GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 65, 19 March 1915, Page 8

GENERAL.

The Advances to Workers Department appears to have run out of cash (remarks the Eltham Arp;us). A local Imildei' applied lor a loan ot £350, the valuation of his security being £OSO. Hut he could not get the money. The Wellington correspondent ol the Dunedin Star writes: “It is whispered in political circles that the examination of the ballot papers used in the Taumarunni election has disclosed an almost unparalleled condition of things. Tiu> examination of the counterfoils, etc., has unearthed an extraordinary state of affairs, of which much will be heard on the floor of the House. Hundreds of ballot papers are said to be missing from certain booths; nearly 200 counterfoils cannot be found ; and it is alleged that nearly 70 cases of double voting have been established. A fresh election appears to be the only remedy for the mess-up that has accurred.”

The Wairarapa Egg Circle has experienced a most successful year. Dining the year the circle’s agents in Wellington and Masterton disposed of 39,178 dozen eggs, which realised £2670. as against 41,177 dozen for £258-1 in the previous year. The 39,178 dozen wore sent from the following branches of the circle:—Alasterton, 16,866 doz.; Carterton, 6837 dozen; Greytowu, 10,136 dozen; Eketnhnna, 3107 dozen; Featberston, 1761 dozen ; Mauriceville, 171 dozen. Since the circle was formed in May, 19.10, it has disposed of 176,315 dozen eggs, which realised £10,746.

A suggestion which is to be adopted in connection with the approaching garden fete at Oarnarn (says the North Otago Times) is that of a police court, before which offenders will he dealt with summarily, for offences such as expectorating on the grass, throwing cigarette stumps about, failing to sell, or buy, carnival tickets, etc., etc. A number of officers are to be sworn in at an early date, and as they will be picked men, strong of arm, and keen of vision, visitors to the fete will need to be careful, otherwise arrest will follow, with the option of a fine, or imprisonment in the garden cells.

This is a war item only to the extent that it relates to a fete organised in aid of patriotic funds. At this fete, held at Melbourne, a bright and cosy little bungalow dwelling was offered as first prize in a lottery—called an “art union” in Victoria in order to get round the anti-gambling laws. Several thousands of keenly interested persons were present at the drawing. Amongst them was the winner, a young lady, who almost collapsed with excitement when she found that the house was hers. She is the financee of a clerk in a solicitor’s office. Almost directly after their very recent engagement the young husband-to-be bought a ticket in the lottery. He carried the ticket to his financee, and in giving it to her said: “Here you are dearie, here’s a house for ns to live in.” As they have enough money to buy the furniture, the wedding is to take place soon, and there will he bliss in a bungalow.

Dr. Peter Milne, jun., sent an interesting letter to the Otago Prebyterian Foreign Missions Committee, on his work north of Canton city. At Shek Tseng matters are very promising; a new chapel has been opened in a market town that used to be opposed but is now friendly; at another market there is a very good prospect of opening soon. Writing of a third market, he says: “It is a much harder nut to crack. .. . I was there yesterday with preachers Lam and Wong. I would not hazard an opinion'as to how many thousands of men were packed into that small market, but it was truly a swarming, seething mass of humanity, and also a very hot and angry one. judging by the din. We walked round and through it several times, finding no place to stand and preach in, but being hustled from doorway to street corner by scowling sellers, and jostled from street corner to gutter by excited buyers. Even the gateways, where we usually find good opportunities, gave us no opening, for they were blocked with gambling tables, and gamblers occupied every spare foot of space.”

The Manaia Witness on Wednesday stated : Motor cars going through the town this morning on their way to Opunake made no pretence of studying cither the convenience or the safety of* those who chanced to be afoot in the streets. They went through in many instances at <‘3o miles an hour, the majority at 20 and others at a more reasonable speed. In one or two instances children crossing the street narrowly escaped being smashed up, and between the recklessly driven cars themselves collisions were only by chance or good luck avoided. Constanble Carroll, we understand, is on duty for the day at the Opunake race-meeting, and there was consequently nol attempt at regulation or restriction and under the circumstances the law was in abeyance and a wild carnival of reckless driving was the result. If the Police authorities do not know, and they might reasonably be supposed to know, the state of things that the withdrawal of the constable on such a day might be expected to lead to, they should be made aware of it as soon as possible.