Second Edition. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 95, 15 April 1914, Page 6

Second Edition. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Obituary: Sir William Whyte, of the Canadian Pacific Railway, died at Los Angelos, states a New York cablegram.

A Napier P.A. telegram states that owing to a temporary breakdown at the power house, the tramway service was held up all the morning.

The scores in the Gray-Diggle billiard match (according to a London cablegram) are—Diggle 29-17, Gray 2753.

Members of the local Operatic Society are reminded that the date of the first practice of “Merrie England” has been changed from Thursday (16th) to Monday (27th inst), when it will take place in the Parish Hall.

At Christchurch (states the Press Association), Mr Bailey, S.M., gave judgment to-day in a case in which booksellers were charged with selling an indecent book, viz: “The Adventures of John Johns.” He held that the tendency of the book was to deprave and corrupt, and he was satisfied it was indecent. Defendants were fined £2 each.

The Hon. Mr Fraser states that the Public Works Department is taking an active part in the efforts that are being made to arrest the inroads of the sfea at’ Hokitika (says the Press Association.) The district engineer has been authorised.to defray half the cost of the work being done to protect the town. Plans for extensive foreshore protective works have been prepared. The intention is to erect a gi’oin at right angles to the beach, similar to those ‘erected forty years ago, at a cost of about £IOOO.

Something of a sensation has been caused in town (states the Auckland agent of the Press Association), by the discovery that quite a large number of ten pound Bank of New Zealand notes in circulation are forgeries. They were probably put through the totalisator at Ellerslie at the Easter meeting, and many people were victimised. The notes are all numbered 169,948, having been photographed from .the original reproduction. It is said to be the first that has ever come under the notice of banking experts here. , ■ ' The East Riding members of the County Council 'are afraid that Toko Eoad‘ 'will .altogether disappear from 'Sight this winter. At the March meeting of the Council it was decided to get 2000yds of boulders out of the Toko stream, and the Riding members urged the necessity for haste in geting the stone out. Tenders for the work were: called, but none was accepted, the prices being too high, the lowest being Is 8d over the Engineer’s estimate. Cr. Smith, at this morning’s meeting, moved that £SO ha spent on the road in patching. He said the road was one of the worst in the County. The motion was seconded by Ci- Anderson and carried.

At Taumarunui the third general meeting of the King Country Backblocks Association was held yesterday. Delegates from the neighbouring counties, Te Kuiti and Taumarunui Boroughs and Waninui Town Board were present. The Press Association states that the discussion was taken nj) with the rating of Na- , tire lands for reading purposes, and it was resolved that all Native lands before being leased or sold be loaded for purposes of reading. It was also resolved to hold a general conference at an early date to press on radical alterations in the licensing laws in the King Country, the present law being unsatisfactory to the Trade and prohibitionists alike.

Seven persons were before the Magistrate’s Court at Wellington to-day, charged with offences connected with the interruption at the Hon. Mr Fisher’s meeting in the Town Hall on 3rd April. The Press Association message states that evidence was given by the chairman of'the meeting, Mr Von Haast, that the proceedings on the night in question were very rowdy. Neither he nor Mr Fisher could get a hearing until about a quarter to ten o’clock. There was perfect pandemonium till then. The organ was played to secure peace. The Magistrate said accused had had their fun and must pay for it. One of the defendants was fined £3, and another £2 10s, and the rest £2 each, with Court cost's. Two other cases were adjourned. The Poultry Association Conference at Wellington (says the Press Association), was met by the Secretary of Agriculture (Mr F. IS. Pope), director of the. Live Stock and Meat Division (Mr C. J. Reakes, M.R.C.V.S.), and the assistant director (Mr J. L. Bruce), to whom the various aspects of the poultry industry were put. The president (Mr S. Brittain, Bulls), referred specially to the need for wider and fuller dissemination of knowledge regarding poultry and egg production, work which he contended could best he done by the Department of Agriculture. The industry was worth a million and a half sterling annually in the Dominion, and on that ground alone it was- worthy of the attention of the Government; Mr Pope said the Department were entirely in sympathy with the request for more instructors. Mr Reakes said he was anxious to do what he could to assist the industry. Not much experimental work had been donp as yet, but lie would be glad if the conference resulted in suggesting to him the direction in which useful experiments could be made, ». ■—- - •