LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 1, 24 December 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The report of last night’s n.eocing of the Borough Council dealing with the drainage scheme appears on page 2 of this issue.

The s.s. Wakanui will load at Waits ra Roadstead on or about January 13th, 1913.

At a sale of greyhounds in London on December 5. nineteen brought 600 guineas. The top price mps 100 gum-

Tho new Sydnoy-Aucklnnd Pacific cable will be available for traffic on December 3D

At midnight to-night Mass will be celebrated at the Catholic Church. Tire services to-morrow are 8.0 a.m. and 10.30 a.m.

The mail train was well patronised this morning. Twelve fir..t-'elass and 96 second-class tickets were issued from the Stratford Station, making a total of 103.

During the holidays the Library "ill be open as under-Daily excepting Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day, from 4 to sj>.m, and on Saturday evenings from 7 to 9.

At the invitation of Miss L. HMori son about twenty of her music pupils spent a most enjoyable day at Ngaire Gardens yesterday. The new term starts early in February next. The recent disappearance of the late Mr. 11. McGregor, from the deck of a steamer, while travelling from Dargaville to Helensvilla, is to be the subject of an enquiry ordered by the Marine Department, to be held at Dargaville. We would very much like to give our readers some official idea of the size of the Christmas mails passing through Stratford Office, but, unfortunately, Stratford being a sub-office, the postal officials are not at liberty to divulge these momentous secrets.

Seasonable greetings are Hereby acknowledged, from the Taranaki Herald, Opunake Times, and the local telegraph messengers. From out the Christchurch Press office, as illustrat cd on the company’s card to hand today, tho right hand of fellowship is held out to brethren in tho Estate. It is well and truly recorded that to one newspaper office in Taranaki a tradesman (who was also an advertiser) sent such a seasonable present as two Xmas “duffs.” Stratford, whom we can speak for, has not yet made a name for itself in any way like this.

In Norway women are entitled to vote if they (or the husband when the couple hold property in common) have paid income tax on an annual income of 400 kroner (about £450) in the towns, of 300 kroner in the country districts, including' Ladesteder (some of the smaller towns).

Mr Bartholomew, S.M., decided on Friday at the Dunedin Court that the Defence authorities have no power to fine Territorials failing to attend drill. Fines are only imposable by the authorities when a person under military discipline is in military camp or on parade;

A proclamation the New South Wales “Government Gazette” declares the domestic cat, which has become wild, to be a natural enemy of the rabbit, and prohibits the wilful wounding, killing, or capturing, selling, or disposing of* such animal within tlie pastures protection district of Canonba for a period of three years. Signora Bianca Angelo, a young woman of Bologna, who, - because her husband, a wealthy architect of that city, wrongly accused her of unfaithfulness, stated that she would never speak to him again. For five months past she has kept her word and replied to any questions of her husband by simply shaking her head or writing on a piece of paper. The naive Italian appeared in court and asked whether a beating would do his wife good, and if he could obtain a divorce. The bench advised the “kindness cure.”

The medical officer from Rarotonga paid a visit last month to the leper island of Motu-rakau, to inspect the supposed lepers (writes the Auckland Herald’s correspondent). He decided that a man named Taote and his wife, who .had been isoltaed for me past four years, were not lepers at all, and granted permision for them to return to the mainland. The relatives of these two persons proceeded by boat to Motu-rakau on Wednesday,'November 20, and conveyed them ashore, leaving all their clothing and effects behind at the leper island. A remarkable example of the cargo broacher’s art was exposed by a local tradesman a few days ago, when he opened a case of Norwegian sardines. The wooden box, securely wired, did not arouse his suspicion, and the top layer of tins was perfectly regular and neatly packed. Underneath, however, instead of 25 tins of sardinss, there were several bricks, carefully wrapped up in brown paper. Apparently, the thief had had plenty of time to deprive the box of a quarter df its contents. The neatness of the job could not but fail to arouse in the shopkeeper’s heart some admiration in addition to his indignation. In an English-speaking community for a man to be half married would be an impossibility, but under the “Code Napoleon” in French territory it is said to be quite possible. Tire actual case in which this curious tangle occurred happened in Corsica, where a young Frenchman had gone through the civil ceremony of marriage before the Mayor with a pretty young Corsican lady. The bride had affixed her signature to the necessary documents and the bridegroom was about to do likewise when finding there was to be no marriage portion lie dropped the pen and refused to sign the paper that would have made him a benedict. The man maintains he is not married, the lady says they are, and so the French Courts are to be moved to settle the exact status of the parties.

A unique prize in the form of a hook written in French was presented at the Christchurch Girls’ High School prize distribution. This was a prize presented by the French Government to the school for French. The lady principal (Miss M. V. Gibson) said the idea had originated with the French Consul in Auckland for the purpose of binding tiie ties between the two countries. She thought it would be a good idea for the Girls’ High School next year to send a prize to France to be presented to some French school. Something was necessary out here to remind us of the kindred of nations. In history we learnt about our wars and • enmities with France, but nothing about our friendships. Such a prize as had been 'offered was more ijecessary in a. girls’ school than a boys’, because girls were too apt to look at matters from the personal point of view. Applause seems natural at the end of an emphatic sentence, hut its effect may be amusing. At the South Sydney hospital fete in the Town Hall one of the speakers remarked with sorrow that Lord Chelmsford's term of office was drawing to a close. In their desire to emphasise the sorrow, a section of the audience began to clap with vigor, and then, recollecting themselves, stopped dead. Lord Chelmsford led the general laughter. A little later, when Mr M'Gowen (Premier) was speaking in the same strain (says the Daily Telegraph), a small boy in the audience began to howl like a sorrowful bull calf. Lord Chelmsford, when his turn came to speak, declared his gratitude to thesmall hoy who showed such deep emotion at the announcement of his departure. That just helanced, said ho. the delight recorded by those who clapped.

“I have never known a time when there was so little sickness in Christchurch,” remarked a doctor to a Pre. s .s reporter. “1 have been here 38 years, and some of my colleagues agree with me that the city and suburbs are particularly free from illness just now. There is quite a general health epidemic prevailing.” A return prepared by the Queensland Lands Department shows that the area selected during November was 863,578' acres, as compared with 591,050 acres in November last year. The number selections taken up was 289, a de-"* crease of 120, but the rental involved was £4995, an inprease of £2Ol. The hulk of the area selected was taken up as grazing farms ’and grazing homesteads. The total area selected for the eleven months was 6,343,672 acres, as compared with 5,662,218 acres for the corresponding period of last year. Every weapon that party rancour could devise lias been employed to make Lloyd George’s Insurance Act impossible, and to create a widespread resistance to the law (says the London ‘Daily News’). With what' result ? ' At the end of three months Mr. Lloyd George is able to tell us that the actuarial calculations have been considerably exceeded, that between 13,000,000 and 14,000,000 people are getting insured against sickness, and that 2,500,000 are insured Agsinst unemployment. It is a triumph for the Act; but it is also a triumph for the nation.

A West of England business man has leased the island of Steopholme,. in the Bristol Channel, near Weston-super-Mare, and installed his son and daughter there to play at “empires” to their hearts’ content. The island “king” busies himself in fulfilling many duties. Water has to be carried up a steep slope, the donkey must be tended, and potatoes and vegetables procured from the various gardens round the precipitous slopes. The “queen,” a pretty girl in her teens, is mainly occupied with her fowls and her herd of goats. The two young selfreliant islanders, though often cut off lor weeks from the outer world,"'-are perfectly happy, and think there is no place like their island home. They live in an old fort.

The revival in Sydney of the ‘Bulle-tin’-Billee Barlow case, in which the paper is claiming the unpaid costs given against the actress in an action for libel, based on the paper’s comment on Miss Barlow’s costume in a pantomime in Sydney, recalls the fact that the present High Commissioner for the Commonwealth (Sir George Reid) was concerned in the action as counsel for the ‘Bulletin.’ At that time—now eleven years ago—Sir George Reid was very active politically, and no issue of •the ‘Bulletin’ was complete without a caricature of the politician with his “dry dog” and monocle. His crossexamination of the caricaturist (Mr. Hopkins, or “Hop,” as he bi’iefly signs himself), and Miss Barlow stands on record as one of the most brilliantly humorous known in the history of the Australian bar, and set. a whole contin out laughing. A resident of Wangaratta l (Victoria) named J. Stanford, . was startled on going home at mid-day on Saturday,, December 7, to observe a brown snake coiled on the verandah at the side of his two-year-old child, who was playing with some .toys. The snake seemed to be intently watching the child’s actions. As soon as Stanford approached, the snake glided off, going through a hole and under the verandah, and he decided to dislodge him. A saucer of new milk was placed near the hole, hut as this failed to attract the snake, Stan,ford brought out a gramophone, an'd', placing it bri.'tli'e verandah,-'set it to play a lively piece of band music. This bad the desired effect’, for the snake glided from under the verandah towards the instrument. Stanford was in waiting with a stout piece of timber, and be smartly despatched the reptile, which measured 4ft 6in.

We have a language of our own. At any rate (writes the ‘Sun’s’ London correspondent) Messrs Macmillan have issued a new dictionary, and have considered it necessary to add after the customary classical and mythological appendix an Australasian section of thirty pages, which is devoted “to words, phrases, locutions, and usages peculiar to English-speaking people in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.” Some of them will be as interesting to Australians as they may ■be to English readers. For example, “back-slanging” means “asking and obtaining food and lodging at the houses of settlers in the back-blocks.” “Barrack” is “to jeer an opponent, to interrupt noisily, to make a disturbance.” “Cadet,” a young man who works on a sheep farm to learn sheep farming. “Cbyak” is to chaff. “Cock-eyed-Bob” is a thunderstorm. “Hatter,’.’ the miner who works alone. “Larrikin” is “a street urchin full of fun and mischief,” or “a blackguard,” or “a hooligan.” A “magpie” is a large crow, the black and white plumage of which suggests the English magpie” ; while “Perished” is “an adjective applied to wool which has been too much exposed to wind and rain,” And “Wowser” is “one who pretends to bo a great deal better than he really is.” This modern dictionary is not only instructive, but has a humour all its own. 1 ■

Commander Evans, R.N., of the Terra _-Vova, has established a good travelling record this year (says the ‘Press’). He accompanied Captain Scott on his great southern journey to within about 150 miles of the South Pole, and left the leader in latitude 87 deg. 33min. South on January 4 last to return to the main base at Cape Evans, accompanied by William Lashley and Thomas Crean. In latitude 80deg. 30min South Commander (then Lieut.) Evans was found to be suffering»badly from scurvy. The little party being one man short, he had to continue assisting in dragging the sledge, but his condition became so bad that his two bravo companions placed him in his sleeping bag on the sledge and made a gallant effort to drag him to safety. On February 18 his condition was verv serious, and Crean went on alone and covered the 30 miles to Discovery hut in 18 hours, and found Dr. Atkinson and Dimitra with two dog teams. They set out in a blizzard, and picked up Commander Evans with Lashley, and got them safely to the hut. After a week’s rest he was taken to Cape Evans, and placed on board the Terra Nova, on which he returned to Lyttelton on April 3 last. He was then con- * v valescent. and on May 2, accompanied by Mrs. Evans and Mr. Francis Drake, he left for Sydney, where the party joined the Orontes for England. On July 1 Lieut. Evans had an audience with King George, and received his appointment as Commander R.N. After an eight weeks’ stay in England, Commander Evans returned to Lyttelton, iia Capetown and Australia, and has now started on his return to the Antarctic, and is due at Cape Evans in latitude (about) 77deg South on January 13.

If you have a cold, take Tonking’s Linseed Emulsion, and you’ll soon find that you haven’t a cold at all D *l. 2s Gd. 4s 6d.

For Gentlemen a nice present would be a Swan Fountain Pen in plain or gold mounted, 12s Gd to 42s 6d. Indent just received direct from London. Charles E. James- a

It is estimated that a train of trucks loaded up with the earth and rock that have oejen taken from the bed of the Panama Canal would reach twice round the world. At the lemuka Police Court o.i Wed. nesclay three young men were each fined 5s for singing m the main street in the early hours of the morning. One of the accused was fined 2Us, in addition, for using provocative language when remonstrated with. If you have incipient consumption, take a flight in an airship. Dr. Waning, an eminent authority on tSeerculosis, lecturing recently oefore the Berlin Aeronautical Association, described the benefits of high altitudes x. ron those afflicted, and asserted tnac hrceen minutes’ exposure to the Sim’s rays during an airship flight at high altitude was certain death to the bacilli of tuberculosis.

An Oamaru resident, who recently returned from a trip to the Did Country, says there is now hardly aj person with a stoop in the whole j country. Everyone who walks hasj his or her .head in the air expecting to see pne of the multitude of flying j machine's . that are constantly in thei air. At one of the by-elections a fly-; ing machine was employed in dropping' packets of election literature all ovei | tho electorate. An unusual case occupied the at- 1 tention of the Justices at the Eltham N Court yesterday, when Dr. A. H. j 'Tovey, of Kaponga, pleaded guilty to having assaulted Carey Forward by j striking him. The informant stated that he was in the employ of Dr. Har-i rison, and Dr. Tovey had struck him without provocation because he had not fed defendant’s horse. Dr. Tovey admitted having administered a lesson to informant, hut in extenuation stated that informant had left his (defendant’s) horse for four hours without food or water. A fine of 10s with £1 costs was imposed. j Some little kiddies (or perhaps big .ones) will be wondering why their mother has not remembered them at this ■ glad season. included in the collection of insufficiently-addressed parcels, etc., at the local Post Office are a number of post cards bearing on the clear side: “To dear , wishing him (or her) a Very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.” The postal officials, while only too pleased to do their best, are not wizards, and require some definite information as to where the sons and daughters reside.

Mr S. Solomon, K.C., appears to have struck a true note (says the Otago Daily Times). In speaking at the break-up ceremony of the Kaikourai School, particularly, to the scholars, the teachers and the parents, he said , that the first object of education was to make good boys and girls with steadfast, honest characters*—scholarships would come in ghod time. In regard to a boy’s career he knew that some parents regarded ae of primary importance the social aspect of some callings. He strongly counselled the parents to devote their energies to the best of their ability to finding out what a child was best suited for, and put him there mind whether it was genteel or not.

A unique record in attendance has been established by a family of children attending the Hastings District High School. The pupils referred to are the sons and daughters of Mr and' Mps James Brown, of Here-, taunga street, and their respective ages vary from six years to seventeen I years. Four of them have now left school and four are still of school age, and between them they have attended ;an , aggregate of over forty years. Avithdut missing one day, the individual records ranging from eight years and three-quarters, eight years, / seven years, down to one year. The farming community of South Africa has recently been much interested in the demonstrations which

iav© been conducted in different parts, of .the union, illustrating the use J of dynamite in farming operations. The Somerset West and the Modderfontein dynamite factories have taken I the lead in the matter, and by means of specially, prepared cartridges deposited at varying depths in the soil,, have shown how effectually the ground 1 can be broken and made suitable for vegetation by the explosion of these, charges. The cost is said to am-| ount to about £3 an acre, and, in, addition to loosening the ground, the fumes from dynamite are said to he destructive to all insect pests and fungus growths within its range. What is rightly termed an “extraordinary example of practical gratitude”—more especially as the individual concerned has never been in New Zealand, and\ has never seen a member of the firm Indicated.—has just come under the notice of the Otago; Daily Times. Noremlro Nath Dass, of ’ Calcutta, is a customer of the firm of Messrs Nimmo and Blair, and| has presumably just heal'd of the fire; which gutted that firm’s premises. “Actions speak better than words”: is no doubt one of the guiding princi-j pies of Norendro’s life, and he hasj at once hastened to put it into prac-i tice, as witness the following letter: ; “I very much regret to learn the mis-j fortune you had recently met by ac-[ cidental fire, which destroyed your warehouse and contents. I express j my heart’s sympathy for the loss, as, being your old customer, and herewithi send you a small donation, which j please accept.” Accompanying the | letter was a cheque for £2.