LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 78, 28 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The. annual meeting of householders to elect School Committees is fixed to take place on Monday, April 27th, at 7 p.m. A reminder is given of Miss C. W. Christies lecture which will he given at th'6 Foresters’ Hall this evening. Mr,. ,j; y Masters; returned tq' S.trat 1 - ford .last night, 'after ait bxteiidediholiday in Auckland. 1 An address to business men will be given at Wesley Church to-morrow at l l p.m. by the Rev. C. E. Beecroft. The employees of. the Waitara Freezing Works passed through Stratford by to-day’s ten o’clock train, en route tojN'gaero, where the annual picnic is being held to-day. Owing to the multiplicity of attractions elsewhere, the meeting of members of the Stratford Association Football Club, which was to have been held last evening, was postponed sine die. • Yesterday there arrived in Stratford twelve hundred sheep from the Manga mingi run of Mr. A. Hatriek (Wanganui). They are to be trained to Waitara, frozen, and forwarded to England on Mr. Hatiqck’s account. Mr. Massey was very kindly received at Midhirst, Tariki, and Inglcwooed —all strongholds of Mr. Hine’s—this morning. This afternoon he goes to Toko and Ngaere, where big gatherings are expected at the sports and picnic. The Leader of the Opposition it leaving political matter out of his speech-making until this evening’s meeting. Interest in the Mission at Wesley Church is deepening. Last evening a l ull church greeted the Missioner, and few there were who did not remain to the after meeting. The address was on “Following in His Footsteps,” and a wonderful vista of possibilities was opened up. Repeating the question from time to time, “And where will He load you?” the Missioner took his hearers, along the path of consecration, service, sufferihg, and victory, the address culminating in a passage where those present ■ were made to “touch and handle things unseen.” Tlic service was a memorable one. Cyclists often meet with strange experiences, and very often have miraculous escapes. Such was the experience of a motor cyclist who was riding on the road to, Ngaere last evening. The cyclist, who was proceeding along the road at a very brisk pace, accidentally ran into a mob of cattle, some of which had taken fright at the train, and, of course, cut a number of capers, with the result that the cyclist, on account of his brisk pace, was unable to pull up, and sought the means of a cow to do it for him. The cyclist escaped with a good shaking, but the front wheel of the motor was knocked flat, and, of course, ho had to “pad the hoof.’ ’ This should be a lesson to other cyclists l of a furious riding nature. The- 'first stage of the Reform Party’s local “rally” came off last evening, when the Leader of the Opposition Party, Mr. W. F. Massey, and Messrs. I). H. Guthrie (Oroua) and C. K. Wilson (Taumarunui) hi.P.’s, arrived by the mail train. At the stat:on the party was met by Mr. J. B. Hine, M.P., Dir. G. Sangster (chairman of the rally), Dir. G. Bond (secretary) and a number of prominent local supporters of the party, who give three cheers for Dir.' Dfassey and the Reform Party. Dir. Dlassey "returning thanks for the honour paid him. In the evening Dir. Massey and the members with him were entertained at a private function at the County Hotel.

Toko sports arc taking place this afternoon, and many Stratford residents have gone out to take part. Mr. Laurenson, chief clerk at the Post Office, is at present on three, weeks’ holiday, part of which will he spent in Auckland. The value of “testimonials” given as regards accused persons during the course of their trial was the subject of some remarks by ins Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout' at Gisborne. Tie pointed out that it had been stated that the accused who was then being tried was honest and industrious, “hut,” Sir Robert said, “all .accused persons are held to be honest until they are once convicted, if a jury is going to acquit a man the first time he is charged because of liis good character, then they might perhaps find him not guilty if lie were charged with a second offence on the same grounds, and so on.” His Honour added that the law would not allow the Crown to .call a single tittle of evidence regarding an accused person’s character during the hearing of a case, and if a jury were to be asked to acquit a man because of his character they might just as well closedown the administration of justice. Complaint of “Struggling Shopkeeper in “Poverty Bay Herald” : For the protection of the tradespeople, and shopkeepers, I think it high time a Trades Protection Society was formed to cope with' the ever-increas-ing ‘begging’ that goes on. It is not only a great expense, but an abominable nuisance as well, and if one lias the backbone to refuse to subscribe to the project in hand (probably a picnic, sports, or some sych function of practically private nature) he is threatened with boycott. K any section of the community wish to organise a picnic, etc., why on earth should the shopkeepers be asked to subscribe? Let those who participate do that. If a Trades Protection Society was formed members on. being asked to subscribe would simply refer these solicitations of the executive of that institution, and if the object was a worthy one, a subscription would be forthcoming ; failing this, they should be .shown Hie door; and if the list did not bear the hall-mark of that institution no one would subscribe. Trusting something will be done to abate this practice.” Considerable amusement was caused at the Stratford railway station on Wednesday evening just as the train from the north was steaming in on the diamond alongside the mail train. A truck conveying a number of pigs was the cause. It appears that the bolt of the top deck of the truck was out, and as the train turned into the loop the jerk evidently threw open the door, with the result that a pig (a layge one at that) made a bold attempt to escape, and before it had practically reached the groiuid, was grabbed in good style by Mr. S. Thorn, who was standing near the points at the time, and not until Mr. Hugh Campbell, who was also near the spot, came up and grabbed it around the neck, was the pig considered captive, and the shunter, with a fast grip on the pig’s hind legs, and the other two sturdy gentlemen with a firm hold of an ear each, the wouldhe escapee was .landed back to its truck, amidst great’ laughter from the onlookers, who Witnessed ’‘‘the incident, and a considerable amount ,of stealing on the part of the pig. Needless to say, the pig was forced to continue) its jourhey ; oh tb HAWerd,’ its 1 liber,ty ( , hqing‘ short' and' sweet, i Probably, one or two of, his mate's ’did' -a J glide for ! iife : hibn'g the I Tine’eri r’outF to J " ’ ,;>f^ The Dunedin Star says: Several factors have combined to depress the market in grass seed, and the general opinion of those intimately connected with it. is that prices-wilT remain at low-water mark for some time to come. There was a big carry-over of seed from last season, tho amount of stocks held, particularly in, Southland, being .very heavy. On the top of, this, there has .be.qp, a ,v,ery Ijeavy crqp .this ■year, but generally, speaking its quqlTtylis .poor. l ..plenteous /raiijis Tghucecl a w onderful growth, of. grass’, btit lack .of sunshine told against the seed properly maturing. So much for the supply. Row as to the demand.' Heavy rains in the . Rjorth-.lsland, particularly in the Auckland province, have made it impossible for settlers to “get a burn” in the bush country. Consequently they have no areas to sowdown in grass. As a result the autumn trade /"with the North Island, oil which the Southern merchants so largely rely, is practically non-exist-ent. There is just a hope that a month’s fine weather, in the North will make burning possible, but it is somewhat remote. Neither does there seem to be any outlet for our grass seed in Australia, the few- thousand sacks required there being a mere drop in the bucket. For these reasons practically no business is passing in a market glutted with supplies, much of which is of inferior quality. Farmers, always as loth to believe evidence of a falling market as they are ready to build high ou the slightest indications of a rise, have been holding out for prices which merchants, under the circumstances, cannot seriously consider, their stand-off attitude being also influenced by the consideration of available storage. How long it will take the market to recover to normal no one can prophesy. It is not unreasonable to expect that many farmers, instead of shutting up their ryegrass paddocks for seeding, will I use them as pastures for stock, thus reducing aiext season’s supply and helping to equalise matters.