LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 3, 19 August 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

M iss 1!. Gro:li«; leaves early next week on a holiday visit- to Fiji, where she intends remaining for some time. air. K. D. Lewrs returned from a business trip from Auckland this norniag. In Invercargill one day last week there met together on the street three old identities whoso united ages totalled. 252 years. At the meeting of the executive committee of the A. and P. Association on Thursday evening further recommendations from the different schedule committees were considered. It lias now been definitely decided that the social to bo tendered to 31 inJoseph McCluggage at Whangamcmona shall take place on Friday, September Ist. ’lhe Goldsmiths and Silversmiths’ Company, of Stratford, arc presenting a gold medal for the Huntaway Class, at next season’s trials of tho Fast Road Sheep Dog Trial Club. Air. W. Middleton, late of Opunakc, has purchased Mr. Joseph Hobson’s property on Pembroke Road. Mr. Robson is having built for his own occupation a residence on Pembroke Road, just outside the Borough boundary.

V\ Idle her. 10. Jackson was riding home last night along Pembroke Road his horse stumbled into a culvert in-tako which is close up to the metal. Mr. Jackson was unhurt, although the in-tako is of considerable depth, and constitutes a danger to traffic.

The many friends of Mr. J. B. Bodkin will regret to learn of the death of In's wife, which took phme at Ngaire yesterday, at tlio age of G 8 wears. TJie late Mrs. Bodkin, by her kindly acts, was very popular at Ngaire, where she had resided with her husband and family for a number of years. A rather notable swimmer is at present on a visit to Stratford, as the guest of Mr. W, PI. Bosley, in the person of Mr. G. PI Billson, who is custodian of the tepid baths at Christchurch. Mr. Billson has the distinction of being the only holder in New Zealand of the Royal Life-saving Society’s diploma, and is one of the sixty in the whole world who have this honour.

Captain Newton, harbourmaster, reported to the Harbour Board yesterday that 29 vessels had entered the port inwards and outwards during the past month, of the aggregate tonnage of 21,198 tons. The total imports amounted to 6188 tons, of which 2313 tons were cord, 12.37 tons for railway and 1070 for private use. The exports for the same period of general produce and sundries amounted to 787 tons.

The Surveyor-General had made enquiries. the harbourmaster reported to the Harbour Board yesterday, relative to the Board giving permission for him to erect an automatic tidegauge at the port. The machinery, all complete, would lie sent up and placed in position hy the. SurveyorGeneral’s staff, they only asking/Ton the services of a carpenter. They asked that the Board give a place under cover to place it in. Ho thought that a portion of the ladies’ wailingroom would lie a suitable place. The suggestion was agreed to. Referring to the alteration in the electoral boundaries and the redistribution of seats, Mr. R. Lambie, at the Farmers’ Union Executive mooting at Hawera on Thursday, said he noticed that the seat of the Hon. the Minister for Agriculture had gone out If there was any likelihood of the Minister retiring from political life, he hoped that Mr. Mackenzie would be appointed High Commissioner. There could ho no more popular apoointment. Mr. Mackenzie was on the opposite side of politics to him, but speaking as a member of the union, which was non-party, ho must say that the Minister had done good work for the farmers, and he was pleased to acknowledge it J

In their 'quarterly report on the Stratford School, the Board’s inspectors (Messrs. Ballantyne and Wkettcr) remarks that the records have boon kept in a very satisfactory manner; the pupils have attended with very satisfactory regularity and punctuality. The management and organisation of the school by the head master has been very satisfactory. In most of the classes the work for the day had been carefully prepared, and intelligently mapped out, and tiro supervision of the work throughout the school has been close and regular. The order, discipline, and tone wore good. Tire work of tire school lias boon maternally interfered with by tire recent lire, which destroyed several of the class-rooms.

At an imprest at Sunderland on Charles Johnson, a niglitwatchman, who died 'from burns, air engine fireman said lie found Johnson standing dazed, his clothing ablaze. On seeing him, Johnson was tonified, and asked, “What do yon want f” When the fireman tried to extinguish the flames Johnson drove him out of the cabin,. Two other men entered and tore the burning clothing off Johnson, who resisted all the time. At tire hospital Johnson stated that ho had been smoking and put bis pipe in a packet and went to sleep. When ho realised that his clothes were on fire hecguld not move, being paralysed with four. A verdict of accidental death was returned.

The harbourmaster suggested at yesterday's meeting of the Harbour Board that the Board apply to the Marine Department that the Pantitu ho granted a certificate to on-

able her to go to the assistance .of vessels within a radius of thirty miles from the breakwater; the present certificate only allowed for two miles, . from the Sugarloaves to Waitara. The first-mentioned certificate would enable any vessel signalling to Cape Kgmont lighthouse for assistance to have the services of the Paritutu in three hours instead of waiting for 'assistance from Wellington. The survey held lately on the Paritntn would suffice for this alteration. The suggestion was adopted.