LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 308, 29 December 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The upper parts of Mount Herbert and other mountains of Banks Peninsula were covered with snow on Christmas morning says the Lyttel-. ton Times.

At the Melbourne Gun Club meeting on a recent Saturday the wellknown shot Cabrossie grassed 54 birds in succession. He shot 37 from 24* yards, 10 from 26* yards, 10 from 27* yards, and 7 from 30 yards.

In compliance with a request bv the Australian Government, the New Zealand Government steamer Tutai.c. kai has been dispatched on a search for the missing Australian trawler Endeavour, overdue at Melbourne from the Macquarie Islands. A special crew was obtained for the Tutanekai, which got away at.a quarter past 2 o’clock on Saturday afternoon. I She will be absent for a fortnight at least.

A commissioner representing the Government of New South Wales has been in Scotland purchasing a lot of high-class female Clydesdales. He has visited quite a number of studs of the highest repute, and lias got together an excellent hunch of sixteen animals which are (states a special correspondent of the Sydney Daily Telegraph), eminently lilted to demonstrate to the farmers of Australia the kind of animals which they should aim at breeding. Most of them are mated with sires of the highest mdrit.

Frances Margeson,' a young woman, who was charged at the City Melbourne Court recently with obstructing the footpath, told the Bench that she had been earning her living as a tar boy in shearing sheds. “I have done all sorts of station and

other work that men do, ’’she added, “for the last two months I have been impersonating a hoy. T worked my way from Sydney to Albury. When I get out of Melbourne T intend working as a boy again. I have had a hard life.” The young woman was discharged.

■ It is officially estimated (states a Melbourne cablegram) that education cost tiie State 19s dd per head during

the present year

The Commonwealth Government Statistician estimates the gross value of the egg production in the poultry industry during 1913 at £17,0< G,OOO, states a Melbourne cablegram.

Weather Forecast.—The indications are for easterly winds, moderate to strong prevailing. Expect mild and hazy conditions, with weather clouding over and rain later. The barometer has a falling tendency,—Bates.

The Stratford Racing Club publishes a special notification regarding train arrangements in connection with the forthcoming race meeting to bo held on .the Stratford racecourse on January Ist and 2nd.

At the recent London Dairy Show the heaviest pair of cockerels were a couple of Light Sussex, exhibited by the Marchioness of Londonderry. They scaled 2d lb the pair, dressed weight. Their class was for birds under six months old.

In a case of alleged trading with the enemy at Adelaide, the military authorities were not agreeable to a remand being granted until bail had been fixed in a personal surety of £IOOO on each information, and two further sureties of £IOOO on each information, making £6OOO in all.

What looks like a record in sustained lactation is published by “Hoard’s Dairyman,” which gives an illustration of a Jersey cow 18 years old, with the note: “Fifteen years ago she dropped her first and only calf. She is .still giving 17 to 211bs of milk daily, testing 5 per cent. fat. She is owned by F. O. Bacon, North Dakota.”

The Post and Telegraph Department has responded admirably to the claims on its patriotism arising out of the war. Up to the present 10l permanent officers and 43 temporary officers have joined the Expeditionary Forces, and members of the Department have contributed to the Patriotic Fund, through official channels, the sum cf £23GI 19s 6d.

Some of the New Zealand dairj factories are turning out excellent butter, writes the London co'respondent of the Wellington “Post” en 11th November. A West-End dairyman is still handling butter made in March last by the Inglewood Dai'*v Factory, and the following is the opinion of f.n authority on it: “To the unimtiated the butter would appear to he almost freshly made, there being not the least sign of deterio •s.tipn of quality so far as I have been aide to discern up to the present time,”

Mr Justice Pring, of New South Wales, speaking at the annual speech day of the Trinity Grammar School, said he thought that in the past too much time had been devoted at schools to the dead languages, and our own language had been neglected and vulgarities allowed to creep in. He spoke of the constant use by seemingly educated people of the word “awfully” instead of “very,” and mentioned other words, such as “terrible,” etc. Expressions like these showed a breaking away from good English, which might probably be accounted for through the prurient, unhealthy literature which, though obtainable in some of the best shops in Sydney, was a disgrace to the writers and to the readers. Ho liked to see the same strict censorship over literature as was now being displayed over military matters. As a judge of the Criminal Court, he knew of women who appeared before him w4io could trace their downfall to this class of unhealthy literature. He would like to see it checked,and if he could do anything to prevent it he would consider that he had not lived his life in vain.

With portion of her starboard bulwarks stove in, all her boats washed away, and rails bent, the Italian‘ship Caterina F., which left Newcastle on November 18 with 3740 tons of coal for Antofagasta, returned to port on the 16th inst. Captain Scotto Lavina, master of the ship, said he had had the most trying time in his experience, hut one of the seamen, Carapagna Nicasio, had a sensational experience. He was on deck when the storm hurst, and was struck by a sea, which dashed him against the ship’s side. He was just recovering himself when another sea washed him overboard, and immediately afterwards he was carried hack to the ship on the crest of a wave. Clutching at the starboard shrouds of the foremast, about 18ft. from the deck, he succeeded in holding on, and remained there from 6 p.m. till midnight, as no assistance' could be given him, owing to the rough sea and the rolling of the ship. He was eventually released from his perilous positiou, and it was then found that his left leg was broken between the knee and ankle, in addition to which he had sustained severe contusions of the right arm. The broken leg was put in splints, and such a good job was made of it that on arrival in port the health officer decided it was unnecessary to remove him to the hospital. Three other sailors were slightly injured by being washed about the decks.