LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 71, 16 November 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The ;ittcmhuioe at the 'Wanganui Show is estimated at 12,QU0, the takings lor tiio two days being £1(31. Two Dunedin gentlemen have patented a process lor polishing the lace ol ferro-eonerete. Experiments have been carried out in public.

A special meeting of the Borough Council will be held on Monday next at 8 o’clock, when the business will be the discussion of loan proposals. One of the East African giant snails at the London Zoo has laid an egg for the first time. The snail is seven inches long, and the egg is as large as that of a sparrow egg.

A rumour is current in Wellington that the position of Chief Commits.oner under the Public Service Act will be awarded to a prominent business man of tho metropolis. The estimated European population of New Zealand on September 30th last is 1,040,277. This is an increase for the quarter of 5838, made jup ol excess of births over deaths 4415, and excess of arrivals over departures 1423.

According to the Waihi ‘Daily Telegraph,’ it is probable that Mr. ilobert Semple, organiser ol the Federat.on ol Labour, will he prosecuted in connection with a recent demonstration at Waihi.

M. Pouliquin, the well known French swimming master, accomplished in Paris last week the leat of remaining under water Grnin 20,sec. He emerged from Ills long submersion‘declaring that lie felt perfectly iresh. In making enquiries about the New Zealanders in Sydney, Mr. McNab was told that the New Zealand population of the city was something .like 12,000. One thing which struck him as strange was that nearly all the newspaper reporters seemed to be New Zealanders.

The vestry of Holy Trinity Church (’Gisborne) was made a sleeping place by some man on a recent niglit. He rolled up the carpet for a mattress, and made use of the surplice and cassock for a pillow. Tn the morning when the verger arrived there was a somewhat disreputable looking room for him to put straight. The new oil company recently formed in Christchurch to exploit certain territory in the neighbourhood of Stratford held its first statutory meeting a few days ago, when it was decided to purchase the latest rotary boring plant, and commence operations as soon as possible. The Stanley Road, Midhirst, is mentioned as the. first scene of operations. It is now generally admitted that the end of timber, as far as mills are concerned at Carluke (says the ‘Pelorus Guardian’), is in sight. Another eighteen months will probably see the end of the timber industry in the Reforms Valley, but dairying is rapidly taking its place. The real prosperity of the district might be said to be only just commencing when the timber is worked out. The interest taken by the Governor in the farming community of New Ze tland is to bo recognised at the farewell ceremony at Auckland by the presentation of an illuminated address, signed on behalf of farmers of that province by the presidents, cf the Auckland branch of the Farmers’ Union and of the A. and P. Association. There has been such an indiscriminate slaughtering of cows in the Argentine during the past year or two,to keep up the supply of stock to the meat works that it has been proposed to levy a toll of 17s (id per head on every cow slaughtered Tij-'flitWCyoS-li as to discourage the practice. It is also proposed to entirely prohibit the sale of female calves for killing purposes.

The town of Morenci, Arizona, has not one street, only steep trails over the rock and mountains. There are no autos nor rigs of any sort. Stout ponies, mules, and buros pack all loads, while funerals must be attended by train. This is perhaps the only town in the United States without a street of any kind or a conveyance of some sort.

Mr. Campbell Jackson has purchased Mr. C. W. Dickinson’s (Master.on) pony and turn-out. The pony “Ike,’’ took a first place at the Palmersto i Show, being adjudged superior to Mr. E. Jackson’s “Barney.” Speculation is rife what will happen when “Barney” and “Ike” meet at the Stratford A. and P. Show this month. An energetic canvass was made of all local shopkeepers yesterday, and the petition asking retailers to open their premises at 7 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. was well supported. Forty-sev-en signatures were obtained, and only seven refused to sign. Another petition, making the hours from 7.30 to 5.30, found a few signatures, but the former scheme is more popular, dno petitions will be forwarded to tho Minister for Labour, and if alterations are to be made, these will probably take effect on December Ist.

Convicts in Michigan penitentiary were well nigh nursed. They worked—when they wished, and got pocket money. They had newspapers to read and grounds in which to play. But all this is now changed. They did not know what was good for them, and struck because they were only getting od a day as wages; they wanted 7ld. Now the “slap-barrell” has been restored for, the fifty unruly ones. Each convict was stripped, laid across a barrel with his face down, and covered with a wet sheet. A water soaked strap then applied to his back with stinging torture. From the administrative standpoint this is preferred to the whipping post, with the cat-o’-nine-tails, as tho flesh of the victim is not so lacerated

A linesman for the Philadelphia Electric Company was recently saved from death, after his heart action had stopped for three minutes. He was trimming a lamp, when he touched a live wire, and he. was hurled unconscious to the ground. The accident occurred only a few feet away from the police station, and a police surgeon happened to be there attending a prisoner. The surgeon began Sylvester’s method of respiration, and succcded in restoring the patient after working! over him for more than an hour .The case is regarded ( as showing that many deaths from electricity might he prevented if artificial respiration ho used immediately.

As was done last year, the Secretary of Labour is, now making arrangements to enable the Sedgwick boys in New Zealand to send Christmas presents to parents or friends in England. Last Christinas the majority of the boys, sent £] home, hut this year they are sending from £2 to £3. It is expected that the money so sent away will total about £l2O. The presseats will be accompanied by a special report upon the progress made by the individual lad during the twelve months. Of the fifty boys who composed the original party, forty-three still remain as wards of the Labour Department. A few boys have absconded, and the others have reached the age of twenty-one, when, according to agreement, they passed from the department’s control.

The seven applicants in Stratford for workers’ dwellings \met Messrs Lomas and Temple, of the Workers’ Dwellings Department, last evening, and general matters were discussed. The Superintendent and Architect inspected sections in various parts of the town yesterday, and the applicants will receive notice from headquarters iu duo course.

Motor cars wore a bio feature of tlio display at the Christchurch Show. In all -18 cars were priced, and the total value was £25,281, an average of about £526 10s per car. Prices ranged from £l7O to £BOO, but only eight cars exceeded £6OO. In this calculation were included cars of British, Be.gian, French, and American Manufacture. A whale, perfect in shape and only four and a half inches in length, was secured by the Norwegian whalers at Russel! recently while cutting up operations on a big mammal -was oeiiig pursued. The diminutive whale is highly prized as a curiosity, and the winders state that such a specimen in perfect shape is - unique in the history of the industry. This year A. and T. Burt, Ltd., general and electrical engineers, etc., celebrate their jubilee. In an interesting and attractive little booklet, is set forth the history of this wellknown firm founded in 1862 by Messrs Alexander and Thomas. Burt. From a little workshop in Dunedin, the business has steadily developed until today it has large branches in all the important towns of the Dominion, and pays out to its employees the large sum of £90,000 annually. Two Australian criminals, Alan Moore, sentenced to death for burglary and wounding, and Ed. McDonald, sentenced to death- for outraging a child, recently had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment with three floggings. The Government found that there was some'doubt as to the power to inflict a flogging after the lapse of six months from the passing of the sentence, arid two of.the three floggings ordered by the Executive Council to be given to' Moore and McDonald have been remitted. In the Belfast ‘Evening Telegraph,’ September 2Cth, the following Irish Peers’ pledge was published: “In the event of the passing of A Home Role Bill without prior reference to the country, I pledge myself not to accept a seat in either House of the Irish Legislature.” The signatures appended include those of Earl Roberts, the Marquis of Dufferin' and Ay a, the Earl of Ranfurly, Earl Castlestuart, Viscount Charlemout, Lord Lurgan, the Earl of Clanwilliam, Lord Kingsale, Lord Deramore, and Lord Claiina.

The Union S.S. Co. has secured a valuable block in Sydney, and purpose building a suite of new offices. The site is located at' the corner of George Street and Grcsvenor Street, being known as Lyons Buildings. The block has a fine frontage to George Street, and is ( of' sufficient depth to carry an imposing structure (says the ‘.Daily Telegraph’). The company’s lease of the present offices at the corner of Jamieson and 1 George Streets expires in about eighteen months’ time, and in the meantime it is in (ended to call for tenders for new offices, the plans of which will be prepared shortly. The price paid by the company for the new site is said to be about £32,000.

A very painful accident hefel one of the pupils of the Patea School on Wednesday afternoon. Joseph McNaughton, son of Mr. W. McNaughtou, of Wheriuakura, :l had ridden to school in the morning on a young horse that had been shod for 'the first time the day before. At close of the day’s school young McNaughton went to ‘the'kThdiU p;tddoCk' ;Vrid approached the 'horse with a view to saddling it. Suddenly, without warning, the animal lashed out with its hind feet, one of which caught the boy full in the face, smashing all the front teeth in the upper jaw, and driving inwards those in'the lower jaw, without, however, breaking them off, -An examination of liis injuries showed that they were not so serious as anticipated (says the ‘Press’), and now the boy is progressing as favourably as can be expected, .

Very explicit directions for securing simplicity at his own funeral were left by Dr. Kirschner, the late Oberburgermeister (Lord Mayor) of Berlin, who died last month. His body is to he placed in, a simple pine coffin and buried from the cemetery chapel without any kind of cerembnial at the Town Hail. Corporations, Government Departments, and private associations are requested to abstain from sending either deputations or flowers. Public memorials in newspapers—a common custom in Germany—are forbidden, as well as funeral or meihorial services of any kind ; and at the burial the minister is to read only tho 90th Psalm (“Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations”) and to address a few words of consilation to the family “not exceeding in any circumstances five minutes in length.”

' The Prime Minister, stated to an Auckland ‘Herald’ 1 interviewer that a vigorous policy is to he pursued in connection with the High Commissioner’s office in London. The Hon. Thos. Mackenzie has been given carte blanche as to improving the utility of his department. Not only is it intended to select a more suitable type of immigrant for tho Dominion, hut steps are also to he taken to actively disseminate facts of vital importance concerning the attractions this country has to offer both to the worker and the tourist. More prominence is to be given to New Zealand by means of lectures and advertising. Already, Mr. Massey says, several well-known colonists have expressed their willingness to lecture about this country in the Homeland, and in other ways to cooperate with the High Commissioner. Mr. Mackenzie will himself visit sev-‘ end centres in England and deliver lectures on New Zealand.

The Hon. James Allen, Minister of Education, and M.P. for the district (Bruce) opened the technical school recently added,to the Tokomairiro (Milton) District High School, on Wednesday. The new building is of two storeys, and was erected at a cost of about £llOO. The upper storey contains a laboratory, with accommodation for about 24 students doing practical work in chemistry, with a demonstration table and a board. This part of the building will be in charge of Mr. E. S. Green, agricultural export. The rural instruction given by him comprises chemistry, botany, agriculture, and physiology. From deductions from experiments the laboratory the hoys will be TM to understand chemical processes in soils and fertilisers. Botany includes the special study of farm plants and weeds. Agriculture deals wi ll cult'va ion, the methods in use, and the , mixing of fertilisers, etc. There is in the grounds an experimental plot whore a variety of fertiliser tests will he carried out and different types of grasses and fodder plants grown. The lower sto:ey of the building is for the use of girl.-, and is arranged so as to accommodate cooking classes, etc. It is believed that tills will he the centre cf technical instruction for a large district, and that children will come from considerable distances to receive the benefit of instruction.

Potatoes iii Sydney have reached the highest price known for thirty years. They are now selling at £22 per ton. Tlio scarcity is due to the dry spell, states a cablegram. Among those who have rolled up the “bluey” (writes the Whanga correspondent of the ‘Taranaki Herald’) is Veteran Bob Johnson, 62 years of age, with Crimean War medals and tne Soudan War ribbons. In fact, Mr. Johnson claims to have won a V.C., yet at present to toil hard for his crust.

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