LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 20, 23 January 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The committee of the Operatic Society is to meet at an early date, when arrangements will be made for patting some opera in rehearsal. In view of this fact the secretary would he pleased to receive at once the names of ladies and gentlemen wishing to join the Society.

The list of officers of the Operatic Society published yesterday was not entirely correct. Mr W. P. Kirkwood replaces Dr. Carbery as president and Messrs East, J. H. Thompson and Douglas replace Messrs Templer, Liddington and Cato on the committee. A stage manager and selection and ladies’ committees are to be elected later by the general committee.

An Opotiki land agency firm lias a card in its window bearing an inscription that savours suspiciously of a matrimonial agency. Apparently the members of that enterprising firm, although both bachelors, recognise that a home is not complete without a wife, and in at least one instance they undertake to supply a wife without extra charge. The following attractive prospect opens out before the eyes of the reader of the card in question—- “ Why remain single? Here’s a chance! A pretty five-roomed house, completely furnished, with quarter-j acre section, fowl-run, fowls, and j watch-dog—all except the wife. Price; £550; easy terms. Wife supplied if i necessary—free!”

Swimmers and supporters of the sport generally are reminded of the annual meeting of the Swimming Club, which is to be held this evening in Mr W. G. Malone’s office.

The schedule for the Horticultural Society’s show to be held in the Town Hall on Thursday and Friday, March otli and 6th, is now in the hands of the secretary, and is available for distribution. Case No. 1 was called at the Courttin’s morning. It was the first case in which proceedings were commenced in 1914, cases dealt with previously having been commenced in the old year. A pale-faced sailor, who was accused in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court of going ashore without permission, said that he had gone on land for medicine because he felt too ill to continue working. Mr T. Young, solicitor: “Was there no medicine on the ship ?” The sailor: “Yes. But not the kind of medicine I wanted. I was very bad and wanted some beer.” The “medicine” cost the sailor £1 7s 6d, plus fourpence.

The Borough Inspector’s cases took up most of the time at the sitting

of the Court this morning. J. J. Harris and E. C. Zurcher were fined 5s with costs 7s for driving gigs without lights. Percy Espiner and James G. Sangster, neither of whom appeared, were fined 10s with 7s costs, the former for riding a bicycle without lights and the latter for driving a gig without lights. A charge against Charles Wasley of driving loose horses in the Borough was adjourned for a week.

A ballot was held at the office of the Commissioner for Crown Lands, New, Plymouth, yesterday, for four

sections which had been forfeited by the drawers at previous ballots. The drawing resulted as follows:—Section 25, block 1, Tangitu, 152 acres, (Mrs) Sarah Walker, six applicants. Section 2, block 4, Mahoe, 598 acres, (Airs) M. E. Grigg, three applicants. Section 3, block 7, Tangitu, tor which there were no applicants, still remains open for selection. The News states that about the end of March next, 5000 acres in the Piopiotea West District, close to Taumarunui, will be opened for selection.

On January 14th the Fire Brigade was called out to attend to a fire in Broadway South on a section south of Alger’s store. The alarm was caused by a fire which had been lighted in a dead tree. The tree was some distance from the nearest house, but at '•he same time the fire might have been dangerous to property. Sergeant McNeely gave these facts at the Court this morning, when Michael Dodunski was charged with lighting a fire in the Borough without permission. The Bench took a lenient view of the case and convicted and discharged defendant.

With line weather to-morrow the collection on behalf of the Stratford Hospital should be a successful one. The experience of last winter and spring has demonstrated the absolute necessity for more beds for- patients. The plans adopted will provide room for five more, and there will be no more putting patients to sleep in the corridors and . other expedients caused by over crowding Young ladies are still wanted for handling the htJxes for street collecting. Two of the Hospital staff will wait on the shopkeepers early in the day, so that they will not be subject to solicitation during the busy hours. It is confidently expected that Stratford residents will respond liberally to the call, and it should be remembered by residents that money given in. this way carries with, it a subsidy from the Government of 2ls for every pound contributed.

Everything points to the third annual Burns supper, to be held in the Town Hall next Monday evening under the auspices of the Stratford branch of the Taranaki Provincial Scottish Society, being even more successful than in previous years. A good programme of music has been prepared and an excellent supper is promised. The afterdinner speeches should be well up to standard. Dr. Paget will propose “The Imperial Forces,” Mr W. G. Malone responding; “The Land We Live In” will be proposed by Mr W. L. Kennedy, the response being in the bands of Mr J. B. Richards; Mr D. S. Maxwell will propose “Caledonia,” Mr J. McAllister responding; while the speeclv of Mr J. Craigie, M.P. for limaru, in proposing “The Immortal Memory” should be something out of the common. In all departments the arrangements for the evening are well forward.

Messrs 1). Cuddie (Dairy Commissioner), C. J. Keakes (Director of the Stock Division of the Department of Agriculture), and R. Lambie (Pihama,) have suggested the following conditions for the Stratford A. and P. Association’s dairy farm competition—Provision of winter food, 20 points; milking shed, 20 points; best laid down paddocks, Id points ; best style of pigstyes, 10 points; best hay stack, 5 points; best fencing, 5 [mints; best herd dairy cows in milk, to be judged by appearance, owner to have the right*

to throw out 10 per cent., 25 points

The first prize is valued at £T2 12s, second £4 4s, third £2 2s, fourth £1 Is. Competition is confined to farms of 50 acres or over, in the Moa Road Board district, Stratford, Eltham, and Whangamomona Counties, and for members of the Stratford A. and P. Association. The recommendations have been approved by the Society.

'A meeting of ladies will be hold at the Fire Brigade station this evening in connection with the Garden hete.

A Press Association telegram from Dunedin states that the lollowing obtained partial passes in the matriculation examination : New Plymouth: H. C. Fenton. Hawera; W. P. Fennell.

Owing to the clashing of dates in connection with the Fire Brigade Garden Fete, and the Horticultural Society’s Show on the sth of March,

a meeting of the general committee of the former will,' be held on Tuesday night in the Borough Council Chambers.

Mr E. Townley, of the Co-operative Store staff, met with a nasty accident yesterday afternoon. While riding his bicycle on Mountain Road South, the front forks of the machine broke and he was thrown heavily on the road. Some time afterwards he was found lying by the side of the road by a passing motorist and conveyed to his home. It was found that no bones were broken, but Mr Townley was badly bruised and cut.

The business at the Court this morning did not take long to dispose of. Messrs Masters and McCluggage J.P.s, were on the Bench while the civil business was on—for about two minutes—the few cases before the Court being all dealth with by confession, settlement or discontinuance, with the exception of a defended action, which was adjourned for three weeks in hope of settlement. Messrs McCluggage and Sole dealt with the rest of the business—informations under the Borough by-laws.