LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 85, 10 December 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr Hintz. owner of the Toko Hotel, moved into the new premises yesterday. A Stratford visitor on the opening night speaks highly of the house and the management.

Applications for appointment of pupil teachers and probationers in the Schools of the Taranaki Education District are invited up to Wednesday, January 10th.

The underground telephone cable has now been laid from' Pembroke Road to Regan Street, and a start was made this morning with the continuation of the work on the south side of Victoria Bridge.

The date for the annual seaside picnic at New Plymouth in connection with the Stratford School has been fixed for the first Thursday in February (the oth), all arrangements being meanwhile found suitable.

The longest sentence which the Melbourne City Court had power to inflict—two years’ hard labor—was imposed upon Alfred McDonald (35), a commercial traveller, who induced a German named Charles Schwar to part with £OO of his savings. 51‘Donald got the money from Schwar to put on “dead certs” at the races, and Schwar was never told the name of the “certainties.”

Tn connection with the school concert in the Town Hall to-morrow night, it may he mentioned that the committee are not anxious to have to resort to a public canvass for funds foi; the annual picnic, but that they have great hopes of being able to finance the picnic from the funds available from the concert if the patronage accorded this popular function is as full as the merits of the performance demand. In view of the attendance anticipated, arrangements have been made to open the doors at 7.15 sharp.

A Press Association telegram states ; Superintendent Mitchell, who five weeks ago was called to 'Wellington and was superseded in charge of the Auckland police by Superintendent Kiely. of Christchurch, and who returned to Auckland four weeks ago, is understood to he still drawing the full salary to which he is entitled as superintendent, but is doing no work. A requisition is being made to the Minister of Justice representing that an undue stigma is attached to Superintendent Mitchell and nsking tjaat those responsible for his removal from Auckland he asked to substantiate the charges made.

Tho report of the Stratford School Committee appears on page 7.

The decision of the Borough Council at Monday’s meeting regaining the pound was that it be a recommendation to the 1914-15 Council to letain the present site and to take steps to have it put in proper order.

In connection with the protest entered by Mr Watkin in the milking competition at the late Show, it v.as not stated in the “Post’’ paragraph on the matter that Mr Monteriore v.as

fined. He was fined 91 for a technical ibreach of the rules governing the *- competition, he having removed ids cow from the ground against the wish of the class steward.

Mr William Hamilton writes to the “Otago Daily Times” from Milton:— “In your issue' of the 2nd inst. I noticed a statement that a gentleman named J. Botdden has a land indenture dated 1729’. I have in my possession two land indenture forms. The oldest one dated 1666, in the reign of Charles 11., is written in a clear, bright hand on parchment, as legible as the day it was prepared. Its size is 24in. by 21iu., with three seals never broken. The other is dated 1691, in the reign of William and Mary, and is 27in. by 32in., with three seals also.”

At the Manaia Court on Wednesday, John Russell, licensee of the Waimate Hotel, who was charged at the instance of the police with having sold liquor within prohibited hours, namely, Sunday,' 26th October, was convicted and fined 40s, with Court costs 18s, states the Witness. William Moore, licensee of the Commercial Hotel, was charged for supplying liquor on a Sunday. The case was dismissed, The Magistrate said the police were justified in bringing the case into Court, and it showed how very careful licensees should be in such matters. Defendant had a very close call of being convicted as a consequence of glasses being left on the bar counter.

. In view of any possible misunderstanding as to the position taken up by the [Stratford Borough Council towards the Stratford County Council, in connection with the proposed issue of a license to the Stratford Electrical Supply Company, it may be as \vell to note that the full wording of the resolution carried on Monday night at the Borough Council meeting was as follows:—“That the Council places on record that it has not in any way endeavoured to prevent the issue of a liconsfe -for the Electrical Supply Company to operate within the Stratford County, and that a deputation consisting of His Worship the Mayor and the mover wait on the. County Council to discuss the question and . report to next meeting.”

The most severe thunderstorm experienced in Stratford for some years took place a little ' before’ one"(f flock to-day. Following on the steady downpour of rain “at an earlier hour there was a lull, during which large masses of clouds, of the orthodox blueblack “thunder” color, assembled. There was a flash of lightning and ; comparatively mild roll of thunder. Another flash followed and the accompanying thunder was nearer and severer. Then came' a flash with a terrible clap of thunder on its heels. It was more of a split than a clap, roll or rip, and had the appearance of breaking straight over Stratford. Then came a severe downpour of rain, mixed with a small portion of large hail. The thunder continued for some time, though far away, and in mild rolls; but gradually the weather cleared, and within half an hour the appearance of the sky was back to normal. The school recorder shows that 1.35 inches of rain fell between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.