LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 8, 13 December 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The monthly meeting of the Stratford Borough Council will be held at 8 o'clock this evening.

Frederick Henry Morgan, gardener, of Elthani, was adjudicated a bankrupt on December 1.

An unusual discovery was made by Mr W. McAlluiii yesterday while mountaineering. On the ascent of Fantham's Peak* he discovered a pigeon in an exhausted condition;,He caught the bird and brought it back to Stratford to await the owner.

The following ha s been received from the Secretary of the Tost and Telegraph Department :- T "ln order, as much as possible, to avoid delay in transmission and delivery of Christmas E.F.M. (soldiers' cable) messages at the front, it is advisable to hand them in to the local office early."

A young woman who was arrested at ,Wliangamoniona on Saturday appeared before' Mr S. Ward 'J.P., at the Stratford ;! Magistrate's Court on Saturday afternoon, tb answer to a serious offence, alleged to have been conmitted in Auckland; She was remanded to appear, ..at the Magis : trate's," Court, at ftew; Plymouth, today..,,} ~ , ~ 1;:,..,-;, ~-.,■.-;

H Owing,' unfortunately, 'to ' the prevalence or diphtheria;' and acting cm mldi,qal Advice, Mr H. Trimble /chair-' mjin of.'.the Education Board) haS)decided to close the schools in the Stratford district as from to-day. In consequence of this, the concert and sports under the auspices of the Stratford School have been postponed until; after the Vi schpl resumes J n the New Year.

' -tLovify jof .hajnd'music wi|r:ld4k;|iqv'vvard "to the visit to Stratford on January 5 of the Auckland Salvation Army Band,"when an' entertainment ui; aid of the .Sei'viau Fund will, be held." There are nearly thirty inemfiers in the Band, which has a high reputation for first-class music. It is understood,that the.visitors intend, "do" the Taranaki towns, with the laudable object of raising funds for our distressed and plucky Allies, the Servians.

The farming community will soon have haymaking on their hands, and unless some steps are taken there will be serious difficulty in obtaining labour. In New Plymouth, a Harvest Labour Committee has been formed, and though no absolute guarantee is given of satisfying the demands for labour, yet it is anticipated that the serious position will be greatly relieved. To meet the position in this district, the farmers should set up such a committee in Stratford, and secure, the names of persons willing to work at harvest tide. I

An instance of going from home to hear news is afforded by the following, says a Stratford resident, who forwards a clipping from "Titbits," which he received from Home by a recent mail :—"The Prince's Scarf. — A new scheme for raising Red Cross cash has been, started in New- Zealand. The idea is for the knitting sex bo make a scarf for Queen Alary, no one to knit more than a single row and. to pay a mere shilling for the privilege. Everyone who has a hand in it will write her name and address in a book. When the scarf is finished it will be forwarded to the Queen with the books of signatures, and Her Majesty will be asked, to hand' the scarf to the Prince of Wales." j

A case that \va s described as the first of its kind to be ■.brought before a court in the Dominion was presented in the Wellington Magistrate's Court on Friday by Mr H. Mosten (inspector of awards). It wa s one in which A. Dimdore was charged with selling boots after the shop was closed. According to the Act, occupiers of boot and shoe .shops may fix their own hours of closing by requisition. Hoot and shoe dealers have fixed the time of closing in Wellington in this nay, and a person, even although he not carry'on the business of- a boot and shoe dealer, is liable to a penalty if be sells boots after the proscribed hours. Defendant is a draper, who sells boots as a side-line-' and lie-sold a pair at 8 o'clock on 'the. evening of November 25th. The Labour Dpartnient did not press for a heavy-penalty in the present ease, as it had been brought to lei; tradesmen know their liability. A fine of 10s. with costs 7s, was imposed.

In the event of their being no autumn session, it is the intention of Mr lv. McCullum, M.P., to pay a visit to Egypt, and, if possible, Malta and Gallipoli, before Parliament reassembles at the end of June. Speaking to a Marlborough Express reporter, Mr McCallum said that he had beeu asked by members of his constituency who had sons doing their duty at the front if he had thought of going. He would, of course, go at his own expense, and his object would be mainly to look after the interests of the Marlborough men. A couple of minor accidents during the performance of "The Haymakers" at Hannaton (says the Waimate Advertiser) proved how steady the choir ladies can be under fire. Whilst a chorus was being sung, a lamp suspended in the centre of the auditorium fell to the floor, and the blazing kerosene ran along the aisle, a young man lifting the remains of the lamp meanwhile and carrying it outside. But the singing went on. and the steadiness of the choir possibly saved a mild panic. Later on the globe of the lamp hanging over the stage smashed and fell, further trying the nerves of the choristers.