LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 2, 2 January 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The* man arrested on tin- racecourse vostorday on a charge of attempting to pick the pocket of Mr Dan Barry, of Havct’ra. appeared at the Court this morning l and was remanded till next Friday. He gave the name of Cohort Johmson.

A noxious weod known as the Star thistle is appearing In parts of the Poverty Bay district, and threatens to become almost as troublesome as the Californian thistle. -The thistle is locally called the “wind” thistle, audit grows to a height of three or four feet in good ground, it is very had in some parts of Australia.

At the Wanganui Axemen’s Carnival B. Xewstroski (37sec) won the 1 rulerhand Chop. The Wanganui Axemen’s Chop resulted: S. T. Smith (30seo),

1; A. Dwyer '(27sec), 2; B. Xewstroski (27sec), 3; E. G. Harris (30sec), 4. Won by 13 seconds. Time, 2min 52 2-osee.

Shortly before last election Mr T. Doyle, of Pembroke Hoad, definitely stated his of contesting the Stratford seat. Mr Boyle, however, changed his mind and did not enter the lists. A rumor is now afloat that Mr Boyle has made a similar statement on this occasion; but the fact is not taken very seriously.

New Year’s Eve passed off fairly quietly in Stratford. The crowd in Broadway was not very large, but business appeared to be good in all the shops. “Stratford weather” prevailed yesterday and large crowds came from north and south, the races, of course, being the attraction. On the course the weather conditions were ideal, the hot sun being tempered by a nice cool breeze. The crowd on the course was highly orderly,. and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves.

Says the Taranaki Herald: Complaint reaches ns from Matau that a weed, called locally spider wort, is becoming a nuisance in that district. Our informant says the nursery of the plant is the school ground and a section opposite, and that it has now spread two miles away. The Inspector of Noxious Weeds has had his attention directed 1 to it, but says he can do nothing as the Clifton County Council has not declared it a noxious weed. The Education Board, our informant thinks, should take stops to eradicate it from the school ground.

The Church Chronicle just issued states that it is the desire of the Bishop of the Province- of New Zealand that no clergyman he married within three years of his ordination to the diaconute. The Bishop of Wellington also desires that no marriage be celebrated in private houses, except in cases where both parties are living at. least six railed from a, church or church-room. The Chronicle also states thatf.the bishop will be most grateful if self-denial offerings during the 'coming. Lent,, not otherwise allocated, he pjiyfm for the benoilu; -of the missionary districts, iff tjie, diocejse.

I The dangerous undertow at New Brighton beach has given the surf chib there plenty of work during the holidays, says the Christchurch Press. The club’s patrol were on duty on Boxing Day, and it was just as well, for at about 4.30 the pavilion alariti bell was rung and the man on the look-out signalled “A swimmer in difficulties in deep ‘tVattcT'” The life reels were speedily manned, andtlre line run out. The man■ introuble was. Safely brought; to 'khore. ■ A rescue' was bffccted by'another member of The club earlier in the'-afternobn. A bather was seen to be clinging to the pier piles with the surf breaking completely over him. He was with some little difficulty brought ashore.

M.'h Alice Palmer appeared a; i'tll- - (O’ ego- ! on a summons r. jse.il ly, charge with neglecting her boy Hex, aged six months, by refusing to clothe him.. Neighbours had complained that the child had been seen lying on a pallet in the backyard in the cold, quite- naked. Experts who examined the boy pronounced him physically perfect, and splendidly developed. He wears no clothes, night or day, and' his body is tanned a dark brown all over. He sleeps without any covering, and is never so happy as when romping naked on his pallet in the yard. The charge against Mrs Palmer was dismissed, the Central News says, and she left the court iii great triumph, with her naked boy in herJarms.

A London correspondent of the Sydney Sun states that hundreds of lino girls in the north of Ireland and also in England are ready to emigrate to Australia as domestic servants, but they have not the passage money, or even the means of obtaining a necessary outfit. Usually their wages are not more than £lO a year. Canada proposes to import domestic servants free of all charges next year, and unless Australia adopts similar action the importation of female servants will come to a standstill. Fifteen girls will leave shortly for Sydney. The whole of their passage money lias been paid by their, future employers, and most of them are entirely without a suitable wardrobe.

A German'paper publishes an interesting article on the lost dishes of the Middle Ages. It seems that the art of cooking has declined, and that it is in part due to the changing fashions in food. For instance, in Germany in the Middle Ages many vegetables wen' eaten which have long since disappeared from the table, such as violet loaves, mixed with young nettles, thistles and gret'ii wheat, and boiled hemp seeds. Salads were made of mallow leaves, celery roots, and purslane, mixdc with salt and pepper, for oil was almost unknown. Olive oil was considered to smack of effeminacy and’ Italian luxury. Horse' radish sauce was used instead.

A quantity of correspondence and other matter is crowded out of our

present issue. Though they did not bring so many passengers as yesterday, this morning's trains from north and south carried a good number of patrons for the races.

Three hard-working members of the Stratford Pacing Club (most of the members are the same) are Messrs J. F. Watson, E. B. Stohr, and George Syme, who have been connected with the Chib for some years. Although"" these gentlemen have been resident

away from Stratford for some time, they regularly attend the meetings and willingly give their services to the Club.

for the ton months ending October 30 there were exported from Great Britain 4032 head of cattle, valued at £238,603. Of these, 1182 went to the. Argentine, 1172 to the United States, 172 to Uruguay, 136 to Canada, and 28 to Australia. Sheep numbered 6011, of the value of £86,743. The Argentine took 2977, United States 875, Germany 538, Canada 395, Uruguay 376, Australia 150, New Zealand 114. Ihe number of horses exported was 53,456, the value being £1,142,008.