LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 44, 27 June 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The railway revenue for the fourweekly period ended May 24th, totalled £320,891, and the expenditure £219,006, or 64.23 of the revenue. The Wellington City Council has decided to purchase three motor ’busses to lie used as feeders to the tram*? way system. In the local churches on Sunday references will be made to the desirability of Bible teaching in State schools. The opportunity of mem-, hers of the congregation expressing opinion op the subject will be given through tli© signing of cards. A Wellington Press Association message states that Lord Liverpool has been pleased to continue giving a medal, hitherto known as the Governor’s Medal, in connection with the Trinity College of Music, London. In future, however, the medal will bo given to the best pianist throughout the colonly taking tho associate pianist A.T.C.L. or L.T.C.L. degree.

At the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court yesterday, a laborer of Mblcau named Clement Millar was fined £5 ' , l and costs £3 8s for keeping liquor < ’ for sale in la no-license area. Defendant find another were accosted by a 1 constable, defendant having on his shoulder a portmanteau containing whisky. When the constable appeiar- ?? ed the other man • dedampsd/■ Mr ‘ Q,william, who appeared’ - for 'Millar, 1 ’ 1 said i Millar had’ been overtaken, by' la. n mail' carrying a portmanteau and, 00. '£■;> being requested; lib ’ cafribd 'it for a r ' 1 time. Mr Quilliam said his client could clear himself if he went into the witness-box, but he (counsel) wanted an assurance that defendant would not be asked questions which would disclose tho name of the owner of the portmanteau. This assurance could not be givem and defendant • did not give evidence. -h o •

- V ‘ ■■' ,|i ; '-■ , till . A story is told (says the Pa tea, ; Press) of a certain country storekeeper living not 100 miles from Mt. Egmpnt who was asked by a customer in the bush to send out. a clothes basket. Thinking a small one would bo of no use he carted out the largest he possessed. The carrying of this ! customer’s article was no light task for the latter part of the journey had to be made on horseback. On arrival at his destination the following dialogue took place:—Lady: Is that the biggest you have got? Grocer (who did not want to carry it back); Yes, mum. this i» the largest basket in stock; in fact a larger size is' not J made. Lady: So you are quite certain that you couldn’t get me a bigger one. Grocer: Quite sure, mum. Lady: Well, it was a smaller one I wanted. Collapse of grocer.

A peculiar case came before the Stipendiary Magistrate in Waitara on Wednesday afternoon, when a young man—Kenneth Lawrence—was charged, on the information of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals with ill-treating a horse. Defendant was employed by,Mr Mal!ett, storekeeper of Lruti, and was coming home after packing out some stores. There were five horses, and in the mud on the Mold road, one of the horses laid down. It would not get up, and defendant, using a knife, slashed off its tail, taking away about one inch of flesh. The explanation /says the local Mail) was that de- • fondant believed the animal was poisoned by eating leaves from a tree on the road side, and he had heard that to bleed from the tail was a possible assistance in such cases. The Magistrate came to the conclusion that defendant had acted in a bona fide manner, and be dismissed the case.

■ At th# Court this morning a firstoffending drunkard was fined 5».

“If I were the Colonel,” said the S.M. (Mr Kenrick) at the Court this morning to a defaulter under the Defence Act, ‘-‘you would not long remain in my employment if you failed to do your duty under the Defence Act.”

Judgment by default was given m the following cases at the Court this morning, Mr Kenrick, S.M, presiding;—Mullen and Marshall v. Norman Franks, £2 Is 6d, costs IDs; Whangamomona County Council y. 0. McPhee, £3 Is 6d, costs 10s; J. H. Robson v. Peter Roguski, £32 6s 9d, costs £3 2s.

The New Zealand championships to have been awarded at the forthcoming Stratford Poultry Show have been / withdrawn on account of their clashing with the North Island Poultry Association’s championship at the same show. Entries for the show close, to-morrow night with the secretary, P.O. Box 52, or at Mr Bowen s fish shop.

Two cases under the Defence Act were disposed of at the Comt this morning. W. W. Vickers was convicted without fine for failing to attend parade. The case had been adjourned to allow of defendant putting in extra drill, which he had done. L. B. Mills was also convicted without fine foi failing to deliver up Government property (a duplicate record book). SergtMajor Bonar explained that defendant had told him bo could not find the duplicate hook, but produced his personal record book. Mr Kenrick, S.M , remarked that no doubt defendant would be more careful in future.

Judgment debtors failed to appear in three judgment summons cases at the Court this morning, and orders were marie by Mr Kenrick, S.M., as follows: Whaagamomona County Council v. J. Harvey, to pay £5 10s 7d forthwith, in default seven days imprisonment; Athol Meredith v. George Thomas, to pay £42 13s 3d forthwith, in default fourteen days’ imprisonment ;/R. J. Scott v. Peter Hoguski, to pay £6 18s 5d forthwith, in default seven days’ imprisonment.

A lad was being examined at the Court this morning regarding the reason why he did not attend Cadet parade, and Police-Sergeant McNeely remarked: “He is a good billiard player.” “Well,” said Magistrate Kenrick, “the sureness of eye he gets through playing billiards will be handy when he takes to the rifle. Serg-Major Sonar remarked that defendant was not taking to the rifle, as he had transferred to the medical corps. , 1( , Mr Kenrich, S.M., asked, SergtMajor Sonar at the Court this morning if a lad yiho was bemg proceeded against had . been, previously, fined for an offence under,.the defence Act. The Sergt-Major said he had not, .mt Mr Kenrick/said the face was farad.ar, when it was explained that defendant had been before the Court on a different charge. The S.M. jocularly remarked that defendant seemed to be getting convicted under the whole o ( » the statutes of the country, and he warned defendant, that he would uid it an expensive matter to run countei to the law—it was much like knoctving his head against a stone wall. , ■

A strange thought has hit an Australian political writer, who, on turning up the records in pursuance 01 his thought, comes to the conclusion that some germ fatal to political life appears to have fastened upon all the ' /Premiers Of the Australian and New Zealand group who attended the Coronation of King .George. With the coming retirement of Mr M'Gowon from the Premiership of New South Wales., the last of those who attended the ceremony as Premiers will disappear. Here is the list: Mr Wilson (Western Australia), Mr Kidston ' (Queensland), Mr Verran (South Australia), Sir Eliot Lewis (Tasmania), Sir Joseph Ward (Now Zealand), Mr Murray (Victoria), Mr M‘Go,wen (New South Wales), and Mr Fisher (Federal Premier). General Botha has survived in South Africa, but not Sir Wilfrid Laurier in Canada,

Prosecutions under the blackleg regulations are not of frequent occurrence, and therefore some interest attached to the charge heard at the Court this morning, when P. Beere, Inspector of Stock, proceeded against J. A. Ludwig for having removed young cattle across the blackleg boundary, without seeing that they had been innoculated within twentyone days previously. Mr Beere explained that forty head of cattle under eighteen months of age had been taken four miles over ( the border in the direction of Tatu. In all Post Offices there were maps showing the blackleg boundary. The Department did not wish a heavy penalty to be imposed, as the offence was the first at this part of the boundary. Mr Kenrick, S.M., said the minimum fine provided was £2 and the maximum fine £2OO. Defendant would be fined £3 with costs £3 6s. The S.M. said buyers of young cattle which they desired to remove- over the boundary should take steps to secure a written guarantee of vaccination. Mr Beere explained that defendant was told that the regulations had been complied with ,but the vaccination marks on the beasts were about four months old-

The temperature as shown by the school instruments last night was 30; that is two degrees of frost, the lowest recorded this year.

The Egmont Club parliament last night discussed a measure for the reform of the Upper House, the chief feature of which was that the members of the House should bo elected by elective senators, these latter consisting of men who have an annual income of £750. The measure was fully debated, and on a vote was thrown out decisively, several of the Ministers finding it impossible to support the clause setting out the qualifications of an elective senator.

A very successful meeting of the Independent Order of Oddfellows (American Constitution) was hold last night. Bro. Thomas was in th© chair, and visitors were present from the Star of Egmont (Eltham), Bros. Stubbs, McCrone, and Gernhoefer. Bro. Stubbs gave a very able address on the working of the Order, after which the various officers were elected and all arrangements made for the opening of the Lodge Triumph,on July 10th.