LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 72, 16 March 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An exceedingly-personal letter signed "Bertie the Mug," is to hand. Anonymous correspondence of this nature is declined.

Despite the threatening look of the weather yesterday about thirty people visited the Stratford Mountain House. The track is reported to be still in excellent condition.

The inoculation of calves in the district under the control of Inspector Beere, of Stratford, has been practically completed. Mr Beere har> put through over 19,000 calves entirely on his own.

It is expected that within throe months the new faces at the Mt. Egmont quarries will be fully opened up. At present whares are being erected to accommodate- forty men. on a site nearer the faces than the present camp.

It. is reported that there is a scarcity of labor in the Inglewood district, men being required for oil-boring operations, while the Egmont quarries, it is also alleged by the same authority, are being worked shorthanded.

The committee of the recent Brigade Carnival request it be publicly mentioned that Mrs Newton King kindly judged all the decorative events, and gave satisfaction to all; also, that Mrs Brooking was in charge of the afternoon tea, and" that as usual there were no faults to be found in this depart mnet.

Referring to the fine Milking Shorthorn herd of Mr R. Heffeman, of Yarragee (N.S.W.) , a correspondent of a Sydney paper writes:—"One cowin particular attracts the eye, on account of her wonderful udder. This looks abnormal when compared to her size, for she is only a small beast. The teats, one of -which she lacerated through treading on it, almost touch the ground. At the present time this cow is giving slightly over Gigal. of milk daily, and she is not the best of the herd. "Nellie," such is her name, has never boon beaten at a show either for quantity or test.

The Otago Boys' High School celebrated its jubilee with a series of entertainments, extending over four days, from August 2nd to sth, the actual jubilee day being August 3rd. To commemorate the event a Jubilee Number of the Otago Boys' High School Magazine has been issued. It is a well produced publication and contains a large number of photographs of historical interest to the past and present pupils of the school. The letterpress deals fully with the Dunedin celebrations, and also with celebrations held at the same time in other parts of the Dominion. The volume should appeal strongly to "old bovs" of the school.

Mr H. G. Ell. organising secretary j of the New Zealand Forest and Bird I Protection Society; forward* a pros- ■ pectus of the Society, the aim of | which is to ''assist in protecting, as far as is possible, the beautiful native wild birds, and to protect the homes of the native birds, which have been set aside as sanctuaries for their preservation, for our native birds cannot live without the forest. The Society also aims at securing reserves of the- primeval forest in districts where reserves have not been made.'"; To assist these aims the Society will; take steps (a) to inculcate amongst the public, especially children, an intelligent interest in the native' flora and fauna; (b) to secure the conservation of native forests growing on roadsides, on river hanks and other public lauds, and to secure protection for same as far as possible; (c) to assist any movement, whether organised by private persons, local 'todies, or the State, taken for the purpose of protecting any area of land covered with native forest or other plant life.

The following amounts are to be paid out this month by district dairy factories: Stratford £7165. Xgaere £2685, Lowgarth £2035, Cardiff £lßl2.

All necessary arrangements have now been completed for the social and dance in celebration of St. Patrick's Day, which is to be held iu the Town Hall to-morrow evening.

A Reefton Press Association message this afternoon says: A record dry spell is being experienced here. The town reservoir, containing 900,000 gallons, lias been carefully husbanded, and water can only be obtained for four hours daily. Almost all the creeks are dry. The New Big River mine has been compelled to close down. Other mines will soon be affected. Pain is anxiously awaited.

The Hon. Mr Massey, iu an interview with a Nelson Mail reporter regarding the fruit industry, said he found the trip through the fruit country intensely interesting. It was quite evident from the growth the trees were making that it would bo wonderfully productive, also that a very important export trade would spring up in a very short time. "Taking your province as a whole," said Mr Massey, "it, is very much better than I expected, and with the advantage of climate and position which Nelson undoubtedly possesses, the province should have a very prosperous future." Mr Massey was cordially received throughout the district, concludes the Press Association message to-day.

The popularity of the Stratford Mountain House is coming more into prominenco as the season advances, and yesterday, which did not look very promising for a day's outing, there were quite a number of visitors to the House, who were rewarded with beautiful weather in the afternoon. The track is in splendid order, as was shown by the smart run of a car from • Midhirst to the House the other day in five minutes over half an hour. A great aid to climbers will be the erection of distance posts, which will mark every half-mile above and below the house, and also the new direction boards- which are being nailed up. A comfort which will be appreciated by Egmont climbers will be the bath now installed through the courtesy of Mr Ed. Jackson, and a plentiful supply of water will be guaranteed with the new 400 gallon tank. One of the objects of the new Mountain Club is to fossick out new tracks, and last week Messrs Ted Jackson and Tom Kirkwood mapped out a track which will be one of the most interesting on the Mountain. A branch off from Dawsons Falls track near the old house and a ridge running well out towards Stratford has been struck. The two climbers had a fairly rough time, but, according to them, the view at the end of the walk

was worth it, as an unbroken view from Opivnake to Lepperton was obtained, not even a tree being in the line of vision. The new track has been by Messrs Fearon and and should shortly be completed. Mr Williams is contemplating some improvements to the ground, and next season he hopes to have a shady spot with rustic benches and tables erected opposite the house.