LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 70, 25 March 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Education Board yesterday decided that schools could be closed on Easter Tuesday in lieu of Wednesday next, Anniversary Day, if deemed advisable.

The Whangaraomona County Council, at its meeting on Tuesday, simply “received” the Runanga Borough Council’s now celebrated resolution protesting against the rise in foodstuffs.

Quite an contingent of dogs and their masters arrived by the trains last evening, presumably for competition in the various events at the East Road Sheep Dog Trial Club at Te Wera to-day.

The poll of ratepayers' taken yesterday on the proposal to raise a loan of £9OOO for the erection of new municipal buildings resulted in 211 votes being cast for the proposal and 43 against.

The New Zealand flying machine—the “Britannia”—which was presented some little time ago to the Dominion by the Imperial Air Fleet Committee (England) has been sent to the front by the New Zealand Defence Department, states the “British Australasian.”

At the annual meeting of the Egmont Club last evening, the election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows: —Patron, Mr J. B. Hine. M.B. ; president, Mr J. McAllister ; vice-presidents, Messrs G. N. Curtis. \V. Rogers, and T. H. Penn; committee, Messrs T. D. Sullivan, F. Kane, E. Kirby, J. McMahon, Campbell Jackson, and R. Harkness; secretary Mr Sid. Ward; auditor, Mr H. Wilson.

A very fine example of the way tomatoes thrive in Central Otago is being exhibited in Dunedin. The fruit was grown at Earnscleugh. The growth of the cluster, which must hold nearly 50 tomatoes, is most phenomenal, the whole bunch weighing about 6.)1b. They, belong to a variety called Bucks Fresco, the seed of which cost 2d apiece. This variety, owing to its specially line flavour, has been grown for the purpose of making tomato sauce.

At F.ltluun on Tuesday night, a meeting of the Patriotic Committee was held to consider the most advisable means of raising further funds for the relief of the Belgians. It was resolved that a• circular letter of appeal be sent throughout the district, and

also “That in the opinion of this committee the time has arrived for the raising of funds for war relief by the Government levying a tax whereby all people contribute in their proper proportion.”

Mr T. Cuthbort, of Pembroke Road, lias forwarded an additional donation of bs to the headmaster of the Stratford School to he awarded as a prize to the I toy who ajrites the best description of their recent visit to the Government Karin at Monmahaki. Mr Cnthhert

lias for many years taken great interest in the working of the Stratford School, and the present donation is practical proof that he considers this trip a step in the right direction.

A good attendance is expected at the Tuna School picnic and dance to be held to-morrow (Friday) evening.

The prizes and trophies for shooting at the miniature rifle range at the A. and P. Gymkhana on Faster Monday are now on view in Mr C. F. James window in Broadway.

The Taranaki Education Board rerently, on grounds of economy, decided to restrict advertising for teachers’ vacancies to the New Plymouth newspapers. At yesterday’s meeting, however, the Board, on reconsideration, saw that this would he manifestly unfair to the teachers in other parts of the district, and that it was merely creating a New Plymouth monopoly. It was accordingly resolved that in future all vacancies for teachers bo notified in the “Stratford Evening Post,” and also in one New Plymouth paper, the “Herald” and “News” year and year alternately.

The “National Provisioner” states that the oleomargarine output lor the Chicago district for November was 9,483,97-1 lb. natural colour, and 230,01711). artificially coloured, an increase of nearly 1,000,0001 b. over that of a year ago. The population of renovated butter was 1,516,9231 b. Oleomargarine interests and consumers are petitioning for a revision of the oleomargarine tax law. and tho trade are making efforts to have a flat rate upon the product without distinction as to coloration.

A sale of unclaimed &oods always attracts a large crowd, and the one held in Wellington on Tuesday was no exception (states the NeW Zealand Times). It is conceivable that people might forget such objects as trunks and bags, but the forgetfulness of the travelling public evidently extended to such items as pianos, canaries, cheeses, crockery, bicycles, sacks of bark, chests of drawers, and washstands. All these and many other articles were sold by auction, the bidding being brisk in most eases. There is always a fascination about buying a trunk; the hope of finding concealed money often led yesterday to comparatively large amounts being offered. One man paid eighteen shillings for a mysterious box, which when opened proved to contain nothing but booklets booming a patent medicine. His disgust was loudly expressed. Other purchasers obtained good bargains. A piano brought £l2 and a 400-day clock eight shillings, and a standard-time clock two shillings. Occasionally, however, for some reason or other, the bidding would reach a high limit for an article not nearly so valuable as one disposed of for merely a nominal price.