GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 69, 26 February 1916, Page 7

GENERAL.

Thursday night (17th iust.) was the coldest recorded at Here this your (says the Mataura Ensign), the lowest temperature reading being 3odeg 3 deg above freezing point. A wizened old man went up to one of the picture Rows on Thursday at Christchurch, seeking free admission on the theatrical privilege (says the Press). “I’m Bland Holt,” he placidly announced. The manager was equal to the occasion. “Never hoard of him,” he replied. It is feared that the wheat crop throughout the Hangitikei district will not be anything like so heavy as anticipated. Before the heavy rain of ■ some days ago the ripening crops promised splendidly, but the excessively hot weather which followed immediately on the wet is said to have shrunk the grain terribly. The sneak thief has found a new scope for Ids activities in Christchurch 'fsays the Press). Owing to the war, lead has become very valuable, with the result that several -householders in the city have discovered that the lead-piping in their out-houses has been cut out and taken away by some asquisitive individual. It is understood that the police are making inquiries in regard to the matter.

Information ,wa s received in Dunedin on Tuesday, iu a letter written aboard the hospital ship Maheno in mid-ocean, on January 31st, that the vessel had, up to that time, had a very rough passage, and the staff had been very sick. The victims of mal-de-mer and all others had very comfortable quarters, and were being well looked after.

The question of the “nationality” of a racehorse created some diversion when a divorce case was being heard , at Wellington on Saturday. During a cross-examination, Mr Justice Chapman asked: “What is the name of the trotter?” Mr Wilford : “Franz Hanlon.” ' His Honor: “It is difficult to know whether that comes from Tipperary or was made fn Ger-many.”—-(Laughter. ) Formerly Christchurch held most of the push-cycle records, and now she can boast what is claimed to be a world’s record for the motor-cycle on a dirt track (says an exchange). During the patriotic motor carnival at Plumpton Park, Mr H. R. Crawley, a New Zealander, riding a 7 h.p. Excelsior, covered fifteen miles in 14min. 24sec., winning the silver champion cup for the Dominion Heavy-weight Championship from Mr P. Coleman (Wellington). A correspondent writing recently to the New Zealand Times as “One of the So-Called Shirkers,”' puts the recruiting question into a nutshell thus; —“There are thousands more than there ever will be wanted, who are only too willing to volunteer, and fight their best, on the just and only condition that in the event of them losing their lives their dependepts will be properly cared for, or in the event of them coming back broken in health they will be able to demand a pension without any putrid eleemosynary conditions attached to it,” Referring to the despatch describing the evacuation of Anzac, which after first being ascribed to Mr Malcolm Ross was subsequently stated to have been written by Captain Bean, the Christchurch Press states (says a Press Association telegram) that Mr Ross, who was sent to Alexandria in a hospital ship directly the evacuation was completed, left his telegrams with Captain Bean to pass through the cencor’s office, and in this way no doubt Captain Bean’s name became attached to the message. The message, which was so much discussed, was actually written by Mr Ross. The second Rarotonga contingent, a smart body of young natives, some 50 in number, are eagerly awaiting instructions from the New Zealand authorities, to follow their confreres in their course for the front (says the Rarotonga correspondent of the “New Zealand Herald”). They have already attained a very commendable degree of proficiency under the constant training of Sergeant Atkinson, in charge of the local police, who is a first-rate drill, having had some 15 years’ experience in the Imperial service. The boys are a credit to him. Considerable amusement wa s caused on Thursday morning in Timaru Magistrate’s Court by the explanation given to the magistrate by a man who was charged with procuring liqqor during the currency of a prbhibition order (says the Post). The defendant said: “I met a returned soldier, an old friend, and he purchased a bottle of beer and put it in my pocket much against my wish. At this juncture a constable appeared and confiscated the bottle.” It was dulp produced in court. The defendant was convicted and discharged, and the bottle and its contents became the property of the Crown, At the horticultural show in Dun- < edin on Wednesday night (states the Otago Daily Times) the exhibit of apples from Mr G. M. Marshall’s Majtangi orchaid was sold oil behalf of the orchardist nko had a disastrous experience as the result of a waterspout near Clyde recently, and realised £1 jiffs—an average of nearly Id per apple. The first prize plate of tomatoes, exhibited by Mi’s Egley (North-East ; Valley), was disposed of for the same object, and ralised os (id. These sums will he added to the subscriptions already raised for the benefit of . the unfortunate orchardist, whose loss was exceptionally heavy, . ,

The German turret-deck steamer Walkure, which was sunk at Papeete

by the (German cruisers, 1 1 nbeen ;-uccossfully raised by an American syndicate. When the Moana was at Tahiti recently the Walkure (renamed Republic) was at the wharf and was to sail for San Francisco in a couple of days.

The population of the Dominion at December 31st (exclusive ot Maoris and Islanders), was 1,102,825. Them was an increase of 17,910 by excess of births over deaths, and a decrease of 11,085 by excess of emigration over immigration. Members ot the Expeditionary Forces arc included in the emigration figures. The total population of the Dominion (inch) ling Maoris 49,844, and Islanders 12 598), was 1,165,267. I

The early tiles of the Poverty Bay Herald proved of valuable service to a Gisborne boy who is leaving with one of the departing reinforcements. An appointment for a lieutenancy bad been lodged, but the granting cl it depended largely upon bis being able to prove his ago. Through some oversight the young man’s birth bad not ( been registered, but a perusal of the early files of the paper disclosed the publication of his birth notice, thus supplying the necessary record.

Tito response to the London Daily j Telegraph shilling fund in memory of Nurse Cavell was, at the beginning of January, 50,866 shillings. A pathetic interest was attached to the sum of £5 10s forwarded by Major-General Sir Norman Stewart. It . appeared that his son Corporal H. T. H. Stew-j art, who was killed in action, had on the day of his death suggested that the Vancouver T:\ttalion, to which lie belonged, should start a subscription to the Edith Cavell Memorial Fund. His comrades carried out his wishes, and forwarded the money to his mother, with a letter explaining the circumstances. At the Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday Martin McGovern was charged with ill-treating his son so as to cause unnecessary suffering. | Evidence was given to the effect that the boy was of most unruly character and frequently wandered away from home, and never returned unless compelled to do so. Tn desperation the father chained the hoy up in the hackyard. It was admitted that the boy was well cared for in every way, and it was asserted that the father was acting in the boy’s host interest. The information was dismissed, because it was not proved that defendant was wilfully cruel, although the Magistrate held that he should not act in the way he had done. The boy was committed to an industrial school.