LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 30, 10 May 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Hutt County Council will pay its laborers one .shilling per day war bonus during the currency of the war. Current district orders contain the information that henceforward all returned soldiers and soldiers on leave shall lie under the group commander for purpi ses of discipline. The effect of this order will be to give the men a recognised officer to whom they can appeal, and under whose control they will he while resident within the aren. While in Wellington on Monday, Mr R. Masters interviewed the Minister of Education (lion. J. A. Hanan) and Sir Edward Gibbs, of the Education Department in regard to the erection of the new school at Radnor Road. Mr. Masters received a promise from the Minister thai something would he done almost immediately, at least before the winter sets in,

At a meeting of the executive of the Stratford Patriotic Committee yesterday afternoon, 7s Gd per week was granted to a soldier's dependant. An Auckland Press Association message states that the infant son of Arthur Parkinson was killed instantly at Whakataue by a motor car capsizing over a bank. Weather Forecast.—The indications are for: South-easterly strong winds fco gale. Weather cloudy to overcast. Rain probable. The night will probably be very cold. The barometer has a rising tendency.—Bates Wellington.

A cablegram from Capetown states that the damage to the Kangitira is serious, but the position is not hopeless. Still it would be useless to attempt to salve the steamer till thebulk of the cargo is discharged. A man who was 'arresed at Stratford yesterday appeared before a Justice of the Peace, in the afternoon, Scharged with failing to make provision for the maintenance of a child under the Destitute Persons Act. Accused Was remanded to appear at the Magistrate's Court at Auckland. There was a highly successful public demonstration of the Heskett process of smelting ironsand yesterday (states a New Plymouth P.A. telegram) and the directors will proceed immediately with the erection of the first instalment of the works, whjch will have a capacity of 200 tons of pigiron weekly. The Salvation Army anniversary social to be held next Tuesday promises to he verx successful. Adjutant Cook hopes, with help from other sources, to | secure a desirable property as a per- ' manent dwelling place for the Salvaj tion Army officers in the future. Up Ito the present, they have resided in various places under a tenancy. Mr George Murdoch writes to the Editor as follows :—"Sir,—As there i have been four or five persons making i claim to the sum of money found by me i last Sunday morning in Regan Street ' central and no one of them has proved , to be the rightful owner, I herewith hand the said sum over to you - to be I given to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. I hand over to you full amount picked up by me, viz., £l, and I am paying the cost of advertisement myself."; . The Imperial Government supplies .branch up to to-day has distributed £1,9-13,791 for meat, consisting of 719,089 quarters .of beef, sheep, 4,376,126 lambs; also, for 12,725 tons of cheese and, £28,083 for 151 ton,s of schcelite pre,- The,,

Press Association states, that ■ the branch is now distributing the butter ... , purchased by the Government.for the , i -troops and transports, and will man-- , | age' the export of kauri gum, .

The train that usually arrives at ab0ut.5,45 p.m. did.not reach Stratford until eight o'clock last evening. The cause of the delay was mainly due to the fact that a large contingent of members of the Mounted Rifles were returning from the annual training ■>

camp. The men brought their horses with them, and this entailed a great deal of shunting at different stations. The Whangamomona train was. jii. consequence delayed till after the, departure of the New Plymouth train. .

A Press Association message from Palmerston North yesterday states that the Supreme Court opened, Justice Fd wards presiding. There was only one criminal charge, and His Honor congratulated the district. He said it was noteworthy that since the period of the war there had been a comparatively small number of criminal cases to be dealt with in the various districts. The cleansing effect of the war was therefore, being experienced, tending to the general happiness and well-being of the community.

An application was made to the Arbitration Court at Wellington yesterday (states the Press Association) to extend the Marlborough shearers and woolshed employees' award to the whole of the Dominion. The President of the Court said that, assuming the Court had such power, it was not prepared to exercise it in this case, but would extend the award to the Sheepowners' Unions which had consented. The Shearers' Union could cite oilier employers in the ordinary way. It Avas stated that the Sheepowners' Federation had circulated the conditions amongst its unions and had asked that they be observed.

Strangely enough, some people have been heard to express surprise that there was such a place as the Boys' Home. The Mayor and Mayoress of boys were seen drilling .on the Showground recently. As our own district is well represented by the inmates, it is quite a good idea of Adjutant Cook's to give an open invitation to the public of Stratford and district to visit the Home. Hhe Mayor and Mayoress of Stratford are among quite a number ot others have expressed their intention of leaving Stratford for Eltham about 2 o'clock to-morrow afternoon. AH are welcome to form their own party and to join in the visit.

i The feat of freezing live fish, and reviving them several weeks or months later, has been achieved by the Swiss scientist. M. Pictet (says a London paper). The scientist put twenty-eight live fish in a box that contained water rich in oxygen, in which several pieces of ice floated. The temperature of the water was. then reduced slowly until it froze. At the end of about two months the cake was gradually thawed i and the fish, it is said, were found alive. In such an experiment, the scientist reports, it is essential that the water be gradually frozen, and that it shall have contained pieces of ice for from 15 to IS hours before the whole mass is frozen. The process of thawing must also ,'he slow. Through this process it is beilieved i-hnt Siberian sturgeon and Alasikan salmon can be exported ahve to ! distant markets,