LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 12, 11 May 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

We are indebted to the Government Statistician for a copy of the Statistics of the Dominion for 1910. A crihbage match between teams representing Stratford and Mount Eminent railway men will be played al Mrs. Brown’s rooms on Wednesday next.

The committee of t!ie Taranaki Agiocultural Society is endeavourin'!: to arrange for special trains all along the line on the occasion of the Winter Show, which will open at New Plymouth on June sth.

The Postmaster-General notifies in the Gazette that postal matter addressed to “David Hess,” or “Ross and Bradshaw,” Post Office box 101, "Wellington, will not be either registered, forwarded, or delivered.

Tin’s meet of the North Taranaki Hunt Chib took place on Thursday last at Mr. E. W. Wheatley’s property at Sentry.’ Hill. Next, Thursday the club will bold the meet at Omata. Prior to the hunt they will bo Gntorta:noc],at hpicheon at New Piymont by Messrs. A. R. Standish and B.' Chaney. While at Whangamomoua, Mr. Robert a, member of the Taranaki Education Board, conducted the: two Ministers over the local school. Addresses were given, and the children wore granted by the Minister of Public Works a holiday for Monday next. Mr. Murray, District Engineer for Roads, was talking to the Minister for Public Works at V/hangainomona yesterday. He was referring to the Margo Road, which he termed the worst road in Taranaki, and said of one spot in its length“ They call it the Bank Bond, because it would take the whole Bank of England to keep it clear.”

Oii a recent Sunday a clergyman in the North of Ireland t stopped his. sermon long enough to go next door and give a man Ids choice between shutting off his gramophone or taking a thrashing. Apologising to his congregation for the interruption, the reverend gentleman said; “Thera arcsome things that even the most disciplined Christian must resent.”

Accidents arc faii’iy common at Whangamomona. Tills morning a trap with two horses attached was left sticking in the mud. It looked, from the top of the cutting, that the axle was broken, but, at all events, one of the wheels was otf. Afterwards it came out that Mrs. Laurenson and several other ladies had been in the trap, which had very nearly capsized in the operation of parting with one of its wheels.

As illustrating the tightness of the money market, the following letter received by a resident of this district from the New Zealand State Guaranteed Advances to Settlers’ Department speaks volumes: “Dear Sir, —J have to acknowledge receipt of your letter, and in reply to inform you that the Department is not accepting applications for sums exceeding £SOO, and is not lending at all to repay mortgages on freehold on properties.” The Minister for Public Works, the Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald, while in Stratford, undertook on his return to Wellington to go into the matter of tlie Public Works offices to be built in Stratford. For a considerable time the sum of £2OOO has been on the estimates for this work, but so far none of tliis amount has been spent. The Minister stated that the plans for the building-had been somewhat backward in preparation, but he would have the whole matter looked into and pushed on.

The thoughtfulness of the Mayor of Stratford, Mr. W. P. Kirkwood, uho kimlly provided liot coffee and light refreshments at the railway station this morning for the Mims'eval party, was very nmeh appreciated. A start from Whangamo'mona had to ho made at I a.in. to connect with the mail train for Wellington, and on arrival at Stratford there was not time to go anywhere for breakfast. From one point of view the Mayor’s act of grace wa.s, however, a mistake. If the two Ministers and those with them had been compelled to go without a meal until they reached Wanganui, they might have known a little of how Taranaki feels about that dining-car being cut off. The excavations which are now being conducted at Meroe, the ancient capital of Ethiopia, hy Professor Cfarstang, have led to some remarkable discoveries. Luxurious baths have been found with arrangements and decorations that confirm in a striking way the descriptions contained in ancient Abyssinian records. Water was brought to these baths through a series of equeducts terminating with cascades ornamented with sculptured lions, oxen, and other animals. The walls of the baths themselves are ornamented witli rows of coloured tiles, with relief patterns and medallions, all of which remain just as they were left centuries ago. Twelve steps lead down to a large lank, around which are statues of musicians and other figures, while a number of broken statues lie scattered about. Altogether the discovery is one of the greatest interest.

A well-attended mooting of ladies was hold in the Borough Chambers yesterday afternoon to make final arrangements for the Horticultural Society’s social and dance on Thursday next. Every effort is being made to provide an enjoyable evening for all, and the Foresters’ Hall should be well filled. The dance music is in the capable hands of Miss McDonald. Matters in connection with the sale of the Taranaki Petroleum Company’s undertaking to the Taranaki (N.Z.) ' Oil Wells, Ltd., are so far advanced as to enable the former company to take steps to go into voluntary liquidation. The “Taranaki Herald” understands that the date of the meeting for that purpose is fixed for May 30th. —Press Association. The following extract from a letter received at general headquarters, Wellington, from the War Office regarding the examination of officers of the New Zealand Staff Corps and Royal New Zealand Artillery, who sat for production last December, appears in general .orders: —“I am to say that, considering this is the first examination held under the present system, the majority of the candidates are to be congratulated on the genera] result, which compares most favourably with that for officers of the Regular Army examined in England.”