Second Edition. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 40, 9 June 1914, Page 6

Second Edition. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Relating to tennis, a cablegram from London says that in the final doubles Decugis and Germot beat Gore and Kingscoto 0—1,11—9, 6—B, 6-2.

A London cablegram states that Sir George Reid presided at a dinner given by the Australian Universities alumni* to Sir" Douglas Muwson, Captain Davis and Mr McLean at the Hotel Cecil.

The Press Association at Dunedin states that the Prime Minister lias advised the secretary of the Beekeepers’ Association tlmt the National Conference will meet in Wellington on 'the 17th inst. '

The American trade commissioners, after, a visit to the Bundaberg district, declare it to be ideal cotton country if only cheap labour was available. They wondered whether Australia was not tempted to utilise colored labor, with restrictions, in the tropics, states a Brisbane cablegram to-day.

An Invercargill P.A. message says: John Lucas, employed at the Ocean Beach freezing works, who fell in front of a moving truck, the wheels passing over his legs and necessitating their amputation, died in the hospital this morning. Deceased was married, and leaves a widow and family. At the Auckland Supreme Court, Frederick Schlaich, indent agent, was sentenced to six months’ hard labor for fraudulently converting to his own us© a cheque for £lO received by him from the Government in respect of a contract executed by his employers, Messrs Hughes and Cossar.—P.A, A wharf laborer at New Plymouth named Fitzpatrick had his leg broken while assisting to discharge the Walkure this morning. The accident occurred through a sling breaking. It is feared (states the Press Association) that the man has also suffered internal injuries.

Tlie hearing of the ease at Invercargill in ■which G.B. Wise claimed £ss6 <'and Z. C. Hood £l7O from the Southland County Council as damages through a motor car running into an unprotected and insufficiently lighted" excavation. has been coheluded in the Supremo Court, states the Press Association. Tho jury found for plaintiffs, Wise being awarded £l2-5 10s 5d and Hood £7l 12s sd, with costs.,

At Gore, Mr G. IV. Russell, M.P., delivered a : political address at the Princess -Theatre last evening to a large audience. He trenchantly- criticised the Government’s finance, heavy taxation aaid eft* similar lines as elsewhere. The speaker was accorded a vote of thanks with some dissent and confidence was expressed in Sir Joseph Ward as leader * of the party.—P.A.

The death occurred at Otane, Hawke’s Bay, yesterday, of Mr Wjlliam White, nheep farmer, aged 74. De-, ceased arrived in the Dominion in 1859 and took up farming at Selwyn. He was a member of the Canterbury Provincial Council. Subsequently’ he removed to Hawke’s'Bay, where he had resided ever since. He took a keen interest in local politics and was a. member of numerous local bodies. Ho leaves bight sons and two daughters. . —P.A.

The influence that the visit of the turret steamer Walkure to New Plymouth will exercise upon Taranaki is strikingly shown by the fact that consignments of basic slag to farmers are being sent as far atieH as Patea in the south and nigh unto Opunake, not to mention the vast district tapped by the Stratford-Main-Trunk railway in the east. The spleiidid enterprise of Mr Newton King will do more to advertise the capabilities of the port at New Plymouth and to make two blades of grass grow in Taranaki where now there is only one than, perhaps, any single act of any business man or even public body in the district.

The Railway Department has' decided to continue the second express train between Wellington and Auckland until 'further notice (s-tates the Press Association). Possibly, the train will, be continued as an experiment throughout the winter, arid if it is found the patronage falls off to any considerable extent below the business done at the present time, it may- he necessary to curtail the service. Tlio returns appear to indicate that there is little prospect at pr*. sent of the double service being a commercial success. The Department, however, hopes that additional facilities for travel will eventually lead to increased business.

The custom of compelling publicans to keep a light burning in front of their licensed premises until 11 o’clock every night is about to be relaxed in the Chalmers licensing district. During the course of business at the annual meeting of the Licensing Committee on Friday (states the Otago Daily Times) solicitors, representing a number of licensees present. pointed, out the anomaly which at present existed of licensees being compelled to keep a lamp burning in front of their premises for an hour after they were closed in order to comply with the law. After listening attentively to the arguments submitted by counsel in favor of a change, the chairman announced Ibat in future licensees in the Chalmers district would not be required to keep a light burning after 10 p.m.