LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 87, 16 August 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

'■The annual meeting of the Stratford No-License League will he held on Tuesday evening. ' [

A ; Napier Press’ Association wire states that the Arbitration Court allowed the appeal of A. McHardy, sheep farmer, against the Inspector of Awards in connection with a fine of £25 for dismissing shearers who refused to shear his sheep on the grounds’ that they were wet The Court held that the sheep in question were not wet, and the men were not justified in suspending work.

What’s in a name? In England they speak of the Cinematographia. In England and France the term has been abbreviated into the Cinema. In Germany they speak of the Kinos. The Americans call the pictures the Movies. Stratfordians are content with Bernard’s! “Everylady’s Journal”—the Australian magazine for women, in its August issue, just published, strikes a note of general interest and entertainment with such articles as “The Literary Girl Who Goes to London,” Miss Roberts on “Billiards for Women/’ “The Story of Captain Oates,” “The Splendour of the English Court,” and some fine short stories.

It was intended that a big contingent of Stratford residents should be present at the banquet at Whangamomona last night, and full arrangements were made for them, but at the last minute some of those who intended to make the journey found themselves unable to do so, and others decided that the only train arrangement possible would bo too unsatisfactory to make the journey worth while.

The anniversary social in connecI lion with the St. Andrew’s Sunday School was held last evening. ' Despite the inclemency of the weather, the I hall was well filled. The programme I was varied and interesting, and the ; social highly enjoyable. The items were nearly all rendered by the children, | who had been carefully prepared by . Mrs Campbell and Miss Mackay. The | meeting opened with a hymn “The 1 Children’s Festal Day,” and was renI dered by six of the Sunday school j girls A couple of dialogues—one by j the senior girls and one by the juniors—added to the amusement of the evening The superintendent (Mr 11. MicK. 'Morison) expressed pleasure at seeing so many present, and spoke of the faithful work done by the teachers and the harmony prevailing in the Sunday School. The Rev. J. Pattison gave a short address dealing with the responsibility of parents for the religious welfare of their children. During the evening, the annual prizes were given out, a large number of children receiving useful books. At the close of the meeting, the teachers handed round re-

freshments, and this closed a very profitable and enjoyable evening.

An interesting yearly publication to hand is the twenty-third annual report of the Jubilee institute for the Blind. The amount of contributions from Stratford last year was £l2 15s.

The warship Torch has arrived at Sydney from Noumea. Her future movements are uncertain, but one report says that she pays off and drops out of active service.—(Cable). The partnership hitherto existing between Air J. C. Davis and Mr A. L. Walker, ns blacksmiths, in Stratford, lias been dissolved by mutual consent, as from the 13th, and business will, in future,' he carried on by Mr J. C. Davis, on his own account. The Whangamomona Domain Board, which turned out in full force to meet the Hon. W. Fraser yesterday evidently intends to see that the town’s recreation grounds are not neglected, and they have just received a notice that Messrs Hodder and Tolley, of

Palmerston North, have’ donated sufficient seed to grass the Domain.

There was almost a frenzied rush of savings bank depositors on Monday (says the Lyttelton Times) to withdraw some part of their savings, presumably for a “flutter” at the races. “We will have the same faces here all the week,” said an official, as be handed out rolls of notes.

One Stratford resident who accompanied the Hon. W. Fraser on his trip to the Tahora tunnel on Friday is in a good position to make an affidavit on the question whether or not there is mud at the near end of the tunnel. He was gaily walking along on one of the tram rails when his foot slipped and he measured hi® length in the ditch beside the line. He arose with a good deal of pipeclay mud lodged about his clothing, but some vigorous work with a clothes brush on his return to Whangamomona restored him to presentability On Monday night next a meeting of a very interesting character will be presided over by the Rev. Reader, when Adjutant Scotney of the Boys home, Eltham, will deliver an address in the Salvation Army Hall, on the social work of the Salvation Army. The Adjutant has had a long experience as, an officer in the Army, and this meeting will be instructive and helpful to those who attend. The Rev. Pattison will also speak, and special singing and music will be included in the programme.. A collection will bo made in aid of the Eltham Boys’ Home. Adjutant Scotney will also conduct services on Sunday.

At the Wellington Supreme Court a petition has been filed praying that Herdman Lewis, of Wellington", be adjudged a bankrupt. iThe ’ petitioning creditor / is Charles Pratt, who holds ■a 'chequei for- £450 signed by Lewis which was dishonoured. A Press Association telegram says the petition states that on or about July 19, Lewis committed an act of bankruptcy by leaving his house with intent to defeat and delay his. creditors.

The latest and best story from outback has to do with the incident which (the Feilding Star says) occurred only a few days ago on a farm npt more than 101 miles from, say, Te Arakura. A young farmer, noticing the cows were eating and destroying some-man-golds he had heaped up in a small paddock. for his pigs in the winter, decided at once to go to work and mend the fence. Yoking up his horse and cart, and putting what wire and tools he needed into the cart, ho drove through the gap in the troublesome fence, and started in real earnest to work. Imagine his disgust when, having finished his four hours of wiretightening, plus post-hole digging, fitting, etc., he found that he had no way of getting the horse and cart out of the paddock. There was no gate. Ho had to pull down the fence lie had just put up.

At last night’s banquet at Whangamomoua Mr Court made reference to the Public Works Department, and took some pains to indicate the attitude' of its officers towards settlers. He was careful to state that he desired to hurt nobody’s feelings; but the Public Works men seemed to regard the settler as a “regrettable incident,” and he seemed to be trained up to do anything and everything calculated to benefit the Department’s bank balance. Outside his duties, said Mr Court, the Public Works man was as human as any other mortal, but in working hours he seemed to live one idea and only one—the Department’s bank balance. The speaker then proceeded to complain of the charges made by the Department for the use of its tramway. In this connection a settler tells a good story. He met the Public Works tram driver, who said: “Oh, I’ve taken up your fencing wire.” The settler thought what a jolly good fellow the train man was to shift the wire up merely out of good nature, and presented him with a florin as a kind of memento. The settler, however, rather grudged the florin when, later oh, he received an account from the Department for thirty shillings for carrying his ton of wire four miles.