LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 32, 9 February 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Gazette Extraordinary lias been issued revoking Lire Order-in-Gouueil fixing the price of wheat. —P.A.

The annual school picnic in connection with the Toko School took piace to-day at the East End Beach in real summer weather.

In all probability, a team of five or six rinks from Inglewood will visit Stratford on Thursday, according to a tele phone message from -Mr Percival, of Inglewood.

Letters of administration of ithe estate of the late Mr C. A. Sand holm, of York Road, have been granted to Mrs Margaret Sandholm by the Supreme Court, on the motion of Mr H. E. Lawrence.

, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Sunday School picnic will he held at the Ngaere Gardens on Thursday next, leaving Stratford by the 10 train. Parents and friends ui the Church iire cordially invited, and a pleasurable outing is anticipated. ' ' /

Per Press Association message from Dunedin this morning, came the official declaration of votes at the Dunedin Central election as follows:—-Stat-ham 4033, Munro 3920; majority for Statham 107; informal 11.

In the Supreme Court in Chambers on the 2nd inst., upon the application of Mr Stanford, probate of the will of Margaret Coleman, late of New Plymouth, deceased, was granted to the executors therein named by His Honor, Mr Justce Edwards.

The party of Ohura settlers who are to lie the guests of the Stratfoi d Chamber of Commerce, are to arrive hero on Thursday, when they will ho met by representatives of the Chamber and driven round and shown some of the pedigree cattle in the neighbourhood.

At a parade of the Home Defence Corps great enthusiasm was shown by those present at the idea of the route march to he made to the Mountain next Sunday. A good number evince a desire to do the trip, which should prove enjoyable, given flue weather. .

At a meeting of the Hospital Board this morning, the secretary (Mr T. Penn) remarked that it was rather peculiar that in spite of the fact that electric irons were being used at the Hospital, tli© electric light account was smaller. The chairman pointed out that tills aws owing to the fact that filament lamps were now being used.

The Huntly Disaster Relief Funl raised by the Mayor of Wellington has been closed with a credit balance of £335 13s 4dj which has been handed to the Public Trustee. The Mayor’s appeal in aid of sufferers hy the Upper Hutt explosion resulted in £1495 14s 3d being raised, of wlrch £319 4s 6d has been paid in necessitous cases. A balance of £1176 9s 9d will be expended, in annuities to four families for a period of five years.

A proposal entirely new to Australia as regards the liquor traffic is to be put into practice shortly in South Australia (says a Sydney correspondent). On the day of the gen. eral Parliamentary elections a Statewide referendum will be taken on the question whether hotels ought to be shut at 6,7, 8,9, 10 or 11 p.m. The vote will be counted on the cumulative system, and if there is not a majority for 6 o’clock the votes cast for that hour will be added to those for 7 o’clock, and so on until a majority is arrived at. The effect of the referendum is not to be mandatory but to give an indication to Parliament as to what the people desire. The temperance party announces with satisfaction that the South Australian Premier has said that the Liberal party will give effect to the wishes of the people as expressed at this referendum, while the Labor party has embodied the earlier closing of hotels in its platform.

Hungarian bands are no longer popular in England. An amusing revelation has resulted in one case. A libel action was brought against the publishers of “John Bull” because that journal called for the dismissal ol the Hungarian band engaged by the Brighton West Pier Company, on the gromfd that to retain them savored of ‘(detestable mockery,” since ue were at war with Austro-Hungar-ian Empire. The journal was in error; it was naturally thought, not being in the know, that Blue Hungarian Band meant a band of Hungarians. The plaintiff company, how. pv 01 showed that there was no ground loi such a supposition. The conductor was a Dutchman, and a naturalised British subject, and he had under his command a body of 20 player. Two of these were Austrians, which was the nearest approach to Hungary that could be managed, but when the' uai hioke nut they were dismissed, and Russians subdituted. The final composition was then one Roumanian, one Dutchman, five Russians, and thirteen Englishmen. The plaintiff’s demonsti atioii of guiltlessness proved their legal undoing, says “Musical News, and the verdict of the jury was for the defendants.

At the Christchurch Magistrate Court to-day (states the Press Association), Stewart Russell pleaded guilty to betting in the street. He had previously been convicted. Magistrate Bishop said ho supposed bookmakers existed because of the public demand for them. He inflicted a fine of £3O.

The Council of the New Zealand Marine Underwriters’ Association advised that the rates from the Dominion to the ports of the United Kingdom are now 10s. Cargo transhipped from the United Kingdom to America from New Zealand will he charged one per cent additional, with a return of half per cent, for neutral steamers across the Atlantic.—P.A.

An interesting letter was road last night at a meeting of the Loyal Egmont Lodge, 1.0.0. E., M.U., New Plymouth, from the Hope of Sydenham Lodge, London, stating that 10 of their members were serving with the colors, and that it was estimated that 150,000 Oddfellows were with the colors on the Continent. The Manchester Unity was paying the contributions of all members who had enlisted.

At the official opening of the Cat-lins-Tahakopa railway last Thursday, Mr A. S. Malcolm, M.P., put forward a suggestion that caused a good deal of amusement. I hey. were indebted to Mr Waite, tiie traffic manager, ho said, for running the train down and letting visitors see the district, though the department had made the mistake of charging ordinary rates. But they were going to ask the department to give the Gatlins people an opportunity of getting out to see the “queen city,” Dunedin. He trusted that for the following day fortnight the Railway Department would advertise a day excursion from Tahokopa to Dunedin at excursion rates. He would suggest a shilling return. The laughter and applause that greeted the suggestion led him to remark that it was as good as carried. The Hon. Mr Eraser, a little later (says the Otago Daily Times) was referring to the ready hearing lie always gave to Mr Malcolm’s reasonable requests, and added: “Some of his requests are not reasonable.” You . had very good evidence of that a few minutes ago when Mr Malcolm wanted to take you to Dunedin and back for a shilling. That’s the kind of thing lie comes to me with sometimes, and I have to smile and say ‘No!’ ” Mr Sidey decided to “go one better” than Mr Malcolm, and began by asking why ever the people' should be charged a paltry shilling.— (Laughter) and a voice: “Pay them to go!”) “Why should not the department give them a trip free?” he asked. ‘.‘Considering what they have gone through the country would not he doing too much if it gave them a trip to Dunedin.”