LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 1, 4 December 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Members,of the 9th Reinforcements who have been spending a week’s final leave in Stratford, left for camp by the mail train this morning.

News from Brisbane states that a writ has been issued at the instance of Drv H. B. Ellerton, medical superintendent at Goodna Hospital for Insane. against John Wren, newspaper proprietor, Victoria, claiming .CIO,QUO damages for alleged defamation.

Despite the march of the motor, farm horses continue to realise prices in England that must he very reassuring to breeders. For instance, a clearing sale at Rainhani is reported at which 31 averaged €IOO lbs per head. Included in these were nine cart geldings, which ranged from 101 to I !o guineas each.

A deplorable case of misfortune betel a resident of Wollongong (New South Wales last month, when John Wilson, a young married man, suddenly lost the sight of both eyes. He arose to go to his work, and said he felt a dizziness. A few minutes afterwards he was unable to see. Hi< wife sought the advice of a specialist, and was informed that it was an almost hopeless case, a blood vessel bad broken at Ike back of the eyes.

Weather I'or«a s t.-The indications are lor westerly strong winds to gale and backing by west' to south, with mild and haz y conditions. Weather clouding over, rain later. The barometer has a falling tendency, but rising after about 24 hours.—Bates, Wellington.

New Zealand Loan and. Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, have received the following cablegram from their London house under date Ist instant;—Tallow: We quote present spot values for the following descriptions Fine mutton £2 12s 9d per cwt,, good beef £2 11s 6d, mixed £2 7s. The market is firm.

Jhe Ladies’ Patriotic Committee’s shop in Broadway was well stocked tepday, when the weekly market was conducted by Mesdames Crawshaw, Hartley and Grant. The shop was prettily bedecked with bunting, and was in every way a credit to the promoters. A special line of mutton donated by Mr S. Brewer was quickly seized upon by the numerous customers.

i The. Methodist Sunday School will celebrate thbir Anniversary Services to-morrow. Much time has been spent in training the children in singing the hymns, 150 of whom, assisted by the choir and orchestra, will be under the capable leadership of Mr C. Lawn. The preacher for the day will be the Rev. C. H. Olds, of New Plymouth. Large congregations are expected at all services.

The' programme for the Stratford School concert on Thursday, 16th inst., is published in .the advertising columns to-night. The children are * practising assiduously, and a bright and attractive-entertainment will be presented. The presentation, of prizes opens the second part of the programme, and then Mr Fred Foley, of His Majesty’s pictures, will fill the remainder of the bill in his own inimitable way with legerdemain and ventriloquism.

A school excursion to New Plymouth : beach, to include the pupils attend--1 iug the various schools on the East lino as far as Whangamomolia, is being arranged for an early date in February next. At a preliminary ' meeting held at the Stratford Show, 1 and attended by .Messrs Ferguson(Tqko), Pricjcaux (Pohokura), Holtz ; Huiakama)., Dixon and Mills (Whan- | gaipomona), it, .was , decided; to hold, ag, imeeting of delegates; from the .schools, interested in Stratford in a fortnight;s; '[tinje on the .arrival, pf the afternoqn,. train from, ithe East. , r ~ !;■ V-r ‘bi, ■ J-.!I• .ii .il• II >. •>; A,Sydney mpqical man just returned, ( from America ,ailfep f -a ( foui* months! trip, said, that ,he jusfi laa .much patriotism, in, the States fs. jin Canada.., Jn America hP 'works were working day and night turning out munitions, aeroplanes, and ,food .products for,, the Allies. Thp work of the Bed Cross leagues jn connection with the Allies could not be surpassed, as even hospital ships had been sent. Many Americans—to Iqs,, own knowjadget,■ 10Q university-.stud-ents—had gone to Canada so -as to.qn-,. list and .fight in the Allies’ cause.; It--nvas foolish of people, to unduly, jcise President Wilson’.up action; as..fee ; had a cosmopolitan population to peal with. ■ . r . .to'. ;■ 1 -hr .cwcU

The “Motor Cycle” of October' publishes the following*. < The' perfe<M B tibn of a process whereby 100 galldhs! 1 of crude oil will yield 100 gallons of a kind of gasoline 50 per 'cent: more efficient than the present grade of automobile gasoline, is the achievement claimd by W. H. Stevens, for many years a St. Loui s city employee. Stevens, after experimenting for three years to find a substitute for gasoline, has obtained a patent on his process. He i$ now negotiating with the Standard Oil Company for the sale of his patent and the formula of chemicals used in his process. This process, Stevens says, is not simple, but it is very economical and can produce gasoline at a cost of 3 cents a gallon.” While motorists the world over will hope that the inventor’s claims turn out as stated, it sounds too good to be true. .

News received by the mail steamer Maitai, which arrived at Wellington on Thursday evening from San Francisco and island ports, indicates that good progress is being made in salvage operations on the ex-German tprret steamer Walkure at Papeete. It will be remembered that the Walkure was sunk at Papeete shortly after the outbreak of the war by gun-fire from the German raiding cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisuau. The vessel has remained on an even keel, with her funnel and part of the bridge showing above water ever since. Some weeks age she was put up for public auction, and was purchased by an Amercian firm with headquarters at San Francisco. When the Maitai called at Papeete the sunken vessel presented quite a busy appearance. An American steamer was moored alongside the Walkure getting the necessary gear in place and erecting a coffer-dam around the vessel. The salving steamer will shortly commence operations with seven powerful pumps. It is expected by the owners that the Walkure will be raised and taken to San Francisco for repairs by the end of the year. It is stated that the owners are so sanguine of success that already a charter has been acceped for the steamer. In the words of one of the Maitai’s officers, “These Americana know how to do things.”

A meeting of the Patriotic Committee in Stratford district will be held in the Town Hall, Stratford, on Tuesday next, at 2.30 p.'m., to elect a representative on the Executive of the Taranaki Association. Any committee’s not notified are kindly asked to accept the notice as an invitation to be present. x