LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 28, 1 February 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A woman who fell asleep and snored in a pew in a New York church uaa taken out by the police and charged with disorderly conduct.

Military authorities at Zurich, Switzerland, have arranged for periodical distributions of free admission tickets to cinematograph shows among tire soldiers of the garrison.

A prisoner who was lodged in the Dubbo Gaol from Warren (N .S.\\■ ), lias a unique record. He is about oo years of age, and since he was 12 years old had never spent Christmas Hay out of gaol till last Christmas.

A wonderful story of fortitude and self-sacrifice comes from Wayerloy (Sydney), where a young miner, Archibald Ferguson, submitted to the skin being removed from his ami lor the purpose of relieving his mother-in-law. No chloroform was used.

At the Magistrate’s Court this mornng, before Mr W. G. Kenrck, S.M., judgment by default was entered in the following civil cases:—G. W. Young (Mr Rutherfurd) v. Kato Miller, claim Cl and costs i4s; Annie Abbott (Mr Rutherfurd) v. H. 1. Lomax, claim £2l 18s costs £2 14s; Bright and Backhouse (Mr Wright for Mr T. C. Fookes) v. W. F. Dowman, claim £1 is lOd and costs ss.

At a meeting of creditors of the late Mr Francis John Tarr, a well known Bristol solicitor;, held at Bristol on the 11th ult., the Official Receiver stated that the unsecured liabilities were over £35,000, and there was a deficiency exceeding £31,000. Mr Tarr, he said, was most highly respected by his professional brethren and it was a terrible blow' to discover, after his sudden death, that not only was he insolvent, hut that he had been misappropriating money for many years.

“People shout out and say, Hullo, Harry, complying with the borough bylaws P’ ” chattiugly remarked a local carrier who was explaining to Magistrate Kenrick yesterday just how it was that he came to be driving at night without lights. Presumably the remark was to show that he had obtained such a reputation for carrying lights that people on this openly and to his face. Mr Kenrick, who is not usually sympathetic with breakers of by-laws, convicted defendant, but withheld a fine.

Preaching at S.S. Michael and John’s Cathedral, Bathurst (N.S.W.), Father McGee deprecated the too frequent attendance of children at picture shows. Once in a way was all right, he said, but the eschewing of studies for participating in this amusement was to be deplored. Parents often remarked that their children were not progressing in their studies, hut how could they expect otherwise when they allowed them to go to 'the pictures four or five times a week P- Parents should also refrain from taking sides with the children against the teacher when well-merited punishment was inflicted. “Pampering mothers and idiotic fathers spoil the children,” added Father McGee.

One of the theatrical papers published in Paris lately promoted a unique competition. It offered prizes to those of its readers who could furnish the most sensational headlines. The contest attracted a large number of competitors, some of whom were decidedly amusing in their efforts to invent what might be considered the greatest scare headings that a newspaper could give to an item of news. It was no easy task for the judges to make a selection out of the immense variety of samples sent in, but the headings to which the prizes were finally allotted were these: “Members of Parliament vote for the Abotlition of their Salaries.” “Theft of the Eiffel Tower.” “Aeroplane Hits a Star.”

“It’s unreasonable and foolish,” said Mr Cecil Wright at the Court yesterday, when a judgment debtor, out of work and fairly heavily in debt, a married man with children, was arraigned before the Court. “More than that,” said Mr Kenrick, “it is not proper according to the Act. Any enquiry would have ascertained that the man was not in a position to pay. It is ridiculous entering into judgment summons proceedings, when a man is in that position.” It should be explained that before a judgment summons is issued, a declaration has to be signed that to the belief of the judgment creditor the debtor has had the means to pay, since the judgment was obtained.

A little boy named Boyle, of Ngaere, had an unfortunate experience at New Plymouth on Thursday. The Herald says: He had come into town to spend the day at the seaside, but when he alighted from the train at Fitzroy he missed the girl in whose charge he had been. The youngster wandered off in the direction of Fitzroy arid was discovered on the Mangaone Hill during the afternoon by an expressman. The latter was going out to the Bell Block bores of the Petroleum Company and took the little boy along with him so that he could bring him back to town on his return. Air Keith, the manager of the Company, happened to be at Bell Block, however, and he motored back to town with the youngster, who was placed in the hands of the police at Fitzroy to be sent on to his home.

Relative to the “posting” of ah overdue steamer (a case in point is referred to in our cable mesages in this issue), probably it is not generlly known bow a ship is finally posted at Lloyd’s as a missing vessel. So soon as a ship becomes overdue, she is generally noted by those directly concerned with the re-insurance market, and she is entered on the overdue list. She comes on generally at /. a low rate, but as day succeeds day, and no news comes to hand, the rate stiffens, and finally the ship is looked upon is hopelessly overdue, and is withdrawn from the The committee of Lloyd’s never ey®re undue hast© in ordering a ship to be posted as missing. They wait until there is not the least possibility of hope of her arriving. Then the overdue vessel is posted “for informtion” —that is to say, a printed slip is . posted, in which the committee of jf!. Lloyds say they “will be glad of any ' information” in respect of the overdue vessel. Seldom, indeed, is it that any response is received to this official request for news: and then, a week later, the ship is finally declared missing. Another printed slip, setting forth the particulars of the ship’s last fateful passage, her captain’s name, and her cargo are posted, and then underwriters settle up the claims on the ship.

Thirty births, nine deaths, two marriages are Stratford's vital statistics for the month of January, ended yesterday.

Eight phonograph horns in different parts of the station at Pittsburg, Pa., have been fitted up to announce information as to departing and incoming trains, at regular intervals.

A young man named Michael Porter, employed at Wilson’s furniture factory, put his hand too close to a planing machine this morning, and Dr. Steven’s services were required to insert seven stitches.

Members of the Egmont Club are meeting at the club’s rooms at 9.30 4his evening for the purpose of making a presentation to two of their number, who are leaving the district shortly. /

To-day’s Post: Correspondence on page 2; farewell to Mr R. Cottier, and “M.P.’s on Tour” on page 3; “Oaths agaifist Oaths” on page 7; and report of a commission case at the local Cour t with other matter on the eighth.

The secretary of the committee in charge of the East End Reserve would be pleased to find the names of owners of a miscellaneous collection of articles, ranging from kiddies’ shoes to tea-pots, left behind after Stratford’s picnic on Thursday.

A man named T. Humphries, from Whangamomona, is at present in the Stratford Hospital, as the result of injuries received through being thrown from his horse, which shied at a bridge on Thursday night. His head was hurt, and also his back. He was attended to by Dr. Steven.

An itinerent musician who was in Timaru on Saturday (says the Timaru Herald) complained that he had a very poor job, as he had earned only 30s or 40s that day. “1 only get 8s a day,” said a bystander, who wished to know what the other would call a good job.

Advertising pays! A bit of logic frdm an unknown source; “When a duck lays an egg, she just waddles ofl as if nothing had happened. When a hen lays an egg, there’s a whale of a noise. The hen advertises. Heiici the demand for hens’ eggs instead of ducks’ eggs!”

In illustrating the advantages of weighing and testing the milk of cows, we (Eltham Argus) in our Tuesday’s issue, compared the cheques received by Mr Guy, of Matapu and his brother at Manaia. The cheques in each case were for the produce of 54 cows—noi 100. The respective cheques were £BS and £IOO 7s, a difference of over £ls in favour of the tested herd.

A special meeting of the Borough Council will be held in Monday night when the business will bq the con sideration of Councillor Morison’s no tice of motion: “That the resolution of 23rd January, to place the pro poked loan questions before the ratepayers in four separate issues, be res cinded”; and also consideration of any other loan business.

Sheep-worrying by stray dogs on ai extensive scale is reported from Wai totara. It is stated (says the Tri biine) that a couple of “cure” hav< done a lot of damage in some flocks Mr, George Mee is reported to hav< lost over 40 sheep, while Mr Pearce. Mr Parsons, and others have alsc suffered. Mr Andrew McKenzie shot it is stated, one of the dogs and wound ed the other, but the owner or owner; of the two brutes has not been dis ■’•'i; closed.

“Twelve hours a day—l can’t do it,’' remarked Mr W. G. K. Kenrick, S.M. at the Court yesterday, when Covin sel suggested that His Worship migld feel disposed to continue a case am catch the late train to Hawera instead of the 3 o’clock one. Mr Kenricl said that if the train went at 4 o'clock he would go by it, but he did not wish to set up a precedent by staying ovei till the 6.30 from Stratford. As i was, the office and court work kep him busy from 8.30 till close on ! o’clock, with thirty minutes foi lunch.

A very curious point was raised ir the Auckland Police Court last Friday. Two youths, who had had a difference , of opinion, agreed to settle it in a backyard in the time-honoured fashion with their fists. The night be ing dafk and the arena being small, the conflict did not last long, one o r the combatants falling against the fence and sustaining slight injury. This apparently was the only injur? sustained by either side. An un looked-for sequel happened when hot] lads were summoned for assaulting each other. Mr London, who appear ed for them, argued that there could be no assault if both agreed to have a fight, but the Magistrate, Mr E. C. Cutten, said that no one could agree to be assaulted, just as no one could agree to be murdered—in each case an offence was certainly committed. A lengthy argument followed, in which it was pointed out that in the case of a fight the recipient of any injur? had a civil claim for damages, and also the inflictor of the injury could / be proceeded against criminally. The question of boxing matches under po lice control being technical assaults was also raised. In the end tin Magistrate reserved his decision.

Traffic in Broadway was paralysed this morning for a time, when a ram took possession of Stratford’s main street,, charging all and sundry, The animal', first took exception to the county ranger, and, like Mary’s lamb, followed him into Broadway. Running into, a butcher’s shop, it sniffed the carcases with obvious disapproval, and then returned to the street to chase a small boy. There it noticed its reflection in a jeweller’s window, and onlookers cannot yet explain just how it wae that the charge did not break the window. Catching sight of the ranger, the ram dodged and ran into the County Hotel. A valiant porter seized a broom, but the ram bowled him oyer like a nine-pin. Then his lordship took a breathing spell, surveying Stratford from the Post Office steps. A few seconds later and the County Hotel was again raided, and out of the front door rushed another inmate, the ram maintaining a very good second place. Finally, the ranger and the borough inspector got a rage and towed the conqueror to the Not to be denied, however, he budged from there as from his owner’s place and when last seen was chasing small boys with unabated vigor.