LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 55, 5 November 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Dominion newspaper, 'Wellington, which lias been established six years, has declared its first dividend of 5 per cent. A meeting of the Bible-in-Schools League will be held this (Weduesdat - ) evening- at 8 o’clock in St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Hall. The Rev. P. •Clarkson (Organising Secretary) will be the speaker. There was an interesting addition made to the number of inhabitants in the Royal Oak Zoo, Auckland, on Sunday, when the lioness gave birth to four cubs. The newcomers appear to be cpiite lively and healthy. To-day is the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot—the conspiracy in 1600 to blow up the British House of Parliament. The youth of Stratford this morning celebrated the anniversarv in the time-honored fashion.

A woman has designed the Australian Federal capital. Mr Griffin, the architect of the prospective city of Canberra, has stated in public that bis wife is practically the designer and planner of all the works which have emanated from their house. “My wife is the genius ; 1 am only the business man.” said Air Griffin, who is very soon going to America to bring along Airs Griffin. An improvement has been carried out at His Majesty's Theatre by the provision of extra electric lights on the balcony. Thirty .12 c.p. lights have been placed around the balcony railing, and when they are alight the theatre presents "a very bright appearance. Air Sid Bernard carried out the work.

Cr. -Richards spoke a£ last meeting of the Borough Council on the necessity of controlling through motor traffic, and that something should he done in the matter was demonstrated this morning. Two (motor cycles ran through Broadway aft a high rate of speed, and one had a syren attached to the exhaust, while the exhaust of tin l other wa sopen and made a great clatter. In view of the great noise the machines made it is a wonder that none of the horses standing in the street at the time were startled.

Advico received from Blenheim shows that there was absolutely no foundation for the rumored death of Air H. H. Campbell, the well-known Taranaki hotelkeeper. A first-offending drunkard who had been remanded for a week for medical treatment, was lined os at the Court this morning and ordered to pay expenses totalling 40s. Air S. B. Hunter, J.P., was on the bench. Air George Stewart, of George road, lias a cow widen, about a month ago, gave birth to four calves (says the AVyndham Herald). One calf is being reared. Had he been about he could have saved two more. The sire was a pine Holstein and the dam an ordinary crossbred.

Owing to the shops being closed on Alonday week, because it was Labour Day, Auckland advocates of the shops being open on Saturday afternoon had a reversal to the .old system of business. It ? is claimed (states the Star) that the result was very satisfactory, which is argued to be evidence that if the premises were not closed, Saturday is still popular with the shopping public. 4 rouble occurred at the railway workshops at Westport one day last meek over dispensing with the services of a casual, a married man," living in the town and giving employment in his

place to a single man, said to be an immigrant, of something less than six months’ residence in Westport. There was a large attendance of members of the local branch of the A.S.R.S. on Wednesday night, and the branch secretary was instructed to forward a protest- and full particulars of the case to the executive of the A.S.R.S. at. Wellington to place before the Department. The local executive was also authorised to interview the Loco Engineer on the matter with a view to remedying the trouble.

In regard to the terrible accident which occurred on the railway line about half-a-mile south of Eltham on Monday, resulting in the death of Mr R. J. Attrell, ganger in charge of the line between Eltham and Norman by,' it appears that deceased met the mail train at Eltham station and then went to his home just over a mile south of Eltham. Having had tea he returned to Eltham, but only stayed a very short time, leaving for

home again at five minutes past seven on a velocipede, or “jigger.” Stopping near the Egmouf Box Company s premises' for a few minutes, he is stated to have left there before the 7.10 train arrived at Eltham station, and had more than sufficient time to reach home some ’minutes before the train Could overtake him. About half a mile south of Eltham station, however, the train did overtake him, crashing into the jigger, it smashed it completely and threw Attrill clear of the’line. The train was immediately stopped and the body brought back to Eltham. Hr. Cooper wag sent for, but on examination pronounced life to be extinct, being of opinion that death must have been instantaneous, deceased’s, skull having been badly crushed. The deceased, who was 46 years of age, had resided in Eltham a number of years'. He leaves a widow and five children.