GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 55, 10 February 1916, Page 7

GENERAL.

"That is so your Majesty," remarked a witness in the Bluff Court the other day. Mr Crnickshank, S.M., took his elevation to the ranks of the princes with becoming modesty. We have heard (says the Press) of "Your Worship," "Your Honor," but "Your Majesty"—well, it took a Bluff man to do it.

I Ten new cases of infantile paralysis are reported in the Auckland province, making a total of 115. Five were in the city and live in the country. From the city there have now been 80 cases, and 85 in tiie country. One death has occurred at Huntly—-a child of under ten.

| At the Whangarei Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, Charles Henry Rule, clerk in the Public Works Department, engaged on railway works at Oakleigh, was charged with forging the signature of W. P. Patterson to two vouchers for £34 15s and £54 12s 6d. The evidence went to showthat full restitution had been made. Accused pleaded guilty to both charges, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.

Four young men of the eligible but unwilling class were haranguing a soldier in khaki in a Masterton streo: the other evening (says the Age). A resident was passing at the time, and he heard one of the civilians ask, "What are you going to do for me, in vour khaki?" The pity is that the soldiers in khaki have to light for the homes' and freedom of these young blighters.. That is what they arc doing for them.

War prices in England arc commented upon in a letter from a New Zealand man, who has been residing in the Old Country for about 10 years past. Rents everywhere have been increased, he says, and important articles of food are retailing at the following prices:—English beef and mutton Is 2d per lb, hutter Is 9d per lb, sugar Bid per lb, rice 4*d per lb, potatoes lOd per stone, and bacon Is 2d per lb. Pish is at a famine figure even at Grimsby.

! A stone curio in the shape of a human foot, in miniature, with slipper thereon was recently found on the Paparoa Range by Mr Ben Butler says the Greymouth Star). It is a remarkable specimen, especially from a coloring point of view. White streaks of granite separate the sole and upper part of what appears most like a morning slipper, the whole being nicely shaped, whilst the upper part resembles that part of a leg between the instep and calf.

! A good supply of timber has been stacked up along the banks and at the mouth of the Waiau river by the recent flood (states the Opunake Times). It will be made use of by the residents. *At the mouth of the Namu a large amount of gorse. a great deal of which has been pulled out by the roots, is lying high and dry and an indication that gorse thrives up the Namu. Eels and trout were picked up on the send drifts and at .places where the flood waters formed eddies. The fish could not find a haven in the torrential waters and in the pell mell rush of boulders, fencing wire and timber had a rough time dodging for safety. The result was that many fish ultimately provided a good repast for natives and pakehas. The Opunake Times reports —The downpour of rain on Frilay was very 1 steady and by evening time the rivers and creeks were running bank high and by 10 p.m. the low-lying parts of land adjacent to the rivers submerged. The .vaters were exceptionally dirty, and, as the poet would say, heaving' on the bosom ot the vater were logs, limbs of trees, fel«o-ng posts, floodgates. The ilote.-arn and jetsam of the up country farm had a quick oassagc down stream. In many places' the flood took toll of the banks ! which shivered, then splashed in and • swept on. Many of the old identities consider the flood waters had reached a higher level than the flood of 1893 when the old Waiau bridge was sweot away and communicirio.i north ami south seriously interfered with.. We have not heard of any serious damage, ; but there is a rumor thai several milkI ing cows were drowned. The Council I and Parihaka Road Board will be very ! fortunate if the flood waters have left 1 intact all their up country culverts and crossings. A good deal of inconvenience was caused to owners ot I milking machine plants by the destrucI tion of the dams that supplied the .power.

[ Many Europeans are inclined to negotiate very carefully in their transactions with Maoris, under the delusion that the unsophisticated savage has rapidly acquired an abnormal development of "keen business instinct. The Kawhia Settler says that a local commission agent declares these suspicions to be occasionally justified, instancing a deal he had the qther morning with an outback native for a quantity of fungus which had been ! landed on the wharf. The purchase 'concluded, the agent's attention was drawn to a piece of iron protruding ! from the sack, and investigation showled that a broken pack-saddle frame had been judiciously included among the nominal contents. The "sinker 'was extracted, weighed, and left With the wharfinger, while the agent interviewed the aboriginal later on, telling ■ him that the wharfinger had received 'an article belonging to him on which there was '2s to pay. Innocently the Maori fell into the wily trap, paid up ' the 2s—and was dumbfounded when he was handod over the ancient metal. No explanation was given; none was asked, but that particular native is unlikely to "salt'?- his fungus in future.

One oi' the passengers from Sydney to Wellington by this week's steamer is reported to have aroused a great deal of suspicion among his fellowtravellers by his action during the voyage to Wellington. Care was taken to watch him very closely.

The Pironga branch of the Farmers' Union is endeavouring to form a company witli a view to purchasing a £7OO steamer for service between Pironga and Rangiriri, and, if successful (says the Hay of Plenty limes) a further £SOO will be expended in improving the Waipa River.

The Manchester Guardian says the New Zealanders have a distinct individuality, which has been shown notably in their handling of labor and liquor questions, making the Dominion an example to the world. 'I he result of the national register, showing that volunteer*; number 1 in 7 of the population, illustrates their intense loyalty, but the response ought not to be fully accepted in view of iier contribution of food to Britain and the Allies.

The annual conference of newspaper proprietors of the Dominion will be held in Kotorua this month. The directors of the United Press Association win meet on February i>, and tlie annual meeting of the Association will he held on February 23. These meetings will be followed by those of the Empire Press Union and the Newspaper Proprietors' Association.

An application lor a new trial was filed with the Registras of the Supreme Court on Tuesday by plaintiff in the case of Saunders v. Weston, a claim for £IOOO damages, in respect of alleged libels contained in an article published in the Taranaki Herald. Last week the action was heard in the New Plymouth Supreme Court before Mr Justice Hosking and a common jury, which returned a verdict for defendant on all counts, with costs against .plaintiff. The application will, be heard at Wellington on Fcbruurv 23.

It is reported from Oldham (England), that kilts in place of skirts arc to he the new uniform for women tram conductors. The new fashion will probably lie a source of amusement and ridicule for some time, as was the ca?e with the now übiquitous umbrella when it first came into use; but the innovation, which,will be worn in conjunction with leather leggings, will no doubt be found a big improvemnet on the orthodox skirt, especially in wet weather.