LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 16, 9 May 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A commencement was made with the annual meeting of the Beautifying Society yesterday afternoon, when the balance-sheet was passed and Mr Hale was elected secretary, vice Mr Blick, resigned. The balance of the business was adjourned till next Wednesday evening. The mysterious disappearance is reported of a'man named Charles Keano, a journeyman baker, residing at Mangnwhare (says the Dargaville correspondent of the Auckland Star). He is a married man with a wife and three children. He was working at Carr's bakery six weeks ago, and had arranged to buy out Mr M'Carthy,baker, of Dargaville. On Thursday night of last week Keano told M'Carthy that ho had arranged for a supply of flour, so M'Carthy let his stock run right out. Keano told his wife earlier in the day that he had borrowed money to purehase the business, and sent her to M'Carthy's earlier in the day to wait till he came and took the business over. Keane did not arrive, and has not been seen since. The police and relatives are searching, but they have obtained no cine to his whereabouts. A man from whom Kenne said he was borrowing money says he never h»ard a word from Keane. , ,

The commissariat at the Takapau Camp was on the whole liberal, as may be gathered from the following list* of supplies :■—The 6000 men in camp were allowed 1 |IL» of meat each per day, necessitating the killing of about 300 sheep and seven bullocks .daily. The bakers had to supply 2750 21b loaves daily, and the other daily rations included 15001 b butter, 0000 oz cheese, 4500 oz tea, 15001bs sugar. 60001 b potatoes, 14001 b onions, 15001 b jam, and 3000pts milk.

At the meeting of the Domain Board yesterday Mr P. Thomson moved that no football or other game be allowed to be played on the parks on Sunday. He said that last Sunday he had seen people coming from Victoria Park who looked as if they had been playing football. Mr Kirkwood asked if the suggestion was that regular games were played—he was against that. Mr Thomson said he did not suggest that. But he understood that it was the usual thing to hold practices. The motion was not seconded and therefore lapsed.

James Reginald Osborne Bloemfontein Stanley Baden Powell were the Christian names of a boy who registered at Ballarat (Victoria) recently for service under the compulsory training system. In spite of his warlike name the medical officers rejected him because he had a diseased leg bone. Baden Powell, Redvers Buller, Kitchener, Roberts, and other names have been see frequently on the registrar's books during the last year (says an Australian paper.*, but not all the owners of such famous names have been so unfortunate as to be rejected.

Most people who heard of the recent incident in which the Napier Borough Council's steam roller played a most important part (says tho Hawke's Bay Herald) would naturally imagine that such had probably never happened before. However, tho following extract from the London Daily Meil of February 14, shows that an almost similar occurrence took place in the village of Baildon, in Yorkshire, England, not very long ago:—"Running down the steep hill at the village of Baidon, near Bradford, Yorkshire, on Monday, a steam roller crashed into a milliner's shop and wrecked a fish-shop and a public house. The driver, who remained on the roller, escaped injury."

The water hyacinth problem is now assuming alarming proportions in Northern New South Wales, tho Richmond River being seriously affected, in addition to all the creeks and branches. Between Woodburn and Broadwater, the river is now practically covered with tho pest, and all ferries are being worked with hte greatest difficulty; in fact, even the Woodburn steam ferry is being frequently delayed for an hour at a time, while a temporary clearance is made. The ocean steamers Tay 1., Burndah, and Burringbar have all been blocked, and these serious delays to ocean vessels, river steamers, and steam launches are causing the greatest concern and apprehension among all sections of the public throughout the Richmond rivqr district, as tho business of these districts is dependent on the waterways being kept perfectly freo for navigation.

There is a disposition (says the "Pictorial") in modern matrimonial circles to rebel against the honeymoon. This has already been cut down. People absolutely refuse to be sent away for a month or a fortnight, and they are finding even a week irksome, unless it is spent in a continual whirl of new sight-seeing. This is no indication whatever that modern brides and bridegrooms are not in love with each other, nor does it augur that if they cannot endure each other's undiluted society in the roseate dawn of wedded life they must necessarily hate each other later. The fact is, the early period of matrimony is just the time when the contracting parties need to be distracted from themselves. Rit is impossible for the newly wed to go to Paris, Monte Carlo, or somewhere else where they are flung into a perfect maelstrom of gaiety, they should not go away for more than a couple of days, and then at once assemble their 'friends about them and entertain, and be entertained. ♦Notice to the Public-The Stratford Club ' Hotel-Mr C. Diamond writes: "As I am retiring from business in the management of the Club Hotel next week, I want to thank all old friends and customers for their past patronage, and hope that if over again I settle in business in Stratford I will see the old faces, and will endeavor to please them in the future as in the past, to the best of my ability. As it has come to my knowledge that some busybodies have stated that I intend to close the dining room and kitchen from Sunday next, I wish to state that I have no such intention and shall continue to run the hotel a s I consider in my best interests. Anyone who is not satisfied with the management, may, surely, go elsewhere. At the same time I may state that I will take no weekly boarders as from the 9tb (Saturday), and that my tariff from that date until I leave will be as follows:—All meals Is 6d, beds Is 6d. Once again thanking all for past favors, I am, etc. Charles Diamond."*

The Operatic Society will EoTd a further practice of "Merrie England' 1 on Monday evening. Two more cases of smallpox have heen reported in Sydney, a cablegram states to-day. Three first-offending drunkards were convicted and discharged at the Court -¥this morning, Mr C D. Sole, J.P., being on the bench. A Maori lad at Kawhia had a giant mushroom on exhibition during last week, the fungus measuring Ift. 10£in in diameter. The Stratford Territorials at present in camp at Takapau will arrive home between 5 and 7 o'clock to-mor-row evening. The Stratford contingent for the casual camp following the main camp will leave at 12.37 p.m. on Monday. While in Sydney, General Sir lan Hamilton rode a magnificent brown charger, which \was much admired by the crowd. Sir lan also praised the big war-horse, and was very much pleased when informed that the Government had decided to make him a present of it. He intends to take the charger back to England on his return. the usual 4.5 p.m. train from Hawera to New Plymouth on the 13th and 14th May will not run. Passenger train leaves Hawera at 4.20, and the racecourse at 4.30 p.m. On 13th May a passenger train will leave Pohokura at 6 a.m., Te Wera 6.40 a.m., arriving at Stratford 8.25 aim., and connect, ing with the New Plymouth to Hawera train. Detailed particulars are given in another column. Dr. Gore, the Bishop of Oxford, is v endowed with a keen sense of humor, and is rather fond of telling the story of how, at a diocesan examination, one of the questions ran thus: "Name the three evils mentioned in the Litany from which the Church prays to he delivered." Judge of the examiner's astonishment when, instead of the answer, "False doctrine, heresy, and schism," he read the words, "Bishops, priests, and deacons." The Domain Board met yesterday afternpon. Present: Messrs G. N. Curtis (chairman), W. P. Kirkwood, P. Thomson and G. D. Hunter (secretak-)- The. secretary of the Croquet Club forwarded the club's usual annual contribution to the Board, stating that the Club approved of the proposed alterations and asking that the gates be either repaired or renewed. Permission was granted for the boys of the-District "High School to use Victoria Park for football, provided that arrangements can bo made with the Association Football Club. A number of minor matters wero .refeiv red to the chairman to be r carried out.