LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 20, 8 September 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Green peas in August are rather a novelty. A local resident (says the Taranaki “Herald”) has been picking thorn for the last two or throe weeks.

Mr. J. 11. Scott, secretary of the South Island Dairy Association, reports that several factories have disposed of the season’s output of cheese on a basis of G 1-lGd per lb on trucks, and G-Jd f.o.b.

A correspondent at Charlesvillo telegraphs to the Sydney papers that in connection with the North Queensland amateur boxing championship, at Charters Towers, the Rev. Holton Sams defeated J. Golloghly on points in the light-weight event. The minister also beat J. May on points in the welter-weight contest.

Tho bottom is out of the potato market, says the Dunedin “Star/’ Potatoes arc going to be cheap. They are cheap. Otago has been growing more than we can eat or sell, and, being a perishable commodity, they must be got rid of. llecent sales in tho country have been at the rate of 40s per ton, or 3s 4d per bag on trucks, and already in some southern districts potatoes are being fed to the pigs. A bullock belonging to a Masterton butcher fell dead in one of tho back streets on Saturday last. As it was, for a time, an impediment to traffic, a resident stood in the street and warned persons driving in vehicles. A trap, containing two ladies, hovered over the horizon, and the re-

sident waved his arms in such a manner that the occupants mistook him for Pawelka, and became quite alarmed. One of the ladies is said to iiavo fainted. The resident reassured them in as dignified a manner as was possible.

Since Sir John Kindlay arrived in England we have hoard a good deal about tho New Zealand criminal and the way he is treated (writes a London correspondent). Tho general conclusion seems to he that one might as -veil be a criminal in New Zealand as an honest man in England! Here, on the authority of the “Daily Chi ;n----k le, ;; is a case in point:—“in one gaol, in the' north of toe Souco Island, a prisoner actually -p* a racehorse, and transacted all the business concerning it. In the same gaol, wellbehaved prisoners arc allowed an occasional afternoon out.” If we treated our rogues on the New Zealand I nis ’’ adds t'-o “Phi onrK” “we should certainly have plenty of rogues.”

Judgment by default was given in the following cases l at the Magistrate's Court this morning:—Abraham Cook v. F. Drury, £2O, costs £2 (:s; Central Co-operative Store Co. v. James Hodge, £l7 Os Od, costs £1 10s (id. Iho Deputy-Official Assignee (re Nichols) proceeded on a judgment summons at tiie Magistrate’s Court this morning against David Duffy. Judgment debtor did not appear, and was ordered to pay £2 14s 6d forthwith. in default seven days’ imprisonment. John Olafson Turi, poet, artist, and hunter, said to be the-first Laplander! to write a book, spends . the long, dreary winter trailing wild game fin the snowy wilderness of his native land. Ho Eves, and travels alone, and when on his raid-winter trips can be found only by accident. His book was written with the intent to dispel the ignorance about the Lapps, which, in his opinion, is ,the cause of many wrongs they suffer. Pawelkaisms: Joseph Pawelka was standing ou a penny* in the slot machine at tlie railway station, when ho was accosted by a policeman in disguise. “What are you doing there?” asked the guardian of the law-stern-ly. “Can’t you see?” replied Joseph, “1 am trying to get aweigh!” Another : Joseph to tlie lady of tiio house, “Hide me, hide me; I’m Pawelka.” Lady of the house, “Oh, poor, poor man, run, run, hide in the washhouse.” Joseph (loquitor): “Woman, would you hurl me to my doom ? Don’t you know that there is a copper there?”

Richard Augustus Willmghby Green vas seventy-five years of age on 23rd ■ h August. He was the ’(■ "t sculler to ' win a race for the championship. of Australia on the Parramatta, hisoiP v ponent being the late .lames Candlish,’ an English lower of good standing. - - Green was the first Austria in to low in England (18G3.), and in his day won over two hundred races. He is still an active man for his age. His bic.th- v . ers, sons, and grandsons followed the sport, and three of his grandsons have rowed for the amateur championship. About three years ago Dick Green competed in a race for veterans against Kemp, La/cook, Beach, H. Poarcc, Rush, MALean and others.

Borne years ago a Dunedin firm of auctioneers sold an ox hide which realised tiie high figure of £3 9s Bd, and which was supposed to be a record for New Zealand. This was disputed by a North Island paper, which claimed that a slightly better price had once been obtained'for a hide from that particular district. At last Friday’s sales, however, this return was exceeded, the auctioneers obtaining 9|d per lb for a hide which netted the owner £3 IGs 7d. Some other very high prices were obtained, and as a market for hides Dunedin is without doubt the best in the Dominion. A local paper remarks that a large quantity of hides now come from the North Island to the local sales. The statement that New Zealand lagged behind in the matter of telephone communication having been made by Mr. Buchanan, who said that the rate in England was £3 and in Australia £2 10s. The PostmasterGeneral has replied that an entirely wrong impression had been conveyed by the member, because in both countries there was a toll system under which an extra charge was made for every connection. No country ccruld give a telephone system for £3 net. New Zealand had not lagged behind, but was ahead of every other country. It was intended to further cheapen long-distance communication, and give greater facilities • in sparsedv- settled districts. n' • . .. • ■■

A rather important case came before the Nelson Magistrate’s Court a day or two ago. A defendant was charged under section 11 of the Shops and Offices Act, 1908, with having failed to close his shop on the statutory half-holiday. The inspector of Factories stated that he saw defendant and two others driving along one of the streets. Defendant got out of the vehicle and called at a nouse. Ho gave the occupant a small book and informed her that ho was the agent of a sewing machine company. Prosecutor considered that section 20 of the Act prohibited canvassing on the half-holiday, and also section 26, which referred to hawkers. The defendant said that on the afternoon in question he had to put up a machine and take it back to the shop where ho was employed. He had no machine with him which he could have sold at the time, nor any accessories. The Inspector contended' that the defendant was out canvassing for orders on the occasion referred to and was therefore liable under the Act. The Magistrate reserved his decision in view of the importance of the case, to give him an opportunity to consult authorities.

As a further preparation for the possibility of a naval war in the North Sea, the • German Government is strengthening the fortifications of Heligoland. The island is to be made as far as possible impregnable. Hitherto its defences have been under the command of a captain of the engineering corps, who has received his instructions from Cuxhaven, near the mouth of the Elbe. This arrangement is now superseded and in future there will be an independent command, with greatly increased organisation, on the island itself. The Berlin press states that the fortification of Heligoland has been quietly in progress For years past, and that'the island is now provided not only with the most modern and complete defensive works and appliances, but also with the finest and most destructive artillery that the world can produce. The naval and military authorities have preserved the strictest secrecy regarding the work that has been conducted on the island, and every inch of the rock devoted to fortification or other military purposes is hidden behind a high fence. In order to prevent prying even the crevices of this fence have been carefully closed.

A sensational story of the alleged robbing of one of the passengers of a large sum oi money by means of the three-card trick reached the ears of Captain Sims, of the steamer Grantala, recently. The steamer* at tho time was about half-way on her journey from Brisbane to Sydney. Captain Sims immediately had * the vessel’s wireless apparatus set going, and sent a message to the wireless station in Sydney telling them of the occurrence and requesting them to advise the detectives and police, This was done, and when the vessel arrived at her berth in Sydney she was mot by police officers. The officers boarded the vessel, and soon found that ono of the passengers, whose object it was to show a fellow passenger the danger of having too much confidence in {•banco acquaintances, won £l3 from him by means of the three-card trick. The money was returned, with tho advice that in future it would be hotter to ho less trustful in the honesty of human nature and less confident in the infallibility of human judgment. Tho reported robbery, therefore, turned out to he a practical joke, hut incidentally the possible uses of wireless in cases where it might really ho need was demonstrated.

The*annual dinner of the Stratford Association Football Club will be held at Mrs.- Brown's rooms on Tuesday'nt&t. A meeting of the ladies’ committee in connection with the Horticultural Society’s coming show was held on Wednesday afternoon. The different arrangements are well forward, and a large measure of support is promised in all directions. v

Though the rest of the district seems to have been exceptionally dry, no complaint can bo made by Wiiangamomona as regards rainfall during August, a total of 5 inches of ram having fallen on twelve days. In August last year 9.23 in. fell. Tne chief falls recorded were: —Ist 1.19 in., 2nd .73ia.,‘ 16th 1.60im, 17th .80in. On five of the twelve days on which rain fell the fall was under .05in. In View of the 'excellent weather prevailing the' local committee in change of the Mountain House has decided that the' house shall be opened as' soon as possible for the use of visitors. ' Mr J. Christiansen, who was in' charge of the house last season, will again be in charge, and will take up his quarters up the mountain next Monday. The committee authorised the carrying out of work on the track, and Mr Christiansen hopes to have the track in a state suitable for traps by the end of next week. A/- and B. teams of Stratford players tried conclusions at crib huge at Mrsi Brown’s rooms last night, tne B team-proving tfetorious by 37 games to 28r■' Following are details ox the scores, A. players being mentioned first in each case: —Solo and Hartson 6, Black and Wilson 7; Woodhead and Harkness 4, Sullivan and McMahon 6 W. Collins and Colson 4, Payton and J. Collins 8, Kelly and Lawson 6, Kyan and. Melville 6, Calvert and Butchart 5, i Masters and Boon 6, Woism 4, Jones 5. The teams are to play one host of three- games, and the second game will.be played next Wednesday evening, i The 'following report from the Works Gommitee will be presented w Monday's meeting of the Borough Couiicii T no Overseer has oeon mslructfed to report on the cost of forming a footpatn on the soutu side oi Romeo Street between Romeo Street and; Juliet Street; as more room is required at tlie Jvopuataina Cemetoi,} your committee recommend that tonderfi be called for clearing a piece or ground one chain wide; the Cverscei lias been instructed to report on the cost of earthwork required on Began Street East.

The Nbrmanby correspondent of the Hawera “Star’' writes as follows: 'The petition to the House of Representatives which has been in circulation Tn South Taranaki was on Tuesday' last forwarded to Mr. G. V. Pearce, M.P., -for presentation. It had been very largely signed, especially in .'the Opunake, Kapuni, Auroa, Qkaiawa, and Normanby dismetsj and contained ‘ 1624 signatures. It is to bp jibped that the powers that be will recognise ‘the urgent necessity for the immediate construction of this railway, arid place a vote on the Estimates for that purpose.

; Datici Jones pleaded guilty at the Magistrate’s Court tliis morning to having, at Tariki, on July 26th, failed tq take reasonable steps to prevent a cow ; Btraying on the railway line. Sergeant McNeely said the cow had bolted from defendant’s slaughter-yard, and had given some trouble to the railway authorities. Defendant. said the cow jumped over the fence of the paddock at the yard and then over thenrailway fence. The S.M. (Mr K'ehriek) said he could not see that defendant was much to blame, for there Were records of cattle having jumped stockyard fences six or eight feet nigh. He would impose the small < 6b- and :costs (7s),- but he said he expected defendant to heighten or strengthen his fences in such a, manner as to prevent a recurrence of tuo offence.