LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 14, 17 May 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The following cheques will, be paid out this month:—-Ngaere 1805, Lowgarth £1315, Cardiff 1241, Stratford £493-1. The adjourned meeting of the Stratford Borough Council will be held in the Council Chambers at 7.30 this evening, when the year's estimates will be brought down and important notices of motion dealt with.

Following on the adoption of the, Saturday hall-holiday in Wellington, a movement has been set on foot in this city with a view of promoting legislation to make a general Saturday halfholiday compulsory over the whole of, New Zealand.

Four Belgians started work in Ralph's mine at Htmtly last week. Two were at Antwerp when the Ger-j mans entered the city, and, with the of her two. were despatched as refugees! to Great Britain, whence they were sent to New Zealand. !

The Stratford Home Defence Corps will parade this evening at 7.30 sharp at 1 the School Gymnasium. The next shoot, per the Miniature Range Championship, will take place on Thursday next. A committee meeting will be held at 8.30 this evening.

Tlie Royal Commission for the purpose of fixing the Education Board boundaries for Now Zealand will sit at New Plymouth to-morrow. Mr C. A. Wilkinson, representing the New Plymouth Harbor Board, and Messrs P. Skoglund, C. 1). Sole and P. A. Tyrer, representing the Stratford District, will give evidence at the sitting. At the Ashburton Magistrate's Court on .Monday, before Mr C. J. Harper, J.P., a boy 1-1 years of age was charged with being found helplessly drunk on Saturday night. Senior Sergeant Emerson, who asked for a remand until Friday, stated that Mr V. G. Day, S.M. on a previous occasion had had to administer correction to the hoy. The remand was granted.

The Ballance Dairy Company so far this season has distributed £56,000 to suppliers for payment for the past month's butter-fat at Is '2d per lb. Information received in Pahiatua from a reputable London firm states that at one time the Imperial authorities were considering the advisability of including butter in the r tions for troops in place of margarine, owing to the latter not possessing the necessary keeping qualities.

A circular was received from the | Manawatu A. and P. Society at the meeting of the Clutha and Matau A. and P. Society detailing a scheme whereby the Government should distribute 10s in the pound on all revenue derived from the totalisator to A. and P. societies which had an annual revenue of £2OO from membership towards prizes for horses suitable for military purposes. The revenue from the totalisator amounts to about £30,000 per year, and would mean £15,000 among 80 societies per year. It was contended that the scheme would he an inducement to farmers.to breed military horses. The chairman (Mr Simon Wright) stated that he was doubtful if there were 10 horses in the Clutha district at present suitable for military requirements, and he saw no harm in supporting the scheme.

Thirty-five Territorials under Lieutenant Grey returned from the casual camp held at Palmerston North. -The Lieutenant speaks highly ot : the conduet and keenness ot : the 900 men who were in camp. The quarters were comfortable and the rations first-class. The first four days were spent in purely elementary work, and the last week in field work, marching and musketry. The troops took part in a march past. Lieutenant Grey says that the marchin- of Xo. 15 ITateooii (Stratford) was, in hi sopinion, the best. Great keenness was manifested by the raw recruits, some of whom had never used a rifle before. Their progress and adaptability was remarkable. Some ol them were very anxious to go into every camp that is held. With men like this., it seems that New Zealand will have no difficulty in furnishing all men required.

The local branch of the Phmket Society held their annual meeting in the Parish Hall on Monday last. The .Mayor (Mr. J. W. Boon) presided. The secretary reported that four meetings of the general committee and one meeting of the executive committee were held during the year. A Phmket nurse is now in attendance at Stratford every week. Nurse Galley reported that she has paid 182 visits to homes, and mothers have paid 107 visits to the nurse at her rooms. Dr. Trilby King recently visited the branch and expressed his appreciation of the branch's work. The treasurer reports a credit balance of £0 12s Sd. The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mrs. A. \V. Budge; vice-presidents, Mrs. Abraham and Mrs. Steven ; lion, secretary, Mrs. Stronach; hon. treasurer, Mrs. Prentence; executive committee; advisory board. Rev. Howard, Rev.] Father Maples. .Messrs. J. W. Boon, 1 S. Spenee, A. W. Budge, Dr. Steven, j Abraham, and W. P. Kirkwood; gen-i eral committee, Mesdame.s Boon. (J rant, Howard. Steven. Itiera, H. J. Thompson, Crawshaw, Coleman. Lyons, Malone. Middleton, Pattison, Hinc 'Stew art. 11. Musters, White', S pence, L liiuL-iio, i'hos. White. A vote of thanks was passed to Mrs. Kirkivood lor her generosity to the Plunk a Nurse. A vote of thanks was p ; ,, v il by acclamation to the officers of the Ua-ue for their work during tha past year.

Weather Forecast.—Easterly moderate to strong winds and veering by east to north, then freshening to gale. Increasing haze and cloudiness with rain later. Barometer foiling.—Bates, Wellington. A meeting will be held in the A< and I', rooms oil Wednesday evening eat 7 o'clock for the purpose of arranging a valedictory to Mr. James Thomson, of Ngaere. who is shortly leaving the district. A large attendance of Mr. Thomson's riends is requested. A Wellington Press Association telegram to-day states that Barclay Hector, formerly registrar of the New Zealand University, who had pleaded guilty to three charges of theft, was sentenced to-day by Mr. •Justice Hosking to two years' imprisonment with hard labour.

Intending volunteers should note that Lieutenant Grev will be absent

from the local Defence Office until Thursday afternoon. Recruits will obtain registration cards from the Post Office and take them to Dr. Steven. Tf passed by the doctor as fit, they should then fill in the registration card and leave it with Dr. Steven, who will forward same with medical certificate, to the sub-area officer at Stratford.

The result of Allen's Lolly Shop competition was as follows:—Miss Olive Masters 1, .Miss Iris Simmons 2, Mr. S. H. Bernard 3. The correct answer was "General Jofl're's." Sev-

eral besides the placed competitors guessed the correct name but they were placed in order of precedence. One prize only was announced to be given but Mr. Allen decided to give two extra prizes. Easily the most popular choice was "Kitchener's." Mr. Allen states that further competitions will be held.

With reference to the paragraph appearing on Saturday evening dealing with the case of Anderson v. Abbott, it has been pointed out that the arrangement made between the parties was not as one-sided as might be inferred from a perusal of the said paragraph. For the use of the ground for the season for growing the crop, the plaintiff agreed to stump, clear and fence the area used, and at the hearing this work was proved to have been carried out by the plaintiff.