated that huge blunder, that criminal blunder, of waiting and waiting until somebody else, State or officials of any creed or no croed, will take up the. religious education of our children, and train them in caricatures of religion for a few hours per week.”