LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 128, 22 July 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tlio Eltham Dairy Co., at its spe- <■ i:tl masting on Wctlnosday, decided to pay a bonus of .Bod., making a total payment so far of lid. Captain Haytlou said at the Palmerston Fire Brigade dinner that one of tho Fhefnek! Choir told In’ui that they wore thunderstruck with Now Zealand. They Jiad come to tho Antipodes to find a community more British than tiro British people in Great Britain. Councillor K. Smith intends to draw the. attention of the Mayor of Christchurch to an experiment in road-mak-ing that was made in Rest even, Lincolnshire, England. A cement like powder was placed upon a strip of roadway, and after being moistened it formed a hard, dustless surface that has stood for three years without needing repairs. A Yvollington merchant, discussing the rise in the price of butter with a “New Zealand Times” reporter, emphasised the point that the traders were not responsible for tho high price. He read two telegrams sent by dairy factory managers in response to enquiries for quotations. One was from Kanpokonni offering the output of July and August, estimated at MG boxes respectively, at Is 3d per lb. wholesale. The other was from the Mangorei factory, quoting Is 3Ad per lb. “This shows,” observed the merchant, “that the traders in town are not taking any undue » advantage of the public.

With the object that country roads may bo maintained in as safe a state as possible, the Clutha County Coun■ii has provided a by-law, which, put briefly, demands that ruts on roads should be “straddled.” At tho Balclutha Court, Robert Xewson was charged with driving a traction engine so that the wheels thereof travelled in a rut. Defendant’s counsel contended that the by-law was unreasonable and impracticable. A traction engine could not travel over a narrow road without going into a rut. The Magistrate dismissed the case, saying the by-law was unreasonable. The “Clutha Leader” says that, since this case came on, traction engine drivers have been careful to,“straddle” tho ruts successfully on even the narrowest parts of the road. A heated passage of arms occurred between Mr. Kettle and Mr. Richmond at the Auckland S.M. Court the other morning. The latter contended that the Bench was going against the law in allowing some new evidence to be called after the parties had closed their case. The Magistrate decided that the witness in question should bo called, and upon this the solicitor remarked: “You will be doing a great injustice if you do this.” “You have no right to say such a thing,” replied Mr. Kettle, sharply. “1 say it,” said Mr. Richmond, “because I be lievo an injustice will he done if thif ■evidence is allowed.” Mr. Kettle: “I am trying to elucidate the truth, and it is your duty to bow to the deciion of the Bench. You have no right ':o make such remarks.” The well-known story of the preference shareholder who was tho only person present at the ordinary gener:l meeting of a company was told in tho Police Court at Auckland the other day to shed light on a certain point. This shareholder attended at the i ight place, at the right time. He rated himself to the chair, made a call, declared the usual dividend, arc. capped the proceedings by moving hearty vote of thanks to the chairman, and then closed the- meeting;' “What would have occurred if lie had not turned up?” asked Mr. E. C. Gotten, S.M. Counsel answered that under the Companies Act the meeting would have been ■ automatically ad journed till the following day at the same time and place.

An interesting coincidence lias been revealed by the mail. While Lieut, irlcrtzel, curator of the Palmerston museum, and a veteran of A on Temp sky’s famous Forest Rangers, was shaking hands with His Excellency here in connection with the local celebrations, his brother, Captain George Hertzel, was being presented to the King in England as one of the first oi the volunteers. He joined the First Rifle Volunteers.in 1852, and was lion, secretary in 1859, when the movement became general. He is now 78, anc his photograph is in the English pa_p •■n. with other pioneers—the Rigm Hon. Viscount Sidmouth, the Rigid Hon. Earl of Mt Fdgcumbe, the Rigid Hon. Sir J. H. Kennaway, Bart., and one or two others. In the same papei is a portrait of Lieut .Hertzel’s grandfather, who was an officer in the early part of last century.

At the Auckland Magistrate’s Conn six master grocers claimed expense; for attending the Court as witnesse: in a case brought to enforce an award it was contended that they shonk only he allowed for a half-day. The Magistrate held that they should In allowed what they had lost in attend ing Court. “This is my half-holiday,’' said one, “and 1 have lost some fresh air and sunshine.” “Five shilling; will he your share,” said his’ Worship, “You can go for a trip to Birk an head before sunset on that.” “Anc to the pictures afterwards,” addec counsel. Another said “Ten hob wonk fix him up.” The last one, with marked Scotch accent, lugubriously re marked: “I d,inna ken that I’ve los' onything ava Tn the noo, but ye kor it’s hard to say but what I micht hac made somethin’ if 1 iiadna been al Coorb.” He got live shillings to make amends for possible loss sustained. Though a common enough occurrence on the tracks which do duty a; roads in the backblocks districts, i! does not often happen that a waggm becomes hogged in a city thorough faro. Such, however, says the “Non Zealand Times,” was the fate of ; waggon used in transporting road metal along Kelburne Parade on Saturday. The waggon, which was heavily laden, got into trouble at the back of Victoria College, the two wheels oi the off side sinking right to the axle; in one of the numerous soft patchs; left by recent sewer-laying operations All the efforts of the team to extricate the waggon failed, the only results be ing to work the wheels deeper in am' break, the shafts. There it remained for several hours, and was only shift od towards evening by strenuous ef forts on the part of men and horses

A forcible address on the difficultly which he had experienced in makhu both ends meet was delivered hy a: indignant witness in the Aucklam .M.-ndstrato’s Court the other day “Yes, it is true that I have a farm,’ he said, in answer to one onestion “hut it is overrun with blackberries and weeds, i get up at four o’eloel and do work elsewhere, and all 1 cat make is GO a week. Mv wife is on .- <-.?{•]-: bed; 1 have eleven children tkeep, and one of them is an invalid I am mi vine: off a heavv medical hi! 1 bv instalments, and assisting aw say and his .sick wife in Wellington. Whn J rise can I do? Tf you force me to mr in the present case, T’m np again? 1, the wall.” Defendant’? story of hi l-ardsiiips was accented,- and the in formation against him was dismissed.

A dressing of lent, of kainit to the acre is said to constitute a remedy for tiie grass grub. It lias proved successful in England. What is termed by Inspector Hugo He latest and the very finest fire apr p~iniice in tiio world is being brought to Auckland. This/is the electric lire escape, of which there are only two in existence. Mr. E. A. Osmond, secretary ef the National Sweet Pea Association, has received advice that his Excellency the Governor, Lord Islington, has consented to take the position of patron of the society. The first practice of children in concoction with the Fire Brigade ball, which is 'to be held on August 31st, took place on Thursday, the young people showing good progress in their Work. Haros are very plentiful in some parts of Taranaki, and with the present shortage of pasture are making inroads into tlie carrot, mangold, and ether crops. In the Midhirst district a few days ago a farmer decided on a shooting expedition to thin out the post. Three guns were employed, and for one hour’s shooting in one paddock ’■l2 hares were bagged. There is every prospect of an early season this year, says the “News,” as the milk supply is already on the :ncrease. The Mangorei Dairy Company finds it necessary to resume rundng the Albert Road creamery, which has been closed for a month, to-day, as “so many cows have already commerced milking. At present Manjorci is turning out eleven boxes of butter every alternate day.

Tho Grey Lynn (Auckland) turncock (Air. John Fenton) created a laugh at-the last meeting of the Council by stating that when going round tho district easing the water pressure in the lower levels, one lady objected • L o his interfering with the box in which the stop-cock was located, because she had a nice plant growing in it.

The wavs of the frost fish are somevhat mysterious. None has ever yet been caught by hook or net, so far as we have been able to ascertain. Another name for the .species is “scabbard,” which it somewhat resembles. V writer in an exchange states his belief that the frost fish shoots ashore •long the top of the water at a terific speed. He found one the other morning some 39ft. up the beach away From the water, lying in a place over which he had passed a few minutes before. No fewer than fourteen frost Ish were found on Ocean Beach,- near Dunedin, a few days ago. Why they mine ashore and where they come worn is a mystery. A strong appeal for the expansion )f the fruit-growing industry in the ''forth Island, and especially in the Uickland district, was made by Hr. ). H. Poole, M.P., at Ponsonby, last oek. He referred to the opening up f the Waeranga orchards for selection as a splendid opportunity, for -apple to take up an admirable occ uiition, and he pointed to the success u the Frimley orchards as a business or-jposition. New Zealand was, he rrid, importing large quantities of American and Canadian fruit, and the lemand for such products would sureV l)e met by locally grown fruit. He brought that great encouragement would be given to the growth of fruit ■ujture if the State erected canneries for the preservation of fruit grown by, ■apple iuhoi‘might not be able to build he factories for themselves.

There were several references to ■riticism at the Palmerston Fire Bri■qide’s dinner. Superintendent WarnV spoke of critics in the press under •cities’ noras de plume. These were bften people to whom a little knowedge was a dangerous thing, and who booked upon a conflagration as a free ;how. The Mayor also referred to ■ritics, and Cr. Armstrong said that .vl’ilo criticism was inevitable when a nan was unduly criticised, it usually noant that someone wanted his place, md so in his case, it made him the nore determined to stick to it. Inipoctor Hugo also referred to amateur ritics at fires, and said they forgot fir.it the superintendent was doing his’ -■ost on four sides of a fire, and not merely on the one they saw. Sir F. 'haw, the famous head of the London Airo Brigade, said, in one of his books, that there was not a man, roman, or child looking on at a fire vho didn’t think they could put it hit better than the trained firemen. A species of fungus has taken possession of various parts of the lawns ;i the Square gardens at Palmerston north. It is popularly known as <fairy lings,” and they may he described as circular discolourations or indentations caused by the growth or .ction of certain fungi, which sorne..imes make their appearance in a sin1c night and giving the circle the aspect of being strewn with ashes. In Aden times it was imagined that o.’se rings were the dancing circles ot mines. These “fairy rings” are still nnch in evidence in the lawns in the. hquare, completely • killing the grass vhero they locate themselves. Many experiments have been made in the attempt to eradicate the fungus,-but io far entirely without success. The hangest feature in connection with ;he phenomenon is that the sward . i 010 the fairy rings are is absolutev impenetrable to moisture. A “Stantarci” representative watched a por,ion of one cf the “rings” being cut . jth a spade. Below tlio affected place die soil was as dry as ashes, notwithstanding tho recent heavy rains. The uooo has now and again been allowed o play on the affected spots for hours vb a time', but no moisture penetrates mueath the surface. This is one of

the strangest manifestations in convection with the fairy rings’ visitation, the cause of which is as difficult to account for as the eradication has -,o far proved impossible. Sulphur is -gain lining tried as a possible moans oh eradication. Referring to the heavy traffic bylaws recently approved by a County Council conference in Hawera, a correspondent ot the Hawera ‘“fttar”, writes as follows:—As you have been able to find space in your valuable paper for such a lot of correspondence on" the above subject, perhaps you mio-ht find space for a bit more. Utter rubbish many of your correspondents Pave written, and not one has even tried to overcome the difficulty. Sir, ms it over struck you or the County leimcil how many people use the roads, and pay practically no rates. I •'oi'er to the share milker. Of course, 1 am aware that the laud that he gets hi? living off is rated, hut still, the '"act remains, he uses the road seven lays a week and pays no rates. And hen, sir, it is to be remembered that ho has his own private tfcrh-out as veil. Also, look at the number of V m contractors who have a leasehold house, and perhaps, say, ten .ores. Now, sir, does that man pay ■ytes in proportion to the amount he • ’.sos the road? 1 think not. Now, sir, there is only one way to get at those •vviple, and that, is a wheel tax.. Thru, sir. you will get at the men who •bo the roads. Say, if there was a vVaol tax of- sav, 20s per wheel, 'hat wmdd be better than the toll-o-ates, and cost far less.

Mr T. Gerald Fitzgerald, Australasian manager for Pathc Freres, will be in Stratford this evening.

The annual general meeting of shareholders of the Stratford Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Ltd., will be held in the Town Hall, Stratford, on Monday, the 31st inst. A member of the Anglican parish on entering Holy Trinity Church last night found that some person had broken open the mission collection boxes, and rifled them of their contents. ■£ A public meeting will be held at the Borough Council Chambers next Wednesday evening, when the objects and advantages of the Stratford Egg Circle will be explained. All members and intending members are invited to attend. Mr. J. B. Connett, the chairman of the Board, and Mr. E. Maxwell have been ■ elected to represent the New Plymouth Harbour Board at a conference of the Harbour Boards' Association should such a conference be decided bn. Four medical men yesterday a consultation and decided that Mr. G. Tisch, the Mayor, must undergo an operation in order to regain his health. Mr. Tisch has therefore agreed that the operation shall be performed at the public hospital on Monday next, says the “News.” We are informed, says the Waitava Mail, that the Public Health Department, on the advice of the InspectoiGeneral of Hospitals, is placing certificated nurses in various parts for the care of the Maoris, and one of the two for Taranaki, will resiae in Waitara.

Shareholders of the Stratford Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Ltd., ate invited to attend an address to be given by Mr. R. Ellison, London Representative of the National Hairy Association, at the Town Hall, Stratford, on Friday, July 28th, at 1.30 p.m.

A slight inaccuracy crept into our report of Mr. Ware’s remarks at the Opening of the Toko bazaar on Thursday. Our report stated that the contractor for the building had done the work under cost. Mr. Wore actually made this remark in reference to Mr. Tuck, who put in the acetylene gas installation.