Second Edition LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12, 5 May 1914, Page 6

Second Edition LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr Mervyu Mcßae, a passenger to Australia by the Makura, died shortly before the vessel reached Auckland. The Press Association states that tho cause was consumption.

Messrs Hugh Campbell and F. Whittle returned to town to-day with a line bag after a shooting trip in the Puniwhakau district. Two guns secured four pheasants, two hares, and 2bo quail.

His Worship the Mayor notifies burgesses: that for the future he will be in attendance at the Borough Chambers every week-day for an hour in the morning, when he may be consulted upon all matters of interest in connection with the municipality.

A Christchurch Press Association telegram states that the Teatua school committee elections yesterday resulted in the appointment in seven cases of a woman as a member, who were mainly nominated on behalf of the W.C. T.U.

At Masterton S.M. Court, J. W. Talky, alias Watson, pleaded guilty to entering and theft from three local houses and was committed to Wellington for sentence. Accused was remanded to Hastings bn a charge of breaking arid entering the house of one, Griffiths, and stealing goods and money to the value of £3.

A number of unfavorable remarks are being passed upon the state of several of the towil hoardings recently in use by the uow-defunct Town Hall Picture proprietary. Layers of old paper pastings have become detached in places by the rain, and these flap about in an unsightly manner with the wind. Probably the authorities will soon remedy this, matter,, now that attention has been drawn to it. , 1 ' , /

.The. Hon. Janies Allen. Minister of Education, visited -Nelson ■■-■College yesterday, making special enquiry as to the new features of the curriculum and .also as to the facilities of the new science room. The Minister expressed pleasure with what he saw, (states the Press Association), and was much struck with the large assembly hall with' its permanent record of the honours' of the College. The college cadets headed the parade, of which General Sir lan Hamilton referred to the work as extraordinarily good.

Under the British Coinage Act, sovereigns and half-sovereigns which with ordinary use have not lost more thaUAfcbacfeJSgraiii.s of their original ■ weight'possess their face value when presented at the Mint, although the actual worth is only 19s 6d, eevry grain being roughly' valued at about 2d. This statement was made by the Assistant Secretary to the Federal Treasury (Mr Collins) last week, when a gold coin,* which had evidently been jagged with a sharp instrument, was submitted for an opinion. Mr Collins went on to say that, strictly speaking, a sovereign, ceased to be legal tender immediately it lost weight to the extent of 0.7747 of a grain. That reduced its value helo\v 39s loid, which was the standard laid down. Any depreciation of a sovereign beyond three grains is not regarded by the authorities as the result of faif usage. The actual weight of a sovereign when it is fresh from the Mint is said to -bo 122.5 grains.