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Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10, 12 September 1913, Page 4

The To Awamutu Chamber of Commerce, following up their crusade in the matter of le.vel crossings, wrote to Mr Edison, the famous inventor, and asked his opinion in to the difficulties which it had been stated existed in the matter of the establishment of automatic signals. A reply was received from Mr Edison, dated Orange, New Jersey, August 1, in the course of which he said: "Let me •say that there are many devices already in u&e where a train approaching a crossing rings a bell electrically. This is simple. Any of your electrician engineers could apply to your crossings an electrical device which will automatically ring a bell at the crossings long in advance of the train's approach."

Some curious tales have been told by the Natives at the hearing of the Kautuku case by the Native Land Court (says the Poverty Bay Herald). One deals with a phantom canoe, which happened about 200 years ago. A chief was startled in the night by hearing voices chanting a haka. All alert in case of danger, he awakened his companions, and told them what was happening. They listened attentively, and could hear the urging of the rowers of the canoe, in poetical language, to make, for the shore. A sleepless night was spent, and when daylight broke all eyes were turned anxiously seaward, but no sight of any canoe could be seen. One man more venturesome than the rest proceeded to the beach to see if any footprints were visible, and found on the beach a stone canoe with paddlers and steersman in stone by. its side. This, the Natives declare, can often be seen to this day when the sea washes away the sand and leaves the canoe uncovered. The place is known by a Maori name signifying the phantom haka.

An incident at the Patea County Council's- meeting on Monday, says the Waverley Tribune, suggests that it would be a good plan to have proposition forms printed so that motions could be written, signed by the proposer and seconder, handed to the chairman and passed on to the clerk, to be filed after disposal. That would obviate mistakes, omissions, and, occasionally, disputes as to what a member had really proposed. "The cost," concludes the Tribune, "would be a bagatelle. This is not urged in the interests of the Tribune; the Patea Press would do the work cheaply."

Thus the Waverley Tribune: Some of our remarks in connection with the Patca-Waverley junior football match, oh Saturday i last, have ruffled' tho •gentleman'wlijq acted as referee in ib. At his instance a firm'of Pata solicitors demand, of the Tribune ample retraction' and apology, adding ing prompt compliance our client will have no alternative but to seek redress in Court." Reply has been made refusing compliance with the demand. '

The people of New Zealand will have • "ah" opportunity of observing a total eclipse of t the moon next Monday evening. The moon will enter the shadow *■ of the earth at 10.23 p.m., and will leave it at 2.14 a.m. on the Tuesday. The eclipse will reach the total phase at 11.31 p.m., and will begin to break at 1.5 a.m., complete darkness thus reigning for Ihr 34min. An interest-' ing feature of the eclipse is that the moon, .just at this time, is at the greatest distance from' the earth—--252,950 miles. She is in perigree—that is, at her least distance—on September Ist and September 30th, and as that means she is 221,620 miles away, it is evident that the distance varies very considerably during this month. If the evening of the 15th is clear (states the New Zealand Times), amateur astronomers will have an excellent opportunity of studying an eclipse in all its phases. Persons using field-glasses as small telescopes will, it is stated, see much that is interesting that is not visible to the naked eye. It will be possible, for instance, to watch the dark body of the eclipsed moon passing over small stars which are too faint to be visible during ordinary moonlight.

' The Liverpool owned steamer Maiorese struck off the South Stack oil July 20, and went down with the loss of four lives. The Board of Trade inquiry shows that the man at the helm at the time of the wreck was a Spaniard, Jose Alvarado, who simply could, not undestand English. Ho gave his evidence through an interpreter, and stated that when the articles were read over to him he did not understand them. One of the assessors, with great temerity, asked Alvarado whether he would understand if he were asked to steer a. course "southwest by south," but Alvarado did not understand what was being said, and the stipendiary remarked in disgust, "Just fancy putting a man like this to steer a ship." Alvarado could not understand at all when he was asked to mark a certain course on the compass card, and the magistrate remarked : "He has no idea of it at all." The Board of Trade representative said he must have known more than it seemed for he had been so long on these ships, and the owners' representative .said the man.had to pass a Board of Trade examination in English. The court was plainly astonished at this evidence of foreign planning of British ships.

A first offending drunkard, who did not put m an appearance, was lined 5s at the Court this morning.

Sydney Elliott Skcllern, a young j man barged ab Rotorua with having: on March 18th stolen a note from the Aost office at Manakau, and also with having, on June 9th, stolen a packet| containing two postal notes valued at £1 and 2s 6d respectively from the post office at Manakau, pleaded guilty and was remanded to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail was allow-ed.-P.A.

Judgment hy default was given in the following cases at the Court this morning: J. Masters and Son v. A. Cameron, £1 7e 4d, costs ss; W. H. H. Wg v. George Gedgc, £l2 2s 3d costs £2 7s 6d; Wilson, Drake and Co v Albert Cameron, £8 18s M, costs £1 3s 6d; L. T. Hight Bros. £l7 2s- 9d costs £1 1P» 6dl F. M. Marlow v. George Ward, £l'lOs, costs ss.

Encouraging reports have been received in Christchurch (states the Press Association) from many parts ot the campaign for the Canton Villages Mission. The total in hand is £bdUU. principal contributions were: St. Windrow's. Christchurch, £300; St. Paul's, Christchurch, £200; Knox Church, Christchurch, £130; Trinity Church, Timaru, £177; St, Andrew s, Dunedin, £107; St. Andrew's,! Wellington, £ll2.

It appears that people who are caught driving gigs at night without . lights do not now bother to argue the point with the .Borough Inspector, who recently told one offender that h< • would have to go before the Court, and that he (the Inspector) would not 1 drop the charge even if offered th< whole of Taranaki as a; bribe. O September 3rd, at 7.45 p.m., the In- ' spector caugnt one S, Fulcher driving a gig without lights in Hamlet Street. • The Inspector, asked whey no lights . were carried? receiving the very ret signed reply: "Oh, yes; you've caught me alright." The necessary taking ' of name and address concluded operations for that day; and the incident was finally closed at the Court this morning, when the offender was fined £l, with costs 7s.