LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 56, 4 November 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The first spring lambs of t!ie sonson were dressed at the Stratford' Abattoirs tin's morning. The lambs wore of very line quality. A cablegram from Sydney states that the drought in the North Coast districts has been aggravated by heavy hush fires, much pasturage and a number of residences having been burned. Weather Forecast.—Westerly strong winds to gale at times. The weather will probably prove squally and changeable. Barometer unsteady.— Bates, Wellington. The following cases have been set down for hearing at the weekly sitting of the Stratford Magistrate’s Court to-morrow:—Twelve civil, two defended. three judgment summons and one information for mischevioris behaviour. In response to an urgent call for a large number of sand bags, the members of the Stratford Ladies’ Patriotic Committee are working to their utmost capacity repairing basic slag hags. The last bale is under weigh, and the committee would he very pleased to receive help from ladies, whether members of the committee or not, in getting them ready for despatch to Wellington. Reports are in circulation in this

district of the employment of aliens on the railway works on the East line. The cligiblcs have volunteered ; nobly, 1 but it is alleged that as, they went forward their places have been filled by men principally of German origin. A statement by the authorities as to the truth or otherwise of this ugly rumor is most desirable at tin l present juncture. Cleanliness is next to Godliness! This is a true proverb, but it is not always recognised. Occasionally in Broadway may be seen a little almondeyed girl rolling vegetables along on the pavement and then putting them back on the rack at the door as soon as her playhours arc over! When an unlucky purchaser happens along, of course the edibles arc wrapped in unsuspecting newspaper and nobody is any the wiser. Quite an interesting audience collected around the shop tin' other midday and watched with amusement and disgust the antics of a big mouse partly devouring a few of the goods on show in the window. It has been stated in the town that a health inspector visits Stratford to report to local bodies monthly, hut strange to say all mention of these kind of things have been omitted. There is at least one person in Wellington in blissful ignorance oi the fact that the world is in the throes of the greatest war in its history, says the “New Zealand Times.” Living in Wellington is an Italian lady, who, although many years a resident of the city, has not yet troubled to master the intricacies of the English language. Conversation between the old. lady and her daughter is always carried on in her native tongue, and the daughter, thinking that it would por-j haps disturb the quiet peacefulness of her mother’s declining years were she! informed that her beloved Italy wasj a participant in the war. lias thought it advisable to maintain a discreet silence on the subject, and the. to most people, all-'ahsorhing topic of the day has never boon mentioned between them.

Early risers report a sharp frost in fcu.;: lord this morning, but little damage to gardens has to be recorded. The annual meeting of the Stratford Tennis t iub will be held on Thursday next in Rutherford, Macalister and Coleman’s office. A second consignment of spring lambs was dressed for Messrs Cannon and Co., Broadway, at the Abattoirs this afternoon. At an early hour this morning (stales a Press Association telegram from Hastings) a plate-glass window in Duimingham’s jewellery shop was . found to have been smashed, and jewellery to the value of £3OO was missing. Finger prints and blood on the broken glass provide the only clue. The railway lines and works between Stratford and Xew Plymouth wore inspected by the Chief Engineer (Mr McLean) and the District Engineer (Mr Koch) to-day. . The two engineers. who are from the Wanganui office, passed through Stratford on a special train early this morning. A large eel. caught by Master Ivan Moss in the Patea river just below the Swansea Road bridge, was on exhibition at the railway station last evening as the mail train was alongside the platform. The eel, which was over four feet, in length, weighing about 171bs. was viewed with interest, and surprise was expressed at so large a fish being caught in the Patea. Master Moss landed the fish with a pitch' fork., A Launceston “message to an Australian paper reports that the fat ox sold at the Bnrnie agricultural show for £l2O, by the Van Diemen’s Land Company, who bred "it. was resold at the Northern Tasmanian Agricultural Society’s show fbr £207. After being exhibited at the Hobart show the animal was taken to Victoria. This beast is said to exceed in weight and measurements the famous English record ox of 1801, from which it is descended. The V.D.L. Company brought members of that herd to Tasmania in 182(5. A ladies’ night wa s held at the Egmont Club hist evening, when about 100 persons were present. During the evening items wore rendered by Misses Sangster, Mackay, Rogers, and Messrs T. Wilson, Hale, and Heron. A progressive euchre tournament was conducted, and Airs J. W. Boon and Miss Neilson tied for the ladies prize, and in the play off, Mr s Boon was the successful player. Mr J. Laverty won the gentlemen’s prize, while Miss Besley and Air W. E. Smith were successful in winning the booby prizes. The gathering dispersed about midnight after spending a very enjoyable evening. Some business people expressed surprise thi 8 morning when it was learned that a roll of 25yds of linoleum had been stolen from the doorway of Messrs Robinson and Son’s shop during last night. This morning, Air Robinson stated that he had noticed the roll missing as soon as he opened the premises about 5.30. The linoleum had been left in the passageway as usual hist night, the big 6ft. iron gates being closed. Air Robinson said he could not have lifted the roll over the fence, it must ha-ve been the work of at least two men. The top of the gate was examined, and no marks were discernahle, showing that the roll, which weighed about four cwt.. was lifted by two or more men. No details are available, and the police have the matter in hand.

A punitive expedition was recently sent out from Tnlagi, in the Solomon Group, to avenge the murder of the late Mr Jack Laylock, Superintendent Campbell, of the 'Solomon Islands Constabulary, was in charge, and took a party of native police in the steamer Bellama to the scene of the murder at Makeira. The expedition landed over night, and met with some opposition when nearing the principal native village. There was no bloodshed, however, as a volley from the police scared the natives, and they capitulated. A- chief and three or four of his wives and several natives were promptly placed under arrest, hut the actual murderer escaped. The native village was burned to the ground, and the native prisoners were sent hack to Tnlagi for trial. Further efforts wore being made to secure the murderer when the steamer Kulamhungra left the islands for Sydney. Patriotic Committees and Dairy Factory Companies not represented on the Stratford Patriotic Committee arc kindly asked to nominate a member and forward name to the lion, sec., . W. McMillan. The Patriotic Gift Stock Sale lias been postponed till date to he advertised. x