LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 39, 2 October 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Orleans advises Washington .hat the Southern Cotton Conference uis decided to abandon cotton Tplantng in 1915 as the best means' f of boltering the market.

Mr Neil Douglas, Chief Traffic Manger of the Government railways in West Australia, who died recently n Perth, entered the railway service n New Zealand 34 years ago, when i lad of 17. It was in 1889 that he eft New Zealand for Australia.

There should he. a good attendance t the Borough Council Chambers tomorrow afternoon at the meeting con'ened for the purpose of discussing he inauguration of agricultural ex>criments in the district. Mrcßaylia. )f the iields division of the Depart •lent of Agriculture, will be in atendance and will explain the step;, .aken by the Department in aid of uch experiments. All farmers, wheher members of the A. and P. Assoeiion or not, are invited to be present

An unusual capture was made by lie schooner'Rosetta while fishing off 'egasus last week (says the Bluff ress). In appearance, face on, 'us fish lias the appearance of the -ritish bulldog—all head and hardly uy body. Its fearsome appearance s added to by two shorts horns over n 0 e yes—quite the style of bulldog hat the Kaiser has been dreaming 'bout lately. It is -what is known •s a "rock lifter," a rare species, of ■,'hich less than a dozen are known o science. Five are in the Mel>ourne Museum.

It-is said that there is a likelihood. •f the Hon. W. Fraser being return-, d unopposed for Wakatipu, owirig o the interest he has displayed in >nshing forward the Otago 'Central •*ilway. In any case, no matter •hat the opposition may be (remarks be Clyde correspondent of the Otago hailv Tinier) he would presumably \-;ve an easy win. In the Otago Central electorate the present memSer will probably be opposed by a liberal supporter, but s« far no name \ authoritatively mentioned in that •espect.

Mr W. H. Hawkins (Liberal candidate) opens the local political campaign in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening. ■•/ -,/ The final returns of the Werriyree election give Lynch (Labor) a majority of seven votes, states a Sydney cablesgram.

The Mayor of Stratford has received the sum of £lB 13s 8d from the Horticultural Society for the Patriotic Fund, being the net sum taken at the late bulb show.

Weather Forecast.—The indications are for south-easterly winds, moderate to strong. There is a prospect of fair weather, days bright ana nights cold. The harometer has a rising tendency. Bates, Wellington.

The following return of the principal lines of export of New Zealand produce during the week ended September 29 appears in the Gazette issued last night:—Butter, £10,454; frozen lamb, £16,098; frozen beef, £714; gold, £12,763; hides and skins, £7086; flax and tow, £792 ; timber, £6735; wool, £1338.

A cablegram from" Sydney to-day says: The Anglican Synod will forward to the Archbishop of Canterbury a resolution that certain proposals adopted by the Houses of Convention revising the Prayer Book largely weaken the authority of the scriptures, impair the reformation settlement, and are not calculated to promote unity of the church. *•,

The Whangamoinona monthly rological return for September from observations taken by Mr A, G. Fawkrier, shows that rain fell on seven days at Whangamomona, the total being 2.43 inches, and the greatest rainfall 1.03 on the 24th. The other falls occurred on the Ist, .17in;>4th, .lOinj 23rd, .7in ; 25th, .25in; -'26th, J .75in ; 27th, .6in,

The inquest on the victims of the Huntly mine disaster has concluded. The jury returned a verdict. that the deaths of the forty-three men were caused by the ignition of a quantity of gas in a section of the old workings causing an explosion of coal dust. The jury did not add any rider, in view of the fact that the Government commission is more closely investigating the causes of the explosion.

In connection with the Methodist Church, a grand tea and concert will be held in the Regan Street Bfall on Thursday evening next. Teaat.,6 p.m. and concert at 8 p.m. A splendid musical programme has been prepared by the choir, assisted by a full orchestra. Choruses from "The Messiah" and "Creation," part songs, solos, instrumental and orchestral items will make one of the best programmes which has ever been given in Stratford. .

Captain Stevens, group officer commanding No. 8 area group, will enroll all men anxious to join the second ?e----infOrierhent B 'for" iheT" Expediti6iiary Force. Only a limited number of men can be accepted, namely, 20 per cent of the strength of the quota supplied to the Expeditionary Force by Taranaki. Volunteers, therefore, should not delay in making application to the Defence Office nearest their homes. Preference will be given to Territorials, after that civilians with previous experience. , i

An interesting fact in connection with the White Island explosion is contained in a letter from Mr E. Lyon, Marton (says the Dominion). He states that on Monday following the eruption he was cycling on the Matawahe road, between Matata and the main Rotorua road, when he continually noticed strong sulphurous odours arising from the bush. There are no thermal springs in the vicinity, and the source of the odour was a mystery till the news of the explosion was heard. The country-that the Matawahe road traverses is of very high altitude, and the fumes were evidently carried across from the island.

Schedules in connection with the Stratford A. and P. Association's Show, which is to be held on the grounds, Flint Road, on December 2nd and 3rd,- have been issued from the jobbing department of the "Stratford Evening Post," and are now available to the public. The schedule is a bulky publication as these prints go, running over one hundred pages* As usual,' it is replete with all the information requisite to the entry of exhibits at this ever-popular annual fixture. Tho executive is to be congratulated upon the evident progress being made year by year. Even the disturbing influence of war is not likely to seriously detract from this great Taranaki gathering. Schedules may be obtained from the office of Messrs Jackson Bros., land agents, Broadway, Stratford.

Lieutenant C. Crey, in command of the 15th Platoon, D. Company, XL. Regiment, and of the Senior Cadets, who last night drilled the newly-form-ed Defenco Corps at the school, was greatly impressed with the type of men present, and especially with the discipline of the Corps generally. With 45 men on parade he put them through their ordinary routine of s.quad marching and drill with arms and rifle exercises, and he found the men particularly interested in their work, which, reflects favorably on their officer, Captain j. McMillan. Perhaps a pleasant fe«l ture, as showing the interest they take in their work, is worth recording, when Lieut. Grey, after much marching, said: "Now you had better stand afc ease; I think you have had enough." The reply was: "Xo; go ahead; we are not Territorials." The discipline which has been inculcated into these men as the first duty of a soldier is already bearing fruit, and being willing to obey any instructions, Lieut. Grey W confident that in every way the Defence Corps will be a credit to themselves and the district.