The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1915. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 29, 5 February 1915, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1915. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Public Works Office was the only office open in town yesterday.

To-morrow afternoon the Pihama Bowling Club will'bring three rinks to Stratford to meet the local Club, and all players available are requested to hand in their names, to the lion. sec. (Mr S. M. Porritt).

At the Magistrate's Court this morning judgment by default was given in the cases, M. Ryan, of Stratford (Mr Thomson) v. H. H. Barrington, £ll, with 15s 6d costs, and the Whangamomona County Council (Mr Rutherfurd), v. John Harvey, CI On 7d, tfith 10s costs.

Following are the values of the principal lines of New Zealand products exported dining the week ended February 2nd :—Butter CbU367, cheese £127,431, frozen lamb £28,613, frozen mutton £-1859, frozen beef, etc' £34,040, gold £lllß, grain and pulse £3012, hides and skins £29,193, kauri gum 0131, llax and tow £4043, tallow £12,'461.' timber £12,250, wool €301,279.

A motor ear with a load of passen-, gers and a motor bike carrying two at the Kast Kiul picnic yesterday very nearly came into collision while turning a sharp bend, only the slow pace both parties were travelling at saving an accident. The driver of the car grasped the situation in an instant and steered accordingly, but got into slight difficulties, while the cyclists tumbled off, drugging the machine to safety. In order to get the car moving again, a willing band put .their shoulders to the wheel, and the journey was continued to the accompaniment of smiles.

At the Klllinin Magistrate's Court] on Wednesday, there were ti number ol' Territorial cases under the Defence Act of 1908. Cyril Charles Barker' was charged with failing to render' peaceful service in the Defence forces. I Defendant did not appear and was fined C2, in default M days' in mill'-' tary custody.; costs amounted to Los (jd. On similar charges Vincent L. | Thompson was lined £2, costs l">s Gd ;' Alfred K. Buclcland, 12, costs 7s; William Charles Scatchyvell £2, costs 7s; Norman McDonald. CI, costs 7s. i The penality for default in each ease was lixed at I I days' military cus_| to<lv. I

Mr Allan Maxwell, the well-known' lioxing champion of Taranaki and exr'ailway employee, writing to a member oi' our staff, says he is camped :i( Zeiioun. outside Cairo. Alter re-

turning from Samoa with prisoners, ho was fortunate enough to get with the Main Expeditionary Force, lie is signaller for Die !oth N.Z.M.R. "The! weather," he writes, "is permanently line, although it. is supposed to he: winter here. Cod help us in the summer! Cairo is frightfully immoral. We expect to move to Palestine or the frontier soon. Remember me to all boxing and swimming pals." '

The ordinary mooting of the St rat-, ford School Committee will be held on Tuesday evening. A cablegram from London announces the iirrival of the Tongariro at Plymouth. ' Work has been commenced on the Victoria Bridge, which has been thoroughly cleaned, and is now receiving a' much-needed "brush-up." ! Weather Forecast.—The indications are for southerly moderate winds and I backing by west to north, then fresh-! ening. Mild and hazy conditions with! increasing haze and cloudiness. Barometer little movement, but fall after* about 10 hours. j

Arrangements are being made for the return visit to Stratford of Ohura settlers, which fell through last autumn owing to the bad weather and the consequent breaking-up of the roads. The visit will shortly be made, probably next week, and arrangements for the visitors' reception by the Chamber of Commerce are now in band.

Perambulators were not in large numbers taken to New Plymouth on the school excursion train yesterday, but those taken were evidently needed, and one (or two) persons were unable to obtain theirs on arrival, for the reason thai they unexpectedly nade their escape through the open door oT the van en route. The fate of the "prams" and other necessaries (not to mention the babies) is not known.

The News reports that a big sunfish came ashore at the Horseshoe Bend, near Paritutu, on Wednesday, and caused quite a little excitement at Moturoa, A moderate estimate pots the weight of the monster at over a ton. The fish measures Bft oin from tin to tail, and From the tip of the dorsal fin to the tip of the under fin it measures 9ft. The. body is 2ft Gin through.

The Stratford Mountain House re-; eeived a fair share of visitors yesterday, and the House had a very bright and busy appearance. The splendid state of the track won much, praise from those who drove up, half-a-dozen vehicles being taken up to the House. A party of six attempted to reach tho summit, but owing to the bad conditions prevailing on the higher slopes, they had to abandon the trip.

Considerable difficulty exists in obtaining uniforms in time for the Territorial camp, which commences at the Rewa Rewa rifle range on February '26th. It is felt, however, that many men who served in volunteer companies a few years ago will have in their possession khaki or scarlet tunics in a fair state of preservation. These men would confer a favor on the -Regiment if they would hand in their uniforms to Lieutenant Grey. Tt is hoped that a good response will be made to this appeal.

Devon Street, New Plymouth, presents the same appearance ;f torn footpaths and up-turned channelling, as 1 does Stratford's Broadway, but the vexed question of improving the water tables does not find a olace in the debates of "the man in tho s.reet." New Plymouth is getting ready for its tram service, and tho footpaths on both sides are being narrowed by about two feet each, and this work is entailing a lot of labor. The tramscontractor makes a start next week, and hopes to complete the installation in seven months. To -sry the least, New Plymouth "is optimistic of her tram service.

It is rumoured that certain military officers holding important commissions, both in the territorial force prior to the mobilisation and in the main body of the expeditionary force, were concerned in an unsatisfactory administration of the regimental funds. The rumour-appears to have been well founded. The'matter has been investigated officially upon the authority of the Minister in charge of the Audit Department, and steps taken to secure the personal attendance in New Zealand of the officers concerned. They are well-known infantry officers in Otago, one being a lieutenant-colonel of a certain regiment and the other an adjutant of the same regiment. One of the officers is now on bis way from Egypt, and the other is understood to have been given -orders to return from England, where he has been despatched by order of a superior officer.

Yesterday morning at the railway station members of the Stratford School Committee wore somewhat in a quandary just prior to the departure of the excursion train to the East End beach. The customary amount of fruit supplied by the committee for distribution to the children had been ordered for some time, mul delivery was to be given at the station, but by mischance this was not done, and the committee could not find any fruit. At last a number of cases, comprising pears, peaches, nectarines and apples were sighted, and these were quickly put aboard the train. East End was reached and the fruit delivered at the committee-tent, and soon requests were made for the delicacies. When the cases were opened utter disappointment awaited the committee and children alike, as the fruit was of the cooking variety only, being a consignment to a local Chinese fruiterer, which had been lifted in mistake. Still, to the youngsters, all was as "grist to the mill," and the fruit soon disappeared.

On dit: That the police in New Plymouth raided some hotels after hours and tool; the names of those occupants of the bars who were not board-

Mr Percy Hopson. a popular young fellow employed at the Taranaki Hardware Co., met with a serious accident at Lepperton while journeying to Xew Plymouth on Wednesday evening. When close to the station, two motor cars going in the same direction, passed him, and immediately afterwards Hopson was picked up, bleeding profusely and unconscious. He was taken in the mail train to New Plymouth Hospital, where it was ascertained he was suffering from a fractured skull, and severe injury to one of his shoulders. From inquiry made this afternoon,' it is understood Hopson is still unconscious and in a precarious condition. Just exactly what happened is not known, but it is surmised that in coming on to the road after the cars passed, the cycle skidded. The machine was found on top of him with the wheels still revolving, and, barring a small twist to the lamp, was undamaged, which, together with the other evidence, goes to prove he was riding very steadily. Hopson's mate was about a quarter of a mile ahead, it being arranged when they left Stratford that Hopson should ride ill the rear to avoid the dust, and it was only alter the former had waited for a long while some miles ahead that he learnt of the accident.