LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 146, 12 August 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Ngaire Co-operative Dairy Factory will open to receive milk on Tuesday next, August loth. .The Government is setting aside a,hunt 150 acres of forest reserve in the Manmvatu Gorge for the purposes of a public domain.

The lines imposed on sly-grog sellers during the year amounted to £lß(j2, as against £21158 in 1909. The direct cost to the Dominion in detecting and prosecuting sl.v-grng sellers during the year was £BOO. Some of the Halcombc (Manawatu) matrons are practical believers in the ■ principle of keeping the cradle full. One of them, a few days ago, gave birth to triplets, all of whom, with their mother, are reported to ho doing well. Milk is said to be a scarce commodity in Christchurch—so scarce that whisky and milk is scarcely obtainable in the hotels in the mornings.' What milk is procurable at the refreshment rooms is said to have that pellucid appearance suggestive of the ;:r iximity of the ‘cow 1 with the long tail.’ ‘ > T 1 ic Book of Praise formed the subject of considerable discussion at the meeting of the Wanganui Presbytery at Fcilding recently. Ultimately it was agreed that, in view of the divided opinions, congregations be left free to choose between the Church Ilymnary and the new Church Praise. Tiio “Live Stock Journal” is responsible for the statement that r cat hatched nine chickens, the lion which was bringing them out having died when sitting on the eggs. Eight, of the brood died under the care of their foster mother, but the solitary survivor was never forsaken by the cat, who accompanied it as it grew bigger through the fields and also into the fowlhonsc at night. Often the query is heard, What has become of the old Rotomahana, for years the greyhound of the Union fleet ? At the present time the still popular .vessel is engaged in the Mel-bourne-Tasmanian service. It may not ho generally known that the Rotomahana was about the first steel-con-structed ocean-going vessel. She started running away hack in 1879, and was a popular passenger steamer from the very outset of her career. It has long been known that fruit and vegetable juices have corrosive effects, upon steel. It has been noted lately that steel knives soon get injured when in contact with the juice, of tomatoes. A parcel of table knives has been rejected, within a few months of actual service, because they had developed deep pits and grooves, and they Were declared In the risers to be of faulty steel. •The knives were, critically. e?«minqd-,rianfl; found to fro of the very best steel., but it was discovered that the corrosion had all occurred within one week, that this particular week was race week, and that for the time being ordinary kitchen services were disorganised'. The knives had been much used in slicing tomatoes. A great Canadian highway is heiry constructed that will connect Victoria and Vancouver, on the Pacific coast of British Columbia, with Nev. Westminster, thence leading throng, the Okanagan Valley to Trail, Ross land, Kootenay Landing and acres; the Kootenay river to connect wit) die existing main thoroughfare follow mg tiie lino of tho Crow’s Nest, Pas; division of the Canadian Pacific Rail way to tlio boundary of Alberta there joining the Albertan trim! .oad now building up the eastern slope of tho Rockies. The road wil run through some of the most beauti fnl scenery in the country, or in the world. It will be 555 miles long and will traverse one of the most picturesque mountain regions on’tin American, continent. It is expected that thousands of well-to-do tourist; will bo induced to extend their annual stay in Canada, bringing in their automobiles as they can be guaranteed good motor trips and features of interest on each trip. Dr. J. M. Creed, M.L.C. (president N.S.W. Cremation Society) lias received a letter from the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Franco, stating that Dr. Icard, of Marseilles, has discovered a preparation which, when injected into a living body, colour); die skin, but leaves no trace when injected into a dead body. Hitherto, with the exception of mortification of tissue, no conclusive proof that death lias occurred has been in existence. By means of Dr. Icard’s discovery it is stated a doctor can make quite sure that death has taken place. This’ preparation is now used in the various crematoriums in Europe before incineration. Dr. Icard lias been awarded the French Academy’s gold medal. At the last meeting of the Cremation Society the following letfar from the Minister for Works (Mr Griffith) was read:—“Personally, i should much rather bo reduced to two handfuls of brown earth, stored in an in n of brass, than that my body should bo reduced to the state so grussnmclv and graphically described >y Shakespeare, ‘to lie in dull obstruction, and to rot.’” It was- also announced that tho Sydney Labour Council had decided to affirm tho principle of cremation.

A recent arrival in the Dominion nils much impressed the other day on witnessing in a harhonrsido train a iiaracteristic instance of Cliineso thrift. A well-dressed Chinaman got into the second class smoking

carriage, and presently produced tobacco and papers, from which he carefully (rolled a cigarette. Holding die cigarette appreciatively between his lips, Celestial John produced a io\ of wax matches, from which lie 'Jolted a match and proceeded to remove its wax coating. When the id a had been separated into almost individual threads ho, by a quick puli, separated it into two parts, portion if the sulphur adhering to each cf the pants. With a rolling movement :1m separated parts were made into lender matches, each hearing a portion of the sulphur and ready to ho ignited. One of these the Chinaman .ir m 1 to light his cigarette, and the ota.cr ho put hack in the box, presumably for future use. The observer was impressed, and thought of the fanner's ideal of making two blades of grass grow where one grew _ previously. War the match incident merely the racialinterpretation of a o.union thought the obsor- .: vt and somewhat astounded immigrant.

At tiie meeting of tho Borough Council on Monday evening references \. ;!l be made to the recent deaths of Messrs T. F. Taylor and G. Tiscli, nd Mrs R.di’o, wife of ex-Conncillor Falie.

Tao Chamber of Commerce Has reived from J. B. Mine, M.P., cony of the Sale of Poisons Bill,

now before the House. Tho provisions of same will affect storekeepers, and the Chamber will lie pleased to band the Bill to members and to have their views on same.

It is stated, says tho “Age,” that '•l.a start an is one of the few townships in -Now - Zealand whore the police arc allowed to issue tickets for “tea, bed, and breakfast” without consulting a member of-tho Charitable Aid Board, 'i.ho demand for tickets nas been pretty considerable of late. - - -

'ibis is the way a contemporary concluded its report of a banquet given recently to tho Irish Envoys. “Mr D. Hughes sang ‘The Wearing of the Green,’ accompanied by Mr. Higham on the piano. Tho singing of ‘Anld Lang Syne’ terminated the evening, and everyone went home full of the host spirits.”

A Mastorton settlor informed a representative of the “Age” that, ali.iiough the grass grub had played bnyoc‘ in some parts of the district us year, it was not nearly as detractive at it was some years back. Due settler on tho Trtratahi was almost ruined by the grub in the nine-

1 lie recently elected provisional committee of the Stratford Municipal ‘.land arc displaying every evidence of the possession of life and bustle. They net on inursdav evening to discuss ui.ii.ers generally, and drew up a ■■.'mhor of proposals which will be ■ u.matted to the Borough Council at is meeting oil Monday evening. . - l L'- R. Ellison, the National Dairy Association’s London representative s announced to address meetings of -.any factory directors and suppliers ao Opunake on Friday,- August 18th, A -Now IKmonth on Saturday, Aimu . -loth, and at Stratford Monday 1 ngnst 21st. Mr. Ellison will speak n .:ie 1 own Hall at each of the centres named.

The necessity for good roads is hemming a very prominent problem in Ameiicu. It is officially, announced jnat about live millions sterling will :c spent on road making in the Unf^ d states during the next road-mak-ng season, and this large sum is but the first of a series of annual contributions to construct a great highway astern throughout the length and ■readtn of tile States.

I - I wu‘ S . c f im;lt °d that no fewer than electric flat irons were sold in j-ia United States and Canada last e - 11 ') says the “Electric World ” 1 bf/? al ° more than 10,000,000 homes irithin central station, territory, of ;■ nidi -,000,000 have electric service • consequently _ the estimated sales last \ eai approximate one iron to every ,ight houses. Although the electric noil was on the market fifteen years ago, its general use dates back"only 1 ien ’ years. Other electric applian--os Jun e a similar history of long neo - - .’.ct, followed by rapid introduction?

~11 A Berlin ironworker has been sentenced to one week’s imprisonment ~ or kuighmg in the street.- The vicmi, wno is a man cf unblemished reputation, happened to see a riotous ; 'ii'i-i i y-rauker pursued by a policeman, ihe policeman was ’on the short, •tout side and the vision of his .y, inkling legs, in swift motion, so U j l iroi V vork er. that .he hurst 1 lutbTv Ibud laugh. The' Court defined ms oilence of laughing at the fat policeman chasing ] IIS victim as “a serious scandal!”

, A recognised authority on horsenvcdmo- at Home, speaking at a biogathering in England, stated that moi e was one type of horse which ■las absolutely indispensable to Great -lAain, and yet that horse was going: -a. of the country as fast as it posV: b y couW - He alluded to the horse nas necessary for the purpose n x-, ai ‘ri horse was bred : 'o ? .t.ie English farmer, and vet it was .out of the country to. Germany, :j.jstria, Italy, and, in fact, all over tue Comment.

fno New Zealand pioneers of the paper-bag principle, as applied to coking, were undoubtedly the Maoris •or instance, their method of cooking pigeons was as follows:—The -irds were dressed in the usual man•Joi and encased in clay. The mass ■l as tJIe L n placed in a fire, where the ■■ ay naturally became hard. After ; 10 time for cooking had a.apsedj the “brick” was removed ;rcm tiie lire and broken, when the aids were found to be cooked in a manner which oven an epicure would cc delighted with.

~.A Pioneer died in poverty in East mpprland last week. In the days tiie gold rushes he wandered through the giant forests, and at one ’imc owned the whole of the country between Bairnsdale and the bori- c I \°/ ; seeing what the future . * 01 ‘ h© parted with, his.poscssii,ns gradually for a song, and wound up an old age pensioner, who ras glad to take a “ten bob” tip ->; om Governors for narrating his early adventures.

During tiic hearing of a Native land case in the hull Court on Monday (nays the Wellington Post), Mr Justice Edwards remarked that if the present system of restricting dealings vith native land were continued long enough, it would, in the end, create Maori landed aristocracy. It was a pity, he added, that Natives were not dlowod to deal with their lands so that the country might get settled. The Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) expressed his disagreement with the remark concerning a Maori aristocracy.

A remarkable incident happened in a saleroom at Auckland recently. A property, consisting of a block of l ied, and a cottage, was offered for W-, by direction of the Registrar o! the Supremo Court, and, when the auctioneer called for bids, £4OO was ,)ilorccl. At this stage, before another bid could ho received, a wellknown merchant came forward, and asked the amount of the mortgage, aril stated that he would take it over, in order to assist the mortgagor whose property was being sold. After a ’urried consultation with the mortgagee’s solicitor, the property was withdrawn from sale, the auctioneer announcing that the merchant referred to was “helping a lame dog over a stile.”

A curious fact, about the strange biown men of the Japanese Arctic expedition was made known the other day. says the Sydney “Sun.” They can’t throw stones. A young man who lias become intimate with the Japs, and is picking up the language from them, nicked a stone over a hundred yards from the camp towards the orach, and turned to his Jap companion saving, “Can you do that?” The brown man, one of the best jujitsu exponents of the party, picked up a stone, and with a great effort, threw it fifty yards. Then he emitted ■i cry of pain and grabbed bis upper a:ivi. An unused muscle had received a ’.Mcnch. “We not throw stones in Japan,” he said.

Napier Borough is apparently in a pretty bad way -financially. It is said that almost every department’s expenditure pronliscs to exceed the estimates, with the probable result that before long the legal limit of the overdraft will be reached. The new theatre will probably cost £2OOO oyer the amount asked for, the tramways perhaps £IO,OOO, and the sewerage Wr- and other works probably a consider- ! able sum over the amounts which the voted for them. The following interesting clause appears in the will of the late Mr. L. E. Isaacs, managing director of the firm of Feldheim,- Gotthelf, Ltd., who died in London on May 22nd last : y'"'*- “Without imposing any obligation upon the beneficiaries under my will, * I express a wish and it is my desire that not any of them shall or will purchase any household requisites, clothing, jewellery, or articles of personal adornment' upon credit.” The sole beneficiaries under the will are the widow and children. The Pahiatua “Herald” says;— The sum of ; £2600 is a fairly largo H one to be drawn by ono man from A butter and cheese factories for milk W* supplied during one season, bub this V amount, within a fraction, was received by a dairyfarmer in this district for last season’s supplies. Of course, the milk was not taken from one farm, and this cheque did not all go to the banking account of the dairy farmer. A considerable sum was expended ih the payment of different families who in the majority of cases wero milking on the share system. General Sir Reginald Pole-Carew relates the following story showing the energy of the British soldier. _ A German attache in the South African war, was amazed at the spectacle of the British soldiers after a fight,

staggering into camp, but rushing instantly after a football which was thrown dh'the veldt! The German at- \ y/tache said to the General: “Well, you are the most extraordinary people in • the whole civilised world. 1 have been with your men all day. I know what they have done. I know that they have had nothing to eat or drink, arid I know of no. oilier troops in the world that would not have been lying down asleep. ;Tf we could do this, we could conquer the universe.”