LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 15, 16 August 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Half Moon Bay, Stewart Island, it is reported, has been in a state of excitement during the last few days as the result of a statement by Captain Hardwick, of the cutter Hawk, that he observed a sea serpent at the entrance to Half Moon Bay. At the Ashburton skin sale last week, the skin of v six-tooth wether was; sold for 25s 3d. This is considered the highest price ever obtained for a sheepskin in Ashburton (says the Guardian). The wether was sold at the Timvald yards last week for £6. Other sheepskins at the sale realised up to 18s Cd each.

A three and a-half year old lad. named Fronsliegger, who wandered away from his home about three miles l south of Charleville, Queensland, has been found on the Alice Downs. He had travelled nearly 90 miles, and was vei'y little the worse for his live days’ exposure, during three days at least of which, it is said, lie had neither rest nor drink. His case discloses most extraordinary stamina for a child ol tender years. The track bore evidence oh bleeding foot, though the little fellow at 68 miles was going strong. Sixty horsemen were in pursuit, scouring the country in all directions.

The Stratford District High School will be closed for holidays on Friday next, and will re-open on the 28th. No teachers’ classes will he held either on 19th or 26th of August. i Major E. P. Cox, group commander at Hawera, advises that tiie following probationary non-commissioned officers have been appointed for the 22nd •Reinforcements: Infantry; P. H, Tinuey (Patea), J. A. Eden (Patea). A. C. King (Stratford), L. R. Hamilton (Manutahi). Engineers tj B. C. Annand (Stratford), Mounted Rifles (24th Reinforcements): E! M. Southcombe (Patea). A Press Association message yesterday stated that the 16th Hein- j forcemeats, some of whom were to. leave on a visit to Christchurch and Dunedin last night and to-day, have established a shooting record for the reinforcements, the figure of mth'it being 114. The previous best, 107.2, was credited to the 12th Reinforcement. C Company of the 16th Reinforcements attained the remarkable figure of merit of 122.3.

“Session after session,” remarked His Honour Mr Justice Cooper in the Auckland Supreme Court on Friday (says the “New Zealand Herald”), “i am confronted with divorce cases in which the husband has been a drunkard. I cannot help thinking that too much carelessness exists on the part of parents of girls in inquiring into the previous conduct and life of the men who desire to marry their daughters. To my mind, the lives of far too many •wives are spoiled by the drunken habits of their husbands, . which must'have been in existence before they were married.” '

Tlio result of the cribbage match between Cardiff and the Stratford Card Club was a win for the latter players by 11 games. The following are the details of the match (Cardiff being mentioned first in each instance) :—Caldwell and Stewart ‘ p v. Smith and Nelson o, Haylock and David 4 v. Anderson and Green o, Watkins and Carley 5 v. Moss and Kivell 4, Scanned and Cameron 4 V. Brown and C. Stewart 6, Richards and Bennett 5 v. F. Collins and Collingwood 7, Wisnewski and F. Crossley o v. T. Wilson and Seabright 8, Greenwall and Mander 4 v. Camwell and Neal 5. T. Carley and C. Barker G v. A. Wilson and Slight 1. Carley and Crossley 5 v. Jackson and Grey 7. Totals: Cardiff 43, Stratford 04.

The long-talked-of paper-manufactur-ing project appears at last to have taken definite shape (says the Te Kinga correspondent of the Greymoutb Star'. A company has been formed for the purpose of erecting mills for the manufacture of paper from wood pulp, there being practically an unlimited Hiipl.v, of matprjal on the areiv« which the company has acquired. The proposed site for the mills is in the vicinity of Rotomanu, near the Crooked River, whence the power for driving the mills will be obtained. As this industry will employ a large number of bands, it will no doubt give fresh impetus to the district. Ihe directorate of the company' it is understood, comprises principally Christchurch gentlemen.

“A beautiful day, and a sky full of aeroplanes,” writes Corporal K. McK. Fletcher from “somewhere in France” to his mother in Sydney. The corporal adds:—“One of the boys received a parcel the other day. Ho "'as seen to partly open it, smile mysteriously delighted, and then, seeing that ho was being watched with interest, put his parcel away again. One of our wags waited until he went out, then opened the parcel, to find in it a bottle of good Scotch whisky. He opened it, pourQd the contents into another bottle, corked it up again, and pasted on a neatly written label, ‘Opened by Censor.’ He then put it back, and loft the parcel exactly as he found it. The owner is still wondering where the leakage took place, and his language ever since has been blood-curdling.”

The present appearance of the breakwater is a striking testimony to the force of the mountainous seas which broke over it during the storm lust week (.says the “Hawke’s Bay Herald”). Hundreds of yards of rails have been uuprooted and lie twisted, lengths of iron projecting into the air or hanging over the side of the concrete blocks to the water below. In several places the concrete has been scoured out to a depth of two or three feet. In one spot there is a scouring out fifteen yards long and two or three feet deep. Right along the centre of the railway tracks an irregular service has been carved out. Indeed the general appearance of the breakwater suggests that an earthquake, accompanied by a cyclone of a robust type had spent a profitable half-hour in seeing what damage they could conjointly iullict on the concrete protective wall.

A Chinch Social will be hold in the Parish Hall to-morrow evening. Weather Forecast.—The indications are for variable and moderate breezes, but southerly moderate winds prevailing aiid veering by south to west. There is a prospect of fair to cloudy weather, with scattered showers. The night will probably be very cold. Barometer unsteady.—Bates, Wellington. Tiie members of the Taranaki Education Board were passengers by the mail train for Hawera this morning. A conference is being held at Hawera to-day, between members of the Board and the instructors, and it is hoped to v evolve a scheme on a, sound basis for the conduct of technical, manual, and > agricultural instruction.

c A pleasant evening was spent at the Salvation Army Hall last evening at a social held in connection with the Home League. After the opening exercises and prayer, a solo was sung by Mrs R. Rudings, followed by a recitation by Master Brain Cook. The Misses Everiss sweetly sang the duet “He Wipes a Tear from Every Eye,” and were heartily encored, and sang another pleasing duet. Adjutant Cook gave a Reading, and Miss 0. Smith sang “God Will Take Care of You,” and then there was a duet by Mrs Long and Adjutant Cook, “In the Shadow of the Rock,” after which Adjutant Cook briefly explained the object of the League and the desire to do something to help the Wounded Soldiers. He thanked all who had helped to the success of the social, and announced that, including several donations, the sum of £2 10s would he the result of the social to procure materials for making up. Refreshments were then handed round. The Home League meet on Wednesdays at 2 p.m.

The most striking feature about the War Loan now under offer to the people of the Dominion is the fact (says the Wellington Dominion) that everyone has been given a chance to assist to make it a success. In other words, tiie opportunity has been made for all to assist in the prosecution of the war. The Finance Minister is to be congratulated on providing a means by which thc u .sjw;xll. man . a_§ as the big can help, accbfding’T'o liis financial ability. Wo should think that most people know fairly well how very important it is that this loa’n of £B,QOO.OOO should bo fully subscribed. 4t is not a matter about which anyone should hesitate in order to weigh the pros and cons of the merits of the loan qs an investment. These, of course, will stand examination, and .show an excellent result. But the consideration which alone should be ailpwed to influence the patriotic citizen is the extent to which bis means will permit him to invest in the loan, it is not a question of picking and choosing an investment, but a simple matter of duty. We cannot all -o to the front to fight, but there are veryfew who cannot help in the struggle by assisting'td makc this loan a success.

Wellington city councillors are of the opinion that fisflr should be so cheap m the city as to be a common article of food, and not a luxury, but they differ as to a remedy of the present state of affairs. The Municipal Fish Market is losing money, and the committee concerned with the running of the market has reported to the, council as follows; —“The committee are very ranch concerned at the loss of £O3 10s ll,d, and with the view of placing the market upon a payable basis, they recommend that further inquiries be made from the Auckland City Council, to ascertain the capital cost of theii trawler, erection and equipment of their market, a statement of the working costs, and details of the system oAhe disposal of fish supply, and it additional information is required, that necessary authority be granted for certain members of The committee to visit Auckland and oSlain same.” The report was adopted. It was mentioned that fish can be bought in Auckland for one penny per lb.

Writing from the seat of war Lieutenant T. K. Y, Seddon. M.P., says that bis brother. Lieutenant «I. Stuait Seddon, who is with the British Royal Horse Artillery, had an amusing experience,' if not a painful one, when he went on leave for eight days in England. He and some other British officers motored from where they were posted to the French port one fine day, in order to make sure of catching the Channel steamer, and so not. missing a day in London. In theii hurry to catch the boat, the car broke dowii on a bad piece of road, the wheels sticking fast in the mud, and the body of the car hurling forward with its* freight and throwing the passengers on to the road, with the car hamper pinning them down. They , u .,v rdl rendered unconscious. They wm picked up by Princess Victoria who tapped the wires, called up the nearest hospital for dresses, and had the visitors removed in her car to the hospital. She and her ’ady-in-wijiting (Lady Dudley Ward) personally attended to the injured. Lieutenant Seddon soon came ..o, though bruised and battered, and his .head and arm bandaged up, and "as able to continue his journey to England, where his condition gave his sister. .Mrs Wood, who was waiting for on the railway platform, rather a shock. He was attended lo at the hospital by Sister Agnes, the lamous nurse who nursed King Edward.