LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 46, 16 June 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The School Committee meets this evening. The Empire Hotel, Stratford, has again changed hands, Mr Cecil Arden, of the Breakwater Hotel, at Moturoa, taking over the business from Mr R. H. Campbell to-morrow. A euchre tournament and dance will be held in the Toko Coronation Hall on Friday evening, the proceed* being put towards a fund for the improvement of the sports ground. A meeting of creditors in the estate of Seth Backhouse is to be held at the office of the Deputy Official Assignee (Mr A. Coleman) at 10.30 a.m. on Friday. It is reported in town that a Wellington syndicate has ideas of buildinj. a two-storeyed building on the site oi the old Trocadero for the purpose oi establishing a picture show, with shopi and offices to let in'the building.

States the Ohura Advocate: A matter that should not be lost sight of by the people of these parts was mentioned by the chairman of the Ohura County Council at the meeting of ratepayers on Monday night. He urged the advisability of endeavoring to get a railway from the Ohura to join with the line that will connect Kawhia with the Main Trunk.

At Duneclin last week twelve cleaners in the railway service were charged with failing to render personal service under the Defence Act. Counsel for defendants contended that they had not received notifications that they had to attend a half-day parade. Palling in at the Garrison Hall, the men were marched to Xormanby, where they were given a spell by the captain and told to fall in again in ten minutes, as the parade was to be a halfday one. The defendants boarded a tram-car and returned to town, maintaining that they had only received notice of 1* hours' drill. The Magistrate (Mr Bartholomew) held that owing to the delay in sending the notices of the half-day parade, the defendants were under an obligation to attend only U hours' parade or drill, and the charge was therefore dismissed.

The following business is set down for decision at this week's sitting of the Court: Seven civil cases (two defended), one judgment summons, one information for selling by auction without a license, one for failing to attend drill, and six for failing to avtend camp.

The New Zealand Journal of Agriculture reports that Mr A'. A. Corban, a viticulturist at Henderson, Auckland, has introduced a bird-lime for the purpose of protecting grapes, etc., from small birds. This has been tested at the Waerenga Experimental Farm, with satisfactory results. A small tree was covered with sticks of the bird-lime, and tied to a post in the vineyard. In two-hours 77 whiteeyes, which are so destructive to the grapes, were caught. There were 18 birds on one stick., The bird-lime held blackbirds and thrushes equally well. Once they touch it there is no hope of their getting away. The lime can be handled with ease and cleanliness.

"Billy" Sunday, the American evangelist, continues to attract big crowds to his various missions. At Scranton (U.S.A.), it is reported 11,000 people crowded the Tabernacle every night, and more than 4000 conversions were recorded. At one meeting the vast audience was thrilled when the master mechanic of a great railroad rose and entreated his fellow railroad men to "hit the sawdust trail" with him. Amid cheers and continued applause he and a large number of his fellow employees marched up together, while "Billy" waved a whito flag and cried out, "Come on., men; come on; the schedule still is open and the track is clear."

The Defence Department has issued instructions (states a Wellington Press Association telegram today) regarding the procedure to be observed for the admission of NewZealand candidates to the Koyal Military College, Sandhurst, Arrangements have been made to admit three New Zealand cadets each half year, and they must', be between 17 and 194 years of age. The examinations will be held half-yearly, ordinarily in June and November. Nominations should reach the chief of general staff in New Zealand by Ist February and Ist July. The successful candidates may leave open until their last term at college the question whether, if successful, they shall accept a commission in the Imperial Army or return to New Zealand.

How the driver and the fireman pf the Main Trunk express, which dashed into a goods train at Whangamarino in the early hours of the morning of May 27th, with the loss of three lives, remained at their posts was recorded at the time of the accident. It was not, however, known until the resumption of the inquest regarding the death of the victims on Wednesday that, after miraculously escaping injury, they set to work to extinguish the wrecked engine's fires, in order to prevent an explosion. As the engine ploughed its way through the trucks, as if they had been so much matchwood, the driver CJ. H. Stone) and his fireman (F. G. Pardington) stayed at their posts. The engine left the rails and rolled down the embankment into a swamp, carrying with it its human freight. Neither the fireman nor the driver left his post until the engine came to rest. Then, practically uninjured, they crawled our through the window of the engine cab. They immediately thought of the possibility of an explosion of the engine boiler, with its attendant dangers. Setting to work in practically pitch darkness, they turned on the water from the overturned tender, transferring it by buckets to the fire in the engine. Finding the water insufficient to put the fire out and thus prevent any chance of an, explosion, they procured more water in buckets from the swamp, and were thus enabled to achieve their object.

Interviewed by the Wellington Post on the subject of Prison Reform, the Hon. Mr Herdman said the work of construction of a large prison at Waikeria, near Te Awamutu, was proceeding apace. It was estimated that when completed, it would hold 250 prisoners. Then the accommodation required in Wellington would be for not more than 100 men. The policy for the North Island was to have a large gaol at Auckland and another at Waikeria; a gaol at New Plymouth for habitual criminals, a small place at Gisborne," and a prison near Wellington large enough for 100 short sentence and waiting-trial prisoners. The South Island requirements would be met by the Invercargill prison, a small prison at Dunedin, a large prison in Canterbury about Templeton, and a women's prison at Addington. A prison camp has been established at Waimarino. The Invercargill and Mount Eden prisons would be added to when the programme of new prisons was complete. The conditions obtaining should be quite satisfactory. As to complaints by prisoners, the Minister said the gaols were never intended to be luxurious, and it was not the intention of the Department to make them so, and when the prison building policy was completed, accommodation would be provided for 860 prisoners in the North Island and 445 in the South Island.— PA.

The Southland Winter Show opened to-djy. The Press Association states that the competitions' in the cheese classes were all won by Otago factories, A 'final reminder is given of the euchre party and social in the Midhirst, Town Hall to-morrow evening. If sufficient inducement offers, Mr Mudford will run his motor car from Stratford. A meeting of the Beautifying Society will be.held in the Stratford Borough Council Chambers on Thursday night. The principal business will be in connection with the Queen of the. Carnival contest.

Should Australian girls be brought under some system of compulsory training to fit them to share in the defence of the country in time of war ? This is the query raised by the editor of "Everybody's Journal" for June, - and answered by a number of leading citizens. The views, of these notable people make very interesting and instructive reading: Summed up, the general opinion seems to be that, while it is altogether inadvisable to give i girls any form .'of-military training, it would be a first-class thing for the girls of Australia if a course of dom mestic science were made compulsory. Recently, inspectors made a round v of the Sydney catering houses, and took samples of milk which had been set apart for use in tea. In every case it * was found to have been thin» ned down with water, and prosecutions followed In several cases the defence was that the milk was not sold in the ordinary way, and that when a person applied for a pint or quart of milk over the counter the sale was declined. The S.M., in giving bis reserved decision, and replying to the contention that putting milk in the tea did not* constitute' a sale in the ordinary sense, said that it seemed to him that the Pure Foods Act was a perfect dragnet, and that it took in everything. He inflicted fines varying from £1 to £6. "The penalties are probably lighter to-day than ever they will be l" again," be said. "I think that a little later a fine of probably £2O Will be inflicted in all these cases."