LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 39, 16 February 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A butcher at Allonnes, Belgium, wJio locked a large tom-cat in his shop overnight in the hope that it would kill the rats, found next morning that the rats had killed the cat and eaten all but its skin. The Royal Artillery Band, which came out under special engagement to the Auckland Exhibition, and is now touring the Dominion, will give concerts in New Plymouth on the 19th and 20th. Train arrangements and excursion fares are notified by the Railway Department. The "man on the horse" has another burglary placed to his credit (says the Eltham Argus). The whare at Ngaere factory was broken into on Monday evening and a sum of £■! stolen. The men were absent at the time, and there is no clue left, but the mysterious horseman was at once fixed upon as the culprit.

By a slight amendment made last session in the Egmont National Park Act, 1900, the Egmont County Council and the Elthani Borough Council will each be entitled to appoint a member to the National Park Board. The Kltham Argus understands that His Worship the Mayor (Mr T. B. Crump) is likely to be gazetted as the Elthani Borough Council's representative. The value of the meat works to the farmers in the Patea district is (says the Press) being strikingly shown since the works were burnt down. Fat cows have depreciated already some £2 in value, whilst bulls have dropped in price by some 355. One well-known dealer bought a line of hulls a few days prior to the works being destroyed, and is said to stand to lose something like £6O through the drop in prices owing to the works not being able to deal with the animals.

Owing to the swimming carnival being held to-morrow night the monthly meeting of the Schooi Committee has been postponed till the following Tuesday. Applications are being invited by the Imperial Government for the position of chief quarantine officer at a salary of £-600. states a .Melbourne cablegram. The following amounts are being paid out this month by local dairy factories : Stratford £9466, Ngaere £3412, Lowgarth £2624, Cardiff £2266. A Sydney Press Association cablegram to-day states:—lt is reported that the C'urle.v Station, of seventy thousand acres, situated twenty miles south of Moree, has been purchased by a company representing the American Beef Trust. The price is stated to be over £300,000. Everything points to the swimming carnival to be held at the baths tomorrow evening being a complete success. Excellent entries have been received for all races, and the class of swimmers engaged is a guarantee that the racing will be as good as can be got in the province. The ladies and boys have been well catered for in the programme, and their races should bo interesting. A special train service will be run by the Department in connection with the first annual show of the Toko Settlers' Association on Thursday, the 19th. A passenger train leaves Stratford at 1.30, stopping at Skinner Road, while on the return journey it leaves Toko at 5.30 p.m. The usual 12.10 p.m. train from Pohokura will not run, but a train will leave the*latter station at 10 a.m., arriving Toko at noon, returning at the ordinary time. For further particulars see the Depart- : meat's advertisement.

An occasional Midhirst correspondent writes: Among the signs of improvement noticeable in our township is the erection of a six-roomed residence near the station for Mr R. H. Hogg, secretary of the Midhirst Dairy Co. The place is a credit to the builder, Mr W. Ridley, who had with him a fine class of tradesmen. The painting and paperhanging is an artistic triumph due to the capable work of the Stratford firm of Bowler and Pearce. The plumbing work was executed by S. Small, and the bricklaying by Harry Morton.

A rather notable gathering ot newspaper men is taking place at New Plymouth this week, commencing today, when the United Press Association Directors confer. This evening the Provincial Press representatives will hold a meeting. To-morrow the annual meeting of the Newspaper Proprietors' Association takes place and will be followed the next day, by the annual meeting of the United Press Association. On Friday the annual meeting of the Xew Zealand Master Printers' Association and the Empire Press Union (New Zealand") will be held.

The Stratford Horticultural Society's great Autumn Show is fixed to take place this year in the Town Hall on Thursday and Friday, March sth and 6th. There will be a special exhibition of cactus dahlias, and the new silver cup presented by Mr J. Petne will go to the exhibit of the best collection of vegetables. Schedules may be obtained-from Mr W. S. Cato, honorary secretary; there should be a large demand for them, as well as big entries in every class. As stated on more than one occasion in these columns, there is no institu-Jk :; tion in Stratford which is more worthj^of support than our local horticul •"'" tural society.

The Norwoods entertained a large house on Saturday night—the last appearance «n Stratford for some considerable time to come. The Professor had a larger class than usual, due to a canvass in the afternoon to ensure a good night's fun for the last performance. Probably the most interesting was the living statuary, though from the Professor's point of view it was the hardest test. The whole class were spending a day at the races, and air* stages were commanded to be rigid—. the facial expressions and attitudes being the object of study. One of the biggest laughter provokers was the falling of money from a cloud and the vacant expressions on the faces when they found it a hoax. Miss Norwood again gave an exhibition of mental telegraphy, leaving an unquestioned opinion regarding her ability in this respect. The "Norwoods" is a good show—scientific and amusing to no end —and the Company if ever it returns will be sure of getting its usual good hearing.