LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 51, 5 July 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Owing to a sufficient audience not materialising last night the performance advertised to be given hy Bason, magician, at the Town Hall, was abandoned. • < ■

The Stratford Acclimatisation Society intends to deal with a hundred thousand brown trout ova this season in two lots of fifty thousand each, one ba-tch to be hatched and liberated before the other is procured. ,The. first batch of fifty i thousand came to. hand on Thursday,, and was taken to the Society's hatchery.

The annual meeting of the Dairy Employers' Industrial Union wajjj held in Stratford on Wednesday. Mr R. Dingle was re-appointed president, aud Mr J. Marx vice-president. Mr John Connett, of Bell Block, was appointed to the executive in "place bl Mr A. Brown, of Midhirst, who * will not, ; it is said, be a resident of the district oh his return from his trip to the Old Country. :

In a letter to his brother in Stratford Mr 11. D. Harkness, writing from Jersey, states that this year's champion yearling heifer on the island is by Silverlocks, a bull bought previously by Mr Harkness and now in his possession. Mr Harkness was struck by the prettiness of Jersey. All the farm houses and buildings are of brick, and very often the cowshed is joined to the residence. Mr Darkness attended the Royal Agricultural Show on the island. A total of 168 cows were entered for the butter-fat competition, the winner, a heifer, giving 3.61b.0f butter from 291!) of milk in 24 hours. The largest amount of milk in the competition was 551 b. Mr Harkness states that he had been approached by a number of people who were desirous of coming to New Zealand. I

The Executive Committee of the Stratford A. and P. Association met last night at the secretary's office. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs W. H. H. Young and R. McK. Morison. On the motion of Mr J. 1). Healy, seconded by Mr W. P. Kirkwood, it was resolved to tender Mr W. H. H. Young the Executive's condolence in the decease of his father, the late Mr W. S. Young. Correspondence was received from the Stratford Pigeon and Poultry Society, and it was decided to present the Pigeon and Poultry Society with a gold medal for competition in terms of their lettor. A sub-committee consisting of Messrs J. D. Healy, J. B. Bichards, and W. P. Kirkwood, was set up to meet the District Railway Engineer and go into the question of a siding at the show grounds. Mr A. Stewart tendered his resignation from the Executive Committee as from the Ist August. This was accepted with regret, several members testifying to the good work done by Mr Stewart for the Association.

The rainiest day on record anywhere in England was August 6, 1857, when the rain-guage at'Scarborough, holding 9J inches, was filled to overflowing. An esteemed country subscriber called at the "Post" office this morning and imploringly asked that Ave "give some o' thae motorists a bit touch." Although he finds most motorists fail' and roasonable, there are some who want the whole road to themselves. We hope that if this meets the eye of an offender ho will take notice.

An Otago farmer has found himself mulcted in the sum of £l4 odd, over and above the freight charges, in respect to four wagons of wheat consigned from Waitahuna to Dunedin, the penalty for over-weight sacks being 10s per ton.

Ohura residents have for some time been agitating for a mail service from Stratford, and the matter will be discussed at the next meeting of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce. A coach road from Stratford to the Main Trunk line, via Whangamomona and Ohura will be opened shortly, about a month's work being required to complete the bridges.

At the meeetiug of the West Australian Alliance, when it passed a resolution that the Local Option Bill to be dealt with during the coming session should include a clause making the responsibility of compensation for any personal injury resulting from liquor rest on the house where the person received his last previous drink, one delegate protested that he had been in such a condition that for his life he could not tell where he was when last served.

The consumption of spirits in New Zealand increased from £1 17s 9d per head in 1911 to £2 Os 2d per head in 1912, the quantities being 792,794 gallons in 1911 and 863,797 gallons in 1912. Tobacco increased from 2,303,4481 b in 1911 to 2,406,0971 b in 1912, representing £1 3s ll|d per head in 1911 and £1 4s 5| in 1912. Cigars, cigarettes, and snuff increased from 11 s-4-Jd per head to 12s 7ijd per head. Wine consumed in 1911 was 143,136 gallons (Is o|d per head); .in 1912, 752,934 gallons (Is ljd per head). Ale and beer were as follow: —1911, 273,650 gallons, or 9d per head; 1912, 296,362 gallons, or '9£d per head; tea, 1911, 8,066,1513 b; 1912, 7,680,2831 b, there being a decrease in this lastitem from 7:501b per head to 6.97 per head.' :. . . . , . ■

Now is the season for tree-planting : and wise people do not forget that '' trees grown in Stratford are more ; likely to thrive than trees that have grown in'a milder climate. 'Therefore, Mr R. McK. Morisbn's splendid stock of . fruit. trees',, ornamental' , trees, shelter, trees, hedge plants' and' shrugi,' should 'be. in great Remand. ' Added■ to'.this is'the'fact that a por- ''

tibn of the Xursery grounds' having' been sold, Mr Morison must clear out the stock on that site within the next months, and everything is to. go accordingly at greatly reduced prices. Mr Morison also takes this opportunity of denying a rumour to the effect that he is giving up his Xursery business. ' ' ' I "''

A lady, doctor, Dr. Scott, was .re-], eently selected, by ,the Government,; for duty at Whangamomona, .and she proceeded to the township witli, MrCourt, last Saturday, but she soon , decjded that Whangamomona would , not suit her, and returned to Stratford on Monday. Dr Scott was selected by the Government without con-i suiting the members, "of the Whangamomona Medical Association, who are to meet on Tuesday to go into the whole matter. A proposition will be made that the Government be urged to cable to England for a elector for the district.

On Thursday, in his Stratford yards, Mr Newton King held a dispersal sale on account of Mr Thos. Webb, the well-known breeder of Ayrshire cattle and Berkshire pigs. Buyers were 'present in good numbers from all puts of/the province. The Ayrslhres were well distributed through the district, and two heifers were purchased for the Moumahaki State Farm. There was excellent bidding for the fine lot of pedigree pigs offered, the highest price being paid for a sow, "Lucy of Pair Farm," which was purchased for Moumahaki at fifteen guineas. The three other sows submitted\sold at fourteen, ten and.five guineas; and Mv Webb claims that these are record juices for pigs in Xew Zealand. The saw sold to the Government was last night delivered of a litter of ten fine pigs. Other prices realised were:—. Pedigree Ayrshire bulls 7 to 13gns, young bulls 3f to sgns, pedigree Ayrshire cows from 9 to 20gns, averaging 14-J-gns; pedigree Ayrshire heifers (no pedigree) £l3 2s 6d to £l7 10s, grade cows from £S to £l3, averaging £9 for the line of 15; pedigree Berkshire hoars 3J to 10.|gns, breeding sows £1 5s to £2 12s 6d; foot milking machine £G 10s. hayrake £6 15s, mower £7 10s, drill £B, harrows £3 2s 6d, s.f. oloKgh £5.