LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 73, 29 March 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Banks in Stratford will be closed on Wednesday, which is a special holiday.

A local gardener boasts of a monster marrow, which measures two feet ifinches, and weighs 23-ilbs.

It is understood the Toko Hotel has changed hands, Mr A. J. Hintz’s term of occupation expiring on 15th pros.

The weekly parade of the Home Defence Rifle Corps will be held tonight at 7.30, members picking up rifles at the Defence Office.

The Stratford Borough offices will be closed'from Good Friday until AVednesday morning fori the Easter holidays. The auctioneers’ officers close at 12 noon on Thursday, re-opening for business on AVednesday" morning.

In the sheep-guessing competition held at the Methodist Harvest Festival, two competitors tied for first place, Mr J. Boon guessed 841bs. and. Mr J. Clemow SSjlbs., the actual weight being 84£lbs. The sheep were donated by Messrs G. A. Marchant and T. D. Colson.

The Defence Department publish a poster with regard to compulsory military training, in which it is stated that all males not yet registered, who on 31st May, 1915, will have attained the age of fourteen years, and have not attained the age of twenty-five, must register before that date. Forms of registration may be obtained from any military, post, or police office.

His Worship the Mayor (Mr W. P. Kirkwood), and Councillors Richards, Fredric, and Boon, will leave by the mail train to-morrow for Feilding, where they will inspect the newly-in-stalled municipal electrical lighting system. The committee will report the result of their inspection to the next meeting of the Stratford Borough Council.

Midhirst Settlers’ Sports is to be held on Wednesday, and it is specially hoped they will not only be favoured with line weather, but that a big crbwd will be present, and thus make up for the loss sustained by reason of postponement owing to the inclement weather on the last two occasion’s. A good programme of sports has been arranged. Mrs Brooking has charge of the catering. A dance follows in the Town Hall in the evening-

It has been suggested in several quarters in Stratford that provision might have been made for a town clock in the new municipal buildings, and the question has been asked whether it is even now too late to have it included. It is further being suggested that some prominent wealthy resident might do worse than perpetuate his name by donating a town clock and chimes, which would materially assist in giving Stratford borough “some tone.”

The effect of the war upon the living of a naturalised German in the Stratford district is having a serious effect from his point of view. For some years he had invested some thousands in Germany, apd his family were dependent upon the interest thereon but immediately upon the .outbreak of war all communication with the Fatherland ceased, and he has had neither letter nor money since. The position is now so desperate that he is thinking of applying for the old age pension.

' 4| A Sydney cablegram states that t the Royal Show opens to-morrow. It has been decided (states a Sydney cablegram) to give the next batch of Reinforcements a public send-off. I Tenders will be received by the Town Clerk up to Tuesday, April 6th, for the ’ supply and delivery of 3500 cubic yards 1 of boulder stone as advertised in another column of this issue. Weather forecast.—Westerly strong winds to gale with southerly tendency. The weather will probably prove squally and changeable. Rain probable. Barometer unsteady.—Bates, Wellington. * A Wellington Press Association telegram to-day states that Henry Francis Smith was arrested last night on a charge of escaping from Waimarino prison camp on the 24th February. He pleaded not guilty, and was remanded.

A Press Association wire from Auckland states: John Wighton, second engineer of the steamer Victoria, on arrival from the South, was found to be suffering from the effects of poison and was removed to hospital, where his condition is improving.

Blenheim records, a fatal motor sccident. A P.A. message says that Fred Peterson, chaffeur, while driving a party from Havelock early on Sunday morning, collided with the bridge at Flat Creek. The occupants were thrown into the creek uninjured, but Peterson struck the railing of the bridge and sustained terrible internal injuries. Ho was removed to the hospital, where he succumbed this morning. Deceased was a married man, and leaves a wife and child.

The week’s celebrations in connection with the jubilee of the Blenheim Methodist Church terminated yesterday (states a Press Association telegram), the final service being conducted by Rev. Rawson, president of the Methodist Conference. The celebrations were of a most successful character, the financial result being over £4OO.

A Maltese named Paul Fenwick, employed on the Star of India, sustained serious injuries in an assault in Customs Street, Auckland, on Saturday night (states the Press Association). He was removed to hospital, where it was found that one of his ribs was broken, while his body and face were severely bruised. The police later arrested four men belonging to the Star of India, who were charged with causing actual bodily harm.

Concerning the break-up of the drought in Hawke’s Bay, a former resident of Taranaki, now in Orrnondville,'writes to a friend in Stratford; “AA r e have had steady rain for the la&t fortnight, and I can tell you it was welcome. The poor, farmers were in an awful state, and the sheep were dying by the hundreds. The country looked awful, all the paddocks being as brown as a berry, and not a sign of a blade of grass, hut now they are nice and green, and with a little sun there will be plenty of feed for the winter.”

The A, and P. Secretary was very busy on Saturday night dealing with entries for the Gymkhana. This year's figures are an easy record for all events! The Association has provided a large marquee for the accommodation of mothers and babies in connection with the baby show, entries for which will be taken on the grounds on the day of the Gymkhana. Programmes of the handicaps in the trotting events will be on sale on Saturday. Several outside teams have entered in the wrestling and tug-of-war. Further entries for these events will be taken on the ground. A special feature on the programme will be the Stratford orchestra, of fifteen members.

An instance of bees under the influence of alcohol is vouched for by a Stratford apiarist. Recently, the housewife was making blackberry wine, and the opportunity was seized by the usually busy bee to have a day off! They lined up to the “bar” hundreds deep, and buzzed about helping themselves to the liquor, no doubt having a glorious time in their own way, but the result was disastrous—as often happens even when humans gaze too long upon the wine when it is red! That evening the road homo' was longer than usual, and those that couldn’t fly all the way walked, but they were caught in a shower of rain and half the hive succumbed, a welldefined path from the house to the hive showing how deadly had been the effect of their straying from the paths of sobriety.