LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 70, 14 July 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

William Vincent, laborer, of Stratford, bus filed a declaration of insolvency. i For allowing smoko to be discharged from the chimneys of tho hotel in such quantity as to be ft nuisance, ft Melbourne hotelkeeper was fined £2, with £1 2s costs. A Masterton resident has discovered, through the Dead Letter Office, a post office money order issued by his wife 13 years ago. He is wondering as to the validity of the document. There was a good attendance at the Oddfellows’ euchre party last night, Mrs J. Croft and Mr R. Endings won the first prizes, Mr and Mrs Moroney winning the booby prizes. The evening was brought to a close with supper at Mrs Brookings,

The attention of our farming readers, particularly, is directed to some verses entitled “The Cocky’s ‘Spell,’ ” appearing on page 3. While the municipal employees were unloading a case of machinery in Wellington, they found the following note neatly inscribed thereon;—“lf this should meet the eye of any young man in New Zealand in need of a wife, please write to Miss Johns, 24, Wes-ton-st., Poplar, East London.” In the report of the Clifton-Strat-ford contest at Waitara on Saturday, the Mail says: A tribute must also ho given to Whittington, the centre three-quarter for the visitors, and to the full-back, Stewart,who must surely rank as one of the best of the fullbacks in the province at the present time. The age for ending female names “ie” has come to a ridiculous conclusion in Oregon. A farmer named Ake christened his eldest girl Belle. She, adopting the style of the Mallies, Susies, Fannies and Matties of the region, got some cards printed “Bellie,” and now appears to a distracted world as “Miss Bellie Ake.”

The recitation of “Not Understood” at the annual smoke concert of the New Zealand Railway Officers’ Institute at Dunedin moved a speaker to make an appeal to railwayman to contribute towards the fund being raised for the erection of a suitable memorial on Thomas Bracken’s grave. The O’ - 1 of the Carnival competition a Pa aerston North terminated on Satu .ay evening, when Miss Ellen Millar, the sporting candidate, was elected Queen, the voting being as follows:—Miss Miller, 31,336; Miss Taylor, 30. 1 09; Miss Mailman, 10,704; Miss Harris, 10,049; Miss Cook, 3714. The proceeds from the voting and carnival amount to £IOOO. To-morrow (Wednesday) will he observed as a public holiday in the Government offices throughout the Dominion. for the celebration of Arbor Day. In order that the movement may be made as successful as possible, the Government hopes (says the Minister of Internal Affairs in. the Gazette) that the mayors of various municipalities and chairmen of local bodies will place the matter prominently before the people of the Dominion, and do all they can to encourage the planting of public reserves and other available lands, both public and private ; with trees suited to the locality. The Gisborne correspondent of the Christchurch Press states that a gopd deal of dissatisfaction is being expressed among military a'en in the Poverty Bay district ~ j working of the Territorial heme. Practically the whole of tne officers and non-commissioned officers of C Company, the crack infantry company of the district, which won honors at the Auckland military tournament, and also at Orifigi and Takapau camp?i have tendered their resignations, which, if accepted, will leave a corps of 170 men without- officers. Colonel Hislop (Officer Commanding the Regiment) went to Gisborne last week to look into the matter. Statistics in the Official Year Book of Australia show that the price of food and groceries in Sydney rose 13.1 per cent, between 1911 and 1913. These provisions were slightly dearer in Sydney than in Melbourne or Brisbane, nearly the same price as in _ Adelaide and Hobart, and cheaper than in Perth. The comparative figures, reduced in a simple way, showed that the housekeeper would have to spend 9s 5d in Sydney, 8s 6£d in Melbourne, 8. 8d in Brisbane, 9. 4d in Adelaide, 10s 6£d in Perth, and 9s BJd in Hobart. In house rent, the expense of living in Sydney is more noticeable. What could be rented’ for 17s '6d in Hobart would cost 18s 6d in Perth, 17s 3d in Brisbane, 22s <?d in Adelaide, 21s 9d in Melbourne, and 25s in Sydney. The “weighted averages” for all-round' cost of living, excluding clothes, fuel, and amusements, show Sydney to he the most expensive of all the cities. It takes 9s lOd to go as far in Sydney as 8s 9d will go in Melbourne, 8s Id in Brisbane, 9s 4d in Adelaide, 9s 5d in Perth, and 8s 9d in Hobart.

A remarkable story connected with the last voyage of the schooner Americana, which disappeared while bound from San Francisco to Sydney, with timber, was brought by the American mail steamer Ventura, last week (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph). The Americana- left San Francisco for Sydney, via Knappton, over a year ago, and shortly after sailing a seaman named Louis Buttner had his arm caught in the windlass. It was stated that the arm had to be amputated on hoard the ship, a common saw being used for the operation. Buttner was put ashore and sent to a hospital at Eureka. The Americana took in additional cargo at Knappton, and then left for Sydney, and was never heard of again. Buttner sued the charterers of the Americana for 40,000 dollars, but, as all hands had disappeared with the vessel, he could not obtain, witnesses. Shortly before the Ventura left San Francisco Charles Berndes, formerly first mate of the Americana, made his appearance, and filed a deposition alleging that he witnessed the accident. He stated that he left the ill-fated Americana at Knappton, and thereby escaped the doom which awaited his shipmates.