LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 27, 1 June 1915, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The vital statistics for Stratford during .May were as follows:—Births 27, deaths 2, marriages 2.

A Hawera Press Association telegram states: The Hospital Ship Fund, which was closed on Monday, totals £731.

Weather Forecast.—The indications are for southerly moderate to strong winds prevailing. Weather probably cold and changeable with passing showers and the-night will probably he very cold with frosts inland, llartometer unsteady, with a rising tendency.—Bates, Wellington.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Oddfellows' Lodge . (.Manchester ITnity) took place in the Foresters' Hall last night, there being a fair number of members present. A good deal of business was gone through, included in which wax the initiation of a new member.

One of the most surprising results of the war is the large number of grey-haired women of fashion one now sees both in London and Paris. This, The World lias discovered after some investigation, is not wholly due to personal distress or patriotic motives. Truth is that tbe best hair dyes hitherto have been made in Germany. The supply has been cut off by the war, and the women fear to take the risk of producing some weird effect by changing'their dyes. If you put one sort of dye on the top of another, it is said'that the conflict of chemicals may produce anything from sea-green to spontaneous combustion. So grey is becoming a fashionable color.

At Lawrence on Tuesday, before Mr John Thompson, J.P., Mr E. A. Earp (inspector of apiaries) brought a charge under "The Apiaries Act. 1908," against William Wurr for selling on March 16 to Mr D. Murray, of Blue Spur, bees and apiary appliances known by him to be infected with disease. Defendant pleaded guilty, and said he was not aware that there was an Act bearing on the selling of bees. The inspector stated that this was the first case brought in Otago under section 8, subsection b, of the Act, and he wished the prosecution to act as a lesson to other beekeepers in this province, where this sort of offence was about to be vigorously suppressed. A line of 10s, with court costs (7s), was imposed.

Strange- though it may appear, South Canterbury is now drawing supplies of swede turnips from Southland (says the Timaru Tost). Dalgety and Co. have recently purchased, and had railed to Timaru, between 70 and 80 tons, which they have sold to farmers for feed purposes. The swedes are uncommonly big ones, and they are clear and hard, so that they will keep a long time. They arc being fed principally to sheep, with chaff, though some are also being fed to cattle. More unusual still is it to see something else that is being done with swedes at the present time. They are being brought to Timaru and shipped for Sydney, where they are to be used for table purposes. Those which are being shipped to Australia are of a smaller kind than those which are being sent up for stock.

Certain references said to have been made to officers of the Defence Stall' who are remaining in Xew Zealand, were referred to as being very unjust by the Hon. .]. Allen, Minister for Defence, in speaking to a Weellintgon reporter. "Some people have been calling attention to the fact that they have not gone to the front,'? remarked the .Minister. "Specific instances of this sort of thing have been 'brought under my notice. What I wish to say on the subject is this—that these officers are all eating their hearts out to get away to the front and it is not in accordance with their own wishes that they are remaining here. They are not staying of their own desire. We are retaining them because we must have some men here to carry on the instruction of the drafts of reinforcements, and to carry on our Territorial scheme. It is grossly unfair to suggest that these officers are staying at home for their own reasons. They cannot go because we cannot let them go. We Heed them for other work here. The suggestion that they are shirker* or anything of the sort i s totally untrue."

There is no body more loyal to King and Country than the MA'., 1.0.0. K. A groat number of members arc nonserving with the various expedition-ai-ies, and the following procedure in this connection lias been adopted by many branches: "Punctually at nine o'clock, the Xolile Grand will suspend business and read as follows: Bre-thren-Be upstanding in honour and remembrance of those who have gone to fighl one country's battles and to safeguard our homos, Especially do our thoughts go out to the brethren of this fiodge, and all other Lodges of the Manchester ("nity. Wo earnestly hope the day will .soon dawn when they will he safely restored to us. To the wounded and the sick, to the widows and the fatherless. ,and to all who mourn the loss of dear ones, do we tender our heartfelt sympathy, and in all reverence" we shall gratefully cherish the memory of those who have fallen. We sincerely trust that the time will soon arrive when this earth will enjoy the blessings of peace, when nations will live in perfect harmony, and war no more." Then a hymn of four versus breathing patriotism is sung to the tune of "God Save the King."