LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 15, 19 January 1915, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

the police have nothing to report in regard to the burglary committed on Hannah and Go’s, premises, but are working steadily on the case. Mr W. Lander, manager for Hannah’s, states that tlie hour at which he left the shop on Saturday night was 10 o’clock, not 11 o’clock, as has been stated.

The Stratford Fire Brigade Tam Whifclx is practising for the Timarn de'rhbnstration next month have been putting up some excellent times, jukl with' ordinary luck' should return with the Shield.”

The Waitarn Mail states that it is proposed to make a' start shortly to secure signatures to a petition asking the Waitara Borough Council to take a poll in April on the Saturday halfholiday question’.

The musical programme in connection with the Burns’ Anniversary function in the Town Hall on the 25th was drawn up last night. The toast list, also, was. arranged, and .altogether a most enjoyable evening is anticipated.

During the past year the elements have been most unkind to Otira, to say the least of it. The total amount of rainfall for'the 12 months ended December 31 was 197.24 m. (says the correspondent of the Lyttelton Times). December was the wettest month for a number of years. The 36.48 in. fell in 21 days,' and one shower of 24 hours went over 9in; While the weather was kind during the holidays for seven 'days the heat was'excessive. Now it is raining agiiin, and January 1915 is keeping well up to the average moisture.

Small birds’ eggs received by the clerk of the Waitaki County Council since Dbcembr 1 total 96,150, the sum paid for them by the' council being £96 9s (says the Oamaru Mail). The largest boy' collector to date this season is W. Matches, of Totara, with 3150 eggs,' and the most successful girl is V. Nichols, .with' 475.' The eggs of every small bird except goldfinches are accepted: At first thrush &rid starling eggs predominated, but latterly sparrow eggs are the most numeVous: Yellow-hammers’ arid linnets’ eggs are occasionally found in the collections. Frorii 800 to IOdO is a,|C9mmo|' number”of. . eggs*_ to he brought in by a hoy I ,' and bn any of the girls ruri them close. i-: '

An interesting article from a recent number of- the “ICgyptiali Gazette” has reached New Zealand, from which the .following is an extract :—“First tlie Indians, their the Manchester boys, and now the'New Zealahdeis and Australians. So our own special little pageant of Empire rails on. It is something after- all to live.'at this small but important ~ iiOictiouoii the great communication line. And what ‘a moving show! From the snow heights of the Himalayas laifili tHGi-plairis •of' the Punjab,from Lancashite’s teeming hives of industry, from the Antipodean Islands of the - ‘Pacific Ocean, and the great southern ‘continent of Australia they come at Old England’s call; to defend' a great idea'j perhaps tho'J'greatest idea' the world has everseen—the' British ' Eiriuire.' This is wjrat .Enver Pasha has run his' silly little head against! Orir latest defend-' , rirs, tlie’ New Zealanders 1 and Australians, are' already ’ winning their way into everybody’s hearts. As some of them were marching along the Pyr,a_ mids Road on Thursday, night, they were loudly cheered by crowds of Europeans and natives; this, we may tell them, means, something, for cheers are very rare in Egypt. Forty centuries look down on these breezy sons of bur lusty young dominions. One almost* feels sorry for the Turks. They are asked to cross a desert (which is difficult) and negotiate floods (which arc more 1 difficult) and then stand up .to the Indians and Englishmen and Australians, who are waiting for them on chosen ground—which is most difficult of all. Will they attempt it?”

Some of the Maoris at Moeraki (Otago) seem to have let themselvojs loose over the Christmas festivities. They belong to the kianga at Moeraki, which is within the prohibited area, and plotted to obtain some beer, and it is alleged that a Maori named Patrick Hampstead wrote the name of a fisherman, Chas Heatley,to a money order telegram for £1 14s, and an order for 18 gallons of beer, which was to be sent to the Hillgrove railway station on December 31. The beer arrived in due course, and it is stated that the man in whose name it was procured lifted it, and it was carried to,the border of the kianga, and there placed in a shed. Festivities commenced and continued till about midnight, at which time what liquor remained was carried to the house of one Panni Porete, aHd the carousal was continued. Between 2 and 3 o’clock on the morning of January 1 it is stated that a quarrel arose between Porete and a three-quarter caste Maori named Reynolds, and these two went, outside to fight. Reynold's was knocked down by Porete, and it is alleged that while ho was on the ground Porete chewed his nose, bit a piece out of his ear, and attempted to gouge out one of his eyes. Tt is stated that when the men were separated a' portion of the torn ear fell from Porete’s mouth. Reynolds was attended by Dr. Harrison, and Porete was arrested by Detective Hammerly and Constable Woodley on a charge of causing actual* bodily harm. Hampstead stands charged with sending a false- telegram. These charges, and others under the Licensing Act connected with the affair, will be heard at Hampden on the 22ml