LOCAL AHD GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 81, 2 April 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AHD GENERAL.

“What do you base your oj)iuion (:: asked a fanner, at the dairy factory meeting tins morniny;, of -)h‘. .’TaiTell. He replied: “J’ve knocked about for sixty years, yonnp; man. and 1 keep my eyes o])en.” There were, no ! lore interruptions from this source.

The following vital statistics for the i ninth of March have been kindly . lirnisJicd liy Mr. S. I!. .James, Hegistrar of Bhlbs, Deal'll, and Marriages:—Three marriage ccrtilicatos were issued, and ID births ami < deaths were registered. April ?(Jlli, DHL’, will he the eightyi .ird b'rthday of Oeneral Booth. It is .■i.".,') the anniversary of the .Stratford Corps of the Salvation Army, and in consequence a great Birthday Service and coffee supper is to he held on that date. Particulars are published in this issue. Mr. 11. Dingle recently had the misfortune to lose IPs pedigree Jersey cow La Favorita, dam of Senorita. winner of the championship at the Manawatn A. and ID Association’s Show, and several others. Ifor Jja Fa- \ orita’s heifer calf, twelve months ( id l»y 'Campanile Sultan, Mr. Dingle refused twenty guineas for a lease. Mr. Dingle valued Da Favorita at a hundred guineas. The absent-minded person is freouontly met with but it must have oecn a more than usually wandering mind that failed to distinguish the water-cart from another kind of vehicle in Colombo street, Christchurch on Saturday. After crossing the street immediately behind some traffic this absent minded individual stood wondering for some minutes why ho was wet through un to his knees, and then : t seemed to dawn on him that watering carts arc sometimes used in Christchurch.

The policemen stationed at Dunedin are stalwart and active, says the ‘'Star.” and can he depended on to make an arrest when occasion calls for one, hut sonic of them met their natch the other day, when they tried to make a prisoner of a visitor. The stranger dodged all manner of attempts at capture, and could only he taken after a blow on the head with a fireiron. This was a dire finish, hut the circumstances of the case and the character of the visitor called for it, for he was a fine specimen of a weasel. How lie got into the police station am] what lie wanted arc questions not easily answered.

Writing about the King Country and the Ohura, tlic New Zealand Herald says:—“Wo do not know yet wnat kind of a Government we are likely to have, but if the new Prime Minister is wise ho will insist on a great roadng policy being adopted by ids Cabinet and vigorously prosecuted. Herein lies the real practical work of a Government in a new country, and it is work of a thousand-fold greater importance to the progress and prosperity of such a country that the doctrinaire and visionary schemes which too often engage the attention of its rulers to the exclusion of plain ,and urgent needs. If we might venture to give Mr. Mackenzie • a word of advice we should recommend him adopt as the cardinal i principle cf his policy the rule of always doing the first thing first. And, among these first 'things may he named four—road.ng the land, railroading the laud, opening tile land, and settling the land.'’

A recent cablegram referred to the fact that the heat from the funnel on the now battle cruiser Lion had affected sonic of the fittings. The Times of February 14. said: “The structural alteration which it has been decided to make in the battle cruisers of the Lion class arc of a somewhat extensive character. The Lion was taken in hand at Devonport Dockyard on Monday. In addition to the unshipping of tiro foremost funnel, the tripod mast, which ;contains the lire control platform is being removed several feet aft. The alterations have bpen rendered necessary by the great Ticat of the funnel, which lias distorted some of the fittings on the navigating bridge* and seriously affected the compasses. The alterations will occupy about a month, and, according to present arrangements, the acceptance trial of the Lion will take place on March 11. On the completion of the alterations in the Lion, the Princess Royal sister ship, will he taken in hand at Devonport Dockyard for a similar purpose before running her contractors’ trials.

The actual facts with regard to the- Edison Storage battery cars, of which a great deal was heard when the Invercargill tramway system was under discussion, are still in doubt. In its retrospect for the year 1911 the Sreutific American stated that “the Edison storage battery cars which have been operating during the year in New York city have been giving reliable and satisfactory service. In the Scientific American of 20th. January this statement is challenged by a letter which appears over die name of the “Gould Storage Battery Company.” In this letter the following paragraph occurs :“Yonr attention is called to the fact that but one Edison battery car lias been operated in New York city and that only in an experimental way. The car is not now in commission and has not been for months past. The cars in use m the cross-town lines are equipped with lead storage batteries of the Gould vehicle type.” From this letter the correction in which is accepted by the Scientific American, it appears that there are a number of battery cars running New York, but they are not of the Edison Storage battery type. The Edison battery seems to be still ,n ar experimental stage.

An instance of how money is expended hy the Auckland Education Board is provided in the case of a school in Jlangitoto. i Ju' New Zealand Herald’s Te Kuiti correspondent widtes that for some time the scholars had hoon huddled together in a dilapidated luishman’s tent, until application was made to the Hoard for hotter premises. It was suggested tiiat the Hoard provide the timber, 1 and one of the settlers would erect, five of cost, a permanent wharo, large enough to accomodate the scholars for some time to come. The estimated cost for the timber would he about .£lO. However, the Board sent along a small marquee, which- must Lave cost about £‘2s. This structure has been pitched as well as possible, but already shows signs of a prenia-j tare breaking up. The late rough weather has been very trying, not only to the tent, but also to both teacher and ‘scholars. The damp earth floor is subject to miniature Hoods, and is therefore a serious menace to the children’s health. The matter became so bad that lately the teacher undertook a visit to the Board in Auckland and applied for timber to put in a (loor. the settlers to build it. ilow-| ever, the result of the interview was m t-uiig more than the recommendation] that as tin l Board could not see its; way to supply limber, it advised tliej adders to put down sawdust. The

:."t.lament is practically roadless, and ! 1 miles from anywhere, amid fern country, where there is not snllicent iimhcr in i ho mile In make a bucket[id ol - saw-dust,

“i never a ealf fed on whey,” said ;i speajsea - at the Town Hall this m.irniiie;. a Inehy man,” soinc(.ne I'cvtuii'kra. “Why even the smell would kill them.”

‘‘Do \on .iiko cheese?” was llic question put to a speaker this morning, v,-lu'ii the relative values of cheese and jnitter were under discussion. “I dpt when it’s well made,” was the reply to this rather personal question. A correspondent writes:—‘‘On Tuesday overling last wo tied our pet land) to the post in the hack yard with a rope an inch and a half thick. Someone stole it before morning, rope, collar andiatl. It was impossible for the l imb to get away with the rope tied as it ..tests, and had he broken it there would have been a piece left; but ir was all gone. Those keeping lambs had better look out for the thief.” lr , A partnersnip has been entered into between Mr, E. C. Robinson, of this town, and Mr R. C. Christophers, civil engineer and licensed surveyor. Mr. Christophers, who was educated in his profession ,in Southland, has for the pist four’ y£ars been in the United States of America, where has has had extensive in railroad engineering and American methods of construction and administration. The partnership .will give Mr. Robinson, who holds' the position of engineer to Stratford and 'Whangamomona County Councils, a better opportunity of devoting all the time an attention necessary in- carrying out the various works in connection with these two local bodiPsi The new firm will be known as Robinson and Christophers, and has taken over the premises and the office of the late Mr. J. R. Machoy. e.o

A scnseltor.s joke was perpetrated in Pa tea just as churchgoers wen* returning home, says yesterday’s Paten “Pfdfis.” It appears that someone had succeeded in affixing a tin to a live rat hy means of a lengthy piece cf string,,.As a local resident accompanied by jus wife was passing the alley way nc'ar Messrs. Hoyle and Jones’ premises, the rate ran across the path and the, string attached to it became entangled rpund the lady’s feet. As it happened the lady, who is anything but strong 1 , 1 lias a particular dread or rats, and r naturally fainted on finding the ahininl entangled round her feet. For,some time she remained in this state,"and considerable difficulty was experienced in reviving her. It is about titoe that larrikinism of this kind was put down with a heavy hand. We do not like advocating anyone taking the law into their own hands, but wo cannot I, help feeling that a good horse-whipping in such cases would have a wholesome effect.