LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 78, 23 March 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Three first-offending “drunks” were dealt with at the Court this morning by Mr S. B. Hunter, J.P. Two were fined 10s and the other was convicted and discharged.

Members are reminded of the annual meeting of the Stratford Football Club, which is to be held -in the Borough Council Chambers at S o’clock this evening. v

There was an extra engine on the mail train this morning, its Tielp being needed because of three carriages of Maoris returning froni the Parihaka meeting.

The Manchester. Unity of Oddfellows hold their meeting in the Foresters’ Hall this evening, when a social and presentation will be tendered to Miami Mrs S. Thompson in recognition of their recent marriage.

The Municipal Handbook for 1913 is to hand from the Government statistician, Mr Malcolm Fraser. This useful volume is graduallyyncreasing in size, further details being added in all directions, and it now comprises 220 pages.

On Saturday Dr. Valintine, Inspec-tor-General of Hospitals, was in Stratford on official business. The plans for the extension of the Hospital accommodation were submitted to him and were approved, and tenders will now be called immediately for the work.

Our Ngaere correspondent writes; — Although the weather was not all that could be desired, the dance held on Friday evening was well patronised 'and most enjoyable. The Ngaere orchestra played in their usual excellent style. The floor was in good order, •and the M.C. (Mr A. Kenny) was indefatigable in his efforts to provide amusement for all, Extras were played by Mrs Sims and Mr G. Coleman. Altogether the “turn out” was a huge success, and the committee deserve great praise and should not be afraid to hold another dance.

For the bowling match on Thursday at Inglewood players willing to go are requested to inform Messrs McMillan or Penn. Room will be found for all.

A petition signed up by nearly two hundred burgesses was in circulation iu Stratford on Saturday requesting Mr N. J. King to contest the Mayoralty at the forthcoming election.

At a large meeting of farmers at Blenheim 'on Saturday afternoon, it was unanimously resolved that steps bo immediately taken to relieve tne glut in die barley market by shipping at least half the present year’s crop to the English market.—P.A.

At the conference of County delegates at Eltliam on Saturday, Mr Sander (Clifton) brought up the suggestion that iu order to get revenue for road-making from motor-car owners the import duty on motor spirit should be increased; but. it was pointed ant that a good deal of the spirit was used for milking-machines and other purposes, and the suggestion was not further discussed.

There was a big crowd at the Hospital yesterday afternoon on the occasion of the open-air concert given by the Municipal Band. All the iems given were much appreciated, especially a sacred item, which included “S.m of My Soul” and “Lead Kindly Light.” Mr McAllister, chairman of the Hospital Board, thanked the band iu a neat speech and expressed the hope that they might give another concert at an early date. The collection taken up, will (with the Government subsidy) add upwards of £6 to the Board’s funds.

At a. meeting of the executive of the National Schools Defence League (states a Wellington P.A. wire today) it was reported that in three or four months, members of the League had secured 40,000 signatures to the defence pledge cards. The report, which was adopted, suggested that the appointment of an organiser for defence in national schools was a necessity. The report also set out the proposals of the Bible-in-Schools League and commented on them categorically.

A Wellington Press Association message this morning states: Owing, it is said, to the ascendency of the “Red Fed” section in the Typographical Union, a'number of compositors in the Government printing office resigned from membership. It is pointed out that to engage in a strike as the Union was invited to would not only mean loss of positions, but in future tlieir contributions to the superannuation fund. A number of members considered the safeguard in the rules in this connection had” been broken through at the instance of Federationists, and choice had to be made and had been taken.

A petition to the Mayor (Mr W. P. Kirkwood), asking him to allow himself to be again nominated for the position and signed by a number of residents, was presented to His Worship, who consented to accede to the terms of the petition, ' the text of which concluded as follows: “Wo feel sure that our request is backed by a very large majority of the ratepayers, as it is recognised that you have filled the important office of Mayor of our town for the last two years with credit to yourself and in the interests of the whole Borough.”

A curious situation developed in a Syndicalist restaurant in Paris, where the Socialist principles of equality are illustrated by the fact that customers, waiters, and waitresses alike address each other as “comrade.” One of the waitresses was discharged by the manager. The others took her part, and the whole staff was dismissed. Resenting this arbitrary infraction of the Syndicalist principles for which the restaurant stands, the waitresses refused to give up their posts, and returned to work next day. The management was compelled to sacrifice the most cherished theories of the movement by having recourse to the aid of the police. Unable to solve this conflict of principles with practice, the restaurant closed its* doors.

In the presence of 500 followers of the, “Xew Thought” movement, the first “sublime eugenic marriage” was celebrated recently, in the Aeolian Hall, New York. The bride was Miss Evadine Smith, of Denver, while the bridegroom was a merchant from Grand Rapids, Michigan. They were married by civil ceApnony several days ago, hut as! members of the “New Thought” Church they acknowledged the duty of proclaiming before their fellow-members the “complete harmony of their soul vibrations.” This they did before a bower decorated with 500 roses, after an orchestra had play, ed the “Lohengrin” Wedding March. Six bridesmaids, two flower girls, and two pages escorted the couple to the bower, where—as the clock struck 11, the hour when “soul vibrations” are at their highest—they exchanged vows, but no rings, each acknowledging their “absolute equality”' with the other. In the address which followed the vows, the chairman of the church, Mr F. W. Sears, explained that before permitting the ceremony be had ascertained the “soul vibrations” of each o{ the contracting parties, and found them to be harmonious.