LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 114, 6 July 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The meeting of the Technical School Committee called for last night lapsed for want of a quorum. A farm of thirty acres in Southland which some six years ago was bought for £43 per aero, has just been sold for £75 par acre. “Our roads are the envy of other County Councils,” said Cr. Morrison at Monday’s meeting of the Waitotara County Council. “In other counties,” he continued, “when you .get off the main roads, you get into the mud. I don’t agree with the foreman when he says our roads are not 11 they should be.” Mr G. H. Dickson, the foreman, remarked that his idea of a good road was one which would stand all sorts of traffic, which some of the Waitotara roads would not. [' The hoodlum element was in evidence last right during the parade of the local company of Territorials, says Wednesday’s Patea “Press.” Several youths, who should have known better, foregathered on the footpath in the main street, and indidged in cheap and senseless gibes at the expense of the Territorials, who were being drilled at the time. Eventually, Sergt.■Major Kibblewhite halted the company in front of the offenders, and gave these latter a well-deserved dressing down. We understand that in the event of a repetition of last night’s tactics, several of those would-be smart youths whoso names are known, will bo introduced to the Stipendiary 'Magistrate, with a view to receiving the wholesome and salutary lesson of which they are apparently so much in need. The payments made by patients at the public hospital were referred to by Mr P. M. Mackay, chairman of tuc Auckland Hospital Board, at the Hosnital Conference.in Wellington last week. He. said that patients’ payments were a source of revenue, and if properly managed could be made to yield at least 10 per cent, more chan at present. “The great trouble in connection with fees,” said Mr MackayV “is that a person well able to. pay a certain proportion of his account seeks out a member of the Board and asks him to use his influence for a reduction, or perhaps that it lye written off altogether. If the collection and recovery of fees wore left entirely in the hands of a responsible official, who knew no friends, and was anxious to make collections the very highest possible, the proportion recovered would lie 1 ighor.” Mr Mackay added that it Gould bo the aim of every hospital administration to see that patients are not kept in hospital any longer than is absolutely necessary

A Palmerston resident' reports having recovered his stolen bicycle under rather remarkable circumstances. The machine was taken from in front of the “Times” office on May 23rd. There appeared to be little chance of recovering it, so its owner purchased another. A month later lie happened to bo in the neighbourhood of the Napier railway station when, glancing up, he caught sight of a native youth about to mount and ride away on the missing machine. Though somewhat out of condition he gave chase and seizing the bicycle by the handlebars and its rider round the neck, he brought both to a full stop. Explanations followed and finally the native and the bicycle ware both conveyed to the- police station. Here it transpired that the native had purchased the bicycle from a man who stated lie had ridden it through from Palmerston, was hard up, and would sell it for £2. The owner accordingly came away with his long lost bicycle and tlie police have since arrested one Oldham, aged twenty-five years, For the theft of the bicycle, and ho will appear before the Court at Napier. Another -lack Johnson has arisen (says a .Melbourne paper). He is a seaman by profession and a pugilist by instinct. He met another member of the clan, Edwin Johnson in Russell street, and swept. upon him even as their illustrious namesake swept upon Jeffries at Reno. For a time a third Johnson —a hardy Viking, who calls himself Yonson - was acting as referee. But. Jack swung it so vigorously on Edwin that m Edwin was forced to flee, and the Norseman followed. Constable McLeod was the next to appear on the scone, and the moment Jack Johnson noticed him lie handed out a Mow containing all the raw material for a cauliflower ear. Constable McLeod closed with the fighter, who promptly seized his ankle and caused Jam to pei form some Catherine-wheel evolutions. McLeod picked himself up and threw Johnson. Then two more policemen came along, and for a few minutes the landscape looked like a picture of primeval chaos painted l y a post-impressionist. Eventually Jack Johnson wa-i towed *-ff to iho vetch incise, and later .vis fined altogether £5. Edwin was fined £3. hut Jan, the vcfeioc, is understood to have sailed for Guam in ballast.

The special trains for Hawera today were well patronised, and a big contingent from Stratford visited tiio > Show to-day. Mr E.' C. Isaac, Inspector of Technical Schools for the Dominion, is in Stratford, and to-day paid a visit of inspection to thg local Technical School. At the Dominion Dairy Show at Hawera a feature of outstanding importance is the exhibit of tire Department of , Agriculture, which occupies a great space and is exceedingly. instructive. A curiosity in the shape of a fivepound note on tho Bank of Otago has found its way into tho hands of the Christchurch‘police, who desire an owner for it. The note is dated 1859. It has little value except as a curiosity. . ; ■< ■ A Palmerston boarding-house keeper caught a wanderer investigating his meat safe a-few nights ago. The uninvited visitor had just struck a match to enable him to decide upon his selection, when he was seized by the irate householder, who did not ' ring up the police,. but handled him in a way that lie will remember for .some time to come. He made believe to be intoxicated, but when released ho did a sprint that would have gained him a first prize at a sports meeting. Mr. A. W. Gillies, President of the Dominion Dairy Show, in referring to the Agricultural Department, said he had to express his deep debt of gratitude to all concerned for the excellent departmental exhibit. As showing the value of the Department of Agriculture, lie would like to quote one instance, and that was in connection with ensilage. They wished to go into this matter, and he wrote’ to the Minister advocating its treatment. ,At the time they wrote the farmers did "not know much about ensilage, but they were supplied with . full information by the Department, with .the result that they had that day thirty-five exhibits of excellent quality and there had been no difficulty in awarding prizes. He considered that the Agricultural Department was doing excellent work. Mr. Joseph Thomas, of Ngaire, received the sad intelligence by telegram this morning of the death of his youngest son, Walter, aged about 22 years. Deceased left for a holiday in the Wairarapa about a fortnight ago. and as no word had been received of any' illness, the news of his death came as a great shock. Walter Thomas received iiis educational training in tho Stratford School, and be was also . a recognised all-round athlete. Ho was brother to Mr Joe Thomas, first assistant at the Stratford School. We extend our sincere sympathy to the bereaved family. It is probable Mr J. Thomas, son., will leave for Wairarapa to-day to bring the body home for interment, and if possible notic' regarding the funeral arrangements Will he published in time to acquaint friends with the date and hour fixed. Halley’s comet, which was nearest to the sun and to the earth and al its greatest brilliancy more than a .ago, has been followed on its jofirnby into distant space with the telescopes of the Lick Observatory. The comet is now (says a message from the observatory dated May 27 th) a little further than Jupiter is from the sun—that is, about 500,000,000 miles—but Astronomer Curtis has photographed it with the Crossloy reflector on two nights this week exactly in the predicted positions. Even with the powerful photographic telescope the image of the comet is extremely faint on' the plates, and it would no doubt be invisible in the most powerful telescopes if looked 1 for visually. Tho comet is now GO per cent further from the sun than it was when_ its approach to the sun was discovered photographically in September ,1909. Stratford exhibitors at the Dominion Show did very well in the dog classes. Following is a list of the awards:—T. Kirkwood, first open ' .pointers and special, first setter puppies, first open setter bitches, first open setter dogs, first brace of sot ters (any variey), special for best setter in the show; E. B. Stohr, first pointer bitches, first pointer puppies; G. Coleman, first smooth-coated open collies, first smooth-coated collie mi" pies; F. Kleeman, first open bulldogs; Mrs. J. F. Watson, second novice cobker spaniel dogs, second cockoi spaniel puppies; G. L. Lacy, first cocker spaniel puppies, second open cocker spaniels; Ft if. Callaghan, first open cocker spaniel bitches, special for best cocker in the show; Miss E. M. Mace, first pug puppies; W. Bowler, first novice greyhound bitches, first greyhound puppy bitches, Plumpton Coursing Club’s special for best dog or bitch under twelve months special for best bitch in the show: L. Tichbon, first open greyhound bit dies/ In cats. Russell Robinson, son of Mr. E. C. Robinson, won the clast under twelve months, and the prize for the best cat in the children’s classes. For the prize for largest cat in the 'show Master Robinson’s' cat has to be weighed.