LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 92, 9 April 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There will bo no publication of the “Stratford Evening Post” to-morrow (Good Friday) or Easter Monday. On Saturday the “Post” will be issued as usual. Mount Egmont presented a different appearance this morning to that to which we have become used ot late, being snow-clad down to a fairly low level. Amusing evidence was given in the Countv Court, Melbourne, before Judge* Box, in the breach of promise suit brought by May Cecily Gouilay, tailoress, of 229 Victoria-parade, East Melbourne, against Vero Herbert Casey, legal manager of St. James’-buiklings, William-street, Melbourne. The claim was for £499. Casey said that for years plaintiff wooed him, and often kissed him. He had never kissed her. Ho said he had been “chased.” The jury allowed £4OO damages.

A remarkable find was made by one ‘of the Melbourne City Council employees, who was loosening earth around a tree in Auderson-streot, South Yarra. He unearthed a small mustard tin, which contained 110 ' spurious half-sovereigns in an unfinished state. The tin had not been underground for a great length of 1 time, as the wrapper was in perfect order. I A Press Association message from Christchurch states: Last evening the driver of the second express to Christchurch, Mr C. Harrington, who by his promptitude saved a serious accident on the 31st ultimo, was presented with an afternoon tea set and tray in silver, and the fireman, Mr C. , Beaumont, with a silver tea set and | oak tray, on behalf of the appreciative passengers by the train. A find of moa bones lias been made by a member of the Naturalists’ Society 12 miles from Invercargill, in the direction of Riverton, at a spot known as the “Sandy Domain” (states the ] Press Association). The skeleton is complete, with the exception of some ! parts of the bead, and when reconj structed will stand 10ft high. Several I minor hiuls ot bones have been found I in the past at the same place.

The Seesteru has been posted a» missing, states a London cablegram. Members of the Hockey Club are reminded of the annual meeting, which is to he held this evening in Messrs C. and E. Jackson’s office. A London cablegram to-day states: Carpentier promised to meet Baker m London to-night to sign a contract, bu he has not arrived. Unless ho comes to-morrow Baker is dropping the whole scheme. An elderly man named Walter B. Mansfield was lined LI in default seven days’ imprisonment, at the Court this morning on a charge of being disorderly while drunk in Broadway yesterday. Mr S. B. Hunter, J.P., was on the bench. At Dunedin, states the Press Association, Francis McDonnell, charged yesterday with assaulting Thomas Almond on March 10th in a sandpit at Burnside and robbing him of £7, was to-day committed for trial, after the Magistrate had given his reserved decision. The Stratford Gymkhana will commence at 9 a.m. on Easter Monday. The first event will be the Dog Trial. This will he run off right away, and several of the leading dogs will give and exhibition in the afternoon. The magnificent entry of twentyeight horses for the one mile trot, and twenty-two for the H mile trot should easily be a record for Taranaki.

Stratford dairy land has always had a good reputation throughout the Island, and from the experience of Messrs C. and E. Jackson, the wellknown commission agents, Broadway, there appears to be little diminution in its popularity. Besides a number of town properties which passed through their books, Messrs Jackson disposed of eleven dairy farms in the Stratford district during the past fortnight. The Pembroke School Committee lias decided to nominate Mr Frank Mackay, chairman of the Ackland Rd. School Committee, for the seat on the Education Board, rendered vacant by the retirement of Mr W. L. Kennedy. Our Pembroke Road correspondent, continuing, says: There is no doubt Mr Mackay possesses many of the sterling qualities of his father, who was a great success for many years on the Education Board, and the son would make an excellent member. Mr Riddell, S.M., at Wellington, in a reserved judgment in the claim of Griffiths' and Co. against the Union Steamship Co. for £45 17s in respect of damage to a shipment of bananas brought by the Tahiti from Raratonga, held (says the Press Association), that the damage was due to the inherent liability of bananas to deteriorate, combined with the effect upon them of atmospheric conditions during the voyage. Judgment was given for defendant with costs. A deputation of clergymen waited on the Minister for Defence at Wellington to protest against the carriage of Territorials to the Takapau camp on a Sunday (states the Press Association). The Minister replied that the occasion was unique. Sir lan Hamilton’s time was limited, and he (Mr Aallen) regretted it as much as the deputation; but it was necessary, in order to get the men to camp without disorganising the general services, that some be carried on Sunday. The following is from the Wellington Free Lance:—“A railway man tells of the Hiley method. Ho makes no fuss, and seems to shrink from every form of advertisement. When he talks to a man in the service, the thing he aims at is obviously to get the man’s point of view. Ho wants to know what) the railway men think and feel about the railway system. That’s his shrewdness. If you want information about any Government department, don’t waste your time on interviewing politicians or departmental heads: get at the men. There is something very satisfactory about Mr Hiley, all round. He seems to be strikingly free of personal conceit and he impresses everybody by bis quiet and unaffected friendliness. Men who know reckon that Mr Hiley will do big tilings with the railways if the politicians will let him.”