LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11, 4 May 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Two cases of smallpox are reported by cablegram from Melbourne to have occurred in the suburbs. Tickets for admission to the Walkure luncheon in connection with the New Plymouth Harbor Board may be obtained from the secretary of the Board up to the Bth May. A Press Association telegram states that the estates of 205 deceased persons were certified for stamp duty during the mouth of April, the largest being that of Henry Haymau, Otago, £91,740. New. Plymouth estates were Christina Hon Whyte £6911, Alexander Oliver £11,502..

At the recent London-Smithfield Show. Mr A. Findlay, of Mairsland, Auchtermuchty, sold “Magnificent” potatoes at from £BO to £IOO per ton, and a newer potato (“Majestic”) at the rate of £II,OOO per ton. The prices seem to justify the names of these tubers.

After 54 years of married life, Miami Mrs Joseph Jones, Cheltenham England) have died on the same day, the husband being 78 and the wife 77. Air Jones became ill through worry over his wife’s illness, and when lie was told of her death he began to sink at once and died just before midnight.

The bowling season is over as far as the local club is concerned, as the green is now closed. The champion singles was won by Mr M . McDonald, who played oft' the winner of the other section, Mr J. McMillan, winning by 20 points to 17. It was a close game. At the last head McMillan wanted two to win, but, instead, McDonald got in two, thus winning by three points. The meeting of householders held at Matau in connection with the election .of a school committee seeqjs to have been of a very cheerful nature, according to the account given by a correspondent. His graphic story of the proceedings is more suitable for the London “Illustrated News,” to v which journel we would advise him to send it. The following committee were elected: Messrs James Wallace (chairmn), Stockier, Ross, McMullian and Milson. Mesdames Rolfe and Chapman, members of the old committee, received the same number of votes as Messrs Milson and Stockier, but withdrew when the poll was declared. ■ A new joke was practised on several householders making their way to the annual meeting at the Grey District Higii School. “He’s got his foot caught in the palings,” was the explanation given by the boys to the attention they commanded by representing that one of them number was in difficulties. One lad, in tho dim light, appeared to be suspended from the picket fence, and, on going to the rescue, the lads suggested that the householder should “pull the paling off.” A good deal of energy was exerted,on that paling during the evening, and, as time after time the unsuspecting rescuer gave a tremendous pull and lost his balance, a chorus of laughter came from the back of tho fence; it proved good fun for the boys, for that paling was only held in place by two small lingers at the bottom of the fence! When Mr J. M. Wilford stated in Ids speech at tho Town Hall on Thursday night that he was probably the most-travelled man in the hall, an interjector caused great amusement. He asked in an indistinct voice if Mr Wilford had been in “Hicweewee.”, Mr Wilford asked tho man to spell the word, and, when there was no response, laughingly replied: “He can’t!” Many among the audience were puzzled, and in view of the guesses that have been made —including, to the writer’s knowledge, in China, in Africa, and a Maori place away in the north! —it may be stated that the place referred to was Iquique (pronounced E-que-que), a seaport which was transferred from Peru to Chili early in the ’eighties, and which is remarkable for its precipitous rocks, 2000 ft. high. Tho same wag at the meeting said that the last time lie heard Mr Wilford speak he paid three guineas!

M r Gervase Elwes, the well-known tenor, a Roman Catholic, has', refused to take part in “The 1 Dream of Gerontius,” which is to he given in the choral festival at Peterborough Cathedral this month. He has refused to sing unless the original version of the words, including such phrases as “Holy Mary, pray for him,” are used. Last November the Cathedral authorities arranged with the promoters of the festival that the version used at the Gloucester Cathedral festival last year should be adopted, and this was agreed to. Further, they point out that Mr Elwes has already sung his part with tlie modified wording on more than one occasion, and at Gloucester sang the actual version proposed for Peterborough. The Dean of Peterborough explains that the\ - are bound to remember that in the Cathedral the rendering must be not only a performance, but an act of worship, and that the retention of Cardinal Newman’s exact words would have caused pain and misgiving to many whose feelings and beliefs are entitled to consideration. Mr John Coates has been engaged to take the place of Mr Elwes.

The Borough Council meet at 11 o’clock on Wednesday morning, when the Mayoral installation will take place. A -reminder is given of the euchre party to be held in the Foresters’ Hall thin evening under the auspices of the Oddfellows’ Lodge. Tango pedometers, showing the mileage danced, are now worn as garter ornaments at fashionable gatherings in Baltimore, Maryland. Fourteen miles was the distance which a young woman’s pedometer showed after a recent dance. Serpents coiling round the ankles are the latest craze in hosiery. They are embroidered with metallic threads, and have a startlingly realistic appearance on dark silk stockings. For evening wear, with very low-cut shoes, lizards, frogs, beetles, and other creatures not usually beloved by women are seen sprawling or crawling along the instep. Another novelty promised for the warmer weather is the “fishing-net” stocking, with square-inch mesh. According to the figures supplied by Miss N. Trimble, Inglewood easily beat Stratford in respect of •ainfall during April, so that local residents can console themselves with the reflection that there are wet days in other places than Stratford. The total fall for the mouth was 16.U-lin. The highest falls were as follow, the fall in Stratford on the same days being given in parentheses: 7th 1.68 in (.82in), 11th l.OTin (under half an inch), 14th 3.55 in (3.15 in), 20th 3.13 in (2,37 in), 24th f.6Bin (.74in), 25th .90in (l.SOin). The only other falls over half an inch were .61in on the 9th, .73in on the 15th, and .87iu on the 19th. There were four days on which i the fall was recorded in hundredths, the total number of wet days being eighteen. On two days (the 10th and the 16th) Stratford had'a little over half an inch of rain, while Inglewood enjoyed practically dry weather, and it lis worthy of note that on the 21st the record at each station was identical —.o7in. London has been haunted with the strains of “You Made Me Love You-i” Wherever one goes, writes a W elling- - ton girl, now enjoying the sights of London city, the strains of this popular melody reach one’s ears. Army officers in their clubs, business men in their offices, and, of course, errand boys in the streets have all got it on' the brain. Even a Cabinet Minister on his way to a meeting in Downing streets the other day was heard unconsciously humming the refrain, “I didn’t Want to Do It,” although it was more than likely that his mind was engrossed at that, moment with the question of a big or little Navy. It is wafted to one from open windows in gramaphone tones, and at all picture /shows the pianists play it in all keys and various times. I heard recently that the composer, who by.the way has made a lot of money, and might well sing “You Made Me Love You,” was on the staff of a music publishing

firm, but after writing this song of •the season he felt quite convinced it would make a hit and resigned from the firm, making his own business arrangements ■as to publication. His move proved successful, and this one song has put him well on the way to >... a fortune.