LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 64, 7 July 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A London cablegram states that Sir Thomas Lipton's firm has been removed from the list of army contract'ors. The Stratford Municipal Band are arranging a select programme for a concert, to bo given in Victoria Park next Sunday afternoon. While loading gravel at Kopke's gravel pits in the .western plateau of Ballarat, a man found a nuggest valued at £2O. Similar discoveries have recently been made. A social and dance is to be held at the Tuna school this evening. During the evening the school prizes won during the year will be presented by Mr R. Masters, of the Education Board.

The New South Wales Government is offering a reward of £250 for information that will lead to the detection of the individual or individuats who sent a bomb through the post office to the Lands Office- d; Melbourne. It appears that the bomb, which seriouslv injured two civil servants, was sent from Sydney.

A peculiar fatal accident happened to William Mitchell, a married man, with a family, at Broken-hill Proprietary Smelters. Mitchell was sitting on the front of a dray, laden with limestone, which he was carting from a barge, when it went over a stone a few inches in diameter, and Mitchell fell out. The horse stopped immediately, and the man lay motionless, just in front of the wheel, the fall having broken his neck.

A shopkeeper, whoso premises are situated near the Mangaotuku stream, saw an interesting encounter the other day, reports the News. Hearing a splashing in the water, he looked out of a back window and observed a water rat and an eel in combat. After a long struggle the water rat seized the eel by the head and eventually dragged it to shore. The last !the shopkeeper saw of the two conir ibatants was the water rat towing the 'eel to a hole in the bank, evidently [the rodent's headquarters.

At hist night's meeting of the Borough Council a letter was received from Mr T. Kirkwood, secretary of tho Mountain Club, who forwarded a copy of the resolution passed by the Club urging the Government to make a grant of £SOO to the Stratford County Council for the purpose of metalling the western end of Pembroke Road.—Cr. Richards' said the County Council had applied for a; grant, for the work, which would give access to tho radius lino on metal. The Club thought the Mayor could make representations on the question. He moved that the Council support .the agitation.—Cr. Masters seconded, land the motion was carried.

The Inglewood correspondent of the 'News reports an unusual incident: jPeople in the vicinity of the butter factory, he writes, were considerably 'startled by a terrific crash on Sunday 'afternoon, and for a few minutes all jwas excitement, Rumors of a motor car having gone orer the bank flew [in all directions, and a large number 'of people hurried to the scene. The '.trouble proved to be the collapse of the, Moa Dairy Co.'s skim milk and Iweighing'shed. The structure, which was on the banks of the Waiongonaiti was erected on piles some eight feet, off the ground, and a portion of 'one of the piles having rotted, caused the whole saructure to topple over 'right into the centre of the river. Luckily the river was very low at 'the time, otherwise there would have been a sudden disappearance of the iwhole thing. As it is, considerable damage bus been done to the milk 'can» and weighing machine.

Everything possible is being done by members of the Scottish Society to make the social to be held in the Foresters' Hall on Thursday a success, and as the Society has an established reputation for the excellence of its socials a pleasant evening can confidently lie looked for. Mr F. Tyrer, headmaster of the Stratford school, has received official notification from the Education Board of the following nominations for the election of a member for the East Ward: Mr Frank Mackay, Stanley Road; Mr W. Rogers, Pembroke Road; Mr AV. T. Mills, Denbigh Road. R. Kivell. a Stratford schoolboy, who on Sunday, went on a visit to a school chum at Omona. caused some uneasiness by failing to return to his home in due course and fears were entertained for his safety, but he arrived homo without mishap this morn-

Cr. King, at last night's meeting of the Borough Council, drew the attention of the chairman of the Works Committee to the fact, that he side streets were breaking up very badly. Cr. Masters also asked that blinding gravel be placed on top of metal which had been put on footpaths, the metal being loose. The Mayor stated that the side streets would receive attention now 'that the work on Broadway north was finished; and the Overseer stated that his intention was to put on the gravel asked for, the work being delayed owing to the men being otherwise engaged. On Cr. Boon's suggestion the Overseer was instructed to put some gravel on the footpath on the west side of Broadway, norfh of Regan Street, the footpath at present being very muddy.

Notice had been given by the Mayor to move the following motion at last night's meeting of the Borough Council:—"That for the purpose of providing a comprehensive drainage scheme and the completion of the water reticulation in the Borough the Council to approve a loan of £16,000, this sum being made up of £12,000 for drainage and £4OOO for water." The Mayor asked for permission to hold over his motion. This permission was granted, and it was decided to hold a special meeting on July 27th to consider the whole question of loans. Permission was also granted to Cr. Boon to move the following motion, notice of which had been given for last night, at the same meeting:

—"That the borough by-laws be revised to give the Council power to charge for water according to resolution passed on September Bth, 1913." Cr. Boon notified that he would also move

that the charge for water cKvets be increased from 10s to £l. Cn the Monday evening following this special meeting the August meeting of the Council will be held, in view of the Town Clerk leaving on holiday on August Bth—two days before the regular date for the meeting.

The block-boys in Sydney "downed brooms" a fortnight ago and interviewed the city's cleansing superintendent in regard to an increase in pay. The Superintendent warned ,the boys that they were working under an award, and that they had not applied for a variation of it; consequently he expected them to go back to work, and if they did not muster next morning they would lose their situations. But tho boys formed a procession of 20 or 30, which late in th, afteiroon.had grown to about 100 boys. "What's the trouble?" one was asKed. "Trouble,' 'answered this hey of 16 who was tugging at a wellsoaked cigarette butt, "Why, the the cost o' livin' puts it over us just as hard as th' aldermen, and we want a rise, that's all." "But you're not married," suggested a bystander, "and only married people are supposed to | have domestic trouble." "Twenty-five bob!" he went on scornfully. "What can a fellow do with twenty-five bob after he pays his board and takes the girl to the pitcher show; I ain't, been to Kensington or Ascot for a month." Well?" "Well! It's not well—it's off; an' so am I." And he joined the procession.

"In his April report," said the Mayor at last night's Borough Council meeting, "the Overseer stated that something should be done to Broadway central, "and he recommended that kerbing and channelling be done from the bridge to Regan Street, when the street levels could also be adjusted." The next kerbing and channelling done, His Worship continued, should be in Broadway central, and he moved in that direction. It might be necessary to decide whc titer or not kerbing and channellinwork should now cease. If the wr x was not done now it would practically be postponed until January next, as the wot season was just about setting in. Cr. Boon seconded the motion, stating that it was highly necessary to have the levels in Broadway central fixed. But the present was the wrong time to do concrete work, as the frost was even worse for concrete than water. The Mayor pointed out that the whole of the wooden kerbing was rotten. Ur, Masters said something must be done to the road surface in Broadway, and nothing could be done until tho kerbing was done. The Mayor's motion was carried.