LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 35, 11 June 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The annual mooting o! the Stratford A. and I’. Association will be held on Saturday, at 1.30 p.m. At the Stratford Magistrate’s Court to-day -Mr Keurick, S.M., stated that the country was paying £150,000 every year to maintain children who were neglected by parents. A small outbreak of tire occurred in Mercer’s old premises which were recently gutted by lire. Mr. S. Pivac discovered the outbreak and promptly extinguished it. Investigation showed that charred curtains just inside one of the front windows had in some mysterious manner caught fire, it is understood that further investigation is being made by the police. Tiie values of New Zealand products exported during the week ended June 8 were as follows : Butter £5224, cheese £1286, frozen lamb £64,819, frozen mutton £46,163, frozen beef, etc.,

£15,216, gold £I3OO, grain and pulse £7433, hides and skins' £12.898. kauri I gum £2855. flax and tow £357, tallow. £15,875, timber £B9BB, wool £109,-) 992. i

Feeling that it is not desirable, in the interest of Imperial unity, to continue at the present time the agitation for the Bible in schools, Canon Garland has, at the request of the Archbishop of Brisbane, accepted the position of resident chaplain in the training camp for the Queensland Expeditionary Force.

People’s Day at the Winter Show at-' tracted many visitors to New Plymouth yesterday, trains from Stratford being well patronised. The Show will be open to-day and to-morrow, and special railway arrangements are made for the convenience of visitors fromj a distance. This year the Show pie have been exceedingly fortunate in having the best of weather, which fact is, of course, making a material difference to the attendance.

The Hon. W. F. Massey addressed a large audience at Waitara last night, and in opening his speech said that lie was taking part in the by-election contest somewhat unwillingly. He had said that in view of the Empire crisis it would have been better to leave the elections to the candidates, but the case for the Opposition had been stated by members of the Opposition, and he felt it was necessary that he should reply to the statements made by them.

Considerable indignation has been aroused in Auckland lately among victims of an impudent and exasperating trick (reports the Press Association). Persons visiting public places of entertainment have suddenly become conscious of a most unpleasant odour in their vicinity, and have become perplexed by the disagreeable smell continuing to haunt them, and finally very angry on discovering that the source of all the trouble was a fine powder which had been thrown on their clothes. The effect of this malodorous powder is not only to render the clothes uninhabitable and to temporarily ostracise the victim, but also to render garments practically useless to their owner for some days.

Tlie wale yb public auction of tlie handsome Belgian Flag made and presented by Miss Matson, of Hawera, for the purpose of the Returned Wounded New Zealanders’ Fund, will take place in Broadway on Saturday afternoon, 19th inst., at 2.30. A large gathering, with keen competition, is sure to be the case on this memorable occasion for a worthy object, and Mr Newton King’s representative on the rostrum will have to be prepared for a busy time registering bids. Already, it is understood, several patriotic residents have expressed their intention of making the bidding lively from the rise until the fall of the hammer. “Sports only” need attend !

At a meeting of the executive of

the Amberley Steeplechase Club held a few days ago, and at which there was a large attendance, Mr G. B. Starky presiding, a circular letter was read from the Ashburton County Racing Club, referring to the office of representative of District Clubs, as held by Mr H. Friedlander. After some discussion the following resolution was carried:—“That there is undoubtedly a very strong feeling against

any persons of German extraction holding public positions at the present time, and we think that probably if the matter was put before Mr Friedlander bis own good taste would impel him to resign a position which he lias honourably filled for some years, but which at present he can only retain by wounding the feelings of a large number of people.”

The Premier’s speech at Waitara last evening was on general lines, due reference being made to the war and tlie doings of Xew Zealand in that connection. Tie maintained that at present there was no need for a war tax, though the Government realised this would be necessary sooner or later. Touching on taxation generally, Mr .Massey said that since his Government had been in office there had been no increase of Customs taxation, and he hoped that when they put proposals before the House to provide increased revenue he hoped such increase would be obtained without any hardship on the community. Much had been said about the cost of living, and he was prepared to admit that it had gone up. Whoever heard of a country being engaged in war when the cost of living did not go up? It was impossible lo prevent it.

Joseph Sharrock, of Stratford, labourer. has hied a declaration of insolvency. Weather Forecast.— The indications are for westerly moderate to strong winds, freshening and veering by south to east. Expect dull weather with much mists and fog in parts. Expect a very low barometer pressure* Barometer unsteady.—Bates, Wellington.

A Palmerston North Press Association telegram states; Abraham and Williams. Ltd., Palmerston North, held a most successful land sale of the Otaki subdivision of the Hodge Estate, consisting of 1000 acres. There was a very large attendance, with animated competition. Six sections were sold under the.hammer and the remainder quitted afterwards. The prices ranged as high as £45 per acre.

At the Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday John Dickson appeared on a charge of causing the death of James Hamhlyn, a patient in the Porirua Mental Asylum, where Dickson was formerly an attendant, byneglecting to test the temperature of the bath into which Hamhlyn was placed. The latter had died as the result of scalds received. At the inquest, Dickson had explained that before he got to the bathroom another patient had turned the hot water on. Dickson was remanded for a week, bail being allowed.

A case disclosing extraordinary circumstances was heard before Mr. Justice Cooper and a common jury at the Hamilton Supreme Court, in which a middle-aged man named John Johnson, of Ivawhia, was charged with forgery and uttering. According .to the evidence, reports the Press Asosciation, the prosecution stated that the prisoner on leaving the employ of a man named Osselhoy, received a cheque for £5 Js. This, on presentation at the bank by a person resembling the prisoner. was altered to £ls 15s. During the proceedings in the lower Court the Justices called the clerk (who was the local constable) into a private room, and accused and another man who had been taking the depositions were left in the Court along with the documents relating td the prosecution. While Mr Barton, S.M., turned his back to close the door the forged cheque forming the basis of the charge, disappeared, and it is assumed had been swallowed by the prisoner, as no trace was found of it. The jury disagreed, and a new trial has been ordered.