LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 44, 22 October 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The annual examination at tin Stratford School will be held on Thurs dav and Friday of tnis week.

During the past year the Fire Brigade held -2\) nutters. Foreman Kow&on and Fireman YV. Brocklebank recorded the highest attendance (27), while about half dozen members hac. the creditable record of 26.

At last night's, Fire Brigade dinner two-year service ' bars were presented 'to Foreman Bowson and Fireman Crossan and Btii-gess, any', a ,' threeyear ' service 'certificate''' to Firemaf, bavey.

Mr P. Skoglimd, Town Clerk, in ; letter to the secretary of the Schoo Committee under date, ChristchiVrch October Bth, states: "l.am vapidly re corering from my operation, and hop to be home in about three weeks.' "The letter was in reply to one convey iug v tq Mr.Skcsglundthe Committee'! sympathy! The Committee granted M Skoglmul .further leave of absence.

Some phanges are announced a likely to be made in Messrs Borth wick and Sons' engineering staffs■ i. Waitara, Melbourne and Brisban (states the Waitara Mail). Mr L Smaill, now second engineer at Wai tara. is under orders to take up dut; in Melbourne as chief 6i the engine room at the Brooklyn Works, wliil Mr S. Letts, at present in charge i: Melbourne, will go to Brisbane. Th appointmnt of a successor to M Smaill in Waitara has yet to be made

Year by year "The Weekly Press' Christinas Annual seems to excel it self in daintiness and beauty, and this year sees its greatest advance. Anion the contents are photographic reproductions of charming beauty spots in all parts of New Zealand. It i difficult to find a new subject for : Christmas annual, but two have bee discovered in ''Workers of the Dominion," and ••Seasons.'' Both ar admirably treated, and the admirable shilling's worth increases the high re putation established by former issues for artistic chronicling of things New Zealand.

An interesting operation was performed at a blacksmith's shop in Gis borne last week, when several bullocks were shod. This is an unique experi--1 meni for the district (says the Herald), and, as a matter of fact, the shoeing of bullocks is rarely heard of. The animals which went under the j operation were four of a team, the two j polei's and the two leaders. The ! owner explained that he was having j the beasts shod as an experiment, for j he found that tiic rough metal on the roads caused the bullocks to go lame. If this lot proved a success, he would have the others done. The bullocks Wi'ro shod on their four feet, and the blacksmith who carried out the work said it was the first lot in his L'S years' experience that he had shod. although he had seen it done before. A strong race was erected in which the bullocks were fastened, and the leg being lifted over the rail and securely roped, then l was no fear of much damage being done should the beast resent the treatment. However, they submitted to the ordeal nuiotly ; The shoes used were quite different from the ordinary horse-shoe, owing to. the cloven hoof of the bullock", and were in two parts, n piece for each claw of the hoof.

The infant department of the Stratford School in every year well ahead of any oilier school in the Dominion, and this year the Headmaster states that it is better than it has been in any year since he has been in charge of the school. A young couple who had been sweethearts had quarrelled. One day the former lover had to make a business call on the girl's lather, and she answered the door. "I beg your pardon," said the young man, keeping his nerve remarkably well. "Miss Perkins, I think? Fs your father in?" "No, he's not, I'm sorry to say. Did you wish to see him personally:'" asked the maiden, without the slightest sign of recognition showing in her eyes. "Yes; but it will do to-morrow. Thank you. 1 will call again. Good afternoon." As he reached the bottom step the lady spoke: "Pardon me. Wiio shall I say called?'' It is understood that arrangements have been made between the Stratford Borough and County Councils whereby the road roller owned by the former will at such times as it is not required in the Borough be hired for I use on the County roads. The bene-

fit derived from an arrangement of this kind will be mutual, for during the greater portion of the year the County Council has plenty of work for two rollers, and otherwise would probably be forced into purchasing a second one for itself, whilst on the other hand the Borough Council will further prove the wisdom of its recent purchase in that the latter will be a source of revenue at such times when

it is not required in its own domain

Fate decreed on Thursday morning (says the Lyttelton Times) that Mr A. W. Bishop, solicitor, should appear a fraction of a minute late before a sitting of the Civil Court presided over by his father, Mr H. W. Bishop. .Magistrate, and the case was struck out. The son tendered a laggard application that the case should be reinstated. "Why weren't you here?" said the Magistrate. "The" Court was too earlv off the mark," said the son;

"too punctual." "Seems to me," said the Magistrate, "that you have had an excellent example of punctuality all your life, and yon ought to have profited by it." The case was reinstated, amid laughter all round, and judgment was given for plaintiff In- default.

"For the present Britannia rules some of the waves," said Mr John S. Ewart, K.C., a member of the Canadian Bar, in the course of an interview. He was referring to Australia's navy, which lie regarded as the beginning of a new era and the end of colonialism, Australia now (but for some continuing forms) being in the relation of a sister rather than of a laughter of the United Kingdom. L'he British naval control of the Paci.ic was now abandoned, and Australia took it over, and the trident in Australasian waters lias passed from the United Kingdom to Australia. It was the most noteworthy and significant fact in the history of colonial development.'

An opportune question was asked it the meeting of the Bruce (5.1.) County Council, when a councillor losired information as to the rule of

:lie road governing motors passing led lovses, and remarked at this season I the year, when stallions were being ed on the roads, it might lead to accidents if there were no set rule as •to which fide the horses should be passed. The chairman pointed out that the county by-laws provided that a led horse should be en the right hand ,ide of the person in charge, who must on all occasions lie between the led iniinal and anybody passing or meeting hint on the road. The "right" side for the groom was on the rightlund side of the road along which he M\s proceeding.

, Tie inspection of a fine powerful steam trawler is to be made in Melitourne in a iow days by Mr R. S. Alward, managing director of the Xew Zealand Trawling Fish Supply Company, with the assistance of an engineering expert from v the Dominion. with a view to her purchase by that company. The vessel is named the Siraplon. She is larger than . the Nora Xiven. a vessel which has done such good work in the Xew Zealand fisheries, and she is fitted with freezing machinery. The Simplon is in every respect an up-to-date trawler, if she comes to Xew Zealand she will Ise principally employed in Hawke's Bay waters, where she will take the place of two or three of the company's small steamers. Commenting on the Fuller-" Triad" libel case, heard at Auckland, Sydney "Theatre" says:—"The Xew Zealand Press chronicles of the case show that the plaintiff was badgered in an unmerciful manner throughout the hearing. His Honor, it must be assumed, was quite sound upon his law. \io .--aid that it would not assist the plaintiff's ca.se if he brought all the professors in Xew Zealand to prove he had a first-class voice. That being so, why allow the right to opposing counsel to do his best to convey to the jury by means of cross-examina-tion, directed expressly to that purpose, that Mr Fuller's voice was something too absurd to fie entertained seriously? The cross-examination seems not to have been confined to the issue. "What appears to have been done was to make sport of an old man in a way most unbecoming to a court of law."

The annual meeting of the Swimming Club set down for last night was postponed till Monday next.

Next Monday'is Labor Day, but it is not certain yet if it will be largely observed as a holiday. The banksj and legal offices will close, but the Auctioneers have decided to remain open. The Retailers' Association meets this evening to consider the matter.

A Press Association message from Hawera to-dgy. states: A largely attended Liberal rally was held the Opera House last night. Addresses were given by Messrs J. C. Thomson, H. Atmore, and L. M. Isitt. A resolution was carried congratulating Sir Joseph Ward assuming the Leadership of the Liberal Party.

Twenty civil cases (three marked defended) and six judgment summons cases are set down for hearing at the Court on Friday. Three charges against Whangamomona people of failing to send children to school, and six charges against one person of breaking the Post Office regulations will also be heard.

Yesterday Mr J. Brake landed a #out" which probably constitutes a record for weight this, season in the Stratford district. The fish was in splendid -condition, and weighed six pounds and a quarter. It was taken from the Patea River in the vicinity of Skinner Road.

At Mr Newton King's wool, skin and tide sale, held yesterday, some record prices were realised for produce. Tin's srason's wool old "P to lb; cow hides realised 9fd, dry cow selling ns high as lOfd per lb; ox hides up to lOd. per lb; calfskins to 12§d, and sheep'skins up to 18s 3d each. These prices are-equal to any realised throughout the Dominion, and serve to show the importance that the Stratford sale has now attained.,

The following new hooks have been added to the Stratford Public Librarv:__"The Iron Trail," Rex Beach; ::fhe Woman Thou Gav'st Me," Hah Caine; "The L-pfrit or the West," Joseph Hocking; "A Lancashire Cavalier" J Kneeshaw; "An Average Mai-," Robert H. Benson; "Peter Piper," D. E. Jones; "The Grey Countess," Theo. Douglas; "God's Clay " Claude Askew; "The Regent, Arnold Jiennett; "Below Stairs," Miss Sidgwick, : "Mrs Day's Daughters,' M! E. Mann; "The Hoop of Gold, George Ford; "General John B A. Birmingham; "Magpie House, A. Soutar; "The Golden Butterfly,' W. Beasant and J. Rice.

At yesterday's meeting'or airoctors of the Cardiff Co-operative Dairy Factory Co., Mr White, of the Arm of Lovell and Christmas, 1 London', to whom the season's output of tne factory has again this year been consigned, waited on the meeting and on behalf of his firm handed over a very handsome solid silver vase as a memorial present from- the firm, in commemoration of twenty continuous years oi business with the Cardiff factory, during the whole of which time its entire output has been steadily consign■ed. This, it is believed, is a record in the dairy produce business of the colony. The secretary of the company/ Mr T. Harry Penn, states that the handsome gift will be shown at the Hawera and Stratford shows.