LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 26, 5 June 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The next Catholic social will take lace in the Foresters’ Hall on the 9th inst.

The annual meeting of the Strut ord Licensing Commite© will be helc t the Courthouse at noon to-mor

At the Court yesterday, a firstoffending drunkard was fined 10s. Mi S. B. Hunter, J.P., was on tin Bench.

The Taranaki Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution against any shipping company or employer of labour entering into any compact which may prevent free labour being employed if necessity arises, and expressing the opinion that any such agreement will be prejudicial to the interests of the Dominion. —P.A.

A feature of the Jersey sale held in Stratford yesterday was the changing hands of Ruth. II (Rioter of Pencarrow—Rita). She made the top price of the sale, being bought by Mr R. J. Linn, for 120 guineas, which is about thirty guineas less than the price paid by Mr W. M. Bayly when he bought the coW from Mr Linn a few seosons ago.

The provisional directors of the Farmers’ Co-operative Organisation Society of New Zealand, Limited met in Hawera on, Saturday, when the prospectus, memorandum and articles of association were finally approved of. Thirty two signatures were affixed to the prospectus. It was (decided to register the Society at once and have the prospectus printed and circulated.

Apropos of varioufa' suggestions foi the control of stoats and weasels, Mr C. 13. Morison, speaking at the annua meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, told his hearers that ho had heard of an area of 6000 acref having been cleared of these pests in two seasons by an experienced . trapper. i This territory, he said, had , previously been alive with the little ammals. i

On June 17th -the second annual meeting of .the Clydesdale Horse Society will he held in Palmerston North. The annual report states that the total membership of the Society is now 319, an increase of 132 during the past year. An important matter to be considered at the meeting is r scheme for the affiliation of agricultural societies and horse-breeding societies with the Clydesdale Horse Society.

May 29 was “Oak Apple Day.” There are still some hamlets in England were the grandfathers take notice of the anniversary o ftlre preservation of King Charles in the Oak of Boscobel; A hundred years ago scores of villages used to celebrate the occasion with games and general rejoicings, while the cottages and inne were decorated with branches taken from the oaks by the children in the early hours of the mornings. The Royal Oak was a common name for inns in those days, and was illus trated usually by a picture of a tree with the monarch peeping through the branches.

The nineteenth annual meeting o: the National Dairy Association wil be held at Palmerston North on June 17th. The balance-sheet shows t

profit of £437 19s Id on t'he year’s transactions. The report deals at great length and very interestingly with the dairy produce market during the past year, the prospects for the future also coming up for discussion. The annual meeting of the Dairy Factory Managers’ Association is also to be held on June 17th, and on the following day addresses dealing with topics of interest to farmers will be delivered by members of the Department of Agriculture.

The Labor Press sets a very elegant example (says a Melbourne daily) by stigmatising a prominent lady organiser of the Liberal party as “no Venus,” “a commonplace old she-snob of poor ability,” “a battered female follower of a Wild West circus,” and “a battler in Cupid’s wars who from many encounters had carried off the scars of a veteran.” That Labor candidates have accepted the model and tried their best to improve upon it abundant evidence is availaide; but exceptional credit is due to the Labor candidate for Wannon, Mr M'Dougall, who recently branded all his female political opponents in the electorate as “painted lilies” and “painted doves.” (According to Labor every woman who seeks an official past in the Labor movement is an insurgent female, who ought to be at home looking after her children ; and every woman who works against Labor in the political sphere is a “painted dove”—no., “she is no better than she ought to be.”

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The sitting of tne Magistrate’s • Court to-morrow should he a sljort one, the only business to be dealt with being four undefended civil actions, an information for without lights, and ono for riding a bicycle on a footpath.

Particulars are given to-day in another column, by the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Mr G. H. Bullard, of the Tariki settlement, open for selection on renewable lease with right to acquire freehold, and the Raoraomouku Block, open for selection on optional tenure. A notice or interest to engineers and others of a mechanical turn of mind appears in our advertising columns to-day, in connection with a class that will commence at the Technical School this evening. Instruction will be given by Mr J. W. Bowers, M.A.1.M.E., and his assistant, Mr H. A. Bowers, marine engineer. A good start in these matters means much, and pupils should commence with the first lesson, which will he ■ given to-night, at 7.30.

A Wellington Press Association message states that Mr Cuddie, dairy commissioner, has recommended that in view of the fact that the cheese exhibits at the South Island Dairy Association show were so excellent, they he sent Home in 'order to impress the English merchants as to rho quality and finish of the cheese that Now Zealand can produce under favourable conditions. He could not commit the Government to any expenditure in the matter, hut ho believed the Cabinet would, favorably consider that phase. It was resolved to send the cheese under charge ,of the High Commissioner. '■'•fT

The early falling away of the output of dairy produce is emphasised by the fact that the New Zealand Shipping Company’s liner Ruapehu, which sailed from Wellington for London a few days ago, had on board only four bcxc« of butter, whereas no fewer than 8,255 boxes were sent Home by the Ruahine, which left for London on May 30 last year. Cheese also shows a considerable shrinkage, the quantity shipped comprising 9,465 crates, compared with 18,6/8 cratra by the corresponding shipment of last year., The detailed figures for cheese are; New Plymouth 1,502 crates, Wellington 2,593, Patea 2,086, Wanganui 37, 3 Dunedin 165, Bluff 2,062, -Auckland 418, Lyttelton 207, Timaru 385; total 9,-155 crates. Butter: Wellington 4- boxes. ! i ■.■■(■■■ j , ■ • On the subject of, th e well-tested superstition Which sailors entertain regarding black eats, a, correspondent writes to the Spectator as follows: “About twenty years ago, when I was resident in North China, the British squadron, then in Far Eastern waters, was steaming out of the port of Chefoo, when a little black cat' fell overboard from H.M.S. Wanderer. At once the ship stopped, signalled to her consorts ‘Cat overboard,’ and the entire squadron cattle, to a standstill. A boat put off from; the Wanderer, and rescued puss, Who was swimming for dear life after the ship. The officer who tttld 'me the story said the sailors would lhave been furious if the little cat had not been saved, for not only was she a great pet, but they firmly believed that disaster would follow if a black cat was allowed to drown.”

Amongst some of the amusing stories at a smoke concert in Danneviike, one told by a well-known farmer hi the locality was notable for its originfality. One day a Territorial called at Ins house and engaged him in conversation for some minutes. “I subsequently discovered,” said the speaker, “that while he so engaged me some of his mates made a raid on my fowlhouse, and ‘bagged’ the whole poultry run.” In consideration of the farmer’s generosity in saying nothing about the matter, the delinquents, on their return home, had their photograph taken and forwarded one to the farmer, apparently to remind him of their happy visit. “It was very good and kind of them,” said the farmer, “and in order to show my deep appreciation of their thoughtful and sportsmanlike action I have had the photograph framed and hung it in the fowlhouse!”

A decidedlv discreditable state of affairs was indicated in a peculiar discussion that took place at the Lake County Council meeting last week. According to the Lake Wakatipn Mail’s account, when the clerk asked for instructions regarding certain burial expenses, Cr. Johnston a complaint about the poverty of a coffin provide-! in the case of a death that occurred recently at Skippers. The coffin, ho said, was partly made of kerosene and whisky cases. He himself saw part of the whisky cases at the end of the coffin, which was painted with lampblack. He felt ashamed of it, and was sure that the members of the County Council would not sanction such a coffin as the one he had described. He was not previously aware that the council paid for such coffins. The Chairman related one instance where tlie Arrow Borough Council had to bury a Chinaman. He did not know if there was a standard coffin. After further discussion the clerk was asked to find out the law on the subject, and to interview the makers of the coffin complained of as to the timber put into the coffin.

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