LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 18, 22 September 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The new Anglican Glnn-ch 'at Masterton, which lias been erected in brick at a cost approximating £IO,OOO, was consecrated ye«tordaj by Bishop Sprott, in the presence of a large assembly.—P.A.

Taranaki possesses forty-one butter factories and seventy-seven cheese factories—total, 118—of which fifteen are dual factories, and make both butter and cheese. Besides these there are fifty skimming stations.

On Saturday a Government surveyor was at work in the vicinity of Warwick Itoad, the object, it is understood, being to survey the suggested route of the Opunake railway line from that point to the "reserved" route" south of Kaponga.

Tlio official opening of the new fish hatcheries at Masterton took place on Saturday. The hatcheries when completed will cost £I6OO. It was announced by the chairman of the Acclimatisation Society (states the Press Association) that a gentleman, whose name he was not permitted to disclose, donated £4OO towards the cost of the hatchery.

The Inglewood Co-operative Bacon Curing Co., Ltd., concluded a very successful year's working on August; 31st, and now notify bonus, return; and dividend, which will be pleanant news for suppliers and shareholders. The total payment amounts to about £BOO. The refund of threepence per pig on the insurance payments is especially satisfactory as indicating a lower percentage of diseased pigs than anticipated.

The success of the Xew Plymouth Operatic Society's presentation of "A Country Girl" at the Town Hall on Thursday would seem to be assured. The box plan opened at Crubb's at 9 o'clock this morning, and before 10 o'clock the whole of the available circle seals with the exception of the back row had been booked. This, it is stated, is a record not surpassed in Stratford even by the most successful bookings for the much-boomed ' J.C.W. productions. J

lii connection with the petition of Pembroke Road settlers to the Stratford County Council to have (locks, daisies, buttercups, and biddibids declared noxious weeds it should be jK)intcd out thai dock is the only one of the woods mentioned at present incorporated in the Noxious Weeds Act, appearing in the third schedule, which deals with "noxious seeds" as differentiated by the Act from "noxious weeds." The inclusion of further woods in the -eeond schedule, which declares what weeds may be declared "noxious weeds,"' can only he obtained bv Order-in-Council.

Dairymen and farmers should carefully note that it is the intention of tin l Agricultural Department to strictly enforce the blackleg regulations during the forthcoming season.

The New Plymouth .Borough Council, in response to a request from the Stratford Chamber of Commerce, passed a resolution on similar lines to the one adopted by the latter body, protesting against the Auckland Railway League's request, with reference to pushing on with the work at the Okahukura end of the Strati'ord-Okahu-kura railway to the neglect of the Stratford end. "The parochialism of these Auckland people it seems is never going to end," said Councillor Johnstone. "They have uo thought whatever as to the need for the progress of the Dominion as a whole, the. whole of their energy is directed to making Auckland the hub of the universe, as it were."

A Christchurch Press Association message states: Regarding the "every member" campaign of the New Zealand Presbyterian Church, in connection with the Canton Villages Mission, progress results for 90 churches give a total .of £4250, or an average of £l7 each. There are still some 110 to send in reports, and £3OOO to get, If these congregations do proportionately as well as the 90, the total of £11,400 required will be easily realised.

Two young men, Melvin Head and Edward Waterson, not much more than youths, were arrested on Saturday before six o'clock, at Manure wa, on a charge of having deserted from H.M.S. New Zealand, at Auckland, on March 4. The Press Association states that Detectives Scott and Gourley made the arrests, having travelled practically all night from St. Hellier's Bay to a dairy farm at the.back of Manurewa on the track of the young fellows, whom they met at the latter place going out with milkpails in their hands to take part in the morning's milking.

A speaking clock has just been shown in Berlin. At every quarter there comes from the inside a voice which calls out the time clearly and distinctly:—"Three o'clock," "A quarter-past three," "Half-past three," aud so on. The invention is due to the idea of a Berlin man, named Selen, whose idea was carried into practice after long wrestling with difficulties by a man named Max Markus. It may prove useful to astronomers, and with a slight change in its working, it could be made to call out the names of the stations in our railway carriages. To exploit this invention, a company is being formed in Berlin, with a capital of £125,ooo.i '

A Wellington correspondent 'writes

—lt is tolerably certain 'that'the Government will not adopt the Select Committee Bill for the reform of the Legislative Council, nor will they allow their own Bill to be set aside in its favour. The Committee, which was set up by the Council, suggest that when vacancies occur the election of members of the Upper House should be made by members of both Houses. The Hon. O, Samuel, who is a strong supporter of the nominative system, suggests that to avoid party contests in the filling of vacancies not more than three vacancies should be filled at any one time, and so- that not more than that number of vacancies should occur on any one day, some of the members retiring next year should bo given extensions of time for one, two or three months. In order that the Council should keep some influence in selecting candidates he urges that the elections should precede the vacancies. At the same time Mr Samuel disclaims responsibility for the Bill brought down by the Select Committee, and says be is not goiug to 1 put it up in opposition to the Government JSIII. To-day is being observed as Dominion Day, and the offices of the local banks and solicitors are closed.