LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 47, 1 July 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

During the quarter ended June 30th thirteen old-age pensions were granted in Stratford. 3ir Weybourne's house, at Midhirst:, which was destroyed by lire on Saturday night, was insured hr the Guardian office for £l5O. Following is a record of the business done' at the Stratford Court for tiie quarter ended June 30th : Sittings before the S.M. 13, before Justices 13, eases heard by the S.M. 77, amount sued for £1619 5s sd, amount recovered £IO7O 10s 7d, plaints entered 139; warrants issued 22, judgment summonses issued 33, orders on judgment summonses 10, processes served 131, civil fees £lO2 3s, Licensing fees £ll 2s On the criminal side 83 males and 9 females were dealt with.

the fines and fees paid totalling £55 4s 6d.

A "Wellington hotelkeeper thus exj plains some of the difficulties that beset his calling. "We will say. for instance, that A, who is a respectable citizen, has been to a wedding. He instructs a cab-driver to take him tc So-and-So's hotel. The driver does so; drops him at the door, collects the fare and departs. A, full of wine from the marriage banquet, wants to shout for all-hands. I refuse him. and right on top of my refusal comes another crowd from a funeral. 1 refuse them. They become noisy, abusive, and as I said before, I am in a quandry. What am I to do? Bum)) them out on the footpath when some of their mother-in-laws might be passing, or send for the police and have them taken in charge—to their everlasting disgrace? What 1 consider to be the simple remedy is this: Every hotel should be compelled to have a 'cooler,' a nice comfortable room with a mattress on which could be dumped the unruly. The police could be rung up, and when the whereabouts of the sobered man were discovered he could be sent home b\ taxi-cab, or motor-car, or wheelbarrow (according to his position in life), and labelled in case of mistake, 'this side u]) with care.' It would save a lot of worry waiting about to bail a friend

out: it would save any explanations at home as to where you spent the night, and i! would save the publican from being blamed for what he didn't do."'

Tin- North Tnrannki Hunt will meet at Stratford on Thursday and have permission to hunt over all the country between the Opunake, Cardiff, and Pembroke Roads. The meet will leave Victoria bridge at one o'clock. Before the meet the Stratford members of tin- Hunt will entertain northern members at luncheon at the Stratford Hotel.

A peaceful calm pervades the poiifiral atmosphere. Parliament has been opened, and such interest as was aroused by the election of the Speaker oi the House, the new appointments to the Legislative Council, and the delivery of the Governor's Speech, has subsided, an<l has given way to a period of dullness. It is a "time of truce," as Opposition members have expressed it, it being the period of adjournment agreed to as a fitting mark of respect to the memory of the late Speaker. In any ease, so many Liberals are still absent that their party is yet not well prepared for the warpath. Whether it is a ease of the calm before the storm, time will prove. Thus Wellington's Dominion.

It has been decided by Cabinet to extend by nine months the training period of .New Zealand officers, who are now attending the Camberley Staff College in England. The additional period will be spent by the officers in obtaining regimental training. Some other New Zealand officers at Home are to have their period extended by a year. The Minister of Defence (Hon. J. Allen) states that, considering the expense entailed in sending officers to England, it was felt that it would be false economy to bring them backbefore they had been thoroughly trained.

The quarterly meeting of the Oddfellows' Lodge. M.U., 1.0.0. F., took place in the Foresters' Hall last night, riiree honorary members were proposal, ami a letter of recommendation was granted to Sister I. Butcher. The following officers were installed for the ensuing term by P.P.G.M. Bro. C: I). Sole:—CM., Bro. J. Harston; N T .G., Bro. Hoy Davies; V.G., Bro! E. W. Hancock; secretary, P.P.G.M. Bro. C. T). Sole ("re-elected); treasurer, P.O. Bro. T. Lawson (re-elect-ed); E.S., Bro. S. Thompson , (reelected) ; R.S. and L.S. to N.G , Bros. C. H. Lawn and T. Lawson; R.S. to A .0. Bro. Webb. Several members congratulated the newly-elected officers, both suitably replying.

Kopuatama Cemetery, the resting place of those Stratfordians who have passed away, lies three, miles.out on the East Road. It is young as cemeteries even in, this land go, the first interment having taken place in 1906, and the present total being, 280. The grave plots are, mostly, neatly kept, and on many of them headstones' have . been erected, while the paths' are also ' creditable'to the sexton's work. The Kahouri stream gurgles pleasantly within its banks near by, and the tinkle-tinkle of cowbells in the enclos- .. life, which is partly surrounded by native bush, makes for a sweet requiem for the departed. Under such picturesque conditions, after life's iit.ful fever,' surely they sleep well.

The singing of hymns at St. Paul's Presbyterian 'Church, Napier, had to oo conducted on a recent Sunday evening without the assistance of the organ. During the morning service, the instrument gave various gurgles and gave utterance to all manner of weird noises, and the organist found it extremely difficult to get the huge 'bellows to do as he wanted. For some time (says the Telegraph) the music would roll out in perfect harmony. Then there would be a rush of air, a gurgle and a splutter, with counter noises going on all the time. Shocked at the misbehaviour of the organ in so disturbing the solemnity of the occasion, the organist lowered himself into the internal regions and found, to bis amazement, that rats had gnawed a hole in the bellows. This was patched up, but while the church was deserted the rodent paid another visit and gnawed still more vigorously at the bellows, with the result that the organ was thrown completely out of

gear. Bankruptcy proceedings of a more than ordinarily interesting character occupied the attention of the D.O.A. yesterday afternoon, when the affairs of Charles McPhce were investigated. Bankrupt has been in business as a road contractor for about four years, and was engaged on a big metalling contract on Mangaehu Road when a cloud-burst of a serious nature occurred at Puniwhakau—on the same day as the first Stratford A. and P. Show was held. As a result of the damage done by the cloud-burst he lost money on the contract, and adverse conditions prevented him finishing on time a metalling contract of one and a half miles on Mangaehu Poad, and the Stratford County Council took the work out of bis hands and decided to finish the work at his expense. An interesting feature is the relation of the bankrupt to the County Council, and the amount of money the Council (if it so wishes) will he able to pay to the estate can hardly be ascertained until the contract is completed, which will not be until next summer. Yesterday's meeting was adjourned sine die to enable some idea of this amount to be ascertained. A full report of the proceedings at the meeting will be found on page 7 of this issue.

Following are the vital statistics for Stratford for the month of June, tho figures for tne quarter ended June 30th being given in parentheses : _Deaths 3 (7), births 14 (51), marriages 14 (21).

- Before leaving Auckland Captajn dftalsey, of H.M.S. Xew Zealand, wrote to the Hon. H. 1). Bell, expressing the thanks of the ships company to the Government for presenting a medal to each' man of the Crew ; and on his own behalf thanking the Government for tho album presented, to him as a souvenir of the visit to New Hfealand.

I The Government expenditure upon railway and road works in the North and South Islands during the year ended March 31, 1913, was as follows: Bail way construction-North Island, £412,550; South Island £273,816; total,' £686,366. Roads, etc—North Island £319,095; South Island, £152,405; total £471,500.

Mr J. B. Richards, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, has received the following letter from the secretary of the New Zealand Wool-Brokers your attention to the following resolution carried at the last half-yearly meeting of the New Zealand WoolBrokers' Association: "That anything over a 48-inch pack will, after the ensuing season (1913-14), he considered an outside size and a charge of one shilling per bale, in addition to the ordinary store charges, will he made on wool in such packs." This decision has become necessary owing to the increased amount of warehouse labour caused by a diversity of sizes. Will you kindly bring the matter under the notice of any whom it may concern ?