LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 25, 28 August 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

As j\lr G. 1). McFarlaue, the Labor candidate, did not poll the number] of votes required by the Act, at the recent by-election for Pahiatua, he forfeits his deposit of £lO.

A freak of nature was to be seen at Mr F. Besley’s farm, Whenuaknra, in the shape of a lamb with two heads, four ears, and eight legs, all perfectly formed.

Dr. Milson Rhodes, of England, who is at present on a visit to Wellington, in the course of an interview, explained his proposals to nationalise doctors, on which the State Medical Service Board in Great Britain is based. Dr. Rhodes advocates that the medical profession be made u branch of the Civil Service, with salaries ranging from £4OO to £IOOO per annum, every medical man to lie placed on the service with one State examination to fit him for that Service. Every householder or lodger already in or coming into the neighbourhood should put his name on the list of the medical man of his choice, it being such medical man’s duty to call on and see such household, note where constitutional tendencies exist, and where medical or surgical assistance is needed. Thus his duty will be the prevention of disease and the maintenance of the health of patients. Such medical man should be allowed only a certain number of families, say, 300 to 500. -As soon as the number is made up for one doctor the neighbourhood must choose others.;,* Dr. Rhodes advocates that there he p." central depot for instruments, hooks.' serums, etc., and even cottages

Toheroai soup is such a delicacy (says the Lyttelton Times) that it deserves more fame- than it enjoys' in Mow Zealand, where the curious burrowing shell fish from which it is made flourishes in beaches from Daigaville to the Bluff. It was thought for a long time that the toheroa could only he got in marketable quantities on the West Coast beach near Dargaville, hut the Hon. Dr. McNab states that the toheroa has now been proved to be the most extensively distributed of any New Zealand shell fish. It is found in the south part of the North Island, on the Waitaki beach, and the long stretch of coast known as the Riverton beach, in the South Island. Maoris have exploited the toheroa froipiftimoj precedent to our -histoiy oi the Domihidii. Keeping up t<> date they now pursue the toheroa with a steel plqugh, which turns out the shell fish from its lair about 9m below the surface. “The future market of the toreroa is to be found in canning,” explained Dr McNab. “It njakoa soup considered superior to oystei soup. We are controlling the corn; mercial exploitatiu of toheroa beadles by issuing licenses to take them, so as to prevent exhaustion of the beds. A complaint upon this point has come from Dargaville, and the Department i s investigating it. There is nothing corresponding to the-toheroa on the Australian beaches, so that if we do velop an export to the Commonwealth we shall have no competition. ’

A singular case of misfortune came under the /notice of Mr E. Raw son, S.M., at Hamilton, recently, when a stock drover was sued by a firm of Hltham dentists for a sum for attention to the teeth of Ids family. Defendant said ho was unable to make any offer to reduce the debt, as he had a v ife and eight children to maintain, out of earnings varying from £1 to £4 per week. Debtor said ho came north two years ago with £2500, and purchased a farm at Pokeno. One of the conditions of purchase was that ho should erect a house to the value nl £BOO. This he did, and, after putting £IOOO into the property, he paid off certain debts to the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company, which enabled him to then acquiie JOO sheep. Unfortunately the season was one of the driest experienced for years, and the laud was scorched hare, leaving nothing for the sheep to eat, and 250 ewes and as many lambs died. The remaining stock fell off in condition. Eventually the property was sold by order of the Court, and h>' lost every penny and every stick and stool. He was then compelled to go

out and work as a stock drover, an occupation that was not by any nacauncertain or regular. His family were all young, and had ho received the account when ho was in a stall- ol affluonco he would certainly have pai it. Now ho was not only penii'loss. hut yob owed £250 interest on tinmortgage and other debts. iHiis h\ or ship said the ease was certainly a singularly unfortunate one, and road more like a story of an Australian drought. No order was made.

A danco will be held in the Midhirst Town Hall on Wednesday evening. Weather Forecast.—Northerly winds moderate to strong prevailing and freshening, and increasing haze and cloudiness for change. Barometer falling.—Bates, Wellington. At the sitting of the Stratford Magistrate’s Court on Friday, Messrs J. McCluggage and A. W. Reed, J.P'.’b, gave judgment for plaintiff by default in the civil case William Elder v. 1). 0. Shute £1 0s lid, costs 11s. Having sold the lease of his shop, G. W. Mills has decided to hold a clearing sale, when every article in his well-assorted stock will be sold at a discount of 25 per cent. As Mr Mills has only about a month in which to dispose of his stock, this is a real genuine sale. Before buying elsewhere, a visit to Mr Mills’ shop is recommended. In consequence of certain reports which reached, the authorities in Wellington on Saturday, a force of police supported by a body of artillerymen from Featherston Camp proceeded to one of the Wlairarapa. districts to maintain order in case of a threaten* ed demonstration against the family and property of the man whose identity is suspected in connection with a case of desertion at Ihe Front. On the arrival of the police (reports the Press Association) a considerable crowd of people bad assembled, and there was evidently some excitement, but nothing happened.

The Mataura Ensign is informed that Mr D. L. Poppelwell, of Gore, has been decorated by the Pope with the Gold Cross “Pro Ecclesia et S Pontifice.” The cross is accompanied by a handsome diploma under the hand T and seal of the Cardinal Secretary of State. This distinction,, it is understood, is of a somewhat unique kind, and is held by very few persons in New Zealand. From the Catholic Encyclopedia it is gleaned that this fhedal was instituted by the late Pope Leo XIII. Its object is to lewrfrd those who, in a general way, deserve well of the Pope on account of Services done for the Church and its head. The medal is of gold, silver, or bronze. It is in the form of a cross made octangular in form by fluers-de-lis fixed in the angle* of the cross in a special manner. The extremities of the cross are of a slightly patoncee form. In the centre of the cross is 'a small medal, with the image of its founder, and encircling the image are the words “Leo XIII, P.M. Anno X. On the obverse side are the Papal emblems in the centre, and in the circle surrounding the emblems the motto “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice” is stamped. On the front surface of the branches of the cross ate" botnets, which with the fluers-de-lis, form the coat off ' arms of the Pecci family. On the leverse side are stamped the words “Pride” (left branch), “Kal.” (top branch), “Jan.” (right branch), and “1888” (at the foot). The ribbon is scarlet, with delicate lines of white and yellow on each border. The decorat ionis worn on the right side of the breast. A treat is in store for Ngaere residents on Tuesday evening. The Auzac Minstrels are giving a performance in the Ngaere Hall in aid of the Wounded Soldiers’ bund. After the performance a dance will he held. The object is a worthy one, and the performance given by the minstrels is of such a high merit, that the Hall should be crowded, on Tuesday evening. x