LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 103, 21 June 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

By error the date of Arbour Day was recently announced to be the l!)tb instant, but ft notice in the “Gazette” is to the effect fat Arbor Day is to be observed on July IDtli, arid that the date mentioned will be a public holiday in tno Government offices throughout the Dominion.

A Parisian money-lender, who has a reputation for the busings be docs in financing ne’er-do-woll sons with prospects, lias been asked to tunrisli tlie heir of a coal and iron magnate in Westphalia with £200,000 to tide him over his bankruptcy. In return for this accommodation the financier’s client agrees to give him as se r purity his reversionary interest in £2,000,000.

An announcement made by MajorGeneral Godley at Cambridge last Monday evening, to the effect that General Baden-Powell intended vis--iting New Zealand at the latter part ol this year, was received with marked demonstrations of approval. Of the Scout movement founded by that distinguished soldier, Mai nr-General Godley considered it one of the most excellent in the world, and, therefore, deserving of the heartiest support. During a case at tho_ Auckland S.M. Court the defendant (an Irishman) said ; “Well, your Worship, I’ll toll you exactly what occurred. I said, ‘You’re a dirty firm, and you can go to .’ ” Mr Mahony, who appeared for defendant: “You may say that word without shocking either his Worship or the representatives of the press.” Mr Kettle said-: “I suppose they did go there?” The witness replied: “No, your Worship, they came to this Court.” Mr Mahony calmly added: “Which, I • suppose, is the nearest approach to the place mentioned.”

Murchison is greatly excited (says the Nelson “Colonist”) over, the reports from the Owen. Mr C. S. Beilhy, .mining engineer, returned on June 2nd frpm an inspection of the Rising Sun Syndicate’s -property, where ho was greatly impressed with the mining possibilities of the region. Ho considers that it will rival in importance the best mineral field in the Dominion .Ho states that there are at. least 50,000 tons of ore in sight, on the area held by the syndicate, without taking into calculation the deposits out-cropping beyond the boundaries of its holding. Claims are at. present being pegged out on all the adjoining country.

A gentleman who knows the cheese trade thoroughly remarks as strange the fact that the colonial prejudice in favour of coloured m preference to white cheese still exists in ,>’ew Zealand, in defiance of iho c irimon knowledge that the natural .tint of cheese is a light creamy white, and that the darkening material is, to say the least of it, of no nutritious value. The educated masses at Homo know the truth, and demand cheese that is white, but the old preference for the dark cheese continues here, apparently as a result of the mistaken idea that the dark'colour means richness.

•Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., of Christchurch, in an interview, spoke very highly of the work and progress ot the Juvenile Courts of the Dominion, and of their complete success as a working part of our judicial system. Summing up the position, lie said: “My own experience is that dho Juvenile Court-is working for the good of the community, in the host interests of the young people them.selves, and to the manifest advantage of the State. It is impossible to say actually in detail what the advantage is; one can only judge from what cue sees and hears. The general ei n-

sensns of opinion is that the Juvenile Court is a great advance in the matter of judicial procedure, and of the greatest possible advantage to the social life of the city.’'

At the Now York Hospital they 10 late a curious occurrence bearing ci

t! 10 hibernation of fishes. In liio conservatory in the upper part of the building they had several glass jars in which were gold fish, winch is a species of carp. One morning the caretaker found a jar broken, and the water, frozen through and

through, the fish of course lining as rigid as ico. The lump 'va.s taken away and thrown into an o‘d rnhhish barrel, whore it remained several weeks. One Match day the sun was unusually strong, and it split the cylinder of ico, and what was the astonishment of the caretaker to see the tail of the lisii wriggling out of a part of the broken block. The actual freezing had not killed the lish, which was removed to another tank, where it swims about as if nothing had befallen it.

In a judgment summons case at the Christchurch Magistrate’s Couit, the debtor admitted having a small property under the Advances to Settlers Department, on which he was trying to make a home. His average earnings at work of any find he could get. were 27s Gd n week. in ordering the debt to ho paid at the rate of Is a week, the Magistrate (Mr H. W. Bishop) said ho did m> as a matter of principle. in cases whore the judgment debtor Vis paving off a property, however small, with the idea of making a home, and

was paving money in that way instead of in rent, he (Hie Magistrate) had always, hut merely as a matter of principle, made an order for payment of some small amount. -Any debtor who could make these payments for property must consider. Ids creditors in sc.nu wav.

A sharp shock of earthquake was experienced in New Plymouth yesterday morning at about 6.3 U. The Mayor announced at (lie meeting of tbe Chamber of Commerce last night that the Hon. J. A. Millar had stated his intention of visiting Stratford at some time early in July. • While discussing the matter of a Coronation subsidy hist night, a member of the Chamber of Commerce asked : “Would the Government subsidise the buyiuv out of the Electric Light Company?” Echo answered something unintelligible. “Wo should,” said a member of the Chamber of Commerce last night, “support the Suck mail going to Wellington in view of the formation of the port at New Plymouth and the mailboats being sent to New Plymouth. The Port of New Plymouth must ho kept in view.’ ’ “You will never see Australian boats there in your time,” said a second. “Pessimist,” exclaimed a third. At last night’s mooting of the Cham her of Commerce Mr. Young proposed that the Hon. T. Mackenzie lie written to again urging on him the claims of the East Mountain House. It was

decided, however, that it would lie better to send a letter just about tho tube Parliament met—otherwise the letter might be overlooked. Therefore the matter was deferred until the next mooting. “J believe if I bad a car,” declared

tho Mavor of Christchurch at the Automobile Association’s prize presentation, “I would be breaking the bylaws as much as anyone. Speed is a natural and instinctive thing, and I never hear of a man getting into trouble on this account without feeling sympathetic with him in his scrape.” 11l how very simple a manner a, serious injury may result is exemplified in tho case of a resident of Otaiu. who lias been a patient at the hospital for some time and still carries ins arm in a sling. It appears, that while clipping a horse, a hair oecaino inserted in a small cut hi (No finger, blood poisoning ensuing. A portion of the hone had to be removed, with tho result that one finger will m future lie stiff.

Rats have been credited with doing many curious tilings, hut probably the most remarkable of their feats is the attempt to unroof houses. A wellknown local farmer informs us, says the. Gisborne “Herald,” that rats, of which there was a thick population about his corn crib, had attacked the lead-headed nails in the roof of the crib, and in many instances had chewed the lead right off. There was hardly a nail in the whole roof that had not been gnawed. Speaking to a Christchurch “Press” reporter on the subject "f tlm hardening effect the destruction of birds by children would have on the children, Mr. J. H. Parker, president of the local Society for the Prevention n( Cruelty to Animals, said that what his Society suggested was that the birds should bo captured by men with nets, as was done in other parts of Now Zealand, where men made big wages by netting birds. Small birds which constituted a pest to the farmers should, of course, bo destroyed, but the destruction should not bo carried out through . the agency of the children.

A groat deal of-public curiosity was aroused at a harem skirt wedding at St. John’s Church, Invercargill, the other day, more than usual interest being taken in the eternal question of “what the bride wore.” She and the bridesmaid certainly “wore ’em” —made of white satin they were, and

there is little doubt that more atten-

tion was’ paid to that fact (or those facts) tlrim to the ceremony solemnised by Archdeacon Stocker. Afterwards the bridal party was driven to Mr. 13. A. Phillips’s studio, where a photograph of the whole outfit was taken. A crowd of people (mostly men), thronged in the vicinity to sec “them,” hut the bride and bridesmaid had in the meantime donned ordinary skirts, and their journey from' the photographer’s door to the waiting carriage was greeted by a gasp of disappointment.

At the Auckland Magistrate’s Court the other day Edwin Alherd Lo Rossignol appeared to answer a charge of failing to maintain his wife. The evidence ho gave was to the effect that he was perfectly willing to do all that a husband should, hut that ne bad been over-ridden in his desire to live privately. His wife and step-daughters had converted his home into a boardinghouse, to which course ho had strongly objected, and as they had enough income from it to he able to do without him they had laughed at him and lie had walked out. Ho offered to establish a homo provided that no ooarders wcio allowed. The Magistrate .Mr C. C. Kettle) said he could not make an order. A man was entitled to rulo in his own house, and if ho did not want boarders and his requests were reasonable his wife must obey. Mr Grundy, who appeared for Mrs l.e Rossignol, said he was bound to accept the position created by the husband's offer, and the information was dismissed.

A correspondent, writes to the Now Zealand “Times” suggesting the establishment of an aquarium in AVellington. Ho recommends Lyall Bay as the site, as Oriental Bay as a temporary nucleus for this purpose, “now that its sea waters are depleted sufficiently of their former objectionable qualities” (sewerage). “The removal of the marine creatures from the Newtown Zpo,” he points out, “would substantially contribute to tins object, as well as solve the untoward difficulties which there exist in respect to the sea-lions and other marine creatures, which otherwise have no right in a land zoo proper. Already it is proposed to and to thiv part of the zoo. If mch initial establishment at Oriental Bey bo carried out as soon as possible, funds permitting it, it would bo a wise course, because the continuance _of the present and past policy at Now town Zoo in respect to its marine opcupants can logically only result in a like poor success.”

‘While following his calling, a-fish-erman named George Peters got caught in a southerly buster off Pori rna harbour last Thursday afternoon. A very heavy sea was running on the bar at the entrance to the harbour, and Peters was compelled to weather the storm in the straits all night, single-handed, in a cocide-slit-11 of a boat. An oil launch went cut, hut. was driven hack by the storm. All night long his wife anti children walked the beach in the tape of seeing his boat arrive. At i'.3o on kj-i----day morning Peters out in f.n appearance after having undergo no _a very trying and unenviable experience. Ho was thoroughly exhausted. A well known resident of Pepper Plains, Victoria, hung a wet overcoat on a peg to dry. During the evening ho required something from the pocket of the coat, and dipping his hand into it was amazed to find it nearly full of mice. He took the coat outside and shook it ever a tun, when 101 mice foil into the- water. Ho has hung the coat c-n the same peg every night since, and the decreasing number show* that the device is effective.

Coloured Electric Lamps for Coronation Decorations, Is 3d each. I heso lamps may afterwards ho cleaned used for ordinary lighting.—McMillan and Frcthia.*

A clever book of “Coronation Crackers’* roadies us from Auckland. It is made up of humorous verse, and comic sketches, by J. C. Blomliekl, ami is published by Chandler and Co., l td. j “What hails ye, Saundy P” was a question put to a member of the School Committee after last night’s .meeting by another member. Hitherto ordinary meetings of the Committee have "been characterised by no fiery speeches, but our friend first took the Education Department in hand for what, he termed its slow movements in connection with the reerection of the school building; and then, as a visiting member, produced a notebook wherein was chronicled the shortcomings of all and sundry on the committee. Referring to works that required urgent attention in the school grounds, he remarked : “These matters have been brought up time after time, and still they are not attended to.” The other members have not yet recovered from the unexpected attack. However, there was a good deal of truth in what the speaker said.