LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 38, 9 February 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

“If it had not been for frozen meat London would have starved during the strike,” said Mr. Shelton, representative of the New Zealand Produce Association. “There was a quantity of frozen meat in tne stores, and it was taken out and distributed under great difficulties. I saw the chaos that reigned in the distributing trades, and it was surprising that they managed to get the food out at all. The railways wore stuck up and could not bring any meat from Scotland or Ireland, the usual sources of supply.”

A sensational railway episode occurred between Perth and Fremantle a few days ago. While a train was running at the rate of twenty miles an hour, the child of Mrs Duval, who was sitting at an open window, sprang nut of her arms and tumbled out. 'I he. distressed mother could not signal the guard to stop the train, but when it readied Subiaco a search party went back. The child, which was only two years old, was found uninjured, playing between the rails.

At a meeting of the vestry of St. Mary’s Church, Hawera, on Monday evening, an offer was received from a parishioner off the 1 gift of a pipe organ. The very generous donation was gratefully accepted on behalf of. the congregation, and a moton of thanks passed. A committee of the vestry, associated: with which are to be several members' of the congregation having special musical .knowledge, was appointed to, _ make arrangements for getting an instrument at as early a date as possible.—“Hawera Star.”

A little oven !a. fortnight ago a young man was lined 10s and costs for riding a bicycle without a light (says the Ashburton “Guardian”). Instead of facing the music and paying the line, he flouted the magisterial nut'll-, ority ' and openly boasted that ho would not nay it. 'The police, after allowing a reasonable amount of latitude, obtained a warrant for committal, and then one of the suavest representatives of the local force quietly requested payment of the fine., A stern negative was the only answer. Further time was given, with no better result, and the constable, finding that; his threats were not being taken •seriously, executed the warrants and marched the breaker of by-laws off to the lock-up. After the man had been incarcerated for an hour his employer came along and paid the fine, which by that time, with expenses, amounted to 235.

Experience made the British authorities decide on khaki a's the best and most serviceable uniform for an army, and other nations have followed suit. But all, it seems, are not agreed on that score. A small commission of Frenchmen is at present occupied in making a selection of style for the French Army, and it is not likely that khaki will bo chosen. The French'military painter, M. Dotaille, favours the retention of the old familiar blue and red of the Republican Army. Invisibility, according to him, may be purchased at too dear a cost. He says that in Morocco it resulted in one French regiment being nearly decimated by the lire of another French regiment. For prominence, however, the old scarlet of the British soldier would have been hard to beat.

The managing director of the Auckland Tramway Company Mr. Tegctmeior) stated at a luncheon in Auckland last week that in 1902 the company started its operations with 45 cars and a 900-kilowatt plant. It was considered at that time that this was an extravagant estimate of the requirements of the city, which had a population of 70,000. lint to-day they had a 6000-kilowatt plant and 136 cars. Five years ago they carried 22.000. passengers, last year 33.000. In 1907 they paid £9OO a week in wages, to-day they paid £2OOO a week to 650 meji. He did not think that any place could claim to have progressed in the last ten years as Auckland had, and trusted that in the future the Tramway Company would never he accused of being dilatory in the interests of Auckland. Mr. 'l'. Mackenzie, Minister of Agriculture, has long felt that the Californian thistle, from being a cause of I loss to the farmer, might under certain conditions ho turned to prolit. hast year he visited a district where the weed had really got beyond control. In consequence, he sent one of the Department’s field instructors to the district to conduct demonstrations for utilising the thistle in ensilage making. The director of the division, after inspecting, reported that the weed that season was rather far advanced for treatment. Instructions were then given to have the matter dealt with early this year. This has now been done. Mr. Mackenzie received reports in connection therewith'. These show that some large stacks have been built. One recently completed was 35ft by 25ft, with a height of some lift, it is estimated to contain about 250 tons of ensilage, and its value for feed purposes is computed at 10s per ton. This particular stack consists of alternative layers of thistle, green oats and green wheat, with a sprinkling of agricultural salt to every second layer of fodder, about 5 cwt. being used. The experience of farmers is that stock will cat this ensilage before any other feed that rt nflered them. It is Mr. Mackenzie’s desire to have made as widely known as possible the fact that the'services ol an expert from the Department are available to instruct farmers in the making of ensilage. [

Ernest Vernon Sweet, storeman, 30, years of age, single, was drowned at Gisborne yesterday afternoon. Deceas-

ed was bathing * off the Waikanao beach, and, if being low tide, got out beyond the breakers, when tho strong undertow carried him out of his depth. A boy named Douglas Menr.ics, noticing bis predicament, swam cut and got held of Sweet, but owing to tho heavy sea, when_bringing him in, ho had to leave go, and Sweet disaopeared and was never seen again. The body has not been recovered. Edison claims to have invented a storage battery for use in submarine boats which will enable crows to live beneath the water one thousand days. The largest percentage of deaths in submarines is attributed to the crow breathing exhaled carbonic acid gas, so Edison uses a potash solution in the new submarine battery, which, it is stated, will absorb carbonic acid gas, thereby purifying the atmosphere. It will be necessary, of course, for submarines to supply themselves with fresh v oxygen, but this may be accomplished, it is claimed, by carrying compressed oxygen in tubes.

The Western Australian Premier (Mr. Scadan), who left Sydney on his homeward journey last week, has been making enquiries with regard to the working of the State brickworks, _ and says that he is thinking very seriously' of establichisg Government brickworks in Western Australia. There were a lot of public works in hand in bis State, and he had come to the conclusion, ho said, that the brickmakers were getting rich too quickly. If they started the works it would be primarily to supply Government reouirements; but it was not at all unlikely that they would go further and supply the public, too.

Myriads of mosquitoes have descended on North Brighton, one of the scaSkle resorts of Christchurch. Never before has the pest appeared there in such numbers and with such a whole-souled lust for human blood. The cause of the plague is the unduly long spell of wet, muggy weather experienced this year, the mosquitoes breeding in the surrounding marshes. 'They are abnormally ferocious this year, and will attack with impunity both night and day, despite all preventive measures. Some week-end cottages have I>ecomo quite uninhabitable owing to the plague of mosquitoes, and the inhabitants have been compelled to give up possession to the enemy.

M. Marcel Manvais,, of Chaux do Fomls, Switzerland, believes in wasting time to 1)0 happy. His one hobby, 1 re/says, is to waste time. In 1910 he wrote’ 23,154 words on a postcard, but was not satisfied. So in 1911 lie spent exactly 300 hours in copying on an oidinary postcard the story of the “Thousand and One Nights,” a bagatelle of seventy-four printed 'pages, comprising 125,000 words. He has asked for a reproduction of his work, but publishers in Paris, London* and Berlin have refused to undertake it, so ho has decided to reproduce it by photography. M. Mauvais is a well-to-do Swiss, and merely wishes to prove that, time does not mean money, but pleasure. ? ; . .

Owing to the great rise in the place ■ ■ of all food commodities in the United • States, . some traders attempted to ; put the blame on the cold stores,‘and’ instituted a ■ campaign against all stored go'ods. As a sort of set-off the'V National Egg; Butter, and Poultry' Association lately field ;a Convention 1 in Chicago, and invited thC' aUti-cold' ’ ,store people to a luncheon. At the close the vice-president said: “The chickens and turkeys ypu have eaten expired over eleven-months ago. The capon received its summons to the unknown before last Valentine Day, and the eggs in your salad were clucked over by some happy hen about last Easter’ time. Including the ; pigars,,*/; every item on the menu was from the.; r refrigerating rooms of , Chicago. Those present voted the, feast a splen-p, did one.. .... ■.. . ./id-[/.ib

The Swiss Federal Government has decided to protect the few remaining eagles left in the Alps. It seems that there are only four nesting-places c,f the eagle still known to exist in the Aims, and watchers have been told off to "guard over them and to repay the peasants in the valleys to which they haunt any damage they do. The work has already been taken in hand. Last year the eagles made off with 'fourteen lambs, four kids, and one cat, which were duly paid for. They cost the Government in this way 113 francs. In the valley of Oberiborgthe peasants have tried the experiment of putting scarlet collars round the necks of the newly-born lambs in order to frighten the eagles. The Government : s "apparently willing to provide the collars, and the experiment has been successful. But the eagles must live on something, and they will no doubt in time learn that the collars arc not so alarming after all. Messrs. John Fuller and Sons brought into operation at Wanganui on Wednesday evening a novelty in. the shape of a ticket-issuing machine, which is decidedly unique' and at the same time a great labour-saver. The machine was placed in a box located in front of the Opera House. As each shilling or sixpence was tendered, an attendant pulled a lever, which released either a brass or aluminium disc. Wire netting was placed between the ticket buyer and the seller, and as the disc fell on the buyer's side, there was absolutely no communica-. tion between the parties. The machine automatically records the of discs sold, so that the manager, without inspecting the “house,” could tell at a glance how many patrons were accommodated. The machine will tend to prevent overcrowding, as the discs put in will only equal the number of available seats.' It is claimed for the ticket-issuing machine, which is of English manufacture, that it will do thc'work of three men, besides ensuring absolute efficiency. ■

Among the French middle and working classes marriage without a dowry is the exception rather than the rule, and if a girl has no dowry she cannot reasonably expect that her young man will put himself to the trouble, of marrying her. He is not going to throw himself away for nothing. As evidence of the hold which this sentiment has upon the French people, the case of Heloise Dupuy may bp cited. Heloise was up before the" Magistrate last month for a little burglary that was obviously the result of much premeditation. As chambermaid in the house of her mistress she had access to the keys of_ the household, and she spent a diligent week or so in taking impressions of the keys in wax. Having had duplicates made for herself, she went through the house conscientiously, and succeeded in lifting from a private desk bank notes to the amount of £l2O. A day or so later she was married, and went off on her honeymoon ; but the theft having been discovered. she was arrested on her return. Before tjie Magistrate, Heloise male a full confession. She said that

her young man would not marry her without a dowry, and as the alterna-

was too awful to contemplate,

r.lio had stolon tho notes for her marriage portion,.in defence of her honour. And a sympathetic jury, after cautioning her not to do it again, acquitted her. i ’ ■

One' old-age pension was granted this morning.

It is notified in this issue that a meeting of ratepayers to consider the electric lighting loan proposal wilt he held in the Town Hall on February 14th.

Mr. J. lledmon'd makes a practice of being within the precincts of the House of Commons from the moment that the Speaker takes the chair until the proceedings terminate at night. He and Mr. Keir Hardie probably spend more time_ at St. btephen s than any other pair of legislators. The last meeting of the present Licensing Committee will be held on March Ist., at noon, when two applications for permanent transfers will be heard. The election of the new committee will be held on Tuesday, 12th March, nominations of candidates closing on March 2nd. Sir Joshua Williams and Mr. Justice Chapman have been appointed to hear a petition against the return of Richard McCallum as M.P., for Wairau. The hearing will take place at Blenheim on March 18. The petitioners have retained Mr. M. Myers, of Wellington, while Mr. C. P. Skerrett, K.C., has been briefed by the respondent.

A special Court, consisting of Messrs. Barton, McCarthy, and flyer, Magistrates, at Gisborne, Napier, and Rotorua respectively, is sitting at Port Awanui to investigate the allegation of a petition protesting against 1 the Hor out a Maori licensing poll. Legal points are reserved, and the Court is now hearing evidence as to the alleged irregularities in connection with the initiatory proceedings to have, the poll taken.

Plaintiffs were given judgment by default in the’ following civil actions heard before Mr. W. G. K. Kenrick, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court tins morning;—McCluggage Bros. v. C. A. Wilson, claim for £27 3s sd, and costs £4 10s: J. R. Parkinson (Mr. Stanford) v. G. Allen, £52 8s 3d, costs £3' 16s; F. Rhodes (Mr. Stanford) v. C. R. Neale, £l2 13s 7d, and costs £1 10s 6d ; same v. F. Cowell, £2 11s 6d, and costs 11s.

In the opinion of a Commonwealth Senator who has just completed a tour of Europe,, the prevailing impression on the Continent is that war between Britain and Germany cannot be put off for more than two years. He is firmly convinced that compulsory military service is necessary for Britain’s Safety. More ships must be built, regardless of the cost, and some system of universal military training must bo introduced into Great Britain.

Collective housekeeping is now coming into vogue in England. One instance is given in which the dwelling houses contain all improvements except a kitchen. Meals for everybody are cooked at a central hall, and may either be eatem-there or sent home. A four-course dinner costs only one shilling and sixpence. Servants are supplied, when needed, from the central hall at a cost of about five pence .an hour., . , ..

The Dawson Falls Mountain House seems to grow in popularity, and the visitors who spent last week* end there were very many. The season this year is later than usual, and the probabilities iare that, the fine weather, will extend later into the autumn than dn previous .years. Therefore, from now forward'will i bp a good time to make. tlie| .ascent, ; ,qr to spend a few days at the Mountain House. Mr. H. Graham is manager of the Dawson Falls Mountain House, and visitors may safely rely on obtaining the best attention .at, his hands. i-. Largo numbers of residents have already taken occasion to visit the display of pictures by Mr. J. D. Perrett, now on view in Mr. Newton King’s Mart.- "This evening at 7.30 o’clock pictures 'will 1 be on view-to enable those to be present who cannot afford time in the daytime to visit the display. An auction sale of the picture® will-.'be held at 2.30 o’clock tomorrow j and art lovers should not miss this opportunity of securing firstclass pictures.

Mr. Thomson, appealing in a judgment summons case in the Alagistraitejs Court this morning, had rather unusual grounds on which to ask for ah adjournment of his case. He stated on behalf of the judgment debtor that some payments had been made on account. Then he proceeded to explain that lie had received a telegram from the judgment creditor instructing him to appear* on his behalf. Mr. Kenrick, S.M., remarked that it seemed rather awkward for a solicitor- to apply for an order and then oppose it. He wished it understood that he did not grant adjournments in judgment summons cases merely because something had been paid on account, but under these special circumstances granted the solicitor’s application. Mr. Fraser, S.M., gave his decision at Auckland yesterday in the case of the Inspector of . Factories v. Mrs. Scherf, proprietress of Glenalvon boardinghouse, who was charged that she" failed to keep the time and wages hook required by the Shops and Offices Act. The judgment is important as affecting first-class boardinghouses. The Magistrate said an offence could not ho said to have been committed. The defendant provided meals for several of the public. If /the Legislature intended to bring all hoarding establishments within the scope of the Shops Act, some more general application, that of a. private hotel or boardinghouse, for instance, would, in his opinion, have been chosen. The general purpose of the Act was tlie regulation of shops. He held that a boardinghouse such as Glenalvon was not a private hotel within the meaning of section 2 of the Act, and dismissed the information.