LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 35, 11 February 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Burton-on-Trent, England, brewers distribute among their employers al Christmas about 75,0001 b. of beef, 1500 turkeys, 1000 geese, 1000 brace 01, pheasants, 500 couple of ducks and fowls, and 500 hares.

A sad tragedy took place at Macon, Georgia, on Thursday. A Baytist iminister, the 'Rev. G. 'lidwell, ‘war herding down to kiss h’.s two-year-old chill good-bye when a pistol fell out of his pocket, and went off, and killed the little one. The father carried the pistol in his pocket so that the children should not get at it.

Mr H. P. Barry, of Waihi, when fishing at Katikati, off Kauri Point, on Saturday, landed a kingfish over Vift. in length and weighing 85Ub thus' heating the previous record catch of this fish 17111), caught at Russell). Mr Barry had the fish shipped to Mr Hazard, of Auckland, with instructions to have it stuffed. “I cannot understand why kodaks were not used hy the police,” said the Chief Justice at Wellington on Monday, in referring to a question of personal identification connected with the strike riot. “Perhaps it was because they were not instructed to use them. In other’ countries they are used very largely. I have read an account of a French riot ir which they were used. They have a small camera which can be operated from the waistcoat pocket.”

' When referring to the hardships s that had to bo faced by the Albert- * land settlers, the Mayor of Auckland (Mr C. J. Parr) created a roar of ’ laughter on Saturday afternoon at r the reunion of Devonshire and Gers trade passengers by relating a story * told him by a pioneer, who has since ’ passed to his rest. “We had pipis for 1 breakfast,” said the old man to the Mayor, “pipis for dinner, and for supper we sang ‘Here we suffer grief j and pain.’ ” During the quarter ended December 31 eight offences against the Fed-! 1 oral anti-opium laws were discovered! in Xew South Wales. The quantity I 1 of opium seized was 2121 b 20z., of an I estimated value of £‘636 7s 6d, but only j in one case was the offender caught, I and he was fined £2. In the other seven cases no owners were found. In Victoria, during the same period, 11 offences were brought to light, but | the quantity of opium discovered was only 41b 4\oz. The fines and penalties imposed amounted to £l9O. No opium | was discovered in Tasmania during! the quarter. Throughout the whole of j the Commonwealth 36 plants of opium | were revealed, the quantity of the I drug involved being 2271 b 4’oz., of an ! estimated value of £6Bl 17s. During j tin l last quarter of 1913 861!) l-Doz of j “Chinese delight” was discovered in j the Commonwealth, the value being set 1 ' down at £277 ss.

An enterprising conjurer some time since vainly advertised a reward of'' £IOO for any Indian magician who could show him a trick which he could nut already perforin. A meeting of the general committee oi the hire Brigade Carnival will be held this evening at 8 o'clock. It has been decided to hold a baby show only, the beauty show idea being abandoned. At the meeting of the Building Society last night all the proposed alterations to the rules were approved. Mr P. Skoglnnd’s tender for an approbation of £4OO was accepted. The Borough Council steam roller was busy this morning on various streets in the Borough rolling clown the loose stones which lifted during •. the recent spell of tine weather. This is work that is very much appreciated by all ratepayers. A sample of the fruit on sale .at Lamason’s .Mart weekly was sampled by the “Evening Post” staff to-day through the courtesy of .Mr Lamason. A ease of William Bon Cretian pears from Morrison and Sons’ Warkworth Orchards lasted a very short time. As a thankoffering on the coming of age of the Marquis of Titchfield next month, and to mark their silver wedding, the Duke and Duchess of Portland have offered to wipe off the debt of between £4OOO and £SOOO on the King Edward memorial wing of Mansfield Hospital. “Not a single bullock,” said a councillor at the meeting of the Xew Plyi mouth Borough Council on [Monday night .when the report of the abattoir manager was submitted, showing that 154 cows had been slaughtered during the past month. Another councillor remarked that there was no wonder people complained about tough meat. A presentation is to he made to Mr F. H. Wilkie* at the Parish 7.50 o’clock to-morrow evening members of the Operatic Society, of which body- Mr Wilkie has been the popular and energetic secretary since its inception. Mr Wilkie, who has been transferred to the Wanganui branch of the Bank of Australasia, leaves for Ms’ new home at an early date.

Saturday’s issue of the Wellington Evening Post says :—“To-morrow the Evening Post will finish the fortyninth year of busy life, and on Monday it will begin the concluding year of a half-century which, it hopes, will be multiplied as New Zealand.and Wellington fulfil their - destiny. The Post has been through storm, andp, stress during the forty-nine years, and successive ;staffs have witnessed the, growth of a very little Wellington to a Greater Wellington, which must become a very larger Wellington within the next twenty years.”The letter of an irate ratepayer to the local Borough Council was amusing to those who heard the contents rend at Monday night’s meeting. The writer had received a summons..!for driving his cart On the foothpath; in Orlando Street, where; it was stated, the road was impassdhlp owing to ruts. He was not alone guilty of the offence, and though he reckoned lie could take his “gruel,” he objected to being made the scapegoat because of a certain “cantankerous” individual. “Despotic” was distinctly good; it was worked into the text in reference to the inspector, and tickled the ears of the Council. But when, in conclusion, he stated that “only one man complained, and he has nothing else to do!” there was no of the mirth provoked. mf