LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 48, 2 July 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There were quite a number of visitors to the Stratford Mountain House during the last fortnight, who wen. no doubt attracted by the fine weather. A start will shortly be made with the telephone line.

The Borough Inspector will, as usual of late, bulk largely at the Court on Friday, having ten informations ioi decision —two for driving loose horses, six for driving gigs and riding bicycles without lights, one for riding a bicycle on a footpath, and one for driving a horse and dray across a footpath. Sixteen civil cases, lour judgment summonses, and one information under the Destitute Persons Act, will also be dealt with.

Mr Emil Meuli, writing to Ins friends in Manaia from Monte\iuco (says the Witness) recounts among interesting tilings, that about 30 miles from that city he visited a cattle ranch owned by a younger member of the Winks family from the Hawera district. The ranch is a very large one, even for that country, and he describes the owner as a man of very considerable wealth. Mr Meuli witnessed an exhibition by cow-hoys on the estate of lassoing and throwing cattle, which was very interesting and well worth seeing, hut he considered there was a good deal of unnecessary cruelty in operation. Very little consideration was shown to the animals and very little was thought oi breaking one of their legs or inflicting other injuries of a painful kind. There is probably no society out there yet for the prevention of cruelty to animals. Mr Meuli describes what could he looked upon as the suburbs of the city of Montevideo as extending 30 miles out, mostly beautiful villas or line country mansions, the residences of wealthy people engaged in the city. And it is certainly a city of great wealth and opulence.

A dog which hy some means was iverlooked in the “Post” report of the recent Dominion ‘Dairy Show at Hawn a was Mr W. 11. Masters’ Myrtleton .Masterpice, a smooth-coated fox terrier, which secured first award in the open and limit section, in addition to a special. Ihe Operatic Society had a fine practice ol “The Pirates of Penzance” on Monday evening. Ihe singers are showing marked signs of improvement, and the dancers, under Mrs Mcßetli, am coming on well. The removal of Captain Dampen, + lie Society’s stage manager, i.s liable to retard progress somewhat. Mr F. W. Wilkie has been appointed stage manager pro tern. At yesterday’s meeting of the National Park Board, the Opunake Town Board notified that Mr H. Kitchingham, of Rahotu, had been appointed its representative on the Board; the Hawera County Council, Mr F. W. Wilkie; New Plymouth Borough Council. Mr W. A. Collie; Stratford Borough Council, Mr R. MoK. Mori son; Taranaki County Council, Mr J. R. Hill ; Hawera Borough Council, Mr C. Goodson; Stratford County Council, Mr W. Rogers; Tourist Department, Messrs S. Percy Smith and R. Dingle. re-appointed for current trienn him. There were fourteen wet days in Stratford during the month of June, and a total of 6.46 in. of rain fell, the heaviest falls being as follows: Ist 2.04 in, 6th 1.20ih, Bth .Clin, 9th • 60m. There were only thirteen wet days at Inglewood, but the totg I fall was nearly an inch greater—6.37in. I he heaviest falls in Inglewood were recorded on the same days as in Stratford—lst 2.osin‘- sth 1.33 in. Bth 1.0Hn., and 9th ,52in, and in addition • 87in. fell on the 2nd. Cnristchurch Press, after expressing very general satisfaction with the new appointments to the Legislative Council, concludes hy remarking : “The only appointment to which any exception is likely to be taken is •that of Mr Earnshaw, who was in the Lower House for some years,’ami showed himself a decidedly live member. That was thirteen years ago, however, and since then very little has been heard of him in public life. Like one of his colleagues, Mr Earnshaw graduated in the Addington Workshops, and is familiar with industrial questions. We think, however, it would have been better if the representative of Labour had been selected from amongst those more immediately in touch with what is going on in the Labour world at the present dav.”

There is' a curious belief attached to the tombstone of Pojfe Sylvester I', lii Saint John Lateran, Rome. This stone is said to become covered with moisture like dew shortly before the death of every Pope. It is reported t.'iat the marble, usually dry, is ■‘sweating” in this way now, and the populace rcgai'd it as a sinister omen. 1 l,e Phenomenon is believed to have eon tinned through the past ten centuries.

Hie Taihape correspondent of the Auckland Star writes that Mr John Morris, of Ohura, had his attention drawn to a potato plant in the midst oi a cop badly affected with blight, any yet showing no trace of the pest. J'he tuber® were used for the propagation oi seed for a fresh crop, which was kept under observation, with, it is stated, most satisfactory results. Ihe tubers are lemon-coloured, well i minded and shapely, and the production ran about 19 tons per acre. Specimens have been submitted to the Agricultural Department, and the result of its investigations will be received by farmers with considerable interest. A correspondent in the far backblocks sends in a story to the effe" that an irate parent reaching homo at -5.30 p.m., or thereabouts, fount! his son had not returned from school. The father at once proceeded to the school-house and presumably in angry tones wanted to know why his boy bad been kept in so late. The teacher allegedly was in the act of inducing a fine feminine bovine to render up to him tile much-prized lacteal fluid and (also allegedly) instead of giving the soft answer that turneth away wrath sprung from his seat beneath the cow, and securing a shovel which was close by, made a vigorous attack on the parent. Thus the fray began. Still allegedly, round one saw the teacher swinging the shovel wildly, finally landing a heavy blow on his antagonist’s “solar plexus” but the parent, who only had Ins hands to defend with, stuck gamely to his man. Bound two proved the finish of the battle—after a bit of scientific ducking and side-stepping, the parent adopting one of James J. Jeffries’ famous rushes, bored in and delivering several nasty uppercuts, secured a jujitsu hold on his opponent, who then cried enough, and retired to a neighbouring water tank to bathe Ids damaged head. Two spectators who (again allegedly) saw the “go” from start to finish declare it was well worth five shillings to see. More is expected as the days roll by.

Tim practice ot the Operatic Society to l)e held to-morrow evening will he for principals only, and us the Town Hall is engaged, it will take place at Mr Grubb’s residence. Before the moot of the North Taranaki Hunt at Stratford to-morrow, the Stratford members of the Hunt * will entertain northern visitors at luncheon at the Stratford Hotel. Some good country has been secured tor the meet. It is reported by the Auckland Star that Mr J. Hartly, who has been employed as a ganger on the Main Trunk between llaurimu and Owhango, is a claimant in connection with the Hartly millions. Mr Hartly was advised to this effect by an Auckland firm of solicitors, and went to Auckland at the end of last week.

The first annual meeting of a rather unique suffrage society, called the Circus Girls’ Union, was recently held in New York. The union was inaugurated just over a year ago, and numbers among its members strong women, equestriennes, tightrope dancers, trick-riders, and columbines. Rev. Anna Shaw, a leader of the American suffrage movement, was present at the birthday celebrations, and the “strong woman” who presided over the gathering was of the opinion that circus performers have a unique opportunity of doing propaganda work for woman suffrage in “wayback” townships, and can introduce subtle allusions to the subject while performing their various feats.

At tho Christchurch Magistrate’s Court yesterday Alfred Henry Steeds, manager of the Flour Millers Association at New Plymouth, was changed with failure to maintain his wife and- child. Complainant also applied for a separation order. Evidence in tho case had previously been heard on commission in New Plymouth, allegations of persistent cruelty having been made. Mr Cunningham appeared for the. complainant and Mr Harper for defendant. After a little legal 9 argument Mr Harper stated that defendant was prepared to pay 30s per week. Mr Cunningham said that he would be prepared to accept 355, and the case was settled on that basis, complainant also being given custody of the child. No evidence was called.

The “ragtime craze” has spread all over the world, and its clusters thickly amongst the songs and musical numbers in the J. C. Williamson pantomime, “Pilss in Boots.” The cause of it all is a certain young gentleman of New York, named Irving Berlin, who this year has received something like £20,000 in royalties from ragtime melodies he has composed. And he is just 24 years of age. Four years ago he was a waiter earning £0 per week in a Bowery cafe. He has little knowledge of music, and he gets the melodies written down as they come from his inventive brain., His first effort he sold for £5. It brought the publishers £4OOO. Then came success after success. “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “The Ragtime Violin,” “The Mysterious Rag,” and “Everybody’s Doin’ It,” are the biggest hits. The first and the last-mentioned (the whole four are in “Puss in Boots”) are the rage for the time being in all parts of the world. Over 3000 copies of each have already been sold.