LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 40, 12 February 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wellington merchants deny the existence of a hotter ring. The representative of one firm expressed tho doiniou that there was no .business in Ntw Zealand more difficult to corner that the dairy business.

A soft job was recently advertised the columns of the “Philadelphia Bccord.” The advertisement rend: “.Man wanted to do nothing; experience unnecessary.” Unfortunately the name of tho advertiser was not given.

Farmers and fruitgrowers in Canterbury are loudly complaining of the operations of tariffs and regulations between the Dominion and Australia, saying that the disabilities on both sides arc sadly restricting trade, and causing! a great deal of irritation. Tho “Otago Daily Times” states that of tho twenty-two candidates who gained (500 or more marks in the. recent examination for Junior National and Education Board junior scholarships, Otago claims 7, Wellington- 5 Auckland and Taranaki 4 each, and Nelson and Hawke’s Bay 1 each. Tho settlors in the Gatlins district are becoming alarmed at the spread ol noxious weeds, and they want the law enforced. The appearance of the blackberry has .given them a fright The, Hon. Thomas Mackenzie has promised a deputation to accede to their request. Ho believed that tho Tahakopa district could he saved without inflicting too much hardship. A meeting of clergymen was held in Timaru last week to consider the arrangements for the Bible classes in the town schools. A syllabus of lessons from the Gospel of Luke was submitted and approved for Hie year. Tar cuts desiring their children to attend these classes wore asked to co-operate iW fa securing regie lar attendance.

A man, aged about 35,..giving his name as Edward Saunders, was arrested at the Hawera racecourse on Wednesday on a charge of picking pockets Accused was brought before Air. Kenr ek, S.M., and at the request of tho police was remanded for one week. Accused was unable to find bail, and was taken to New Plymouth. He says ho is a dentist, residing in Wellington. The police are making enquiries about him.—“Ha wera .Star.”

As one way of overcoming the shortage of harvest labour (says the Oamani “iMail”), the suggestion lias been made that townsmen should close down lor a week in order to assist in gathering in the crops. By doing ,so thc\ are assured a respite front the carking worries of business existence and an experience of country life, made exhilarating. In snipe of the States of America during the run of the com mou reaper it was the practice of townspeople to nss : st their countrymen in the manner indicated.

The stupidity of some people. is 'such that they should never be allowed to travel without a guardian, says the “Taranaki Herald.” When the special train was approaching the platform at the Hawera racecourse on Wednesday last a number of men and women would persist in crossing and re-crossing the lines, despite the warnings which were issuing from the engine. One woman was foolish enough to cross the line a few yards in front of the moving train, and a youngster was following her, when another woman, apparently the mother, attempted to snatch the child back again; but in her anxiety she fell full length across the rails. Looking from a distance a serious accident seemed inevitable. .but fortunately the woman was dragged up on to the platform just, in time. ,

The "Mayor of Christchurch has received an illustrated booklet, giving views of the principal buildings in a town named Moose .law, situated in Saskatchewan, Canada. The town has only lived for about ton years, but it has an estimated population-of 17,000, and hmists of quite an astonishing array of h(io buildings. The booklet is sent by a lady resident of the town, wijio states that her husband and family have an idea of coming out to New Zealand to settle. “In your opinion, she asks, “would a man of average intelligence, and with about 3000 dollars above trausportat on charges, be safe in going to New Zealand f” The present fruit .season :n the Auckland district is proving a very favourable one. The crop generally is plentiful, and the quality _ is on the whole very good. There is a heavy crop of most stone fruits, and good supplies of upples. 'The apricot crop at the Thames is said to he a record one, and one grower has received a cheque for £2lO for less than three weeks’ supplies. Good prices have been realised for tins fruit, the average being about -Id per lb. One cffo ,,T '- of the present plentiful supply of nearly every variety of fruit in Auckland has been the falling off of the importation of fruit from New South Wales. This trade has been declining for some years, and during the present season the consignments have dwindled away to almost nothing. “The Tourist Department reports,” says the “Otago Daily Times,” “that i largo number of visitors from America and Australia have been arriving in Dunedin during the past few days, nearly all of whom have since gone south with the intention of doing the overland journey to Milford Sound, the fame of the scenery to be seen on this journey having evidently spread far afield. In addition to those who intend to walk to Milford and hack, several ladies and gentlemen left on Sunday by the Manuka, which is to call in at the famous sound, and will there disembark and walk back. Two •ther steamers will also later on take round passengers who wish to walk the track only one way, and land them at Milford. The Department states that there appears to be a _ greater number of overseas tourists in Dunedin just now than at the corresponding date last year, and that the beautiful weather which has lieen experienced between Te Anau and Milford for some time is greatly adding to the pleasure of those who are making the crip.”

The success of the all-steel and concrete railway carriages used on the Pennsylvania Railroad ought to convince railway managers of the wisdom of substituting them for the wooden ears, which in time of collision too often telescope and afterwards catch tire causing heavy loss of life. Inertia and false ideas of economy are responsible for keeping wooden cars on many tracks, in spite of the fact that the practicability of using only metal cars, nncollapsible and unburnable, has been fully demonstrated. Thus, at Monmouth Junction, N.J., the other day, a train jumped the track while running at the rate of 50 miles an hour, and, instead of the usual spectacle of wreckage and loss of life, not a single passenger was even badly shaken up. these steel-Concrete cars stood evCry test perfectly, the rails yielding first to the enormous pressure, and hoim* twisted apart, while the coaches stood firm.'Steel coaches certainly cost;■ more than wooden ones, but .think of tbO; additional safety to those who ; travel.,; > i • , ''' >

Auriferous quartz reefs are discovered in curious ways,'often by the Unrooting .of trees during storms. "’ ,ln 1 Colorado a very rich reef was the outcome of ,a rat chase. In Ballarat, a few years ago, a reef was disclosed during the digging of a grave, and most of the cemetery was pegged out a day or two afterwards. During the boom in the Hauraki mining district, fourteen or fifteen years ago, one of a party of young men who were - out pigeon-shooting, stumbled and fell over an outcrop of quartz; they peg-'' gvd off the ground, and in a- few clays sold put their “prospect” for £SOO a, v man. A similar discovery is now re-p ported from Gordon, near Ballarat, in the State of Victoria. It appears that PV Murphy and R. F. Nickels, while ; , crossing 'the Extended Hill paddock, , stumbled upon a small round hole in . the ground. A shaft was sunk ten feet, and a reef was cut.showing gold in the stone, dish prospects showing nice gold. The reef,has already been tested on the surface, and proved to bo gold-bearing for a .length of over 150 ft. Messrs. Murphy .and Nickels at once applied for a lease pf 80 acres. The Congregational'Conference continued its sittings at Palmerston on Friday. Mr. Sargenson read a paper on the attitude of the Church to the .rich, in which he held '-Jhat' riches pvere not, as, some seemed ,diposed to hold, necessarily criminal only the abuse of such riches or efforts to become rich by anti-social acts. He considered the churches' had lost much influence by the foolish hurry-scurry-ing to accommodate itself to the-dicta, of non-churchgoers, who wished to.dic- : cate to the churches as to their attitude, according to what non-chureh-goers professed to believe to be thd, teachings of- Christ, and wished all'' rich men to bo denounced, irrespective of liow tliey had made or used fchoir riches. The disciples had misunderstood Christ’s advice to the young ruler to sell all hoi had and give to the poor. I t was not hfs great possessions, but his excessive ..devotion to them that Christ had denounced. To plague and penalise men because they_ were making money too fast, would bo despotic and reactionary. 'Mr. Fowlds and Revs. Evans, Tiffen, Hird, and others agreed. Rev. Bowden Harris urged the better equipment* and appreciation of Sunday-schools as absolutely’necessary; to the welfare of the churches. Rev. Grant (Pqrfc Chalmers) gave ffotico to move that,the Defence Department he consulted as to the appointment of military chaplains for each district; also for hearty greetings to Moray Place Church on its Jubilee.

An Important judgment relating to compulsory unionism was delivered hy . Al,i', A. D. Thomson, S.M., at Palmerston on Saturday in-a case the Inspector of Factories v. Boroughs and KeJleher, for tailing to ‘become members °f i the Cooks’ and Waiters’ Union. When the award came into operation on October 2nd both were employed*,' in local hotels and continued to he so employed without joining the union, although the award \declared that every non-unionist employed in an establishment covered by" the award shall within seven days become and remain a member of a union. Counsel had pointed out that tin's amounted m to compulsory unionism. And contend- 4! ed that authority to mak©, s such a decision was not given by the .Industrial Act provided that.no award of the Arbitration Court was liable to'lie challenged or appealed or called in question by any Oonrt of judicature on any account whatsoever. On this latter ground his Worship held he must take the award as it stood. The men, however, had contended that they were only waiting till their places could he filled >by others. The union secretary admitted that the union had no one available to (ill their places. Four months, however, was too long tn allow for such d» fence. The defendants were fined 20s each and costs.

Mr. J. Butler sustained a broken rib yesterday afternoon through being thrown from a horse. Mr. J. McOluggage left for Wellington by the mad tram this morning. The latest addition to the Stratford telephone list is Morey and Sou, the cash drapers, No. 160, Broadway, Stratford. Town and suburban sections m Stratford are still changing hands at satisfactory figures, and it is reported that a vacant quarter-acre section on Broadway North was sold last week for £7OO. The condition of Mrs. Rutherford, wife of Mr. J. Rutherford, has been causing her friends considerable anxiety. An operation was performed yesterday, but the patient is still in a critical condition. Dr. Paget and Ur. Menzies have been associated with Ur. Steven, in the case. Thomas George Hudson, an accountant, residing in Bealey Avenue, Christchurch, dropped dead while working in his garden about six o’clock on Saturday afternoon. Ueceased, who was a widower aged between 73 and 75 years, is supposed to have died of apoplexy and heart failure. Information was received by the steamer Hauroto, which has arrived at Auckland, from Cook and Society Islands, that the native at Raratonga who murdered another man on the island some time ago, had been found guilty at the criminal sessions. He was sentenced to twenty years’ imprisonment.

A six-roomed boardinghouse in Roebuck Road, Gisborne, owned by John East, and occupied by Miss Steves, was destroyed by fire on Saturday njght. The building was insured for £350 in the South British Office, and it is believed there is a small cover on the furniture. The cause of the fire is unknown. George Denton, 25 years of age, whose parents reside in Fisher Street, Beckenham, Christchurch, was taker to the hospital on Saturday suffering from gunshot wounds in his stomach, from which he subsequently died. Uenton, with a younger brother, had beer out on the Cashmere Hills rabbit shooting, .and whilst he was going through a fence with the gun, which was at full cook, went off. In the Canterbury bankruptcy dis trict, which included Ashburton and Timaru, during the year 1911, there were 42 petitions by debtors. The assets as per filed statements (exclusive of amounts secured to creditors) totalled £7457. The amount secured to creditors totalled £11,185. The .liabilities totalled £30,254. The asset; realised by the Official Assignee totalled £8358. The amount of debts proved was £22,789, and the amount paid in dividends totalled £1685. The Uefence Department has still some trouble in disciplining the cadets, reports a Sydney journal. One''office; has adopted a very effective method of dealing .with recalcitrants. When the lads misbehave he orders client to fall out and go home. They receive the order with delight, but their pleasure if immediately dampened by the statement that their attendance will not Ik counted, and that they will have te attend an additional parade to makt up for the one that has been summar ily stopped. i 'Oni Saturday nfght a gentleman living not a hundred miles from Broadway went home from work and took off his boots preparatory to donning his “Sunday best” in which to “do tile block” in, down. But his wife haa

other , ideas of , how he should spend , hi s' Saturday,- evening, and when .he. came to put on his boots again, he found that all his boots had mysteriously disappeared and could not be found. Determined, however, to “do the block,” he walked in his stocking feet to the house of a friend, about a quarter of a mile away, commandeered a pair of his boots," and was thus j enabled: to •“cut a dash” “on the block,” despite the fact that the boots did not fit him very well. There" was only a fair number oJ visitors' at the Stratford Mountain House''yesterday. At nine o’clock the mountain was a clear as possible, and'the Ruapehu group of peaks were more plainly visible than has been the case, for some weeks. Only a small number attempted to reach the top, but they found the going excellent. Before noon a heavy mist came up, ’ making it somewhat uncomfortable for climbing, but by eight o’clock the mountain was again as clear as crystal. The track to the house was much improved by recent rain, which solidified spots where repairs had been carried out, and should soon be in very good order. On Saturday night a party of Stratford residents comprising Messrs Mullen, Marshall, Lyons, and Lonergan left for Dawson’s Falls Mountain House, and at 5 a.m. on Sunday commenced the ascent of Mount Egmont. The conditions were peculiarly difficult for climbing—the cold snow having frozen the ice and made climbing be-, yond Fantham’s Peak very difficult and dangerous. In fact, it was found impossible to reach tho summit on the first attempt. However, two other • climbers arrived with axes, and in their company the four Stratford men reached the top. A magnificent view was obtained, the weather conditions being of the best, and a safe return journey made. These six were the only climbers able to reach the summit yesterday, although very many visitors went as far as Fantham’s Peak. A meeting of the general committee of the Taylor Memorial Fund was held in Christchurch on Saturday. Cr. H. Holland presided. The joint secretaries (Messrs. J. McCoombs and C. H. _ Gilby) presented their report, which was adopted. The lion, treasurer (Mr. C. E. Salter) reported that the total receipts from subscriptions totalled £3038 10s Id, and from interest accrued £2B Os 9d, making a total of £3066 19s lOd, The expenditure amounted to £59 19.° Od, of which sum £3l 18s was for postage. The draft deed of trust, .prepared by Mr. Salter, was approved after certain slight modifications were made, and the following were appointed trustees : Messrs". H. W. Bishop, S.M., Goo. S. Bpcdth, G. Bowron, H. Cole, and C. E. Salter.

Though Francis Birtlcs, the overland cyclist, appreciates the luxuries of civilisation, says the Melbourne “Argus,” the first few days after the change from his desert diet are dreaded by him. A close friend, who is always the first to welcome him after each journey, says that Birtlcs has become so accustomed to drinking water from waterholes which have been the last resting-place of dingoes and snakes, that the filtered water of oivl' isation has an absence of “body” that is missed. Meals of many courses also have a distressing effect after a long course of meat and damper. It is .su’d that on his return from a ride around Australia, Birtles, who is a strict teetotaller, was feted by .some friends at a large city hotel. Shortly after ho became ill, and it was three or four days before he .recovered from the effects of his repast. It was suggested by his friends that a liberal .sprinkling of dead gum leaves, sand and ashes would have afforded his digestive apparatus compensation t'oi 'die lost luxuries of the desert.