LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 28, 18 September 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The local committee in charge of the T:i\ lor Memorial Fund will moot at the Borough Council Chambers at o o’clock this evening. The '.Villesdcu District Council has

scheduled the business of fish, frying as an ‘‘offensive trader’ within the mo.yiing of the Public Health Act.

In London to-day there aic Id,!);) 1 .) fewer paupers than there were .1 y-mr ago, as a consequence of whan at least one big workhouse s to he let or s )ld.

“The waste of public money which you are causing is simply scandalous,’’ said Mr. Justice Edwards ac the Auckland Supreme Court to counsel engaged for the defence in a case, during the hearing of which lie frequently rebuked counsel for repeating his questions. Later in the. case his Honour remarked: “You have

already asked the question, and 1 won’t allow any question to lie asked more than half-a-dozen times.” At Xew Plymouth yesterday the death occurred of Mr. William Henry George, eldest son of the late Mr. William George. Deceased, at the time of his death', was 78 j bars of ago, and came to Xew Plymouth with Ids parents when quite a .lad. William Henry was one of a largo family of hoys and girls, and was a well-known figure in Taranaki, particularly in connection with racing, having been in close attendance on his brother Gervais almost ever since the latter took to the turf.

At the meeting of the general committee of the A. and P. Association on Saturday the following new members were elected :—Messrs. F. Hatcher (Stratford), proposed by Mr. Dingle; W. H. Rudkin (Tariki), R. J. Hancock (Tariki), K. Matheson (Tariki), proposed by Mr. Harkness; A. \V. Gilchrist (Stratford), C. A. Hamerton (Inglewood), proposed by Mr. Dobson; A. C. Sykes (New Plymouth!, E. E. Kellihor (Toko Road), proposed by Mr. E. Jackson; AY. McCracken (Pembroke Road), proposed by Mr. Webb; \A r . J. Morrison (Xgairc), proposed by Mr. Healy; N. Brown (Ngaire), ‘Wilson (Stratford), J. Weston (Monmouth Road), proposed by Mr. Porritt.

Under an agreement arrived at between Mr. Oswald Stoll and Mr. Walter CJihhons, it is probable that twen-ty-nine music halls in Great Britain and Ireland will shortly ’ come under one management and ownership, the total value being £2,000,000. With the exception of five they are all in and around London. It is believed that the combine will put a stop to the cut-throat competition which has been going on for some time between existing halls. Mr. Stoll will be chairman, and Mr. Gibbons managing director of the combine, which will build three or four new halls in London.

When a New Zealand fireman was brought before a Magistrate at London recently, charged with assault and with destroying the teetli of another mariner, he boldly pleaded justification. “If there is any chivalry in England still,” he said, “I say I had sufficient provocation to justify me in hitting ttio man. I am a New Zealander, and out there when a lady is struck, any man will interfere on her behalf, lie made a rush at the woman, and I smacked him, but he would not have fallen only he is bad on his legs.” The plea was effective. Prisoner was discharged, despite the prosecutor’s exhibition of the damaged teeth. From all quarters of the United States, hoboes, the professional unemployed of this country, _ are stealing rides on freight cars in order' fb reach ’ Washington for the great convention, which they are going to hold there next month (says a cable message from Washington to the Australian papers). Prominent among the tramps is 'James Howe, of St. Louis, commonly known as the “millionaire holm.” Howe, who is a sort of advance agent for the great brotherhood of loafers, has informed the Chicago police that from 6000 to 10,000 of the fraternity will descend on’ the capital for the coming convention. One of the Washington papers remarks that in any_ other country the delegates would be rounded up and set to work on a rock pile. Whether it is a sign of popularity or not is a matter for conjecture, but the present King aud the Royal Family have been positively persecuted by pnotographers (writes bur London correspondent). Though for the last fifteen months they have been continually in the public gaze, there is no abatement of the nuisance. Whenever they go they are simply surrbnnded by camera fio'nds.' Even on fcho Royal' yacht at Cannes, whither they have gone as a sort of relaxation from the long round of ceremonies, they are not secure. Launches with cameras hover about continuously. L has boon given out unofficially that the King regards this continual prying as misconduct, but it still continues. Recently some enterprising photographers endeavoured to “get” the King and the Prince of Wales uliile bathing.

Strong exception is taken in Hastings to the disfigurement of various buildings by means of glaring advertisements displayed on them. A correspondent of a Napier paper refers to the subject, and states that two men, hailing, he understands, from Wellington, are travelling round the Dominion offering to paint, the names of firms on the railings and hoardings along the main road. ( Having secured clients they then set to work, and without asking anyone’s permission, paint names and various signs galore. One road near Hastings that was once a beauty spot lias been made a horror. It is suggested that a by-law ho passed by the County Council, making such outrages impossible. just as the Government makes illegal the posting of bills on telegraph poles. The correspondent adds that the Palmerston Council suffered at the hands of these same two “birds of passage,” some time igo, hut forthwith took such measures as checked the practice in fat are. /

An interesting solution of the Sunday labour question in dairying districts was offered at the meeting of Christchurch Presbytery on Tuesday last. The Rev. G. B. inglis, of Ashburton, said that a farmer had re marked to him that where 70 cow? wore milked and the product was £7OO profit in a year, that meant that £IOO was made on Sundays. The farmer suggested that the money rereived for that lOOlbs of buttei should be spent on an engine and sop uator plant, and that there would then be no need to go near the dain factory on Sundays, so that the daily farmer and his family and employees ■anld get to church. The use of Sunlay labour would thus lie minimised. \!r. inglis added that there was nr, 1 )t]Pt that the present system of Sunday labour in dairying districts was materialising the people. He was appointed to draw up a report oa the general question of Sabbath desecration for presentation to next meeting.

A well-known Xew Plymouth resident lias just come into a fairly substantial legacy, says the “Xews.” Owing to counter attractions, tho 1 crosiers* fortnightly assembly will ! ■ held on Thursday of this week, instead of Wednesday. Mr. Newton King has received the i.Mowing cable from his Sydney agwus, re hides:—“Weaker.” At too .Magistrate’s Court this morning James Bowen was fined ss, ia default 24 hours’ imprisonment, for drunkenness. Air. J. Lcydon, J.P., occupied the bench. All those taking part in “Trial by Jury” are reminded of the rehearsal to lio held in tho Town Hall to-night at 7.30. As there is only one more rehearsal after to-night, ‘it is absolutely essential that everyone taking part should he present. Ike story about the man whoso life was saved by tho Bible in his pocket stopping, the ballot which would otherwise have reached his heart is told about every battle that has been fought since the invention of gunpowder. Truth is, at all events, a.s strange as fiction, as an incident at the Melbourne Royal Show last week proved. A visitor got too close to a frisky draught stallion weighing about half a ton. The horse kicked at the visitor, one of his hoofs, as hirgo as a soup plate striking the man’s thigh. Everybody in the vicinity expected to sec the man fall 'with a broken leg. He did nothing cf tiie sort, but drew a thick show catalogue from his pocket. Turning to ids admiring friends, he said, “Good job it wasn’t the" other leg.,, An orchestral society consisting solely of medical men has been founded in Berlin, sixty physicians and surgeons being present at the first meeting of the society. It has been decided that wives and daughters of medical men should also be admitted to membership, and it is hoped to have all the instruments played by amateur performers sufficiently accomplished as to make , tho engaging of professional musicians unnecessary. Dr. Poliak, an ophthalmic surgeon, and able musician, is to act as conductor, and Dr. Joachim, editor of the “Berliner Aertze Cprrespondenz,” will he general manager. Concerts arc to he given by the, society for the benefit of medical benevolent funds. A similar society already exists in Paris.

From observations made by farinors who have suffered lately from great mortality among their sheep, it appears that crows are responsible for a groat proportion of the loss (says a Sydney correspondent). The birds fly on to the backs of the sheep, then flap their wings until the poor, nonplussed animal begins to circle round, becomes exhausted, and falls to the ground. Then the crows set to work and pick the eyes out of tho sheep, which dies before long. Tho change in tho habits of the kea, a small. New Zealand parrot, is frequently quoted as an instance of adaptability to new conditions. Before the sheep came to Now Zealand the kea was a vegetarian, but he soon acquired a liking for the kidney fat of sheep, and became notorious for tho boldness of his attacks' upon them.

t A strange story comes from St. Glair, says the “Otago Daily Times.” Mr. F. R. Wheeley, tho proprietor of a number of bathing boxes recently erected St. Clair beach, states that on Friday afternoon he was warned by a youth, whom he did not know, that an attempt was to bo made to burn down these sheds. Mr. Wheeley at once informed Constable Marshall, in charge of tho St; Clair station, of what ixe had heard, and y.UWenfihg came on the two ensconced themselves in the bathing shetj's. About one o’clock on Saturday morning Mr. Wheeley caught sight of two men near the footpath abutting on the beach, and, leaving the constable to watch the sheds, he made a detour, and was brought to a standstill by hearing scraps of conversation between two men. One was making a statement that “He didn’t think the sheds would burn, anyhow,” hut was assured by the other that with the aid of a bottle of kerosene he had with him a blaze would soon be started, and they could then easily get away. To tiiis the first speaker replied that “ho didn’t, know; it was a pretty big risk to run a chance of' getting five years in gaol for a £5 note.” Mr. Wheeley then crept away, and reported what he had heard to Constable Marshall. It was .thereupon decided that tllio constable should keep on the edge of the beach and Mr. Wheeley go along the edge of the sandhills' The latter gentleman eventually stumbled right on the two mon, and gave chase. He says he struck one on the back of the neck, but that the two then turned and knocked him down and got away. Mr. Wheeley asserts that he distinctly saw a bottle—presumably of kerosene—in one of his assailants’ pockets. A watch was also kept by Mr. Wheeley and Constable' Marshall on Saturday and Sunday nights, but nothing unusual occurred.