LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 10, 10 January 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The New Zealand Shipping Company’s Otaki, which left Lyttelton on Monday night for London, was delayed for some time waiting for a baker. One was engaged at £oo for the run to London, the “Press states. A Timaru correspondent says that the biggest trout caught in South Canterbury this season —an ] 8-pound-er—was grassed from the Opiln near its outfall into the sea on Sunday night. A new device of the hoodlum is in evidence in Wellington. Some- miscreant has been employing his time in secretly cutting the tyres of the motor delivery vans in the city. The tyros on some of these vehicles have been viciously slashed. “I have had my best chairs for fifteen years and have never had them sat upon,” sobbed an old lady in Sheffield County Court, when claiming damages for injury to her furniture during removal. As there was nc wilful negligence she lost her case. As illustrating the effect of the rise in flax, the Manawatu Times learns that during the last five months the Makerua Company has disposed of two flax properties of an area of about 550 acres each. It is understood that the price at which each of the properties changed hands was in the neighbourhood of £25 per acre. It is now about a year since the Stratford County Council was given authority to register motors, and already thirty-two numbers have been allotted. This, however, gives no idea of the number of care and motor bicycles in Stratford and surrounding districts, as many of them have been registered in surrounding counties.*

In connection with the decision of the Federal Minister for Defence to permit members of the citizen forces to smoke while in camp, the regulation framed for the purpose of prohibiting such practices has been cancalled, so far as it relates to adult members of the defence forces, but it is still to be enforced in regard to the senior cadets. At the Feilding Police Court defendant asked for an adjournment to consult a solicitor. Sergeant Bowden : ‘1 don’t know what be wants a solicitor for. The whole thing is in a nutshell.’ ’ Mr Poynton, S.M.: “Solicitors have an ingenious way of getting tilings out of nutshells.” Sergeant Bowden: ‘They usually get the whole kernel!” A female defendant at Dunedin, against whom, there were 114 previous convictions for drunkenness, pleaded guilty quite solemnly to another charge on New Year’s Day. The Magistrate (to the defendant) : The best thing that can happen is for you to take a rest and get the drink out of you. Fined 20s, in default seven days’. Defendant (benevolently) : Thank you, sir. You have been so very good to me that I could not ask you for any more. And she left the dock for familiar quarters.

Several prominent local citizens are interesting themselves in a case 'worthy of the sympathy of all Stratford people charitably inclined towards their loss favoured neighbours. Ihe widow of the late Ernest Smith and her four children are left practically destitute, the earnings of her late husband, a carrier’s employee, having liooii her sole support. ScmKU subscription lists are being “nt round, and all donations received will be duly acknowledged in our columns. A Mauaia business man, who has had some previous successes in mechanical invention (says the W aimate Witness) is at present engaged in devising an appliance that will regulate the automatic opening and shutting of gates at railway crossings. Should -he succeed in the accomplishment of his purpose he will, in addition to preventing loss of life and human suffering, have made a short cut to fortune. A novel Christmas competition of an exhilarating and interesting character is provided bv the marriage ot a Thames-side couple, who propose to settle down in Sydney (writes the London correspondent of the Sydney Sun). There was a triple wedding, and the contracting parties were:—Mr James Bridges (56), widower, and Mrs Margaret Lovelace (49), widow; Miss Rose Bridges (22), and Mr William Lovelace (24); Miss Ada Bridges (26), and Mr Leonard Bailey (24). The two young brides are the daughters of Mr Bridges, while Mr Lovelace is the son of Sir Bridges’ new bride. It is now announced that the conference convened by the Federation of Labour to be held on January 21st will “mainly discuss the question of conciliation and arbitration. . . also some definite plan of action for securing industrial and political) protection.” When we remember that , the federation has all along repudiated arbitration and political action and condemned those who advocated these policies as “the enemies of labour,” and when it is mentioned that Mr Hickey, the convener of the conference, is the gentleman who wrote some time ago that agreements were made to tear and not to wear—“to hell with agreements!” wrote Mr Hickey—the new programme is a little , puzzling. What is the game? asks the “N.Z. Times.”

Throughout many parts of the district (says the Clutha Leader) jt is observed that the Canadian thistles are not growing nearly so luxuriously as in former years. Large patches of them are affected with the blight which made its appearance a year or two ago, and which appears to have widely spread this year. It is also eaicl that the land has become “this-tle-sick,” and that the thistle, like the Scotch thistle of some years ago, is gradually dying out. Whether this is so or whether the blight is haying an extended detrimental effect, it is certainly a fact that the Canadians

are not nearly so strong in growth as has been the case in former years.

An elephant belonging to Wirths’ Circus at Christchurch attacked a circus hand named Andrews on Sunday afternoon, and caused injuries which necessitated his removal to the hospital. By some means the elephant became loose and commenced to wander about the grounds. As soon as the animal’s freedom was observed, several of the circus bands set out to secure it and return it to captivity. However, the elephant refused so rapid a' termination of its liberty, and when approached it commenced to “play up.” Andrews was one of the number in pursuit, and ;;Viihean he was close: to the elephant it suddenly turned on him, and with a ferocious plunge drove" one of its tuske into his body, the blow striking him on the and inflicing a painful and serious wound.

A remarkable shooting outrage occurred on a Sunday in November at Ombersley, a village about six miles from Worcester, England, the victims being three well known farmers—Mr Harry Gardener, a country magistrate his father, Mr Samuel Gardener; and Mr Thomas Amphett. The three gentlemen after attending service at Ombersley Church were walking along a lane leading to Mr Harry Gardener’s house, when they were fired upon three times through a hole in a wayside shod. The first shot brought down Mr Samuel Gardener, and when his son stooped to raise him the assailant fired again. The charge struck Mr Harry Gardener in the face, one eye being destroyed, and the other so seriously injured that it is feared he may lose his sight. The third diet wounded Mr Amphett about the body. On the arrival of the police they forced the door of the shed, and’ found a man asleep apparently under the influence of drink with a gun by his side. He was conveyed to Worcester County Police Station.

America has the reputation of having forgotten more about advertising methods than Europe has ever known. But we doubt (the Westminster Gazette says) whether the American business man ever devised a more ingenious method than that adopted recently by a Dresden tailor, who is inter alia “Hoflieferant.” He addressed his circulars, describing the excellence of his military tailoring, to officers of the reserve in imitation official envelopes, wiih the printed inscription, “For Mobilisation.” The distributors were drdssed in military uniforms, and commenced operations simultaneously in several German towns. Wives of absent reservists were terrified 'by the appearance of the fateful envelope, at a time when mobilisation and European war were m the air. But the advertiser had scored his point by impressing his name upon his victim quite indelibly, which is, we are told, the., essential end of advertising. The idea is unique, surely, in the annals of advertisement for boldness and absolute callousness. The Waimate Witness, referring to the carrying of a motion hostile to the introduction of the Bible into the schools of the Dominion by the teachers in conference at New Plymouth, says: “In this there was nothing remarkable. What was, however, a little remarkable was the ignorance of the person who undertook the ing of the motion in question. Being a woman, her ignorance is perhaps less astonishing. Her principle argument was the moral perfection of the Japanese character, the result, apparently, of some system in which, as a matter of course, religious teaching forniis no part. It does not of course follow that because the Japanese are a pagan people they are immoral. But the fact remains that they are, from every standpoint, the most objectionable people morally in the world. Sexually, they are corrupt to an extent hardly believable. Among the masses ■ of the Japanese people the moral standard in the family is as low as it is amongst the Hottentots or Australian blackfellows. The writer speaks from personal knowledge of the people and the country. Commercial morality has never had an abiding place in the country, and lying and deception have been cultivated to the point of a fine art. As a people, the Japanese are the last people in the world who should he mentioned in connection with national morals.”

A novel idea was that of a well known young lady, not far from Wellington,' who lately has been for a trip to Japan. As well as securing a beautuul trousseau for herself, she has had the foresight to bring back a complete outfit, and all of pure silk, for the bridegroom-to-be. A business man, now of Hastings, formerly of Timaru, in a letter to a friend states that the farmers of * Hawke’s Bay are jubilant, says the “Timaru Post.” They are having perfect weather, and what with the high prices ruling for wool and meat the snops are having a record year. The writer adds: ‘Thirty-five motorcars were sold in Napier immediately after the first wool sale.” “It rained for forty-two days and forty-two nights, and yet w© didn’t have to take refuge on Mount Egmont,” remarked a prominent local citizen to a reporter this morning, When discussing Stratford’s rainfall. The period referred to was some 20 years ago, and our informant vouches for the accuracy of his statement. The rain came down steadily, and the sun was never at any time visible. One of the Siamese papers recently published the following advertisement of the merits of its wares (says the Daily Mail)The news of English we tell the latest. Writ in perfectly style and most earliest. Do a murder Set commit, we hear and tell of it. i 0 a mighty chief die, we publish it, and in borders of sombre. Staff has each one been college, and writ like the Kipling and the Dickens. We circulate every town and extortionate not for advertisements. Buy it. By it.l The price of benzine ha® been raised 3d per gallon, so a member of a large firm using motors in Napier informed a Tribune reporter recently. The gentleman in question thinks that the increase is not warranted, and the only reason he can assign is that the manufacturers are endeavouring to squeeze as much money as possible out of motor car owners and incidentally the general public. Locally, benzine is quoted in bulk at 14s lid a case of eight gallons, a rise having been made three weeks ago of Id a gallon. The climb over Mount Earnslaw, made at New Year by Mr F. Wright, Mr H I). Bedford, and Mr Robertson, school inspector, "all of Dunedin,! stands out as one of the best Alpine, feats of recent years, and as a matter of fact ranks with the best ever negotiated on the mountains of Oago (states the Times). The party in their first assault of the giant were beaten, and in their second and successful attempt, a sheer face of a thousand and more feet of ice was i m et with, necessitating the cutting ol steps-merely inches apart. There was, j however, no turning back, and the j seemingly insurmountable was over-] cbme, the summit attained and trav-; ersed, and a safe descent made on the the other side. The treatment of the foreign attaches who were prevented by the Bulgarian officers from going to the front has occasioned considerable heartburnings. Once when a t... v.iir attache demanded when they were going to the front to really see and learn things, a lightning-charged cloud darkened for a moment the geniality of the general in charge, and he said: “You surely don’t expect us to show you how we make war, do ‘ you?” The attaches, indeed, seemed to have a 'worse time than the correspondents. They were, one correspondent says, “subjected to treatment that, however well intentioned, has amounted to simple humiliation. Up to the time that the Bulgarian Army reached the / Tchataldja i lines, that the Servian Army had overrun Northern Macedonia, and that the Greek Army has occupied Salonika, tho foreign military attaches—mobilised, kharkied, placed on a war footing, and ostentatiously moved about from place to place—had not even been'within the sound of the guns.” By the death of Lord Furness—an untimely death measured by the number of his years in these days, for he was only 60—the life insurance companies will be called upon to find a large sum of money. He was reputed to be the most heavily insured individual in the three kingdoms, and the larger policies would seem to be of comparatively recent date—taken out in view of providing for the heavy death duties. It is said that the • deceased peer—Sir • Christopher Furness he was then—held himself to be worth £2,000,000 some years ago, and the remarkable prosperity which has attended British shipping during the past two years or so /must have contributed to swell his fortune, so that at the time of his death he may not improbably have become possessed of another million. Apparently the insurance policies cover much more than the death duties upon a fortune of even £3,000,000; but had the duties to be provided for directly out of his lordship’s estate the necessary selling might *have disorganised' the whole Uurness-Withy share market. As it is, although the insurance companies may have to realise securities, the selling will be so well spread and so circumspect that it can hardly attract any notice. Undoubtedly, too, the losses of the offices involved may seldom be severed, One company is known which has written more than £400,000 on the deceased’s peer life, but which stand® to lose very little. Thursday’s Christchurch Press tells|

how for the third time within the "past few weeks, certain members of the Passive Resisters’ Union went to Lyttelton last night to address the people on the alleged evils of compulsory military training. They took .care this time to have a number of their friends from Christchurch and some youthful sympathisers in Lyttelton as a bodyguard, while the local police force were present in full force to prevent trouble. Most of the crowd were on the wharf to see the Talune away, when the meeting started, but the number of listeners was not very great at any stage of the meeting. The .speakers again had a very poor hearing, and were subjected to a rapid fire of interjections and a heavy bombardment of groans, snatches of patriotic songs, and hostile remarks, and they had great difficulty in making themselves heard at all. A large number of boys repeatedly drowned the voices of the speakers by their noisy interruptions, and a well-aimed egg, which was far from being fresh, struck one speaker in the face. The meeting broke up at about 9.30 p.m., amidst general disorder, caused by the assertion of the speaker, that they intended to hold another meeting in three weeks’ time, and would continue to go to Lyttelton until they got a fair hearing.

During the holidays the children are bright and happy and no better time could he choeen for having them photographed. At the McAllister studio special attention and extra trouble are taken to secure pleasing pictures and faithful portraits of the little ones. The charges compare favourably with any in the Dominion, and you are invited to compare the results with those obtained elsewhere. No efl'or will he spared to add you to our lone list of satisfied customers. Your patronage is solicited for the McAllister Studio Broadway. Stratford v