LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 7, 29 April 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Inspector Whetter, of the Education Board, paid a visit to the Tuna School on Friday last. The annual meeting of the Stratford Licensing Committee is to be hold at noon on June sth. Applications, must be lodged by May 14th. The annual meeting of members of the Stratford Association Football Club is to be held in Mr D. Butchart's shop at 2 o'clock to-morrow afternoon. A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that the Labor Department expects to despatch twenty men by the end of the week to Waitani, whence they will be forwarded to the Mokau district, to be empolyod in road-making about Awakino.

A meeting of Tuna residents was held in the schoolroom on Friday last, when it was decided to inaugurate a series of euchre parties, to take the form of a continuous tournament during the present winter. The opening function will bo a euchre party and dance in the school on Friday next, May Ist. An energetic committee has been elected, and given a lino night, the successful launching of the tournament may ho anticipated.

.Mr C. Leech, chairman of the Awakino County Council, exhibited at the Ministerial function at Awakino, a pair of trousers liberally coated with mud, and he asked that they be taken to Wellington to illustrate what Tarannki's mud roads do. The Minister (Hon. W. Fraser), thought that, perhaps the pants had been adorned for his special benefit, but .Mr Leech assured him 'says the Waitara Mail), that the mud came on when he was riding from his place the day bai'ore.

Miss Ellen Terry is a passenger from England by the Omrah, says a Perth Press Association cablegram.

Messrs Percival and Messenger, architects, Inglewood, invite tenders for alterations and additions to a residence on Tariki Road.

Mr T. Wilford, M.P.. who is one of the "Dreadnoughts" of the living squadron, leaves Wellington to-day on his visit to Taranaki. He will prob-

ably speak on what the "Reform" Party promised to be and what it is. No doubt, it will be a good wind-up to a strenuous week, and the Stratford people will be promised a treat tomorrow (Thursday) night. His Worship the Mayor will take the chair.

The Eltham Argus says :—Commenting on the Opunake railway, Mr King told a meeting, "If the line had come to Stratford it would have done more for the town than anything he knew of. Land values would have jumped up. But the opportunity had been missed and the line had gone to Eltham." Well, Eltham is not worrying about the matter, and is not growling; why can't Mr King leave us alone. Stratford already has one railway that it should not have. Does Mr King imagine that all the railways in the Dominion should lead to Stratford?

A "Dick Seddon" sort of episode occurred when the Hon. W. Fraser and party were coming in from Awakino on Thursday last (states the Waitara Mail). A man was riding past, and Mr C. K. Wilson spotted him, at the same time saying to the Minister: "See that man; he is a boss surfaceman: one of' the best in the country." Mr Murray, the District Engineer, agreed with this eulogism, and "Mick" was called to come up to the car. Mr Wilson introduced the honest son of toil, and Mr Fraser said "They tell me you are the 'boss' surfaceman, I'm glad to meet you." "I do my best, sir," said "Mick," and the Minister added, "Xo man can do more than that."

Two men, George Brunell and John England, arrived in Stratford yesterday from Hawera, but they were in such an inebriated state that they had to be conveyed to the lock-up. At the Court this morning, before Mr J. Black, J.P., Brunell was fined 10s, in default seven days' imprisonment for drunkenness. England was fined 40s, in default seven days' imprisonment on a similar charge. Sergeant McNeely stated that England had fourteen previous convictions in New Zealand, and had about the same number of aliases. He had also been convicted iir' Australia. England put in a plea for leniency, stating that during the past three years he had not been convicted of theft. During that time he had led an honest life, though he had been convicted of drunkenness. Later, before Messrs S. B. Hunter and J. Black, J.P.'s., Brunell was charged with having on January sth received lis from a Paeroa citizen by false pretences. He pleaded guilty. Sergeant McXeely said there was a day's pay due to accused, who first collected it from a fellowemployee and then received it from the boss. A sentence of one month's imprisonment was imposed.