LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 98, 27 July 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the monthly meeting of the Stratford Volunteer Fire Brigade, a vote of thanks was unanimously passed to -Mr T. !>. Sullivan, borough engineer, for the gift of a kerosene stove for the use of members of the Brigade at the fire station. An unfortunate drowning fatality occurred on Monday afternoon (reports the Hawera Star) resulting in the death of the only son of Mr and Mrs Archie Callander, of Opua Road. The little fellow, a child of two years, wandered from home,and although he was missed and a search was instituted immediately, it was late in the afternoon before his body was found in one of the numerous streams near the farm.

On Thursday, shortly after noon, ai sudden of wind was experienced! in Foathorston, and so violent was it for a few minutes that a brick wall in I the course of erection collapsed; The! wall was about 10ft. high and about! 60ft. long, and, was part of a. building! being erected, for a garage. Luckily the accident happened during the dinner hour, otherwise there might have been fatalities recorded. The. builders will be considerable losers by this misfortune. A - popular idea in the Dominion for some years has been that there are more women in the country than' men. This idea says the Christchurch Press is exploded on reference to the last census taken in 1911, when it 1 was shown that there were 531,910. males and 476,558 females, or a proportion of females to each 100 males: of 39.57. The birth rate, on referring to last Year Book for 191.4, shows thatj 14,535 boy babies born to 13,803 fe-j males, or a proportion to each 100 of, the latter of 105.3. "It is a unique fact that during 50; years there have been but si?: officers in charge of the Wanganui Fire Brig-! ade," said ex-Captain T. D. Cummins! at the jubilee meeting of the brigadei at Wanganui on Friday, "and it\ certainly shows the unanimity of the members." The six officers referred; to are .Messrs J. W. Robinson (deceased), T. D. Cummins (life mem-. ber), T. W. Ferry (deceased), C. V.j Powell, T. H. Battle, and G. Sprig-] gens (present .superintendent, with 33 years' continuous service). A record haul of '■■■' trevalli ;was secured in Oamaru Harbour early on a recent morning by a local fisherman,! neariy three tons being cashed. For-] fcy-f:ve casks containing GSOO.fish were railed to the Dunedin and Christchurch markets. The continued pre-] senca of these fish in that harbour is uM-t I'asval, as in previous \e,vb their stay has not been so long nor their numbers so great. Some doubt exists in the minds of many regarding their true species. A fishmonger states positively that the fish are warehou, and not trevalli.

Who was the first New Zealander to fall at Gallipoli? This question has for some time engaged the attention of Mr T. K. Sidey, MP. for Dunodiu, who since going to Wellington has made careful inquiries as to whef.ier the late Private W., V. Knight, 'of Waipori, was .the first casualty from the Dardanelles to he reported in New Zealand. After numerous inquiries, including a communication with the Australian/ Defence authorities, Mr Sidey has estahlished the fact beyond dispute. The. announcement that Private Knight, of the First Australian Infantry Battalion, liad been killed in action was undoubtedly the first casualty notified 10 the New Zealand authorities.

Mr W. Parkinson, who has taken over the Toko Hotel from Mr J. Hawkins, has a soft side for S'ratford. He knew Broadway in the "corduroy" days, and so appreciates the conditions existing at present. For this reason, Stratforditcs will he particularly welcome at the hostelry at Toko, hut it is Mr Parkinson's chief concern to treat all callers with every attention and civility. He is not new to the public-house business, coming to these parts again from Papakura, where he had the Papakura Hotel, so that he knows all about the "breaking down" of spirits and the keeping of good beer and wines. ."With the assistance of. adult members of his family—the .Misses Parkinson render "pater" invaluable aid in attending to the cuisine and matters of accommodation—Mr. Parkinson feels confident that as he becomes better known in the district he will merit a fair share of public patronage in his new home.