LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 35, 12 February 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the Magistrate's Court this morn. ing, a prohibition ordar was issued against a female resident of Stratford.

Carpenters out of employment night find it to their advantage to coiiiiiu'iii. cate with the local Inspector ot Factories.

A Press Association message fumi Hastings states that J. Tussin's painters shop and F, Moore's furniture shop were destroyed by the last bight.

The meeting of the A. and P. Executive, called for this evening, has been postponed. A meeting of the general committee will be held to-morrow at 1.30 p.m.

There was only a small civil list at the Magistrate's Court this morning. .Judgment was given in the cases Mounsey v. Frank Cowell £l2 8s with costs £2 Os 6d, and v. F. Benniam £4 10s with costs 15s.

The route march to ho made to the Stratford Mountain House by n embers of the Home Defence Rifie Club, is proving very popular in the ranks, and it is expected that nearly foity members will take part in it.

The visitors from Obnra to Taranakij accompanied by several prominent Stratford business men, left, by motor car this morning on a visit to sundry places of interest in the district. Every effort is long made to make the visit of iriends from the Ohura a pleasant and ore.

At the Magistrate's Court this morning, Joseph James (For whom Mr J. R. L. Stanford appeared) was <ouvicted of procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order against him, and was fined 40s and 7s coses, in default seven days' imprisonment.

Owing to it not being generally known that the Government had sent. a supply of ammunition for the Home Defence Rifle Corps, very few members went to the range yesterday j afternoon. Members of llv* Club will now be able to have shooting regularly on Thursday afternoon, and arrangements are in hand to hold practices on Saturday afternoon for those v.ho cannot attend on Thursdays.

• At the Magistrate's Court, at Stratford, this, morning, before Mr W. G. Kenrick, S.M., deferred judgment- in the case.A. ,1. Chard v. W. M. B'i.vly, claim for wages alleged to be due, was delivered. His Worship gave judgment for the plaintiff, A. J. Chard (Mr J. R. L. Stanford) for £23 0s 6d and costs £4 15s.

A rather curious weed was to be seen.ou Tuesday in two pens at i)ie Temuka saleyards, says the Leader. It is believed to be the Bathurst Burr, which is a terrible curse in the Chatham Islands. The weed is believed to have been brought to Temuka, and New Zealand by a draft of Chatham Island sheep which occupied the identical pens where the weed had taken root.

Motorists are viewing with increasing favor the trip from Auckland to Wellington, via Whangamomona and the East and on down the Main Trunk. For some time the number of motor cars taking this route in preference to Wanganui way has been a matter ol comment. At the present time the road is in good order all the way with the exception of a small slip near the Paparata Saddle, but this, it is understood, can be repaired with slight expenditure. From a tourist point of view the resources of the route are far too little known, but it is quite certain the time is not distant when the scenic beauties of Tangarakau (Jorge and the route generally will bo duly appreciated.

A curious story, reminiscent of the interesting days when New Zealand suffered from the airship scare, is told by the mate of a northern trading vessel. One night last week, he states, his boat was about midway between Tii'i and Kawau, when about an hour alter midnight he was aroused by the captain, who was taking watch, and told to come and see a strange light, On going on deck he saw a light, which was much too high for a masthead light and too low for a star. It was moving, now growing bigger and In-ighter, and then becoming paler as though it was receding into the distance. All at once the light approached rapidly in the direction of the vessel, and the manoeuvre conjuring up visions of hostile aircraft, it was suggested that the lights of the boat should be extinguished. This, however, was not done, and the light wheeled away. After this the narrator retired to his bunk, but he states that the other man remained on deck, ami watched the antics of the light lor upwards of an hour.

Oatmeal at Dunedin today advanced £2 10s per ton, and is now quoted at £lO, a Press Association message states. In an English household keen on praying for our enemies (says a late issue of the Manchester Guardian), a little child of li years was bidden to pray for the Kaiser. Her father was an officer lying wounded in a Paiis hospital. The child obeyed according to her own idea: "Pray God give Thy Holy Spirit to the Kaiser," she said as bidden, "and then dead him," she added emphatically. A companion to this story comes from a Xew Zealand home in which a little girl added this tag to her routine prayer: "And please God bless our soldiers and help them to get to Tipperary soon!"

The Holy Trinity Church Sunday School picnic was held yesterday in King Edward Park, about 150 parents, scholars and friends being present. The vicar (Rev. C. W. Howard) was ably assisted in the afternoon's arrangements by Messrs A. H. Barnett (superintendent), A. C. Bell, E. C. Middle, ton, T. and J. Partridge, and E. A. Alger. The Rev. Mr Geddea (of Whangamomoua) was also present. A pleasant afternoon of games was spent, Mr J. Boon's toboggan, kindly lent for the day, causing endless amusement. Lunch and tea in the Park, and swimming in the river, helped to pass a merry time all round. Special mention must, of course, be made of the lady friends (particularly Mrs Middleton and the teachers), who lent much appreciated assistance.

"[ notice Senator Pearce officially denied the silly rumor that one of the Australian troops in Egypt had been killed as a result of committing the heinous offence of looking on the face of a veiled woman in Egypt," recently, said Mr Ashford (X.S.W. Minister of Agriculture). "By a rather peculiar coincidence," continued the Minister, "a friend of mine received a letter this'week that was written on Christmas Day, and in it the soldier told an interesting story of a young Australian subaltern who had chanced to become enamored with a pair of sparkling eyes possessed by one of the ladies associated with the Egyptian nobility. The writer knows nothing about anyone publicly lifting the veil, but he states the story in the camp was to the effect that the lady appeared to break the tradition of centuries and reciprocated the amorous glances of the young Australian. The courtship was as rapid as it was uncommon, but the authorities put a stop to a promising courtship, and the whole matter was hushed up."

The party of Ohura residents who are paying a visit to the district were met at the railway station last night on the arrival of the train from New Plymouth by representative citizens headed by His Worship the Mayor (Mr W. P. Kirkwood). Afterwards, at a gathering in the County Hotel, the Mayor welcomed the visitors. He expressed the pleasure of citizens at the presence of visitors from the Ohura district and promised them such hospitality as lay in the power of Stratford to bestow—a compliment which was their due as a return for the enjoyable time accorded those who had gone out to the Ohura some twelve months ago. A programme had been mapped out, which would enable the visitors to see as much of the country as was possible in the time at their disposal, and would give them some idea of the aims and objects of the people in these parts in regard to the future relations of the Ohura and this district. His desire Avas that on this trip they would heartily enjoy themselves and take back to their homes pleasant memories of Stratford and district. Mr J. B. Richards, as president of the Chamber of Commerce, also welcomed the visitors, and Messrs Loveday and Stevenson suitably replied on behalf of the visitors.