LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 82, 3 November 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thursday next is fixed for a special concert at Midhirst. A first-class «programme is being arranged, and a large attendance' is anticipated. Dancing will follow the concert.

A Motnroa resident, who has lately been troubled with rats amongst his poultry, set a wire cage trap in his yard a few evenings ago, and was surprised and pleased next morning to find the lino eaten of eleven rats. Need' 1 ' as to say they paid the extreme penal i s

Yesterday's rainfall appears to have been purely a. local affair. Some Stratford bowlers were on the green at Eltham and report an enjoyable time, while a mile out of Stratford on the Opunake road the dust was rising,, and not further north than Waipuku or out to the Skinner road was the fall recorded. Before the dusk cs of Pear-r at the .Magistrate’s Court this afierimon judgment was given in the follow mg cases: D. Sloven V, ki v 25 and £1 Is cost ; I). Jk. t;>ii v-. Me A sey, £B, costs pi 17s; W. K Lawrence v. A. A. i. ’atlibertson; £3 l(3s (3d. costs os; Cl. E. Wilson v. M. Loveridge, £5 2s 4d. costs 12s. j The rainfall statistics in Stratford for October are as follows:—lst .57inches, 4th .05, 6th .12, 91h .(jO, 10th .05, 11th 1.49. 14th .15, 17th .11, IStii 1.52, 20th 3.01, 21st .99, 22nd .4, 23rd .80. 24th .43, 27th .7, 28th .49 ; 30th .4. Total 10.53 inches for the mouth. Rain tell on 17 days, the maximum fall being on the 20th, with 3.01 inches.

At last night’s meeting of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce one member drew attention to the question of interest being allowed by.; the banks on the daily balances. One member humorously remarked that why this matter had not been mentioned before probably was that their' daily balances were generally too small! i

While the Newcastle and Hunter river dredge was proceeding up the river on October 19, the captain noticed a body floating in the water and notified the police. Upon arrival at Paterson they investigated, and found the body of a woman, between the age of 35 and 40 years, dressed in a bine velvet blouse, a black skirt, ' black stockings, and black high heel shoes. Her legs and arms were securely tied with rope and wire, with an iron weight of about 501 b attached. The body had apparently been in the water about three weeks.

An important remit from the Wellington Chamber of Commerce bearing on the question of naturalisation was read last night at the Chamber of Commerce as follows:—“That the Oath of Allegiance should be accompanied by an Oath of Divestment, of Allegiance to the Power of which the person has hitherto been al Mibjedffi) preceded by a certificate from the Government of his native country, declaring that he is released from all obligations and allegiance as a citizen thereof.” Members were not slow to recognise the importance of the motion at the present time if it wore the law of the country.

A\ characteristic Chicago story was about a builder who was asked when he, would undertake a contract for erecting a church. “I can’t do it at once,” he answered. “I have a house to build to-day and a market to-morrow ; but maybe 1 could put up your church day after to-morrow.” The expedition suggested in this story is matched in reality by the reported feat of contractors in 1 oleuo. Ohm. They put up a fi house, with bath-room, in 12 hours! NT<u->> than 200 workmen were 'Vmij'qW'k The house was a wedding gui ho - ;, the Toledo Ileal Estate Board to One of its employees, and cost 4000 hollars.

In the interests of the public, the local Chamber of Commerce will stir up the Post Office authorities regarding a matter that will come as a surprise

to those only who have not been inconvenienced by the business methods practised in the local P.O. Mr W. P. Kirkwood voiced the complaint, namelythat it was not possible to obtain Postal Notes at all times during wlucii the office is opened. The Chamber decided to protest at such a state of affairs being allowed in a place pf the importance of Stratford, and resolved, that a committee, consisting of tlie President ami Messrs

Kirkwood, Hewitt, and Lawrence, bo empowered to draw up a letter to the Postmaster on the subject.

At the monthly meeting of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce last evening there were present Messrs J. B. Richards (chairman), W. P. Kirkwood, P. Thompson, D. J. Malone, H. Ashton, W. A. Hewitt and H. E. I aiwrence (lion, secretary). The President was appointed a delegate to represent the Chamber at the Association of New Zealand Chambers of Commerce to be held at Wellington on 22nd The President reported that a deputation consising of Messrs W. P. Kirkwood. W. A. Hewitt and the mover waited on the Minister of Public Works relative to the Stratford-Okuhakura railway. The Minister recognised the importance of the line, and assured the deputation that there was no intention whatever of hanging up the work unless untoward circumstances prevented it. The President reported with regard to theWaitere Road that investigations would he made by tlie Department of Public Works as to the opening up of a more convenient outlet to this road. A letter was road from the Railway Manager stating that the complaint made of about the goodshed had been referred to tlie District Engineer for attention. [ Letters supporting the action of this Chamber relative to the establishment of telephone service between Tahora and Tain were received from the Taranaki Education Board, Olniroa and Stratford County Councils, and the Taranaki, Chamber of Commerce.

Messrs Cannon and Co,, local butchers, have a fine display of lambs h their South Broad vs v -hop. The Mine was crown by Mr Sparks, oi iNgaere, and av* iBIC. per iamb. The meat is in cscolieni condition i

Weather Forecast. —The indications are for northerly winds moderate to strong prevailing and'hacking by north to west. Mild and hazy conditions with increasing haze and cloudiness. The barometer has a falling tendency. —Bates, Wellington. Attention has boon drawn to erity/ 1 appearing in the paragraph regarding the record year’s butter-fat figures of Mr F. S. Mcßae’s world’s champion .fersey heifer, “Mere.” This cow oreduced 663.611bs of butter-fat, not i >lbs as published. Her sire was “Fancy’s Lord Twylish,” not Starve if. It was her dam “Tiki” hi; i. was sired by “Starlight 11. An "uelleut photograph and full details of this great Jersey’s performance is contained in the October number of the Agricultural Journal.

The Salvation Army Self-Denial Appeal in the Stratford district is nowfinished, and Adjutant Cook reports that the sum of £3-53 17s was subscribed, being an increase of £lsl 4s 7d on last year. The Adjutant speaks glowingly of the warm and deep sympathy expressed by all around in the work of the Army. The great increase in the Dominion of the SelfDenial amount is taken as concrete evidence of the unbounded confidence the people have in the valuable work being accomplished. Adjutant Cook desires to express' his sincere thanks to the people who have given such hearty response.

Sergeant-major Mahoney is at present busily engaged interviewing eligible men for the war. He expresses himself as rather disappointed with the meagre success so far attendant upon his work. * One recruit was his record up to this afternoon. He hopes, however, to be more successful! in the future. Sergeantmajor Mahoney intends ' to have a heart-to-heart talk to “the boys” at His Majesty’s Theatre to-morrow night. Next week, the officer goes out to Te Wera and the Whangpmomona districts, and will also . visit Midhirst. There is no mistaking the sergeant-major, and there can be no excuse for not picking him out in the crowd, as a red-white-and-blue rosette and ribbon on his cap looks very chic. In England, all recruiting officers have worn this distinguishing mark for some time past.

The creditors in a certain Stratford •estate in which it was decided in February 1915 to claim a property in Utica, New York (which had been acquired by the bankrupt subsequent! to his leaving New Zealand, received a letter a day or two ago regarding the matter. From this it appears,,, that this property was subject first to a registered mortgage to secure 3,000 dollars and secondly to a mortgage to the bankrupt’s uncle unregistered to secure 1,000 dollars. The equity was valued at from 500 dollars to a 1000 dollars assuming that the creditors .claim should he postponed to that of the uncle’s and at from 1,500 dollars to 2,000 dollars if it took priority. After proceedings had been instituted the attorney for tlie creditors and the solicitor acting for the bankrupt, agreed upon a decree that the property should he sold subject to,the mortgages jhkffT teat the proceeds should be paid to ibc creditors’ attorney. The latter, levin;.: looked into the question, pA-^

•■! to bo satisfied that the credit,.:s' claim should be postponed that of the uncle’s. The official assignee’s statement concluded as follows; “In pursuance of this agreement the property was recently sold for 175 dollars above the mortgages. The expenses connected with the sale swallowed up 130 dollars 60 cents leaving 44 dollars 40 cents for the estate. The creditors’ attorney’s costs amount to over £SO. The remaining assets will he swallowed up by costs at this end. Tliere will therefore he no dividend in the estate.”