GENERAL NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 77, 3 April 1915, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

An enterprising Gisborne billiardsaloon proprietor is opening a room for ladies—two full-sized tables, comfortable furnishings, and a toilet-room are provided, access being gained by an electric lift. 1

Chris. Smith, designer of two of the fastest racing boats in America, at the annual meeting of the Motor-boat Club, hold at Now York in February, predicted that “the milo-a-miuute boat is not only in sight, but will probably be produced before the end oi the 1915 racing reason.” It is worthy of note that the owner of “Ankle Deep,” one of the fastest boats in the world, also believes that the mile-a-minute motor-boat will be seen this year, but he is of the opinion that it will strike this gait only for a few minutes or so at a time. He doubts whether we will this yeai see the boat which will go out at any time and reel off her 60-miles to the hour, whenever the owner feels like it.

Who is the oldest living resident in New Zealand This is a matter of considerable uncertainty, but "e (Dairyman) have one candidate for the honor. She is a sister of the late Mi T. C. Williams. She is 94 years of age, and lias been a prominent resident of New Zealand for ninety years, having arrived in the Dominion with her parents when she was four years of age. While in London recently we met her son, a healthy, strong man of 70.

“Damn the party system. What we want in Parliament is a body of the strongest men in the Dominion to carry on the business of the country in a businesslike manner to the best advantage of all concerned.” Thus Major Lusk (provincial president) expressed himself at the annual meeting of the Matamata branch of the Farmers’ Union. The country, he added, was sick of the party system, which had come to such a pass that members did not hesitate to break their election pledges and vote against thqir honest convictions in order to bo loyal to party. \ The sooner party politics were ousted'the better for the country and the legislators themselves.

Mr John Pierson had a remarkable and unpleasant experience while fishing at the mouth of the Teremakau River ou Wednesday night (says the Kumara Times). He was, in the act of hauling in his nets, about 100 feet from the shore, when suddenly something leapt into the boat from the water on to his shoulders, and secured a good hold with its teeth, bringing blood. Mr Pierson, naturally startled at the unusual occurrence, grabbed the object by the neck and slowly cluiked it, but the animal retained its hold. When its struggles ceased Mr Pierson examined it and found it to be a large weasel. How it came to be so far out from land can only be conjectured. The weasel can be seen at Kumara with the pieces of flannel shirt in its mouth, taken from Mr Pierson’s clothing. Mr Pierson says that weasels often eat the fieh in the nets when the tide is out.

An arrest made at Ngarnawahia by Constable Cavanagh on Wednesday had unusual features (says the correspondent of the New Zealand Herald). The constable apprehended a man named George Hodson on charges of burglary and making counterfeit coins, with the intention of circulating them. Accused was also charged with having broken into J. Carroll’s store, at Taupiri, and abstracting £2 from the till. In the possession of accused were found dies for making counterfeit halfcrowns and florins, and also a spurious florin and 17 spurious half-crowns wrapped up in a handkerchief. The man was working for F. Littlewood, Taupiri, from whom he admitted stealing an overcoat. He admitted also stealing money from Carroll; but he denied tiiat he used the dies found in his posession or tried. to circulate the coins. He stated that he got the things from a Maori. Accused was formally charged on Thursday, and was remanded until April 1. The coins found on the man were in varying stages of completion, and were good imitations. Spurious coins have been in circulation in that district lately.

; Several hundred Maoris from different parts of the Bay of Plenty have been engaged at several burial grounds around Waimana pa, digging up the remains of their friends who were interred there some years ago (says the Opotiki Mail). A large number of the Maoris returned home through the Waimana settlement, and it was a rather gruesome sight for Europeans to see several of the old men with bundles of bones strapped on their backs. The proceedings were carried out under Maori law, with two members of the police force present to see that there were no serious disputes as to ownership among relatives. The Maori law does not require any precautions to lie taken in the way of disinfecting where conteagious disease, such as typhoid fever and diphtheria, has been the cause of death, nor does it recognise that germs of disease live after burial. The procedure is to open the grave, obtain possession of all the bones, while most of the deceased’s relatives stand round and lament. After tliis tin' bones are scraped, then done up in black cloth into bundles about two feet long by nine inches in diameter. Old men are always selected to carry these to their destination, and they are supposed to go on foot, but of late years they are allowed to ride on horseback, provided they do not remove the bundles from their back.