LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 19, 14 May 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Eltham Borough has resolved to go into the picture business, ana lias acquired the properties of a recent show run under the management of Mr W. R. Baker.

As a probable means of getting into communication with a foreign coi respondent, Mr J. Ward, of Kirk and Co. (Ltd), Invercargill, enclosed in a bale of rabbitskins which was to go to Belgium a long letter, giving some particulars of life in New Zea.and, and particularly with regard to thins. The other day he received a reply from the man who had unpacked the bale, and some interesting information v. as supplied in regard to how rabbitskins wore treated before being put <.u the market. Great surprise was expressed at the news that trappers only used the skins, and that the carcase was thrown away.

An interesting point cropped up in the Wellington Supreme Court on Tuesday in a case in which a man was charged with breaking, entering, and theft, and also with theft, both charges arising out of the same circumstances. After evidence had been given by a witness who had been convicted of participation in the same offence (to which he had pleaded guilty), Mr H. H. Ostler, Crown Prosecutor, intimated that he would withdraw the first charge, leaving only that of theft. The reason for this was that the witness (who was deemed to he acting for the accused) did not break and enter, because ho got into the building through an open window —it was not breaking and entering unless he moved something. The first count was accordingly withdrawn.

South-end ratepayers are reminded of the meeting to be held this evening in the Hinemoa Lodge room, when th® loan question and other important matters will be discussed.

In the Regan Street Hall this evening the choir of the Methodist Church will render Root’s cantata, “The Haymakers.” The members of the choir have put in a lot of hard practice and the same applies to the orchestra, so that a finished production can ho looked forward to. For the occasion special decorations have been prepared.

At.lnvercargill yesterday a quartercaste prisoner in the reformatory was sentenced to seven days’ bread and water treatment and the loss of 540 good conduct marks for assaulting a warder by throwing the contents of a vessel over him and then striking him with portion of a stool, whose preparation showed that the offence was premeditated.

The operations of the Liberal “Flying Squadron” in the Stratford electorate will be completed at the end of this week. To-morrow evening Mr H. Atmore, M.P. for Xelson, will deliver an address at Midhirst, an address previously arranged having had to be abandoned. On Saturday Mr Atmore will address a meeting at Whangaraomona.

At the Invercargill Club Hotel there is a bar for the sale of soft drinks. Customers are charged threepence for trie hire of a glass with each drink, and threepence for the aerated waters, they providing their own stimulant. At the S.M. Court there yesterday the proprietor of the establishment was charged with having allowed his premises, in a no-license area, to be used as a place of resort for the consumption of liquor. Decision was reserved.

At the Upper Hutt yesterday, Hazelwood and Co., storekeepers, were prosecuted by the Customs Department for selling explosives without a license. The defendants pleaded guilty. Mr McLaurin, who represented the Department, asked for a norai--| nal penalty, and a fine of os, with costs, amounting to £1 8s was inflicted. A similar charge was preferred against Benge and Pratt, in whose premises the recent fatal explosion occurred, but on the application of counsel the,case was adjourned.

In her address in Dunedin on Sunday afternoon at the Y.M.C.A.', Mrs W. R. Don mentioned an incident connected with the observance of “Mothers’ Day” last year, states the Otago Daily Times. A Chinaman who was present at the Y.M.C.A. meeting received, with the others present, a white buttonhole, in honour of his mother. The address and special significance cf the occasion so impressed him that he had had his photograph taken on the Monday, and was careful to wear the flowers given to him. This photognipn ha sent to Ids mother, in far-off China, and‘accompanying it was a letter in which he told his mother of the meeting and the reasons for its observance.

Mr A. W. Reid, Stratford, who was 1 a passenger by the steamer Willochra from Sydney last week, stated in the course of an interview with a southern pressman, that the New South Wales capital has made remarkable progress since his previous visit, about two years ago. At least 100 acres of what were then green fields must have been added to the suburban building area, and nearly all of this land is now covered with buildings, but in spite of that fact dwelling houses are very hard to procure. Mr Reid states that the modern style of building in Sydney is much less ornate than it used to be, and in that respect he noticed a considerable difference between Melbourne and Sydney, the ornate style of architecture having a much greater vogue in the capital of Victoria. So far as business and the tramway systems are concerned, Sydney appears to bo as much ahead of Melbourne now as to the latter city was ahead of Sydney^ 50 years ago.

Mr Hine’s meeting on Tuesday evening was extremely good-humor-ed. and the audience were evidently out for fun. The interruptions, though numerous almost from tho'l commencement of the speaker’s remarks, were far from being hostile, albeit opponents of the Massey Government were present in good force. Only on one occasion had the chairman to exercise his right of control, and then there was less of confusion than hilarity in the proceedings. A list of interjections would fill a column, nearly. The advice to Dir Hine: “Don’t get wild!” was beautifully timed, though absolutely unnecessary, and was fully as humorous as another injunction, this time to the Mayor: “Wake up, Bill!” The finely-clothed but transparent sarcasm in the interjection was not lost upon the crowd, and His Worship joined in the merriment. “Binkum?” queried a voice, and the reply: “Yes; fair dinkum!” from Mr Hine brought down the house. ‘‘Beeswax!”— “Rats!”—-“What are you backing at Hawera?” were among the less humorous btit more expressive ejaculations, and when matters came to a halt for a time, the familiar; “Go ' on. Jack!” set the political ball rolling once again. Dir Hine must havA been not the least pleased with the evening. It was a good time as politics go nowadays.

At a meeting held last evening of the Stratford Beautifying Society, it was definitely decided to hold a Queen of the Carnival contest in September next and a sub-committee was appointed to go fully into the matter. Golf circles will be interested to learn, per London cablegram, that Ray, Duncan, Tom Ball, Vardon and Taylor were beaten in the preliminary, rounds of the £350 foursome prize at Tuuniiigdale. Stratford residents patronised the Hawera races to a considerable extent. A good number went down in motor cars, and the train was also well patronised, about 150 going down on Wednesday and nearly two hundred this morning. Mr F. A. Cramer had an anxious timedast night, being in danger of losing one of his horses which had got into a creek in his paddock in Falstaff Street. However, a large number of i’riends worked hard in extricating the beast, which was placed in safety after about an hour’s rather disagreeable toil. At Whangamomona on Tuesday polls of the County Council ratepayers in the Central Riding were taken on the questions of striking a bridge rate in the Riding, and also the metalling of the Ohura Road in the Riding. Both proposals were carried —the first by 24 votes to 2 and the second by 19 votes to 3.

The business set down at to-mor-row’s sitting of the Court is of a more diversified character than has been the case for some time. The list as follows: Four breaches of Borough by-laws, two for main- • tenance. charges of obscene language and of being drink and behaving violently in a railway carriage against one person, one information for failing to clear noxious weeds, one judgment surilmons, an application for a temporary transfer of the Club Hotel, and eighteen civil cases (two defended). A Wellington Press Association telegram to-day states The following have been appointed a Royal Commission to report upon the care and carriage of explosives in the Dominion: —Mr Holmes (Engineer-in-Chief), Lieutenant Elmslie, of the Psyche, Captain Edwards, of the army staff. The report wili be furnished by July 31 The Commission has nothing to do with the Hutt disaster,. as it was first evoked a year ago, while a number of questions have been under discussion for some time, including the . location of a magazine fourteen miles from .Auckland in the Huuraki Gulf, and the carriage of explosives on motor lorries. At Midhirst last night a most successful plain and fancy dress dance was held under the management of the Town Hall Board. The following took part in the fancy dress competition :—Misses Florence Sullivan (Apache) first prize, F. Jones (Har- • . vest Girl, Frances Sullivan (Grubb’s Music), N. Hall (Pierrott), Shotter (Bridge), May. Youngman (Pack of Cards), Youngman (Grace Darling), Walters (Afternoon Tea), Rogers (Ivy), Plews (My Powder Puff), Finlay (Flirt), Cote (Snow Queen); Messrs T. Henderson (Poster, Central Store) first prize, B. Richmond (Pirate King), W. Vickers (Cricketer), Goodwin (Jockey), T. Anderson (Footballer), Bennett (Baker), T. Sullivan (Father Christmas). The duties of M.C. were capably carried out by Messrs Sullivan and Shotter, and the musical items were efficiently supplied by Miss Anderson (piano). Mr S. Parker (cornet), and Mr Stanley Parker (violin). On behalf of the Town Hall Board, Mr W. Mountford presented the prizes. Midhirst has already gained a reputation for pleasant dancing evenings, but last night’s gathering eclipsed in everyway those previously held.