LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 9, 21 December 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

TJio formal declaration of the recent licensing poll in the Stratford district appears in this issue. Owing to the highly unpropritious condition of the elements to-day it was reluctantly decided to abandon the programme drawn up to be carried out to servo as the opening of the swimming season.

At the meeting of the Stratford County Council yesterday, the Chairman referred to a matter which is of vital importance to some of the Taranaki ridings. Under the system of voting grants to public bodies as at present adopted, the local bodies have to pay the cost of administration. Sir •). Carroll told a deputation from the Counties’ Conference that he (personally) favoured refunding this

union lit. In the case of the Stratford County, one riding alone would have to pay £-100 out of its total revenue of £I2OO, produced by a 3d rate, which really meant that another penny rate would have to he struck to make the Covernment grants available. The matter was left in the hands of the Chairman to write to the Government on the question.

According to present indications the prospects of a settlement of the dispute between the Auckland Tramways Company and its employees are hy no means bright. Yesterday, at a conference, the company offered additional concessions, involving the swelling of the wages sheet hy over £I2OO. making the total concessions conceded by the company over £IO,OOO, but this offer, like the former one, was not accepted. The company’s amended proposals, however, will he placed before a mooting of the union, and, if rejected, it is probable the men will go on strike at midnight on Friday.

Balmoral station, in Amur! County Canterbury, containing -15.000 acres

sub-divided into fifteen blocks, was offered at auction yesterday. Keen interest was shown in the sale, which was attended by nearly 300 people. The bidding for the larger blocks was very satisfactory, and a complete clearance was effected at good prices. The dcpiand for the farms was rot unite so good in some few cases, hut few lots were passed in, and will probably he disposed of in the near future. The total amount realised was £1 10,220, and the prices ranged from •‘ills per acre to £l2 per aero. The larger areas realised tom £2 5s to £1 7: Gd per acre.

William Grifiin, aged !G, shot himdf in the adbomen, at Pahiatua. Ho ad been in ill-health and unable to it or sleep. His condition is seri-

As the outcome of shareholders’ dissatisfaction the board of directors !' the Wanganui Freezing Company aeently resigned. All, with two exceptions, again offered their services. 1 lie election yesterday resulted in the return of the old board, with the addition of Messrs C. L. Duigan and 11. K. Beckett. Frank Holder, formerly the licensee • f the Provincial Hotel, was, at Napier yesterday, committed for trial on ■barges of being concerned in the alleged robbery of £35 from a man named diaries Lawrence. Holder appeared on summons. Bail was allowed in £IOO and two sureties of £SO each,, which was immediately forthcoming. The man named James Cotton, aged about 45, who died suddenly at Dunsuidcl (Canterbury), on " Tuesday, came from Christchurch that morning by the train. "With others he got Jf and went to sleep on a coal platform. An hour later he was found to be dead. At the inquest a verdict hat death was due to heart trouble, iccentuated by alcoholic poisoning was returned. The ratepayers of Gisborne yesterday sanctioned the raising of an additional loan of £58,000 for Gisborne, mainly for the reinstatement of head works or a reservoir to insure an adequate water supply, for which work £15,750 was authorised. Similar sums are required for the completion of the drainage and quarry tramline, also amounts for a bridge across the Waimata at Ormond road, and £25,000 for the acquirement of a new cemetery site. All the proposals were carried by a sweeping majority. At the second annual show of the New Zealand Sweet Pea Society, at Palmerston North, in which there were exhibitors from all parts of Wellington, Manawatu, Taranaki, and Auckland provinces, Mrs Reader, a well-known member of the Stratford Horticultural Society, succeeded in semiring first prize for a bunch of white blooms. The only other Taranaki orize winner was Mr C. Goodson, of Hawera, who obtained third place in the championship class, for twelve bunches, and third in the amateur class, for twelve bunches. The secretary of the Society is Mr E. A. Osmond, of Stratford. The "Widows’ Pensions Act, 1911, comes into operation on January 1 next. Application forms for the pension are now obtainable on personal application to the various registrars of old age pensions throughout the Dominion. The qualifications are that the applicant must be a British subject resident in New Zealand for six months proceeding the date of application, and she must have at least one child under 14 years dependent upon her, of whom she is the parent. The rates of pension are: One child, £l2 per annum; two, £18; three, £24; more than three, £3O. These rates are subject to reduction on account of annual income, which dees not in'•■lude wages and other personal earnings loss than £IOO, including the pension.

The Hamilton correspondent of the Auckland “Star” telegraphed on Monday:—“Granville Hunt, who has been

wanted for a couple of years in connection with some charges of fraud in Wellington, has been arrested in the vicinity of Kihikihi, where he has been working as manager of a store. When a constable went to arrest him previously he made an excuse of changing his clothes, and escaped out of a back window, sei/.ed a horse, and had been at large riding about the country for a week. Shortly after his arrest to-day, while he was being brought into Kihikihi, he jumped into the river, his object being to escape or to commit suicide, but Constable Ryan jumped in after him and secured Ins man, and brought him to land.”

James Scott Lennox, a sharebroker, about 34 years of age, was arrested at Auckland at about 3 p.m. on Monday on a charge “that, 'being a person adjudicated bankrupt at Auckland on August 9th, 1911. he has, by rash and hazardous spoliation, brought about his bankruptcy.” The warrant was issued on information laid by the Official Assignee (Mr W. S. Fisher), under section 138 of the Bankruptcy Act, and Lennox was taken into custody. He was afterwards brought l>efore Mr E. C. Cutten, S.M., and charged with the offence. A remand was granted, bail being allowed. " When the case comes before the Court again on December 27. th another remand will bo applied for, as the investigations into Lennox’s books, which have been proceeding since August last, have still to be completed.

At a recent meeting of the lady members of the Canterbury branch of the Navy League initial steps were taken to hold a combined fair and exhibition next November for the purpose of raising funds for the establishment on the river Avon of a barge, on board of which preliminary sea training could bo given to lads who have an idea of going to sea. Estimates showed that £IOOO would bo necessary to keep the Institution going for live years, and it is intended to attempt to raise this sum by means of a naval fair and exhibition. A number of those present undertook to guarantee £lO each towards the goods for the stalls. At the same meeting the members, standing, carried a motion expressing condolence with the relatives of the brave French and English sailors who lost their lives and acted bravely in rescuing nassengers from the steamer Delhi. The president (Professor Blunt) stated that he would see the resolution was conveyed through the proper channel.

Of the Maori M.P.’s recently elected Dr. Maui Bom are was horn at Pahou, under the shadow of Mount Egmont, and is in his thirthy-fifth year. Ho was educated at the Boys’ High School, Christchurch, and afterwards at the Maori College at Te Ante, Hawke’s Bay. He then went to America, and studied medicine, taking his M.D, degree at the Chicago University. While a student, he went on a trip to England as medical officer in a yacht owned by the millionaire philanthropist Peabody. Ho 'was appointed a health officer to the Maoris 1 by flic New Zealand Government in 1901, and was surgeon-captain to the To Ore Ore Mounted Rifles. Ho married a daughter of Mr Woodbine Tolmston, a Poverty Bay runholder, ind has resided for some time at Lows’ Hutt. Mr Parata is a son of Mr T. Parata, who for twenty-six years

t in the House of Representatives as member for the Southern Maori district. He is connected with three d the principal South Island tribes, ind is a direct descendant of the famms navigator Tamatea. who was the ■hief who directed the Takitimu canoe fo the shores of New Zealand. He was born at Waikouaiti. Of recent voars he has been in business in Wellington as a land and estate agent, uni native agent. He is a very keen

Owners and trainers are reminded that acceptances for the first day’s events at the Stratford Racing Club’s January meeting and entries for the Borough Stakes, Farmers Plato, and the Cardiff Stakes, close on Friday, at 9 p.m., with the acting-secretary, Mr George Hunter, at Stratford.

On Tuesday evening the last winter concert took place at the Stratford Hospital, every item being highly appreciated by the patients and stall'. Those taking part were M sses Evans and 13. O’Leary, Mrs. Johnston, Mrs. lleunell, Messrs. Twohill, E. C. Robinson, and Mr. Litchtwark (violin and mandoline).

At the meeting of the Education Board yesterday the refusal of the Mangahume Sciiool Committee to allow the use of the schoolroom to the Hon. T. Mackenzie for the purpose or giving a political address_ during the recent campaign for the Egmont seat was discussed. The matter was introduced by a letter- from Mr W. i’. Coombridge, chairman of the committee, in which he stated that at a meeting of the 12th inst., the committee discussed the undeserved criticism contained in a South Taranaki paper of November 27, a copy of which he forwarded. The committee then unanimously and unreservedly confirmed the action taken by the chairman. After discussion it was_ resolved, on the motion of Messrs Kennedy and the Chairman, that the action of the committee in refusing to allow the Hon. T. Mackenzie, a Parliamentary candidate for the Egmont electoral district, to use the Mangahume school for an election address during, school hours be approved.