LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 52, 30 October 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The vital statistics for Stratford for : the month of October were:—Births *23, deaths 1, marriages 9. A Sydney cablegram states that I Charlie Towns has decided not to row Webb for the championship of New i Zealand. At a sitting of the Stratford Magisi trate's Court this morning, before Mr ' l<\ jA.McDouald, J.P., a man, who was I last week remanded for medical treatment, was fined £1 and ordered to pay £2 17s 6d, medical and other expenses. A man named B. McDonald, alias C. i Holmes, who appeared at Hawera fcoi day on a forgery charge, will appear j at Stratford on Wednesday in answer ! to a charge of forging a cheque for { £lO on Newton King. S& I For the parade of the Stratford I Home .Defencers this evening, a spec- '' ially big muster is requested in view ' of tile importance of matters affecting ' the organisation in the Dominion, and j the need for serious consideration of same bv the members.

His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. W. Boon) received word from the Defence Department this morning that one invalid is hound for Stratford from the transport Willocfira, which arrived in Dunedih on Saturday. The New Plymouth men are due on Tuesday evening, and probably the Stratford man will arrive on the same day.

The opening of the Stratford Croquet and Tennis Club for the present season will take place on Thursday next, at 3 p.m. An invitation is extended to members and their friends, and a large attendance is looked for. The Patriotic Funds will benefit by a small charge to '!k> made for admission. -The old Gorge Hotel, which has been a landmark for forty years, near Ashhurst, was completely destroyed by fire on Saturday reports the Press Association at Palmerston North. The hotel was occupied by J. Blair. Most of the furniture was destroyed. The insurances: £6OO in the State on the building.

. A Press Association telegram from Wellington states:—William Hancock, 31 years of age, a native of Cornwall, England, fatally shot himself in the mouth with a revolver in the public gardens this morning. Hancock was a non-com. in Eleventh Reinforcements. He was a member of the main expeditionary Force and had returned invalided and rejoined the Eleventh Reinforcements. It is understood he left a letter explaining his reason lor the deed.

Word was received in Stratford this morning that Dick Watkin, Stratford, a man named Wilson and another railwayman, all of Pohokura, who went out pig-hunting yesterday morning did not return last evening. Early this morning a large search party consisting of millhands set out. but to midday no news had been received of the missing men. The hush in which the men are supposed to be lost consists of about 10,000 acres, and the weather conditions may likely have caused a halt to he made till it cleared. On the other hand there is the possibility of one of the number having met with -an accident. The men are all young, but Watkin is said to be an experienced bushman. At 2 o'clock this afternoon .Mr J. McCluggage received word that the three men had returned after spending the night in-j the bush. The men stated that the; cause of their being "bushed"' was due to the heavy rain, in which thejv lost their bearings. "Your name?" asked the teachev, registering a new pupil. "Arthur." "And what's your first name?" "Brown." "Oh. haven't you got! them wrong? I think Arthur must lie your first name, and Brown your family name. Isn't that right?" But the small pupil was not persuaded. A day or two later he announe-j ed: "Teacher, mother says Brown is my first name. She says I got that j name when I was born and she did not name me Arthur until three. months after." Patriotic Committees and Dairy Factory Companies not represented on the Stratford "Patriotic Committee are kindly asked to nominate a nieni-j her and forward name to the hon.! sec, J. W. McMillan. The Patriotic Gift Stock Sale has been postponed till date to be advertised. x

Weather Forecast.—Tin; indications are. for westerly winds strong to gale and backing by west to south. The weather will probably be squally, with heavy showers. There are indications of electrical disturbances. Barometer unsteady.—Bates, Wellington. An Auckland P.A. telegram to-day states:—Egerton Gill, secretary of the New Zealand Freedom League. was lined £SO on a charge of publishing matter likely to interfere with recruit- i ing. Defendant circularised members J of and sympathisers with the League m enclosing a form of protest which sug- m gested conscientious objections to mili- a tary service. The Magistrate stated that the form of protest really suggested an answer to the question in the National Register as to why the signatory had not volunteered; consequently, it was likely to interfere with recruiting.