LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 55, 8 June 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A meeting of Boer War Contingenters will be held in the Patriotic Rooms, above hewers’ shop, on Saturday afternoon, at 2.30.

Weather Forecast.—The indications are for variable and moderate breezes but, westerly moderate to strong winds prevailing. Weather cloudy to overcast at times. Barometer unsteady.— Bates, Wellington.

Owing to the death of Viscount Kitchener, His Majesty directs all officers of the New Zealand forces, when in uniform, to wear military mourning for a period of seven days, from June 8 to 15.

At a meeting of local publicans yesterday the price of fill spirits in bulk was advanced in price, and the- new charges are now in operation. The proposal to raise the price of drinks of mixed spirits to ninepence, as decided upon in several other towns in Taranaki, was turned down, and in tlue meantime the price of “spots” of all descriptions will still be the nimble “sprat.”

The election of officers of the New Zealand Alliance resulted : President, Rev. P. S. Smallfield (Auckland); executive committee, Messrs A. Koby, A. R. Atkinson, W. Spragg, C. E. Bellringer, G. Dash, G. McCaul, i'. J. Ferryman, Robert Milligan, A. S. Adams, J. J. Wesney, L. M. Isitt, 11. J. Denton, Maurice Harding, and Revs., J. Cocker, A. Doull, 11. S. Gray, W.i J. Comrie, and A. E. Hunt. A resolution was carried condemning the grant of wine licenses to confectioners.

The official opening of the new Municipal Buildings will be held at 7.30 o’clock this evening. All past Mayors, councillors and council officers have been invited and special chairs have been arranged for the general public. Short speeches will be made by past Mayors, after which the gathering will adjourn for a social evening and euchre party in the tea rooms (up stairs) conducted by the members of the Ladies’ Patriotic Committee. The proceeds of the social will be devoted to Patriotic Funds and present indications point to the function being an unqualified success. The card room has been arranged by tlie members of the committee and the Egmout Club’s orchestra will be in attendance. Mr T. G. Grubb has kindly lent the committee a piano for the occasion. It is expected that the social evening' will commence about 8.30 o’clock.

There was an attendance of about! forty Druids at the Foresters’ Hall on Tuesday evening, the occasion being the half-yearly meeting of the Stratford Lodge. Visitors were present from the following Lodges; Eltham, Inglewood, Clifton, Paeroa, Hamilton and Waimate South. Apologies. were received from Hawera, Manaia an- Patea Lodges. The balance-sheet showed. tile Lodge to be in a sound financial; position. The following newly elected j officers were installed by the District j President (13ro. A. Drake), for the ensuing half year:—J.F.A.,, Bro. W. Sheriff; A.D., Bro. J. ward; V.A., Bro. T. Smith ; Secretary, Bro. J. Vt J Jones (re-elected); Treasurer, Bro. 11. Burmester (re-elected); 1.G., Bro. S.i Howard; 0.G., Bro. Baker-Green; A.D. Bards., Bros. J. Lister and D. Butchart; V.A. Bards, Bros. A. Huggett and W. Barlow. On behalf of the members of the Lodge the District President presented Bro, J. "W.Jonesj with a P.S. collar and congratulated, him on having held the office in such' an abje manner for a period of three years. After closing the Lodge the' visitors were entertained by the locali members and a very pleasant evening j was spent. The following toast list was honored: “The King and Druids, proposed by A.D. Bro. Warcf; “Grand Lodge,” proposed by P.D.P. Bro. Knudson, and responded to by DP. Bro. A. Drake; “Incoming Officers,” proposed by P.A., Bro. A. Buss, and responded to by A.D. Bro. Ward and V.A. Bro. Howard; “Visitors,” proposed by Bro. J. W. Jones, and responded to by representatives of the various Lodges; “Boys’ at the Front,” proposed by Bro. Lopdell; “Army and Xavv.” proposed by Bro. Barroit “Tiie Ladies,” proposed by Bro. E

Jones. Songs and recitations were given l.y 15ms. E. Jones, Parrott. Lister. Sharp, Lop Jell, Knndson, and ,1. Davidson. Bat, C. H. Pox presided at the piano. The “Swandri,” for riding or walking is the only coat on the market that is absolutely waterproof. Made of woollen texture, it is always'warm and comfortable to wear, dries in a few minutes, and never cracks. Guaranteed waterproof two years. Sole agents. Egniont Clothing Co. x

An export tax on rubber was recently imposed by the Administration of Samoa. The manager of a British plantation in the colony, who is visiting Auckland, remarked that the tax is a serious handicap on a new industry (reports the New Zealand Herald). The tax is 1-Jd per lb, and, as the export value of rubber is about 2s od per lb, it is equivalent to 5 per cent. This is considered by the planters to he a very heavy charge upon an industry, which is only now to be profitable after years of capit®P investment. The planters, bowevet)

have no wish to avoid taxation that may be necessary in the interests of the country, but they do point out that the new export duties press upon them, while the Germans in Samoa escape.

The commercial instinct is evidently highly developed in some of the Rakaia youths (says the Ashburton

Guardian). Recently a small boy approached the clerk of the Road Board and intimated that he had some rats’ tails for sale. The clerk asked the lad to spread them out in his hand for the purpose of counting them, and before making a deal he was induced to make a closer inspection owing to the peculiar appearance of some of the alleged tails. His surprise can be better imagined than expressed when he discovered that the alleged tab were healthy specimens of dock-root s, all about a uniform size, and about Ibe same length as a rat’s tail. The „ specimens were shown to the meinbt • of the Board at its meeting recen and created considerable amusement.

Mr A. Garland (Waimate), is of the opinion (states the Otago Daily Times), that the best and most economical way to deal with the small bird nuisance is for the County Councils to employ men to go round the country poisoning here and there. Selecting a favorable locality, he says, the birds should be fed on good wheat for a few days, after which the poisoned brain should be fed to them. Their suspicions thus dulled, the birds would take'the poisoned grain freely, and would be killed in large numbers. If this system were adopted, the County Councils, who were spending thousands of pounds on the destruction of small birds would no longer require to purchase eggs and heads, and £SO a year would cover the cost of poisoning in the manner he suggested, and besides the very substantial saving in cash, a great many more birds would be killed.

The open manner in which bribery is carried on in America was illustrated by Mr E. Clifton, who was New Zealand commissioner at the Panama Pacific International Exposition, in the course of an address delivered at a meeting of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association. Mr Clifton said he attended a meeting of American farmers who were concerned about a land tenure enactment that was under consideration at Washington at the time. One of the leaders of the meeting said the residents of that community had no hope of the Bill becoming law as they desired it unless they had sufficient money to forward to Washington for the purpose of persuading the legislators to their way of thinking. At his instance a subscription list was opened, and a laxge amount, made up in sums of not less than 500 dollars, was contributed.