LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 73, 17 March 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Commencing from Monday next, classes will be held as follows at the Stratford Tecinhcal School: Mondays, 7 to 9, machine drawing and mechanical engineering; Wednesdays, 7 to 9, shorthand, precis writing and bookkeeping ; Wednesdays, 8 to o, dressmaking. Full particulars can bo had on applying to the superintendent, Mr F. fvrer.

The Taieri (Otago) is to be represented at the Panama Exhibition. That sounds big (says the Advocate) yet it is quite true, as a fine collection of sheaves of oats, wheat, and barley, collected from the principal grain growers of the Taieri, has been forwarded by Mr Hector M'Leod to the head office of the Department of Agricultre, en route for San Francisco. Mr J. B. Hine, M.P., has just received word from the Minister of Public Works that he has sanctioned a subsidy of £2OO towards the construction of a new bridge over the Ahuroa stream on the Stanley Hoad. In view of the fact that the settlers concerned pay at present no less than five special and ordinary rates, the assistance given is certainly carrying out the policy of helping-the heavy burdened.

The Salvation Army’s annual harvest thanksgiving services were commenced last night. The service will be continued this evening, when the local corps will have the assistance of the Eltham corps under Ensign Bear. The Eltham hand will render selections and the singing company of the corps will also probably attend. The hall has been very prettily decorated with every description of produce from oatsheaves to grapes, including some fine specimens of vegetables and fruit. At the conclusion of to-night’s service the whole of the produce in the hall will ho submitted to auction.

It is quite an unusual occurrence at a County Council meeting to seethe chairman, councillors, clerk and engineer carefully perusing their Bible (states the Hawera Star). But this happened at the Eltham County Council on Saturday. A settler had written complaining of the Council’s men working on the Patea bridge or Sunday, and in a reply the chairman was anxious to quote Scriptural authority, but no one could remember just where to find it. After a diligent search they decided that verses 14 and lo in the 13th chapter of Luke fitted their case and justified their actions.

I Rats, they say, desert a sinking I ship. But the rats on the Devon had I no time to do that (states the Now i Zealand Times). Only the forepart i of the vessel now remains sticking up j out of the water. It is swarming I with great black and grey rats, as large as small cats, and much more fierce. Some time ago, when more of the Devon was above water than is now, the man who was left on board found it impossible to sleep. At present tugboats do not like to approach too near for fear of some of the hungry vermin transferring themselves to better quarters. It is hard to see how the rats manage to exist at all, unless they feed on one another. This is the survival of the fittest with a vengeance, and the last rat ol all will he a worthy specimen for a museum to secure, in fact a giant of its kind.

The School Committee meets this evening. $ The Stratford Aluuicipal Band will render a programme of music at the Hospital next Sunday afternoon.

A band of workers put in a good deal of time last night on the tloor of the Town Hall, getting it ready for the dance to be held tins evening to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

An immense eel was on exhibition at .Messrs Cannon and Co’s, premises tins morning. It measured oft Gin in length and weighed 25-}lbs. It was speared last night in the Patea River, near Mr Fookes’, by Messrs H. Boyle and W. Walsh.

To-day is St. Patrick’s Day, but beyond the closing of legal, banking and Departmental offices, business is proceeding much as usual. Just before nine o’clock there was a slight bustle oi motor cars leaving for the races at Opnnake.

A Christchurch Press Association message to-day states; Two writs have been issued by the Customs against Barlow Bros., merchants, claiming duty alleged not to have been paid owing to the action of an employee alleged to be concerned in the Customs frauds. The employee, has fled, but the Department hold the Arm liable for the amount.

The Waitara correspondent of the Taranaki Herald states that the town was very busy (and dirty) with motor cars all day on Saturday when a large number of Native “blueblood” visitors who had come in their cars for the Atiawa Sports left for Parihaka, to lie present at the gathering on Wednesday, after paying satisfactory visits to the local shopkeepers. It is stated that the Native visitors have spent hundreds of pounds in the town during the past two or three days.