LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 91, 17 December 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The 1914 issue of the Star Almanac and West Coast Directory, published annually by the Hawera “Star” proprietary, has come to hand. It is excellently printed and the arrangement of the matter is admirable, all :he interesting and useful features being continued.

The New Plymouth officers of the Public Works Department have emigrated to Stratford, which will in future be the bead office of the Taranaki district from M a verier to Kawhia. There is now no New Plymouth branch.

The Chamber of Commerce last night decided to urge the Land Board to declare tiie forest reserve on the Whangamomona saddle a scenic reserve. Mr Richards, who moved the motion, said Air Kennedy had informed him that the Commissioner of Crown* Lands had stated that the Land Board had never been approached in the matter.

A proposal was made by Mr Hewitt at the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce last night that the Government bo requested to alter the construction af railway trucks, so that any water which may get into the truck may get away quickly. At present any water which got into the truck washed backwards and forwards, thoroughly wetting any goods in the truck.

The monthly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was hold last niirht. Present : Alessrs J. B, Richards (president. in the chair), P. Thomson, E. ■Tackson, R. Masters, AY. P. Kirkwood. ■l. AY. Alunro, AY. H. H. Young and AY. A. Hewitt (secretary). The chief business dealt with was the proposed trip to the Ohura.

Notice is given by the Commissioner for Crown Lands of sections open for selection in the Tangitu Survey District.

While a collier was being unloaded in Capetown, the workmen were horrified to come upon a human hand. The coal surrounding it was cleared away, and a Kaffir was found still breathing. The man made a wonderful recovery in hospital. He said he was trimming coal in the bunkers when a pile collapsed and'buried him 11 days before. When found he was almost dead from exhaustion.

Rev. Father Francis dune, of the Passionist Order, speaking at Yass (New South Wales) last week, advised early marriage. He agreed with Dr. Carr, of Melbourne,, that at 40 -a man should have a grown-up family around him. “To say that a man cannot afford in this country to marry,” continued Father Clune, “is all moonshine.”

“That this Chamber is of opinion that it is imperative that a new Post Office should be erected in Stratford, the accommodation in the present building being totally inadequate for .the business being done; and seeing that post offices are being erected where they are needed in a lesser degree than in Stratford, this Chambr emphatically protests against the action of the Government in delaying the erection of the new. Post Office in Stratford.”—Motion passed last night by the Chamber of Commerce, Messrs Young and Hewitt dissenting from portion of the motion.

The following letter from the Prime Minister was read at last night’s meeting of the Chamber of Commerce: — “I beg to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of your letter of November 12th, forwarding a copy of a resolution passed by the Stratford Chamber of Commerce, expressing appreciation of the valuable services rendered by the mounted special constables in assisting to maintain law and to protect the indtistries and commerce of the Dominion during the present industrial crisis.” He also acknowledged recept of the Chamber’s resolution approving the Government’s action in the matter.

Mr, John Banker, known as the “Izaak Walton,” of New Hampshire, who has arrived at Boston after an exploring trip of two months in Greenland, has brought back photographs and actual specimens of what he calls “Polar trout,” the only fur-bearing fish known to natural history. This peculiar denizen of the Polar regions resembles a square-tail trout in shape and gameness, and reaches from ten to fifteen pounds in weight. The skin is a fine brownish fuy, resembling the texture of moleskin.

Mr Hewitt brought up the matter of railway' demurrage 1 charges at last night’s’ meeting of the Chamber of Comnlerce.' He said ’that in his experience he found that the station authorities did not properly notify those who had goods arriving at the station. Other members were pretty generally of the opinion that the demurrage charges were equitably dealt with. Mr Masters said there were merchants who tried to sell their goods on the truck,’ and'they were inclined to abuse the demurrage regulations to avoid the cost of carting. Mr Richards said the Department had cast-iron regulations behind which they could shelter if they were attacked,' and probably present conditions were as good as could be wished. /

It was related in the cable column (says the Hawera Star) that the man who stole the Mona Lisa picture from Louvre gave as one explanation that he did so in revenge for Napoleon’s thefts from the galleries of Italy. It may seem a far-fetched excuse and indeed the man has since given one more prosaic, but a Hawera resident who was in Italy a few years ago relates an incident which goes to illustrate the intense feeling that still exists i" respect of the Napoleonic “transfers.” A party was being shown through the Ducal Pdace at Venice, and came to one room, of which the walls were strikingly bare. 'A member of the party asked for an eplanation. The guide’s face became suddenly pallid, his eyes blazed with passion, and he viciously spat. The paroxysm rather startled the party, but in a moment the guide recovered himself, and he said: “That thief Napoleon stripped the tapestry off this room,” How far the passion was real or simulated may be a matter of conjecture, but it certainly impressed the visitors as quite genuine, and if it was a bit of guide “business” it was extremely well done.

The annual meeting of the Stratford Brass Band is to be held on Friday evening.

A meeting of the Bayly Presentation Committee will lie held at Messrs ;Jackson’s office to-night at 8 o’clock.

A passenger from New Plymouth by train this morning states that along the line there was a large number of trees which had been blown down in yesterday’s gale.

Mr Newton King, local agent for the Shaw, Savill and Albion Co., have reIceived a wire to the effect that the ICorinthic, due to sail from Wellington [on the 20th inst., has been postponed [until 23rd inst.

j Two new trains that are now running 'on the Great Western railway between Paddington and Windsor are claimed to be fire-proof. The carriages are biult of steel, the only wood being the !footboard, and this has been specially treated to make it non-inflammable. The flooring is of asbestos.

Surely, hope springs eternal in the jbowler’s breast. To-day the local committee are talking of The Buttons rink j competition for to-morrow afternoon! In the event of the Fates being propitious, members should be prepared for this arrangement.

One of the East Riding foremen reported to the County Council tin's morning that drainage work on Standish Road had had to be stopped owing to the wet weather. The Engineer stated, in reply to a question, that patching was going on on Beaconsfield Road, but as soon as patches were finished, the road broke up in fresh places. Cr Walter expressed the opinion that the present month had been the hardest on the roads of any this year.

It was decided at the meeting of the County Council this morning, on the motion of Cr Walter, to write to the Minister for -Public Works, asking if lie could give a date when Taranaki local bodies could reasonably expect to be supplied with ( metal from the Mount Egmont Quarries. It was also decided to put forward the claims of the eastern portion of the Stratford County, where metal is very hard to procure. 1

The County Council this morning showed signs of getting very much excited over a petty quarrel"in connection with the Midhirst Public Hall, three separate bodies being stated to be ’putting in a claim for a sum of £3. There was nothing officially before the meeting, and happily this fact was brought to the fore and the matter was dropped . “If they want to wash their diry linen,” said Cr. Were,, “let them do it at Midhirst. If they cannot settle the matter among themselves they can bring it before us fpr settlement.” ~ . : r ii

The chairman of the County Council reported to the Council this morning that the following committee had been appointed to control the Midhirst Pmv he Hall: Messrs Wunsch, Shorter, Carter, Sullivan, Hamblyn, Keightley, Mountford and Weybourne. Mr Hathaway said the members of the committee were thoroughly responsible gentlemen, and on his suggestion tlie Council passed a resolution approving the Board, t A resolution was also passed relieving the Domain Board from responsibility in connection with the hall, this formality having been overlooked at the last meeting.