STRATFORD NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 327, 1 March 1910, Page 4

STRATFORD NOTES.

(Prom Our Own Correspondent)

Stratford, February 28. Mr. G. Richter, of the stall" of the local branch of the Bank of Xew Zealand, who has been relieving at Waihi returned to Stratford to-day. _ In the present day, when pure food investigations and legislation play such an important part throughout the ■world, it will be rather interesting to •note if industrial use can be mad'e <d the property of the ultra-violet rays as powerful germicides and oxiding agent-. Herman and French chemists have hit upon the idea of sterilising milk and water by the simple expedient of flooding them with ultra-violet light. Water is thus purified because of the oxidisin" effect of the rays; milk is sterilised b° .cause the rays kill bacteria. It is atated that an ultra-violet lamp immerseu* in a clear infected fluid will, in a minute, destroy all micro-organisms within the radius oi a foot. The cadets who visited Wellington do not speak at all enthusiastically of the treatment they received. Of course, fiie ram was all in the game, but it .was thought that after bringing the lads all the way from Taranaki aUea.it decent accommodation would have bren found" and plenty of food. From all accounts such was not the case. But if the boys were badly treated it is said the volunteers were worse. Possibly the powers that be thought it would be well to make the conditions as near to those appertaining to actual warfare as possible. Or they may have taken Kiprriig's lines: "They 'think for 'emselves an* they steal for emselves, an' they never ask what's to do," as the id?al. Be this as it may, the volunteers complain, and incidentally doubtless the owners of orchards in the vicinity of the camp are also bewailing the absen"e of fruit on the trees.

Mr. J. B. Campbell, stationmastcr fit Stratford, is away on a holiday. Mr. Andrews is relieving.

A man named William young, about 60 years of age, who was employed at the Government gravel pit .at Skinner road, left Stratford on Saturday by th-3 evening train for his home. He got out at Skinner road and' the remainder of the party passed ,him prior to the bridge being reached. On Sunday morning it was found that Young had not arrived at the camp, and a party set out to ascertain what had become of him. His body was found on the eastern bank of the river, and it was apparent that he had fallen from the railway hrinse. a height of over 30 feet. The police were communicated with, and on goincr out. they found that the deceased had broken his neek, having in falling struck a small !o<r. Deceased was a widower and h?ul on? child, a boy of nine, living with him at the camp. An inquest was held today oelore Mr. J. Sexton. wh-n a verdict of accidental death was returned.

Mr. Mcftonagle, signalman "t th<> ileal station, lias received notV" of K* transfer tO' Wanganui. for which place he win leavte in about a fortnight. The transfer carries promotion with it.