LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 19, 23 January 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Bandsmen are requested to attend with their instruments at the bandroom, to-morrow morning at 10 o’clock.

It is always a treat to listen to the Egrnont Club’s Orchestra, and this combination is giving its services at the Burns’ Anniversary Night on Monday. V

Weathlr forecast.—The indications are for southerly strong winds to gale at times. Weather probably cool and changeable with passing showers. Barometer rising.

Members of the Home Defence Rifle Corps are notified that the weekly parade will be held next Tuesday instead of Monday. The concert in aid of a miniature rifle range for the Corps will be held on February 23.

A woman was fined '£3, in default a 'month’s imprisonment, at the North Sydney Court, on a charge of selling adulterated milk in her refreshmentroom at Neutral Bay. The sample taken showed, on analysis, 0.25 per cent, below the standard for solids not fat, equal to 2.9 per cent, of added water.

A fire suddenly broke out in a house owned by Mr A, Needham, Douglas, and occupied by Rev. Aker. It was caused by the bursting of a Primas stove, but happily, with willing helpers and a liberal supply of water, the outbreak was suppressed. Damage was caused to the furniture and effects of one room by the fire and water.

A specially-designed vessel is at present under construction in England for the Commonwealth Defence authorities. It is designed to carry oil in bulk, and is being exceptionally strengthened with the view to supplying warships with fuel at sea. A similar vessel is being constructed under the special survey , of Lloyd’s for the Russian Government.

When the usual hour for the luncheon adjournment at the Court arived yesterday, one counsel said he had just two questions to put to the witness Mr Kenrick said that he was making it a hard and fast rule that the Court adjourn on time, otherwise they might be there till 2 o’clock. Counsel had to wait till after the adjournment to put his two (?) questions.

Last year witnessed a remarkable increase in the use of wireless telegraphy and submarine signalling in the world’s mercantile marine, according to the annual report of Lloyd’s “Register of Shipping.” There are now recorded in the society’s register book 2750 vessels fitted with wireless telegraphic installations, as compared with 1952 at a corresponding date last year, and 950 fitted with submarine signalling apparatus, as compared with 806 last year.

Some idea of the extent of the failure of the harvest just gathered in Victoria can he obtained hy figures supplied hy the Railway Commissioners relating to the traffic in wheat. Figures showing the number of trucks and tiie quantity . of wheat loaded daily since January 2, compared with the corresponding period of last year, disclose that, for the eleven working days ended on Wednesday. January Id, 23,919 trucks were loaded this year, as against 31,518 trucks last year, and 30.577 trucks in 1913. The average daily loading lias, ' therefore, been about 1000 trucks per day less than last year.

In 1914, Lloyd’s assigned classes to 173 new vessels. Their registered gross tonnage, amounting to £2,020,185 tons, is the highest total of the society. Of the total, 1,204,111 tons, or about 60 per cent., were built or the British Empire, and 816,074, or about 40 per cent., for other countries. The ladies of Aldehurgh, England, have constituted themselves fish saleswomen this year! As there would be no foreign buyers of Aldeburgh’s famous sprats through the war, two ladies came forward and offered to run a scheme for obtaining orders for sprats in boxes. The Mayor and the committee of the Spratting Association warmly welcomed the scheme, with the result that orders have been coming in from all parts. Evn the packing is carried out by the women. The first box was sent to the King and another to the Lox-d Mayor of London.

With the object of eliminating household bother, fifty 7 leading families in Monclair, New Jersey, have decided to forego the vexatious luxury of maintaining their own cooks and chamber-maids, and Rave their dinners prepared in a central kitchen and sent to their houses in motor cars equipped with an ingenious heating apparatus for keeping the food warm. Hitherto the yearly expenses of each family for domestic labor has been £IOOO. Under the new regime the total cost for fifty families will be £3416.

At Kalgoorlie last week, at the Golden Horseshoe mine, Joseph Tuya, an Italian miner, was blown to pieces. Tuya, with another Italian, James Folanga, was working at the 1600 ft. level. They had charged four holes, and Folanga went to the top of the winze to haul up Tuya, who remained below to ignite the fuse. Exactly how the accident occurred is not clear, for, after the explosion occurred, Folanga was found to be suffering so severely from sljock that he had to be taken to the hospital. It is surmised that Tuya, having ignited the fuse, stepped into the bucket, and was being hauled to the cop of the winze, when the charge exploded prematurely 7.

A silly hoax was perpetrated on the family of Mr H. Pettitt, of 93 Telopea street, Redfern, Sydney (says the Sydney Sun), during the past few weeks. Mr Pettitt’s sons reside in Otago, New Zealand, and just before Christmas they received a cable announcing the death of their father. The death was announced in the Otago Daily Times, and the family received letters of condolence from their numerous friends. Mr Pettitt, senr., had taken out a lifepolicy of £4OO with the London Provident Life Assurance Company, and his sons subsequently made a claim against the company. As is usual in such cases, the claim was forwarded on to the Sydney office for verification. Mr G. P. Smith, the Sydney manager, took the matter in hand,and it was then discovered that the family had been cruelly hoaxed, as Mr Pettitt was found to be very much alive and enjoying the .best of health. The original copy of the cable has been secured, and both the Postal Department and the insurance companies are making diligent search for the perpetrators, of the stupid hoax.

The railway guard who disappeared from Matawai on Sunday last did so under peculiar circumstances (says the Auckland Herald). Bryson, who was attached to the ordinary passenger train, and stationed at Matawai, proceeded to one of his mate’s camps and left his swag there, saying that he was going through to Motu. Subsequently his fellow-employees, suspecting that something was amiss, went after Bryson and urged him not to go. Bryson, however, replied that it would be all right, and that he would be back in time to resume duty on Monday morning. He failed to' put m an appearance, and the matter v™s communicated to the police. Search pai ties went out for Bryson without sqccess. When questioned on the subject, Mr Peppered, the stationmaster in charge, stated that as far a s he was aware there was no cause for Bryson’s disappearance. The missing man, who is unmarried, is about twenty-seven years of age. He was transferred to the district in November last.