LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 89, 19 August 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The School Committee holds its monthly meeting this evening.

The annual meeting of the No-licens League will be held this evening h tho Methodist Sunday School.

At the annual meeting of the El tham Co-operative Dairy Co. on Satur day night, it was resolved to form ; testing association.

The Auckland Rugby team to play Xew South Wales on August 27 wit be the same as played against .Taranaki last Saturday.

In the Supremo Court at Auckland, upon tho application of Mr S. Spence (Spence and Stanford), His Honor Mi Justice Edwards granted probate ol the will of Mrs Sarah Ann Scott, late of Stratford, widow, to G. F. Scott and Bessie Scott, the executors named in the will.

“Does your husband drink?” queried counsel during the hearing of a case for a separation order at the Napier Court on Tuesday. “Xo,” answered the witness, “and he does not smoke.” “Oh,” said counsel, “he has some virtues then.” Witness: “T would rather have a man who drank.” “Why?” queried his Worship. Witness: “‘Because ho would have more feeling for his wife and family.”

A. challenge of interest to choppers is issued by Mr J. E. Shewry, who offers to chop any competitor at the Wanganui or Eltham carnivals. The stipulated conditions are for I2in., loin., 18in., 20in., and 2ft blocks (standing) for the sum of £2O a block, and the match to take place either in Stratford or Whangamomona early in December. The challenge is inserted in our advertising columns.

A local smoker of the seductive cigarette got a mild shock last evening as he prepared for a cosy time in the paternal armchair before the lire. A packet of State Express and the tissues were new-found joys, but, alas, when the former was opened it war found to contain nothing hut pieces of well-packed toilet paper. The tobacconist in town readily made good, and the only question he considers that remains, to be answered is whether it was an instance of cargo broaching or a little joke on the part of the packer in tho tobacco factory. On his dying oath, the purchaser, is prepared to swear that the packet seal was intact.

I The suffragettes, in burning down 1 Ballikinrain, have unconsciously re- ■ venged an old unhappy insult against their sex, remarks an English writer. Within sight of tho house a son of Hob Hoy, Robin Og, made a dash up on the farm of Edinbellie and carried off as a bride a wealthy widow named Wrs Jean Kay. Robin’s father before him had in the same way laid violent hands upon Helen Macgregor. But the times were out of joint for the son. The law in the meantime had grown up and decided that what was suitabl: for the father was unfitted for the son.; so a gallows was erected for Robin, and when he was caught lie was fitted bo the gallows, and there the romance ended.

When the night roaming of a girl I who was committed to the Auckland Industrial School was being mentioned to Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M., at the Juvenile Court, a statement was mad to the magistrate of an improper practice. Mr Shell, the Education Board’s officer, whoso duty is to keep a beneficient eye on vagrant children, said that lie had been told that a doorkeeper at one place of amusement had made a practice of frequently allowing girls between the age of 15 and IS years to go into the show without payment. The magistrate stated that the practice was one which was improper. It might have arisen from innocent kindness, hut it was liable to a very sinister inetrpretation, and it was wrong for girls to accept favors of the sort.

Tho usual 1.20 p.m. train will leave New Plymouth on Thursday at -5.32 p.m. alter the Rugby match, Taranaki B v. Auckland B. Cheap fares are available for tho day. dhe Eltham Dairy Co. paid out last year lor cheese 12d and for butter 11.52 d. The balance-sheet shows assets amounting to £49,262 4s 7d, and liabilities £46,035 10s 9d, leaving a credit balance of £3226 13s lOd. The working account showed that £77,624 IDs 3d had been advanced to suppliers; £10,5/ 7 15s 6d manufacturing charges, £349 16s trade charges, £1540 Os 7d export charges, £2051 13s 7d general charges, £ISOO depreciation. Receipts: Butter sales £36,252 Is hi; cheese sales, £60,517 19s lid, Iho local Territorials seem to he sparing no cost in their efforts to make their hall on the 28th a tremendous success. In securing the services of Crozicr’s well-known Marton orchestra, which is considered by many to provide the best dance music in the North Island, and with the great spectacular effect of tho various uniforms, all branches of the service being represented, the public should look forward to tho most successful function of its kind yet held in this district.

On Sunday last two young men went up to the Stratford Mountain House jiiSu for the day, but finding the day so clear and a caretaker in occupation of the house, they decided to go up the mountain as far as possible, and coining back remain at the house all night, ibis they did, but relations got anxious, and at midnight decided to go and took for- them. The caretaker got a shock when at 2.30 a.m. a vigorous knocking came at tho door by the party in search. Of course all anxieties were soon put at rest, but the telephone would have overcome all the difficulty.

Official tables showing the decrease in ploughed land in the United Kingdom have just been published. These tables indicate a slight recovery in wheat growing in the present century, and a fair increase in permanent pasture, but at the expense of arable laud. In Scotland the increase in wheat and pasture is more substantial. Although in forty years there is a total decline of only 408,865 acres in the total cultivation figures, it is due to the great increase of grass land, wheat average having fallen by 1,664,956 and arable land by 3,755,.337.

During a debate in the Argentine Chamber on 2nd July on the alleged frozen meat trust, speakers representing all parties admitted the existence of an American meat trust in the Argentine, the object of which, they said, was to kill competition. Son or Atencip pointed out that the British Government had never held out any hope that British ports would be opened again to ■ Argentine! cattle. Sorior Zeballos, declared that the meat, houses bought by the Americans now, belonged to a world combine established in the United States. He added that 50 per cent, of the meat consumed in Buenos Aires was supplied by the trust.

Captain James Dick, of the Oamaru Harbor Board, who died at Oamaru on . Wednesday, was a witness of the fight between the Merrixuac and -the Monitor, off Fortress Munro, in 1863,; during the American. Civil War. The Monitor had just come into the James. River in the morning, and a few hours after the Merrimac appeared for me purpose of destroying the shipping in the port at the time. Captain Dick used to relate how his vessel, which was loaded with prisoners of r. ar, fell subsequently into the hands or the enemy, only to be retaken by the Northerners a few days later. At the close of the war Captain Dick came to New Zealand.

Sir Joseph Ward proceeded to Winton last night, and was given, a very cordial reception. He was. entertained at dinner by the Borough Council and citizens, and presented with an address of welcome. Subsequently he was entertained at a conversazione at which his supporters presented him with an address eulogising his services to the Empire, the Dominion, and his own constituency, and expressing a hope that he would again assume the leadership of the Liberal Party. Sir Joseph M ard’s replies were on the same lines as previously, and ho gave no indication of his intentions regarding the Liberal leadership.— P.A.

I The Stratford Mountain House will evidently be more popular next season than hitherto. Improvements are being effected, chief amongst them being the laying on of the telephone. The posts are now down for this purpose all the way to the house, and in a very short time communication will be available to and from the house. This is necessary, as people who go to tho House intending to stay only the one day. frequently find so much new and interesting that cannot be adequately viewed and enjoyed in the time at their disposal that they express a desire to stay overnight and spend the following day on the Mountain; hut as thev are expected back home at a certain time, and as they have no moans of notifying their friends' of their intended change oi plans, tboyare compelled to leave the Mountain. But the installation of the telephone will alter all this.