LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 17, 11 May 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Th« Midhirst Town Hall Board will hold a plain and fancy dress hall at Midhirst on Wednesday. A prize will bo given for the best original costume.

The Borough Council meets this evening. Among other business proposiils will be submitted for the acquisition by the Borough of the Electrical Supply Co.’s business.

The services at the Catholic Church on Sunday wore largely attended, and impressive sermons were preached by the Marist Fathers. The mission will continue during the week. His Grace Archbishop O'Shea, has notified his inability to be present at the conclusion of the mission to administer the sacrament of confirmation.

Politics are now in th* air. Tb« Liberal party’s policy has boon fairly well put to Taranaki people, speeches having been recently made in most of the more important towns, and therefore there should be considerable interest in an address from the Government’s point of view. Tomorrow evening at the Town Hall, Mr J. B. nine, M.P. for Stratford, will deliver a pro-sossional address, and should be s\ir« of * largo and interested audience. As is usual, the dress circle vrillbe reserved for ladies and their escorts. The Mayer will take the chair at 8 p.ni.

The first Labor Sunday in Taftmania was observed on the 3rd in it. References to the occasion were made in ail churches. In the afternoon there was a mass meeting, when addresses were given on the relation of Christianity to democracy.

On Friday evening at the Tuna school an enjoyable erihbago match took place between the north and south end, 20 players being present. The south end won easily by 22 to U 1 games, the best cards being held by Messrs Hathaway and Glroshinski. It is anticipated that another match will he played at an early date.

Thu ratepayers living south of the bridge have apparently wakened up in earnest. Last week a preliminary meeting was held and it is now announced that a public meeting will be held in the Hinemoa Lodge Room, Juliet Street South, on Thursday evening to go into affairs affecting southern ratepayers.

After last night's big troop train, which was drawn by two engines, the train which passed through this morning to pick up the men for the casual cam]) was quite a small affair, consisting of only throe carriages, though no doubt it would become larger as it progressed. Stratford’s contingent numbered only sixteen, and they were entrained without mishap or delay.

Who says steak and mushrooms? The Now Zealand Times has been shown a letter from a lady who is staying at Otahuhu, in the neighborhood of Auckland, and who writes glowingly of the profusion of muslirooms in the paddocks around that suburb. It is simply wonderful, she says, how plentiful they are. There are thousands in the cemetery, she adds, and the men employed on tho drainage works gather a cartload from the graves, and send them into tho city, where they fetch quit© a good price.

Now cargo steamers with great < arising capacity are now being built foi the Union Steamship Company's Sydney-Sah Francisco service. Ono of tho steamers is of 10,000 tons, and the other of 15,000 They are under construction in England. One is on the stocks of Sir Baylton Dixon and Co,, Middlesborough, and the other is taking form at the famous Swan, Hunter, and Wigham m jards. Each vessel will have refrigerating capacity of more than 2000 tons, and will be up to date in evnrv respect.

A.s a result of the complaints mad® by a Motion of the Tpcritori •!.» « r Takapau recently, the following sarcastic circular, headed “Ichabod,” was . distributed through the camp —“Dear down trodden warriors : What have Wellington, Nelson, and tho Crimean warriors (and all the other lights who have made history) suffered from—rain, snow, and hardship—to establish our mighty Empire of freedom ? All this, dear brothers, is but a iloa-bito to the miserable martyrdom you have been called upon to endure for the last few dnjs, and our loving hearts go cut in sympathy overflowing uitli tears, and, should further hardships bo experienced by our noblo brothers, wo are prepared to advance further token of our love in the following manner:—6ooo pairs of strong woollen stockings knitted by our own dear hands, 6000 feeding bottles from tho, children, 6000 chest protectors from the old ladies, 6000 bottles of Mother Seigcl’s Syrup, ('OOO hot-water bottles, 6000 nice soft eiderdown quilts, and an assortment of easy chairs, lounges, and soft cushions. Remebrner, dear afflicted warriors, if there is any other little thing which the brutal authorities have not supplied, just give u» tho tip. Your tearfully afflicted sisters—The While Feather cum-Suffragctte Cold Water Society. As a last thought, we have a few hundred old flannel petticoats, which would keep out tho cold nicely. To the Glorious Band of White Feathers, Slush Camp, Takapau.” :

Two case* that are likely to ha of interest to employers who have Ter* tutorials in their employ will probably come before the magistrate in. Dunedin in the near future (states the Otago Daily Times). One of the regulations under the Defence Act says, in effect, that no employe* shall bo penalised by reason of Inving to perform his military obligations ; but two employers of this city appear to have disregarded this portion of the Act. The circumstances, as reported at the Defence Office are, in one case, that the employee had leave to go to camp, hut when ho returned to take up his duties ho was informed that his place had been filled and he was dismissed without iiotic® or remuneration in lieu thereof. In the other case, the man, a member of , the mounted forces, was sent horn* from camp sick on the Thursday prior to the Monday on which ho was to resume his ordinary occupation. On the Thursday night ho stabled' his horse in his employer’s stable, and on the next day took the animal to the Peninsula. Ho returned on Monday to his employer’s premises to resume work, but was told that his services wore no longer required. Both men. it is understood, aro preparedto go into the witness box and substantiate their statements cm oath, and it is the present intention of the defence authorities to carry the matter to the magistrate.

■A Sydlieyf cablegram states that three mors cases of smallpex hav« Wen reported in the city.

The return football match at Takapau camp between XI Regiment (Taranaki) and V (Wellington) was played on Saturday, Taranaki retrieving their lost laurels by 9 points to 8. The three matches in which XI participated J| were equal to interprovinciol exhibitions, states our informant.

A case againsti a Territorial of bringing liquor into camp was dealt with by,the Magistrate,at Tafcapau on Saturday. This crime is out of the jurisdiction of the military authorities and the maximum penalty is £2O; Accused Was bringing in two bottles of beer into camp for his mates, and evidently ; did not know the law. He was fined 10s and costs■■7u.

Returned Territorials from the TakapaHi camp mention an incident that might easily have proved serious. It was thei tem{>orary illness through ptomaine-poisoning of a large num- * ber of , the XI Regiment, caused through apples having been left in a galvanised iron bucket. One member was unconscious for over an hour, while others were only a little less seriously affected.

The circulation of sovereigns is reported by local banking authorities, and the public are hereby warned to be cautious in their transactions involving the interchange of these coins. The “sweated'’ coins are stated to be palpably short-weight-ed, some, indeed, having been found to be nearly a fifth light, while the effect of the “sweating” has been to leave them dull and leadenish in color.

•Mr H. Atmprij, om| cf t)IG P art y of Liberal members carrying out the recent speech-making campaign, who was laid aside for some time by illness, has now recovered sufficiently to deliver a public address and will till some of the engagements previously postponed owing to the illness of himself arid other members of the travel-

ling party. H© will speak at -Midhirst on Friday next and at Whangamomona on Saturday.

In view of tho riot in the Takapau camp and the demand of the Territorials for payment of the two extra "' daijy» under canvas, it is interesting to ' foirn now that ■ the men' have return-, "' 'ed, that they signed for nine days' pay, some days before the riot. This would seem as if there were some grounds for complaint" in this respect; and to show that the protest was not made ) 'in* rain, new pay sheets were after- ; ; out and sighed, giving the men the extra'two-;days' pay. "It did a lot of good, I am satisfied," ! said 'one of the'Xl, "as We-got better tucker, better everything—including* the w«*ther!" ; ; .