LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 34, 8 February 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postponed euchre party in connection with the Oddfellows’ Lodge will take place on Monday evening in the Foresters’ Hall.

A number of Australian sixpences are reported to be In circulation in Napier, and tradespeople are refusing to accept them.

The Presbyterian garden fete to be held on the new Manse grounds on 20th inst. is well under way, and promises to be a success. Mr G. Smart has volunteered to light up the grounds at night with electric light,and Mr Hine, M.P., has consented to open the fete.

Zanzibar, that fine horse with which Mr E. Mason won so many honours, and which he recently sold to Mr A. A. Cliff, did some big tilings at the Feilding show yesterday, securing three firsts, one champion, and a tenguinea cup.

The Taranaki Presbytery, which met in Hawera last Thursday, unanimously agreed to the purchase of Mr F. W. Wake’s house and grounds' for a manse and glebe. The Presbytery appointed the llev J. Pattison moderator of the Toko Presbyterian Home Mission charge.

Special competitions are to be held shortly by the Stratford Volunteer Fire Brigade to contest the two trophies recently presented to the Brigade—the handsome silver-mounted bread board, the gift of Mr C. E. James, and the oil painting, presented by Mr A. Moon.

Probate of the wills in the estates of the late William Abbott (of Stratford), Magnus Coutts (of Waipuku). and G. A. Kindberg (of Stratford), were granted by Mr Justice Edwards on Tuesday last on the motion of Mr W. D. Anderson.

The ordinary meeting of the Borough Council will be held on Monday next, at 8 p.m. Cr Healy will move according to notice, “That the resolution of the s!3th inst, giving permission to the Public Works Department to take earth from section 757, be rescinded.”

In the slaughtermen’s strike there is nothing very new to report. If anything the position is more hopeful for settlement, as a new award is being considered. Applications are reaching the various companies to man the boards, and in most of the works little difficulty is being experienced in carrying on.

Mr W. A. Hewitt (New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co.) received information by wire on Thursday afternoon that Mr George Bell, Hawke’s Bay, informing him that the Land Purchase Board had made him an offer for his 742 acres of freehold on Ross Road, Tariki, and which he accepted. This property we understand will be cut up into eight or nine dairy farms. The property is very suitable for this purpose, and will assist dairying very much in this particular locality.

An excellent Easter holiday is being suggested by Mr C. 1). Sole and Mr Joseph McCluggage, who are arranging for a party of New Plymouth and Stratford men to make a trip into the backblocks, taking a special train from Stratford to Kohuratahi, from where settlers will convey the visitto a camp which Is to he constructed. The idea of the scheme is, of course, to advertise the district. There is certainly some great country “out cast,” and its potentialities are at present little known.

At a meeting of the Committee of the Stratford Racing Club, held last evening, the secretary laid before the Committee a statement of the “racemeeting account” for the recent New Year’s meeting. After payment of all charges, including the Government tax of £571 9s, a nett profit of £1037 15s lid was realised. Tin's was considered to he eminently satisfactory, being practically the same as last year’s profit, hut with the difference that ilie stakes paid at the recent meeting were some £3OO more than for tiie year previous. The committee was unanimously of the opinion that a large proportion of the profit should he devoted to improving the Club’s property and giving additional facilities lo the public in the direction of greater general convenience for all patrons,

There was a big advance in the price of eggs to-day. From the comparatively modest shilling yesterday to “one-and-four” to-day means a good deal to the average housekeeper if the members of the household aie to sec an egg at all regularly on the menu card.

The following are the handicaps tor next Thursday’s competitions the Stratford Fire Brigade:—BishatfrCup: Lieut. Wilson and Foreman Burgess, scr.; Branchman Evans, 2sec; Secretary Drake, 2ssec; Branchman Boon, 3sec; Fireman Davies, 3£sec; lireman Crossan, Fireman Sullivan, 5$ sec; Fireman .Gorton, 9sec. New Zealand Clothing Co.’s trophy: Secretary Drake, scr; Foreman Burgess, Isec; Branchman Evans, Fireman Davies and Lieut. Wilson, 3 sec; Branchman Boon, 4sec; Fireman Sullivan 7sec; Fireman Gorton, 9sec.

The local branch of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd and Deduced, received telegraphic advice yesterday evening that there was splendid competition at the wool sale held in Wellington. It is interesting to learn the prices realised by some of the local brands sold yesterday. 45, ten bales crossbred wool, ewes and hoggets, 9|d per lb; AMcP, (Toko), live bales ewes’ wool, 9jd; J (Stanley road), four bales crossbred wool, 9Jd; L over LS (Kohuratahi), three bales crossbred wool, 9£d; AD (Tututpwa), four bales crossbred wool 9£d, 45 (Tahora), one bale crossbred wool 9|d.

What must surely be unique in the annals of rifle shooting in New Zealand—indeed it might almost claim to lie a world’s record—(says the News) occured at Waiwakaiho, New Ply* mouth, yesterday. In the Patea Match, seven shots at each of the 800, 900, and 1000 yards ranges, was in progress, and an enthusiastic East County rifleman lay down on the butts. His first sighting shot at 800 yards was an inner and counted 4. He was not satisfied with this,. and refused to tak eit. Possibly he was sorry afterwards that he did not, as that was the only time he touched the target at that range. He also failed with all his shots at 900 yards, and at the 1000 yards merely grazed the canvas with his last shot, getting up with the fine score of threp, one less than his discarded first attempt.

Mr C. A. Wilkinson, M.P. for Egmont, who has been touring Otago and Southland as one of a Parliamentary party, has sent the following telegram to the Opunake Times: “I would suggest that Opunake people ,be very active in railway matters just now. The Otago people have just spent hundreds of pounds showing the Parliamentary party over Central Otago proposed extensions. Opunake’s claim for railway construction is second to none, and should be pushed to the front and urged without intermission. Opunake should lie included with the first new lines to be constructed ns, soon as money is available. Southland people have also motored the Parliamentary party nearly 800 miles to show their requirements, which will show the activity and enterprise of other - provinces in getting their public wants supplied.” . i

“Bud” Atkinson’s Wild West Show and Circus at Moore Park, Sydney, broke up on Saturday week and commenced a tour of the country. The work of shifting the several thousand chairs was carried out on Sunday, and during a lull in the job a stranger standing by cried out in a loud voice, “Oh, I don’t want these chairs. You kids can have them.” There was a wild rush, and in a very few minutes 750 seats had disappeared completely. Youngsters in scores rushed across the road to their homes, carrying as many folding chairs as their strength would allow. Then Mr S. Walder, owner of the chairs, appeared on the scene, and received quite a shock when he saw his supply was so depleted. The matter was put into the hands of the police, and next morning 190 of the stolen chairs were, returned.

The schedule for the Stratford Horticultural Society’s show to be held in the Town Hall on Thursday and Friday, March 6th and 7th, is now in circulation. Among the sections, it will be seen that classes are larger \

than formerly, and the farm exhibit and cottage exhibit especially should attract much attention, carrying, as they do, large prize money. The former competition is for the best exhibit of the varied produce of one farm which can be conveniently used to form an attractive display, and the second for the best exhibit of the products of an area not exceeding £ an acre, to be raised or grown by exhibitor. Competition in both classes should be keen. A feature of this season’s show is the manner in which local well-wishers of the society have responded with special donations.

A strange discovery was made at the Wellington Hospital yesterday afternoon, when the Coroner, Mr McArthur, S.M., Aias to have held an inquest touching the death ivoman Jessie Holt, also known as Mrs Edith Richards, who was removed to the institution after being found in a serious condition at a house in Lome street. She died on Wednesday night. This afternoon the Coroner went into the morgue to view thiV*

body, hut it was not there. He then proceeded to the room where the police and witnesses were limiting, and announced that the body could not he found. Dr. Woodhouse, senior house surgeon, was summoned, and on the Coroner enquiring what had become of the body, said that he had given authority for a certificate as to the cause of death, and that the body bad been taken away from the hospital in the morning and buried the afternoon,

At the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, before Mr Kenrick, S.M., judgment by default was entered in the following cases: George Gudgeon (Mr Stanford), v. Frank O’Loughlin, claim £3 19s 6d and costs 18s; E. A. Drake (Mr Thomson) v. Robert William Schaffer, claim £5 os sd, and costs £1 3s 6d; A. Cook (Mr Fookes) v. Frank Cowell, claim £5 ss, and costs £1 7s 6d. In the libel case, Thomas Walsh (publisher of the Voice of Labour), v. the Maoriland Worker, a claim for £l5O, the jury awarded £SO damages, with costs. The other case, against William P. Black, the manager of the company publishing the Voice of Labour, resulted in a verdict for the defendants, with costs. During the hearing the Judge remarked that the use of violent language such as that employed by both journals should be suppressed by law.