LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 43, 19 February 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Sho: “Oh, 1 have no doubt yoi love me, but your love lacks the supreme touch—unselfishness.” He “What makes you say that P” She “You admit it yourself. Yon want nu for yourself alone, you say.” Misguided’ persons at Hanover, Ger many, calling themselves Terraphages have formed a club pledged to eat no thing blit earth, after the manner of certain degraded tribes. Pamphlets ex tolling the advantages of Terraphagism are being issued in French, Ger man and English. Watches on shoe buckles are non being worn by New 'I ork ladies. It many ways Americans are in advance of the time, so it is appropriate that, literally .they should carry it along with them, it keeping pace with them instead of they with it Tin custom is scarcely likely to “catch on’ in England, says an exchange. James Smith, an invalid pensioner, was recently required to give evidence in a case at the Sydney Polici Court. Ho had concluded his evidence, when the senior constable put the deposition before him. “You can’t sign your name, can you Smith?” asked the officer noticing that the witness had lost both hands. “Oh, yes I can,” was Smith’s reply. “Give me a pen.” The senior constable gave the handless man a pen. He took it remarkable firmness between his wrist butts, and with much confidence/ rapidity, and legibility, wrote “James Smith.” The writing was much better than that of the majority of people who have the use of their lingers.

“This letter is marked ‘confidential,’ and the reporters will please note,” remarked the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce last evening. “The reporters will not ‘note,’ ” was Mr I’. Thomson’s ready rejoinder. The Lowgarth Dairy Co. manufactured 1,(i2,78U1h of cheese last month from 1,360,J111b of milk. The amount of butter-fat was 52,3831 b; average test, 3.85. They are paying out .62619 at Is per Jb.

The newspaper Engineer states tli.ftf Germany is building a new type 'of ship, lying low in the water and little more than awash, and thus revolutionising warfare. It further states that the plans were first offered to Britain, which ignored the offer. It claimed that five of these vessels could destroy a superdreadnought costing the price of twenty of the new vessels. They carry a single gun of maximum power, and an impenerable bowshield is the only target for the enemy to aim at. Admiral Cyprian Bridge, interviewed, ridiculed re-furbishing these vessels, as they were an obsolete typo, and were helpless with a single gnu against a battleship in a considerable head sea. As the law is at present there appears to he no reason why a man should not he married every year of his life, provided that he marries the same woman every time. There is nothing to prevent people being married in one church one day and in another twenty-four hours later if they so please. This state of affairs was regarded by the Methodist Conference with misgiving, says the Times, and it unanimously passed the following motion by the Rev. H. L. Blamir.es: “That the committee of privileges., take into consideration the abuses likely to arise from the provision' of the Marriage Act which permits parties to obtain two licenses from the registrar, allowing the ceremony to he performed in two distinct buildings at different periods.”

Are women more forgetful than their menfolk? It will be generally conceded that as a rule they are not, particularly in the matter of detail when they are out holidaying. But an exceptional, and rather amusing, instance is recorded in connection with the recent Stratford picnic at the East End beach, and the result is a rather embarrassed caretaker. Perhaps it is that this man’s duties have made him well versed in the uses and importance of many of the articles of women’s attire, and accounts for the desire to have lost knick-knacks restored to their rightful owners. He closes his letter of thanks to the School Committee as follows: “If any of your people who lost articles will drop me a line I will forward them; I made a great collection of articles after they left—ladies’ articles of every description!” r

There is just now to bo met an increasing number of two-meal-a-day enthusiasts (says the Ladies’ Pictorai); people who once thought themselves starved if they were not regularly “sandwiched”between the more important table events of the day. The now and more frugal regime has its attractions, but unfortunately they are not for everybody. To those who' entertain, tins discrepancy in appetites is already beginning to bring complications; for, while there are plenty of two-meal men as well as women, there still remain a very considerable number of enthusiasts of the three, four, or even the late Victorian five-meal order. tlnd it is manifest that the small, light dinner, which makes the fourth meal of the over-fed majority, means “starvation” to those who intend -to “make-up” for what they have missed throughout the day.

The prisoners Stannaway and Boss, who escaped from the Kaingaroa prison camp on Sunday night were brought in on Tuesday by Mr Leggett, officer in charge of the prison (states the Auckland Star). On Monday night 6 Mr Leggett marshalled his forces, knowing that the men would travel by night only. He planted them here and there in likely places to intercept the runaways. The Maoris of the pa near Murupara offered help, being apprehensive of the prisoners making for their homes. They were hidden at the Murupara bridge, armed with nondescript weapons. The escapees approached the bridge . early in the night, and, refusing to answer the challenge, wore shot at, Ross being struck in one hip. He dropped, yelling lustily, and surrendered. The other was overtaken by the natives a short distance along the road. The action of the natives will have a de-terrent-effect on prisoners harbouring thoughts of escape in the future. The reading of the correspondence at a meeting of the Queenstown (Ta-s? mania) Municipal Council brought up the much talked of inscription on the headstone of the grave of St. Clair Stone, who was killed by a fall of stone at the Mount Lyell mine on September 11th (says a message to the Melbourne Age). The last words which are being so much commented on are: “A human sacrifice on the altar of dividends.” The warden said the only thing ho took exception to was that the by-laws had been ignored, .and it was his duty as warden to see that the by-laws were carried out. A verbal communication had been made to him that the wording on the headstone was offensive, and it was asked of him what ho intended to do. Section 21 of the Cemeteries Act showed that it was necessary to have permission before any headstone could be erected, and that permission had never been obtained. The section also gave the council power to remove any wording from a headstone, and that power they meant to exercise. The council clerk was instructed that lie was to proceed and have the inscription effaced by one of the council’s employees, if the local undertaker had not done so. Accordingly the words were painted over by the council’s woriimau.

The report of the Chamber of Commerce meeting last evening appears on page 3; School Committee, page 7 ; correspondence on the eighth.

The first suffragist ship is carrying lumber down the coast, says the New York World. She is the schooner Hiram, commanded by Captain Gcorgi ina Orme, whose daughter, Miss Lilian Orme, takes the wheel. Mr James the captain’s husband, is a passenger, but lends a hand with the pumps occasionally.

A honeymoon in ihe air was enjoyed by a couple married in

Munich last month. The first stage i took place directly after the ceremony, i The groom was the proprietor of a , military Hying machine factory, and

the bride a daughter of a Bavarian

\ Army surgeon. Directly after the ! ' ceremony the newly-married pair took their seats in an aeroplane and flew I to the home of the bride’s parents for the wedding breakfast.

“I am a Nonconformist minister,” writes a correspondent of the Manchester Guardian, “and last week I had occasion to write asking for permission to conduct a funeral in the churchyard. The vicar immediately sent me a kind and courteous note. 1 , could not but notice that it would be "■possible to give to his words a sinister meaning. The note ran: ‘You will, both to-morrow and at any other time, be most welcome in our churchyard.’ ”

Six totara piles were taken from Hokianga to Opunake and owing to difficulties connected with landing them at the latter place they were taken on to New Plymouth, landed and railed to Eltham. Freight anc railage amounted to £2B 11s 9d. Cost of cartage from Eltham to Opunake £l6. Fairly expensive piles by the time they reached Opunake, where they were used for wharf repairs. And still a few people wonder why Opunake people want a railway, the Argus observes.

A court of inquiry is to be held at Masterton on February 20th, concern ing the recent “strike” of local Ter-

ritorials, and other circumstances. Notices were served last night upon the \ Territorials affected. It is stated the inquiry will be open to the press. There probably be four different counts in the inquiry, one of which will af--1 feet the leaving parade of eighteen men on November 29th last; a second, the reason why two of the eighteen were not reported as absent; r third, the reason for the absence of Lieutenants Wilson and Morton on the night of November 29th; and the fourth, the reason for the appointmenf of Lieutenant Hirschberg to the Regi ment. It is understood that Colonel R. W. Tate will preside, and, with two other members of the staff, will i constitute the Court.

Humorists who depicted a topsyj turvy world, with the man at home ( performing the household duties while the wife directed .operations at the Stock Exchange, have not overdrawn their pictures very much. This war shown when the Willesden (London' \ Magistrates had an anxious young . '■ man before them, who wanted to know what he could do with his wife. Ho said that she had-neglected the house and the baby, and insisted upon go . ing out to work. He rvas in gooc' employment, but every now and again htid to get a day off to clean the house, bath the baby, and wash its clothes He had only been married tw r o years but his wife refused to do any house work, and left it all to him. The Magistrate said he would instruct the police to* inquire into the matter and see if there was any neglect of the child on the part, of the mother.

“You Australians, in your attempt to do something original, are distinctly funny at times.” The speak er was a New Zealander, and fie ad-

dressed his remark to a Sunday Time? man. “Why, what is the trouble P” asked the latter. “Well,” was the re ply, “here is someone seriously sug gesting that ‘Coo-ee’ should be substi tuted for ‘Hurrah.’ ” “Well, what’s the matter with that?” “Oh, I don’t know, but if you want to cut the Brit ish war-cry out, why don’t you get something of your own, not pinch the yell of a conquered race,” “Uhrn!” “I don’t suppose,there was much con-

quering about it, either. The British cheer has a history, it has the greatest N Empire the world has seen behind it. '■and it’s yours by right or birth if you want it. Coo-ee may be all right j when you’re lost in the bush, but I’ nr thinking that some day the thing you tvill long to hear more than anything else in the world, will be a British cheer.” We are so accustomed to think of Americans as being up to date in all the ordinary conveniences of life, that it is quit© odd to read that the parcel post has only been established in the United States this year, having come into operation on January Ist, 1913. The system is in existence in forty-three other nations, but it is only after endless discussion and argument that it has been adopted in the States. It has been used in England for the last 30 years, and it is said that a woman was the cause of it. She took a pair of trousers to the post office, wanting to post them at the lower rate allowed for books and other printed matter. The officials laughed her, but she insisted that the regulations stipulated that articles open at both ends could go by the lower rates, and that nothing was more open at both ends than a pair of trousers. She was so serious about the matter that it was brought before tfe Postmaster-General, who decided that the woman- was right. That, according to the •story, was the beginning of the parcel post in England. Two Guineas for four lines of poetry! Road Tonking’s Linseed Emulsion intimation every Saturday amongst new* items.

A Wellington Press Association telegram says that a Hawera stock buyer has received an order from the Continent for frozen horse meat.

The Government is about to throw open for settlement an area of 2500 acres of land on the Hauraki Plains. The land will bo ready for bnlloting on March 24th, and it is anticipated (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) that the land, which is of a particularly good class, will cut into 25 dairy farms.

Our readers are again reminded ol the garden party to-morrow afternoon, and the entertainment in the evening in connection with St. Andrew; Church, in the new Manse grounds. It the day should be wet the function will be held in the Forester’s Hall.

No nominations were received for the vacancy in the Whangamomona County Council caused by the resignation of Mr M. I. Jury, representative for Pohokura Riding, and nominations will again be called for.

The selling of .Dutch cheese for Cheshire, says an English paper, it vexing the producer of the latter. It is understood that the agreement tc brand Dutch cheese with the countrj of its origin has been carried otit, hut the retailer, when the cheese is cut up, can easily sell the foreign article for the home produce.

George Knudsen, an able-bodied young man of about thirty years oi age, was charged at Stratford this morning with being an idle and disorderly person. From the evidence oi the police, Knudsen appears to have )>een chiefly occupied in tagging on tc drunken men since February 7fh, bul except on two charges of drunkenness has not placed himself within tin reach of the law. The Bench deci ded to convict accused and order him to come up for sentence when callec upon, conditionally that he leaves tin town at once.

A member of the School Committee at the meeting last night referred to the dirty water in the baths, and asked how often the baths were emptied. The reply was “every week.” This did not meet with the member’s approval, and he pointed out that after about 1000 children and adults had been bathing during the week, the water must be like soup, and it would be advisable to empty the baths more frequently. That was one of the reasons, no doubt, why the baths were not better attended. At one time, it was stated, the water was not changed more often than once a fortnight.

A contractor employing labour on a metalling contract on a road to the east of Stratford, informed Mr J Smith that he was paying as much as 15s a day to workmen. While this figure was hardly accepted by the Council, the engineer stated that labour in this district was certainly at a premium, unless contractors were prepared to pay exhorbitant wages. Mr Marfell, however, gave it as his opinion that labour was getting more plentiful, and would continue to do sc for some time. The fact remains that a contract in the Mangaehu Riding is being seriously delayed through tin contractor being unable to secure suffi cient labour.

“The cost of attempting to maintain this road has been exorbitant,” reads a paragraph in the engineer’s report presented to-day to the Stratford County Council. A councilloi remarked that there was no use. blinkremarked that there was jio ns© blind waited till the mountain metal was available. It was decided to form a committee consisting of the chairman, Councillors Smith, Christoffel, Walter, Anderson, and Young, and lay before the Prime Minister and Minister for Public Works, the difficulties under which the Council struggles in obtaining supplies of metal. Other wants of the County will be included at the discretion of the Committee.

The financial row of the average housewife is becoming more difficult to hoe with the years. The present price of milk in a country that some people delight to talk about as flowing with milk is the wonder of every visitor to Taranaki. The usual rise iri the price of milk somewhere about this time of the year presages the approach of winter, which is yet afar off. but the winter of the housewives’ discontent as far as milk is concerned will start punctually on the Ist of the ensuing month, when the price will he 4d a quart—a rise of a penny. But the most disconcerting piece of the news that comes from a local milkman is that 4d a quart is likely to be maintained throughout the following summer, with the customary rise of a penny next winter. The retailers say they have to pay so much for the lacteal fluid that there is nothing in the game for them. Two fine young pedigree Holstein hulls, of which more will probably he heard later, arrived in Stratford yesterday, being consigned to Messrs Tichhon Bros., Stratford. The youngsters are hut seven months old, though none but an Holstein expert would put their ages down at less than a year. They have very imposing jkk!igrees. Both are by the well-known hull, Pontiac I)e Kol Burke, and their respective darns are Clover Pledge (Imp.) and Lillith Count Ingalis May (Imp.) As a four year old, Clover Pledge gave 201 b. of butter fat in seven days, with an average of 77 lbs of milk per day, and as a three year old, the latter animal gave 161 hs. butter fat in the seven day period. All the animals were bred and imported by Mr J. H. Parkinson (Opotiki, Bay of Plenty). The youngsters are already entered for the New Plymouth Show.

Correspondence and other matter held over until to-morrow. The well known business of the Crown stables, Stratford, is changing hands shortly. The Stratford Beautifying Society is holding a committee meeting on .Monday evening next. The Court list for Friday’s sitting of the Magistrate’s Court includes nineteen civil cases, none defended, three judgment summonses, and one information for unlawfully removing tarpaulins from the railway station at Toko. It was inadvertently stated in oiu issue of yesterday that Miss Nolan would be one of the singers at the garden fete to he held in the St. Andrew’s Manse to-morrow afternoon. The singer in question is Mrs V. Nolan, of Te Wera. Though the Stratford County Council’s present overdraft of £2400 is £4OO odd more than it was last year, the Council’s position is not fairly represented by this comparison. During the year buildings, plant, and land have increased the Council’s assets'by £I6OO, so that the Council is in a better condition this year to the extent of £I2OO.