LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 84, 13 August 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A social under the auspices of the Druids' Lodge takes place in thf Fore lers' Hall this erening.

The annual meeting of members of the Horticultural Society will bo held in the Borough Council Chambers this evening. A grand bazaar in akl of the Tariki Hall improvement fund will be held in the hall on Thursday and Friday of next week. A big feature will be the baby show, for which there are lour classes. Entries for this competition close on the 19th hist. The Chamber of Commerce decided last night to co-operate with the

Borough Council in its effort to have the present post office building replaced by a more up-to-date one. It was also decided to get signatures to a petition asking the Government to have the work done.

It was proposed at last night's meeting of the Chamber of Commerce that a paid secretary lie appointed,] as there was a great deal of work attaching to the position. Mr W. A. Hewitt objected to this course being taken, being of the opinion that the Chamber could not afford the ex-

pense; and to simplify matters he offered to assume the position for the coming year. His offer, naturally, was accepted by members.

At recent meetings of the County Council reports have been received from foremen that'roads were being cut up through firewood carting. At this morning's meeting Cr. Walter said that if the foremen were fully aware of the Council's by-laws on the matter of heavy cartage they should surely be able to institute Court proceedings ; and it was decided that copies of the by-laws bo sent to each foreman.

Stratford is not the only place in the world where the streets are not quite up to the mark, as witness the following letter from Mrs A. Jones, Midhirst, read at to-day's meeting of the County Council: "I beg to draw your Council's attention to the state Standish and Cambria Streets are getting into. A person can't walk out at night'after dark without going up to their knees in bog-holes. I think it is up to the Council to do something in repair, as I don't think a single pound has been spent on the above streets during the last twelve years. Hoping this will meet with your Counicl's approval, I am, etc." The Engineer was instructed to investigate.

•In, his "Old Whaling Days," Mi Robert McNab demolishes an honored tradition. He says that the "race'' which resulted in the British flag being hoisted at Akaroa a few days before the arrival of the French settlers had nothing at all to do with the sovereignty of the South Island On June 17, 1840, while the French emigrants were still ■-a-"--month's sai from thfl: New Zeahuu] j Gap tain James Nios, of H.MV& Herald formally took possession of the South Island in Cloudy Bay, in the presence of seven whalers, including on-. French boat. He hoisted the flag and fired a salute of twenty-one guns fwhile a proclamation was read b\ Major Thomas Bunbury, of the,Both Regiment. The author reproduces: the entries which record the proceed ings in the log of the Herald.

At this morning's meeting of the County Council one of the foremen reported that a settler ivas allowing his pigs to wander on the roads. It was decided to notify the settler in question unless he confined his pigs. A jocular suggestion was' made that the foremen be allowed to shoot all pigs found wandering on the roads, and the discussion easily drifted to the right of a settler to shoot such of his neighbour's pigs as may trespass on his land. One councillor laid it down that shooting would be held to be illegal unless the shooting party had a legal fence between his land and that from which the pigs strayed. He stated further that on one occasion he had a great wisli to shoot his neighbour's pigs, but, unfortunately, there was no dividing fence, the boundary being at a gorge about thirty feet deep; "and," said the Councillor, "a gorge could not be regarded as a legal fence, even if it Avas a hundred miles deep."-

The new executive committee of the Chamber of Commerce is mainly comprised of martyrs, or, to be more correct, is comprised of gentlemen made of the stuff from which martyrs are made. Previously the number of members on the committee was restricted to six, and at last night's annual meeting six gentlemen were nominated for seats before it dawned on somebody that Mr W. L. Kennedy should have been on the committee, it being pointed out that no man knew better than he did the needs of the back country. Then one nominee arose and suggested that he should be quietly dropped overboard—nobody would miss him, and then there would be room for Mr Kennedy. Then another nominee arose and advanced reasons why he and not the previous speaker should be allowed the pleasure of sudden death (so to apeak). Then another nominee arose avid specified his particulr qualifications for the post of martyr. In fact the whole six offered their services as a martyr, and it wa.s only a timely suggestion thai the number on the committee be increased to nine that saved a serious deadlock being reached.

Men may come and men may go, And accidents fill the world with woe; lint one thing that will ever endure Is W. K. Woods' Groat Peppermint Cure, Which puts new life in rich and poor. And health and strength it doth restore ; That's why I am so very sure. There's nothing like Woods' Peppermint Cure, 17

The latest Gazette contains a notification of the setting aside for selectioii of the Tauinatamahoe Block Extension (5559 acres). Twenty-five civil cases (six of which are to lie defended) are set down for hearing at the Court on Friday.' The only other cases set down are three judgment summonses. The acceptance of the services of the Opunake Rifle Club is officially notified in the latest Gazette, the disbandment of the Pihama Club being notified at the same time.

The Horticultural Society is holding its annual meeting in the Borough Chambers this evening. Several of its supporters have left the district lately and new members will be heartily welcomed. The finances of the Society show a small credit balance in spite of the enlarged prize list at the last Autumn Show.

The following letter from the Superintendent of the State-Guaranteed Advances Office was read at to-day's meeting of the County Council: "If am in receipt of your letter of July 7th applying for a loan of £240 to metal a continuation of Regan Street from the boundary of the Borough of Stratford, and, in reply, I have to inform you that the Department lias very little money to lend owing to the heavy demands which have hitherto been made by local authorities on ils funds. The Board is not at present able to entertain any applications for loans except those required for certain public works in outlying districts. I regret, therefore, that the Board is unable to entertain your Council's application."

The following new books have been added to the Stratford Public Library:—"ln Old Madras" (B. M. Croker), "The Vision of the Years" (Curtis York), "The Determined Twins" (Edgar Jepson), "The Man from Nowhere" (Victor Bridges), "The Honour of the Clintons" (A. Marshall), "The Crystal Stopper" (M. Leblance), "Margaret Dent" (E. A. Rowlands), "How Many Miles to Babylon" (M. E. Irwin),' "Pity the Poor Blind" (H. Bashford), '"Mrs Brett" (M. Hamilton), "The Marriage of Kettle" (J. C. Hyne), "The Brave Brigands" (May Wynne), "The Man who would not be King" (S Dark. '

Discussing the minutes of the previous meeting Cr. Smith, at this morning's meeting of the County Council, said the matter of railway level crossings had not been given by the Council the attention it deserved. He hoped that the Chairman, when at the Counties' Conference, would keep an open mind on the subject and give his hearty support to ally practical suggestion for remedying ,the present state of 1 affairs.' ; There were many difficulties in the way, and properly nothing could be done until there was a radical change in the method of surveying railways. In Stratford borough there were at least six dangerous crossings, and the expense of putting up gates and having men in attendance would be prohibitive. Cr. Smith said he mentioned the matter because he was absent when the matter was being discussed. The chairman said he had not pressed the Council on the question. His own view was that the expense would be so great that proposed, remedies would be found impracticable. Therefore, he thought action on the part of the Council would be of little use. Other members supported this view.