LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 75, 19 March 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On the back pages of “The Post” to-day will be found some specially interesting articles and reports, as well as cable and telegraphic matter.

The Stratford Eire Brigade specially thanks all who assisted at the recent most successful Garden Fete.

The annual meeting of the Stratford Football Club will be held on Monday evening.

During yesterday’s heated argument at the County Council meeting, there were the usual number of highly colored remarks made. One was to the effect that the coming General Election would be affected by that day’s County proceedings.

According to Cr. Were, there are some pretty .bad roads in tho East Hiding. He brought three under the notice of the County Council yesterday. Tho Makuri Road East, over which oil-carting is done, was worse than the “rocky road to Dublin”; the surface of Ahuroa Road East was covered with hummocks of shell-rock; and Toko Road was “just on the point of going out of sight.”

■ A letter was read at yesterday’s meeting of the County Council complaining of the growth of noxious weeds on the land of a certain person, and when the letter was finished it appeared that it was signed by a person of the same surname. Councillors queried if the parties were brothers, but a councillor, who also bore the same surname, said they were not. Thus was exploded a pleasing example <bl “brotherly love.”

An Auckland Press Association telegram to-day reads: Dr. Maguire, medical superintendent of the Auckland Hospital, has reported to the Board that a female patient, 44 years if age. is under ireatment for Pella-

gra. He stated that it would be a great calamity if it gained a footing in this Dominion, but- the disease was

not contagious

Government officials have acquired 1000 acres of the Tiratu Block on the outskirts of Dannevirke at £lO per acre, states a Press Association wire to-day. .The block comprises 7000 acres. It is likely that a considerable portion of the balance will lie purchased by the Crown for settlement purposes. The cheques paid ranged from £SO to £3OOO. The land is admirably suited for dairying.

The finances of the County Council are not the healthiest in the world, it being stated yesterday that the Council had only £ISOO to last until December next. Pretty well the usual amount of expensive work was

applied for and much of it was authorised, though Cr Christoffel appealed to members not to spend the money too quickly, as they might have yet to stop the wages of the workmen and suspend operations. There were sundry remarks about “putting up the shutters,” but nobody formally moved in that direction.

At the Mag'strate’s Court at Waitara yesterday, Mr A. Cooke, S.M., gave his reserved judgment in the ease in which Thomas Hellier and Boy Jury were charged with breaches of the Gaming Act, in that they had ‘kept common gaming-houses and received money for bets on racehorses. On the charge of having kept gaminghouses, both were convicted and fined £25. On two charges of having received money for hots on racehorses, Hellier was convicted without penalty. A similar charge against Jury was dismissed. The Magistrate refused to make an order for- the destruction of the books and papers seized.

The affairs of Charles McPhee have been advanced another stage. McPhee took a metalling contract from the Stratford County Council a few years ago, but a cloud-burst at Puniwhakau destroyed a a good deal of the work done. The work was still carried on, but recently McPhee was declared bankrupt. Thereafter the County Council carried on the work. At yesterday’s meeting of the County Council it was reported that the account of .McPhee with the Council had been finally adjusted, leaving a credit to McPhee of about fldO. About twice this amount is due to wage's men, most ol whom have filed workmen’s liens with the Official Assignee.