LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 60, 4 November 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On Tuesday, November 1211 1 , ‘‘Our Regiment,” which was so successions played in Stratford, will i)e staged at Eltliam. Mr G. A. Marciiant, of Cardiff, ha> purchased a Holstein bull at O'U guineas. The bull was bred by Mr Lovelock, who was so successful as a breeder at the recent Palmerston Show.

The largest estates of deceased persons in Taranaki finally certified for stamp duty last month were: —George Tnni, £1 (it 1 ; Robert A. Gray. £llOl : Ann AY. Lawrence, £802; Robert Cross £7B7.—Press Association.

In the Supreme Court, Taranaki district, on the 31st October, upon the application of Mr S. Spence (Spence and Stanford), his Honour Mr Justice Edwards granted probate of the will of Ambrose Long, late of lariki, farmer, deceased, to the widow, she being the executrix named in the will.

It docs not require the compulsory clauses of the Education Act to make all children attend school. In the Halcombo district there is a family ol children belonging to Mr, and Mrs. E. Thomas, who last year walked 2330 miles to and from school. The children were invariably first to arrive at school.

The death is reported from Wanganui on Saturday of Mr. Frank Scanlon a former resident of' Stratford, and who was a well-known figure at one time in charge of the billiard table at the Stratford Hotel. His widow (sister of Mr. T. E. Wilson, formerly of Stratford, and presently of Taihupe), and a grown-up family are left to mourn their loss.

A boxing tournament nMer the auspices of the Eltliam Sports and Pas-' times Club is to be held in Stratford during the month, one of the Shoy. niofiits being mentioned as the approximate date. The recent tournament submitted at Hawera on the 31st nit. is reported to have been an excellent one, and the fistic art is “taking on in that town now.

The distinction of having the highest rainfall in New Zealand for September, according to the ‘Gazette,’ must bo given to Otira, in the South Island. At that little place on the Southern Alps 28.32 inches fell for the month. Mangaotaki heads the list for the North Island with 17.52 inches, and in Wanganui the average was 4.09 inches.

The Stratford Swimming Club will hold its annual meeting in the Borougn Council Chambers at 8 o’clock on Wednesday evening next. Mr E. H. Kivell is acting as honorary secretary in the meantime. Last year this popular club provided some good sport, and it is to be hoped that the Club will be thoroughly well patronised and supported this season. Mr. Coleman Phillips, president of the Hoistein-Friesian Association of New Zealand, pointed out that there were at the recent Manawatn Show 92 entries of Holstein, 64 Ayrshires, 47 Jcrsevs, -13 Shorthorns, and 39 Herofords' The Holstein,s, which lie had the honour to introduce into the North Island in 1888, ho holds, now take pride of place over all the breeds of cattle.

It is understood that the instruction given by the Hon. T. Mackenzie, when a member of the Ward Government, to members of the Department of Agriculture not to, give information to the press regarding departments, Jhgttcrs, has been withdrawn, and in its place an instruction has been issued allowing officials of the Department to give to the press information that would, in the ordinary course, be given to farmers or commercial'establishments, but not to give any information possessing any political significance. The activity shown in Sydney municipal circles regarding the enforcement of the by-laws has been followed by so many prosecutions that Aiderman Lawrence was recently constrained to ask the Lord Mayor the following question :—“Seeing that at the present time there are fully one hundred citizens in the City of Svdnev who have not been prosecuted under the by-laws, will the Lord Mayor see that a new bylaw is framed that will bring the remainder into the fold?” Everybody laughed, excepting the Lord Mayor, who said he wijs not good at conundrums.

According to a Parliamentary return, the number of officers engaged in inspection of stock, rabbits, and noxious weeds on March 31, 1909, was 139. Their salaries for the year ending that date were £29,910, and traveling expenses £12,188, making a total of £42,098. Officers retrenched or retired from January 31, 1910, numbered 38. The accounts paid to 112 officers who are employed in field duties by the division of fields, experimental farms, live stock, and meat, from April Ist, 1911, to June 30, 1912, was £48,109. Salaries were £32,205, and travelling expenses £15,904.

A boating party whilst sheltering under D’Urville Island last week, stumbled across a curious cave inside which were some dozen or more coffins of totara, roughly hewn by some blunt instrument. The boards had not been nailed together, holes being placed about ten inches apart, flax probably being the primitive means of binding the four sides together. A skull and other human bones were also discovered, buried in the sand in the cave. The origin of the “find” is a mystery. Opinions differ as to whether the relics of the past are the remains of shipwrecked sailors or natives of Now Zealand.

Tho orators of the federation soapbox still continue to provide amusement for the populace. Mr. Webb nonsays the federation will light on till victory is theirs. Not only were the Waihi strikers prepared to go to gaol, but they would go to the scaffold before they were defeated. It will be noticed (remarks the ‘N.Z. Times’) thfit it is not Mr. Webb who is to go to the scaffold or to gaol. It is tho other fellow every time. As long as the miners are credulous enough to keep the fighting funds going, the federation leaders will continue to pervade the country, issuing challenges and making inflammatory speeches. When those give on they may be expected to fold their tents like the Arab, and as silently steal away.

Commenting on the Wellington ‘Evening Post’s’description of the Legislative as “an irresponsible, unrepresentative and singularly unintelligent body,” the Waimate Witness says:— “Unrepresentative and, to some extent, irresponsible it may be, but in point of intelligence and knowledge of affairs, it is immeasurably superior to the representative Assembly. In the latter are many unlovely types—uncouth, unlettered and parochial minded men of the narrowest and meanest intelligence. That fairly well describes them in the lump. This may seem an extreme opinion, but those who have had any extended experience of politicians in the mass will have no hesitation in endorsing it as being both moderate and correct. Tt may appear outrageously undemocratic to say so, nevertheless the wise man will infinitely prefer the guidance nr direction of the Legislative Council in dealing with the country’s affairs to that of the elected Chamber.”

Two additional gangs of co-opera.ivo workers on the Gisborne southwards railway line were paid off on Wednesday. Other gangs will be finishing shortly. After undergoing a six-weeks’ fasting cure, a woman named Mrs. Dargan died at Perth. Her husband has been arrested on a charge of manslaughter for not calling in a doctor. Gisborne headed the births record of Dominion boroughs in October, the highest figures being: Gisborne 48, Invercargill 46, Palmerston North 36. I imam 34, Napier and AVanganui 32' / A London market porter recently, for a wager, ate a dozen Inins and drank three, pints of ale in fifteen minutes. His prize consisted of two live pigeons, a cigar, and a shilling. “Appendicitis, which we considered a new disease a few years ago, is described by Egyptian physicians in a papyrus 7000 years old,” says Dr. Carl H. A on Klein, of Chicago. The temperature of flowing lava was measured during the eruption of Etna by Professor G. Platania with, a Eery radiopyrometer, AVhere the lava was still glowing red, temperatures ranging fyom 795 to 940 degrees Cent, were observed. The new Trunk railway train, despatched from Auckland at 11.55 a.m. on Friday, had accommodation for 209 passengers. The total number travel-/ ling was 31. Iho value of the 120 motor-cars ranged in Cuba. Street alone on People’s Day at the Palmerston Nnth Show has been estimated at £250,000 at a low average value. According to an exchange, Mrs. Malaprop is up to date. She now says that “an apiary is where they keep apes, ami an aviary is where they keep airships!”

.It is estimated that 23,000 people visited Palmerston Show on People’s Day. This is not quite the biggest attendance recorded. On a previous occasion it has been estimated at 25,000. A Maori girl, when wading on the seashore at Whananaki, near Wiiangaroi, last Monday, was seized by a big octopus. Her cries attracted a native boy, who attacked the horror with a spear, and, with the help of other natives, beat it off. At the Show (Palmerston) a man called at the secretary’s office, and itsked lor a pen and ink. Ho then pulled out his cheque book, filled in a lorm, and tendered the cheque to an assistant, and in a loud voice asked lor a bottle of the best whisky in the bar. He had mistaken the office for a public bar, states the ‘Daily Times.’ A child, three years old, was. recently taken to the Kaitangata Hospital suffering from alcoholic poisoning, having drunk half a bottle of whisky. The matron reported to the Otago Hospital Board that the child was treated and was taken back to its home in the evening, having recovered.

‘There are numerous open places about Auckland where men can go and settle their differences without disturbing the peace of anyone, and’ where there are no policemen - to interfere, but they all seem to want to fight in the streets.”—A remark by Sub-Inspector Hendry at the Court at Auckland after making the statement —“it is always just after the hotels close that breaches of the peace occur!-”

It appears from a little brochure issued , by,, the Albion Cricket Club, Dunedin, who have just celebrated their “fifty, not out,” by, a veterans’ jubilee match that the original membership list was written down in lead pencil in a draper’s memo, book by a young enthusiast, who was then familiarly known as “Mac.” He is now the Hon. T. Mackenzie, High Commissioner for New Zealand in Lop don. The club also had a certain other worthy founder—viz., Hon. James Allen, now Cabinet Minister. Moreover, they jhad “a demon bowler called Cohen,’’ who is none other than Mr. Mark Cohen, editor _ of the ‘Evening Star,’ Dunedin. Mr. Cohen captained the Veterans’ No. 1 Eleven.

In the House of Representatives on Friday, Mr. R. Scott (Otago Central) said that on August 20 last, when speaking in the Financial Debate, ho had made a statement . to the effect that throughout the length and breadth of his electorate, a fairly extensive one, candidates supporting the Government at last election were being shown round the electorate, and introduced to people by Catholic priests. He had since discovered that ho was misinformed, and he now desired to withdraw the statement unreservedly, and a.t the same time to express his sincere regret that ho made the incorrect statement about his late opponents and the reverend gentlemen.

The returns to September 20th, for the eleventh month of the egg-laying competition at Vancouver, have just been received by mail. The test ended on October 20th, and it is certain that Mr. J. Stewart, of New South Wales, has won the test. On September 20th he was leading by 82 eggs, with only the month to go. The score will be about 1000 eggs, much below Australasian competitions. The test has been a trying one, as during the winter the ' weather was very severe. The position of the other competitors will beJ. Ellis (Sydney) 6th, E. Hopkins (Otaki) 11th, W. Nixon (Christchurch) 14th. The competition for heavy breeds was won by Rhode Island Reds—a class of fowls that is little known in New Zealand.

A return just presented to Parliament gives some interesting figures regarding the State forests. The unalienated forest on Crown lands (including State forests and forest reserves) totals 7,582,551 acres. The figures for tho different provincial districts are: Auckland, .‘112,290 acres; Hawke’s Bay, 027.822 acres; Taranaki, 330.872 acres; Wellington, 1,131.900 acres; Nelson, 2,073,000 acres; Marlborough, 296,000 acres; Westland, 1,468,721 acres; Canterbury, 301.780 acres; Otago, 198,000 acres; Southland, 1,112,663 acres. The area of forest land for which sawmilling permits have been granted totals 166,472 acres. The total revenue derived by the Crown frotnt tie forests for the five years ended March 31 last was £305,563.

The major portion of the cargo remaining in the Hawera was removed (says the ‘Pntea Press’) when a preliminary examination of the hull- was made. As a result it was found that tho injuries, though extensive, are not as serious as at first reported. There is a large hole amidships, but being a wooden vessel, the repairing of this presents no real difficulty. The back of the vessel is intict, and tho exports say that no difficulty should he experienced in re-floating her as soon as tho damages are repaired. This wo- k is now being carried out on the spot, and should ho completed in about a month’s time. A preliminary enquiry into the cause of the accident was held before tho Collector of Customs, Mr. ,1. O. Patrick, when evidence was taken and forwarded to the Minister of Marine, who will decide whether a Magisterial enquiry will bo held into the matter. The careful mother’s -'Urest winter safeguard—Tonicing’s Linseed Emulsion. X

Tfio Stratford Chamber cf Commerce moots to-morrow evening in the Borough Council Chain hers. The arrivals in New Zealand from oversea last month numbered 4123, and the departures 2506, In September, 1911, there were 3185 arrivals and 2915 departures. In September tins year the gain was 1617, as against 570 last September. One of the most prominent of the free workers who signed on at the Waihi Company’s mine on the first day of resumption of work is a sixfooter Maori, who is now well known *-4\s “the white hope.” Ho is a most individual, fears no man, and has challenged all and sundry to “have a go.” The police have had many anxious moments in watching their dusky charge. He hails from Paeroa way, and is said to be an ex-college boy.

A Stratford resident who went to the Palmerston North Show as attendant on a horse had an amusing experience, though at the time it gave him a considerable shock. When Aramoho was reached on the journey he got out and gathered some grass for his charge, and expecting the horse to come forward and eat the luscious stuff, he threw the bundle into the box ; but lo! there was no response. He put out his hand in the dark, but could not feel anything, and alarmed at the thought that the horse had fallen down, he climbed over the partition, hurting his. leg, of course, in the attempt. He felt about for the rope with which the horse was tied, but to no purpose, and was naturally much alarmed. Then the truth dawned upon him. He had simply entered the-wrong division in the horse truck owing to the vehicle having been turned round in his absence. “Never lend your name or your papers to anyone is the moral of the curious experience that has befallen a certain M. Rosenfeld, a .Roumanian subject,” states a Paris correspondent. It really was not M. Rosenfeld’s fault, but that of his wife, who, _fco enable another Roumanian named Kauffmann to enter a hospital, lent him her husband’s papers. M.. Kauffmann accordingly entered j the hospital as Rosenfeld, and as Rosenfeld died and was buried, Hearing of the story, the real Rosenfeld went to the hospital and ; asked for his papers. There he was politely informed that ho was dead, and as politely shown the doer. Madame Rosenfeld then took a hand in the game, only to learn that she was a widow, and should appeal to the authorities for the valuables left by

her deceased husband. M. Rosenfeld will have to obtain a judgment of the Courts before he can once more take his place among the living. Two Guineas for lour ones of roctryl Bead Tonking’s Linseed Emulsion intimation every Saturday amongst nova items.