LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 70, 27 June 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The annual meeting of the Stratford Bowling Club will be hold' 'ln Smith's rooms at 8 o'clock this evening. T)> '■''-"

On Thursday < evening, a euchre party and dance will be held in the Ngaere Hall. , " *<

The mails which left New Zealand on May 10th, arrived in London on Juno 23. English mails, ex Makura, at Auckland, are due to-day.

A woman from the Whangamomona district was committed to the Porirua Mental Hospital last, evening by Justices of the Peace on the certificates of Drs. Woodhouse and Paget.

Weather Forecast.—The indications are for southerly moderate to strong winds prevailing. There is a prospect of fair to cloudy weather. The night will probably be very cold. The barometer has a rising tendency, ' but barometer after about' 24 Bates, Wellington. ' ' '"",'

The body of the youth Johnston, who was drowned in the Tuinga creek, at Okau, on Saturday, was recovered on Saturday night, and an inquest was held on Sunday. The lad, who was a son of Mr Wilson Johnston, carrier, of Okau, was 19 years old, and it is supposed he was trying to cross the stream and fell in. The Whangai-ei High School Board decided to dispense with the services of Miss E. Blumhardt on the ground that she was a German, and that her nationality has a bad effect on the discipline and efficiency of the school. The lady then tendered her resignation, and asked to be relieved of her duties at once.

The latest newspaper to suffer from the heavy increase in the cost of newspaper production is the Bay of Plenty Times, published at Tauranga. It has announced that from July Ist the rale for the paper would he increased approximately by 50 per cent, and soma adjustments made in the advertising rates. Should this not prove sufficient the paper will revert to a tn-, weekly issue. ; Taranaki bowlers have raised a: large sum during the past season for the Wounded Soldiers' Fund, the con- j tributions in round figures being: New Plymouth £62, Stratford £3O, Inglewood £32, West End £26, Ilawera £2O, Fitzroy £l7, Pihama £lO. Ban-] nor challenges yielded £9 12s. Tn ad- \ dition to this £2lB there is the £22 from the tournament, so that the total, fund is over £2lO.

Some time between closing down on Saturday and the resumption of work on Monday, the premises of Air B. Harkness, the well-known Stratford iron founder and engineer} were burglariously entered and the workshops ransacked. So far as can be ascertained, the thief appropriated a number of files and other tools, and it is possible also that he helped himself to other art : eles from stock of various sorts. The police were called in by Mr Harkness, and Sergeant Dale macie a careful investigation of the premises, but owing to the exceedingly heavy rain which fell during Sunday nifjht. 'ill traces of footprints had been wash°'l away. On leaving the promises, the intruder Unbarred the main giitos, which were left swinging in the wind.

In Norfolk bullocks are commanding as much as £SQ per head and sheep *£7. States the Ohura Advocate: Wo are pleased to announce that Mr Hugh Cameron, of Taranaki, late of Whani gainomona, has arrived to take up the business of Mr Newton King in this district, and lias secured quarters m Austin's buildings. Pending the opening of the yards, he intends visiting all the various districts with the object of working paddock sales and becoming acquainted with the farmers. A special meeting of the Borough Council last night decided to hold a poll of the ratepayer, on August 2 on the question of raising the sum of £IO,OOO for the purchase of the Electrical Supply Co.'s plant. It is understood that this sum will leave a fair margin over and above the actual purchase money for extensions, etc., in the near future. The Public Trustee has informed the Council that he is prepared to loan the money at 5J per cent, should the ratepayers consent at the poll. Mi' S. J. Cuff, Stratford, has justi completed the purchase of the five-year-old chestnut Flying Camp from Mr C. Ruscce. by whom lie was bred. Flying Camp, who is by Campfire—La Milo, won thro*- races for Mr Ruscoe, one each at Nov/ Plymouth, Opunake, and Hawera, and ;:; his <>ld owner says, "he has b n cu beaten in the •show-ring." Mr Cuff paid £3OO for Flying Camp, which, it is understood, will still he trained in Stratford. A full sister to the chestnut n."ined Kickapoo is to be put into work immediately by Mr Ruscoe. The hours of attendance at the Stratford Public Library in future will be as follows:—Open daily from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., and from 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m., excepting Thursdays, when the Library will be open from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.; also on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. It has' also been decided that direction notices be placed in the main corridor ■ between pilaster and passage on right hand side, and that the hours for the Town Clerk's office and Faigineer be shown on the side windows of main entrance to the Chambers. Mr T. Webb, late of Warwick Road Stratford, now of Long Melford Road, Palmerston North, who has been a consistent exhibitor in the vegetable and root classes,' at the ManaWtftu Show, had a very successful time at the Palmerston North Show, winning' no less that .24'first,; 29 second's ancf'l third prizes in the root and vegeWbfe classes out of an entry of 65'. v Mr Webb take f s the Association's prize, for best collection, of vegetables and* 'the points prize for most wins. The collection was one of the best seen at any show, and Mr Webb received many congratulations for ids excellent exhibit.

Writing from "somewhere in France,," Lance-Corporal-A.'J. Kelly; son of Mr W. H. Kelly, of Stratford, . speaks of the stirring times the troops are having and of the high spirits and optimism which prevails. The feeling of the men seems to be one of supreme confidence in the superiority "of our guns and our men over the Germans and the writer is even sanguine enough to believe that he may i be: eating his next Christmas dinner 1 ; in v New. Zealand: Atrthe time of writing Lance, Corporal Kelly was just: leaving forda week-end trip to friends in iEngland, full of the spirit of high- adv,©htur.e. The chap who is dodging his duty in this big war doesn't know what he is missing!

The country has had a really good soaking as a result of the rain of the past few days (reports the Timaru Herald). The previous rain had filled the long-empty dams and creeks, and reached the subsoil, and the ground being well moisened by it, the present rain, instead of soaking in, remained on the surface to a large extent in pools and running streams. Fortunately ifc was a warm rain and would not be hard on stock, nor check the growth of grass and cereals, which have been coming away freely owing to the mildness of the winter. The rain will stop all team work for a time. Tho fall appears to have been heavier in Waimate district than further north. Up to Tuesday tho total at Timaru and at Temuka was about two inches, whilst at Hannaton three inches were measured—the heaviest for a

' number of years. What is desired now •| is frost to sweeten the soil for the ap--1 preaching spring and summer months

A reminder is given of the performance at Midhirst this evening by the Anzac Minstrels. The proceeds are in aid of tho Sailors' Fund, At the conclusion of the performance, a dance will be held. x