LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 93, 19 December 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A reminder is given of the annual meeting of the Band this evening.

hi the published lis: of those wh-> obtained first-class attendance certificates at the local school, Ida Boon's name was omittted.

With this issue a special inset is circulated setting forth some of the marvellous things to be obtained at Mr C. E. James', Broadwav.

A Gazette issued last night notifies the constitution of the new Supreme Court district for Wanganui, comprising roughly the area between the Patea and Rangitikei rivers.

Between 500 and GOO calves came forward "for inoculation yesterday at the sale yards, Stratford. Among the young animals were to be seen several that showed great credit to their respective owners, and spoke well for the future from a butter-fat standpoint.

All arrangements are now complete for the Presbyterian Bible Class Camp to be held at Wanganui at the end of the year. Nearly three hundred delegates from many parts of New Zealand will be in camp, states a Press Association telegram.

Amongst the old soldiers at present in the Veterans' Home, Auckland, is one who fought at the siege of Acre in 1840, and also at the Gate Pa, NewZealand, where he was severely wounded through the body; also, a Crimean veteran who was in the Heavy Bri-

gade, and was wounded at Balaclava

A Timaru resident received a letter J from a friend in England asking for ! the average weather of the past three summers. In the writer's opinion the English summer can be foretold by the previous summer in .the Antipodes. A comparison of the past three English J summers with those of this country L seems to bear out the contention. The j writer further stated that the Indian ] monsoon can be prophesied by the ! amount of snow on the Blue Mountains I of Africa.

There should be a big gathering of Stratford and district residents at the Borough Council Chambers to-morrow afternoon, when His Worship the Mayor, Mr W. P. Kirkwood, on behalf of the residents of the district, will present an illuminated address and a purse of sovereigns to Mr W. Morant Bayly, who is well known for his long connection with the National , Bank. The'ceremony is timed to start at,3 o'clock, so that country residents may eonyeniently be present. , - ;

Ate Wednesday's meeting of the TarUh'aki Education Board a letter was read from the Stratford School Committee calling the attention of the board to the manner in which the recent medical examination had been carried out. The writer described the methods adopted as being in direct contravention to the department's express instructions as to the confidential nature of the inquiry as regards individual children. The committee protested against senior scholars being employed as clerical assistants by the inspector. Members of the board agreed that a protest should be made, as individual complaints had also been received from other schools. It was decided to forward a copy of the letter to the Education Department. .

There were again a number of Terri. torial cases at the Court this morning and some substantial fines were inflicted, one mounted man who had been previously convicted being fined £2 and a first-offending "footie" £l. An interesting case was that against Edward Vickers, which was dismissed. The interest of the case centred on the question of leave for wet nights. Mr R. Spence appeared for R. Wood, who was charged with failing to attend an H. Co. drill. Mr Spence endeavored to lay before the Bench some considerations in support of the officers exercising more discretion as to who should be prosecuted; but the S.M. said such considerations should be laid before the Department and were no business of the Court. He therefore asked Mr Spence to drop that line of argument. Wood was fined 10s.

As the outcome of a discussion on Sergt.-Major Mahoney's performance in walking to Manaia in less than two hours, about a fortnight ago, Mr A. L. Wilson, of the Hawera School staff, j since l accepted a small wager against : his i Mr Wilson's) ability to reach' the Manaia Post Office on foot in an hour and a half, starting from the Hawera school and proceeding by the road. This distance was calculated to be nine miles (though it is probably a fraction I more) and the conditions allowed him | to walk or run or both, according to I inclination, but not to accept pace from | anything. Mr Wilson essayed the per-; I formance on Wednesday evening, says I the Star, and leaving the school at 8 o'clock, reached the 'Manaia Post Office i at 9.15, having thus accomplished his I task with a quarter of an hour to j spare. As the performance was, so I to speak, done "off the grass," Mr ; Wilson not having been in training for running, it must he considered a good one. especially as the night was not ideal and he ran against a bend wind.

Parliament is prorogued till Friday, January 16, 1911.

Nominations for certain events at the Whanga sports on the Bth January close on Saturday.

Mr Henry Hope, mining agent, Kumara (6S), and Mr James McGovern, Hokitika (79), two old pioneers of the West Coast, died at Kumara Hospital last evening.—l'.A.

At the school yesterday afternoon, the Pitman Cup, donated by Messrs Pitman Bros., of Inglewood, was presented on behalf of the Taranaki Rugby Union to Norman Kivell, captain of the Stratford School football team, winners of the Taranaki primary schools football competition.

The Stratford Co-operative Dairy Company pay out on the 20th for November milk £9876, as compared with £8957 for the same month last year. The following are the pay-outs of the district dairy companies for November:—Hawera, £9821 17s Id; Mails, £2804 14s; Normanhy, £2707 16s 8d; Ararata, £1344 13s sd; Melrose £635 0s 9d.

Mr Hammond, the well-known aviator, has, it is reported, just signed a contract to fly from Wellington to Christchurch, which he expects to accomplish in about two hours, flying at the rate of 80 miles per hour. The flight will take place between Christmas and New Year.

Some people have a poor idea of a joke (says the Napier Telegraph), and several such individuals can think themselves lucky that' they are not to be prosecuted for. causing a nuisance. At the High School berak-up on Tuesday the offenders scattered a fine and penetrating powder in the Municipal Theatre, causing many in the audience to sneeze painfully. The same trick was repeated in another theatre on another evening, and the culprits were discovered. A promise not to offend again and much pleading saved the young fellows from a public exposure and a visit to the halls of justice.

The farmers of the Masterton district have, says a correspondent, suffered tremendous loss in consequence of the continued wet weather. Some of the oat crops are absolutely ruined, while hundreds of acres of hay have been spoiled. The weather conditions at Greytown are most unfavourable'for farmers.. In a number of cases hay has been down over a fortnight, and is quite spoilt. Oat crops in many cases are levelled to the ground, and the effect will be very serious if, the weather does not change very soon,

The "Sheffield Daily Telegraph," referring to some great speeches by notabilities at that famous annual gathering—the Cutlers' Feast, remarks:—"One of the most interesting speeches of the evening was that of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, who spoke with all the spirit of a young and verile country, in answer to"the criticisms of Admiral Fawkes. He stipulated that there must be a Common Council of the Empire before New Zealand would consent to merge her Navy in the Imperial force. Why should the Dominion hand river her ships to a Government elected by the people of one portion of the Empire on some local issue with which they had no concern ?"