LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 68, 11 July 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A specially selected programme has been prepared for the concert to be given in Victoria Park to-morrow afternoon by the Municipal Band.

Representatives of sports bodies will meet at the Borough Council Chambers this evening for. the purpose of selecting a candidate for the Carnival Queen contest.

The services at the Broadway Methodist Church will be conducted by the Rev. H. White, of Eltham, in the morning, while in the evening a special memorial service in memory of Mr G. Collingwood and Mrs Goodrich will be conducted by the Rev. A.'Reader.

The remarkable growth of seven Berkshire pigs from a litter of 10 (three died) is reported from Ingleburn (N.S.W.). They were the sow's first progeny, and at eight weeks and two days averaged 591 b., one boar turning the scale at 561 b.

Elected delegates from the Foresters' and Druids' Lodges met in the Council Chambers last night and discussed matters in connection with a Carnival Queen candidate, but left the final selection until Tuesday night next, when the Oddfellows' and Rechabite Lodges will be represented.

Some precocious schoolboys at Eltham recently wrote to the School Committee as follows:—"Dear Sirs,— Wo have recently had to eat our dinners in school, and we are going to buck against it. There are a lot of germs flying about in the air, and we are liable to catch diseases. Hoping you will take a step in the matter, yours truly, Schoolboys." It was decided to refer the matter to the Headmaster.

A six months' record of fatalities and accidents, brought about by motor cars and motor cycles in the Melbourne city and suburbs, shows that •they arc under, existing traffic regulations serious menaces to the life and limb of pedestrians. The grand total is 61, which was made up as follows:—January 5 motor ear accidents and 2 motor cycle accidents; February 8 and 2; March, 13 and 3; April, 7'and 1; May, 8 and 0; June 11 and 1 : totals, 52 and 9.

Two teachers were l - conversing the other day and one was telling the other of examples of unconscious humor, which he had come across when correcting compositions. "Oh." remarked the other teacher, "but 1 can beat jthat. We were reading the School Journal \ recently, which gave the names, ranks, and titles of the' meaiibers of Parliament, and when we came to Mr Massey. I asked what P.C. meant. TTp went the hands, and ths reply earn© prompt, "Prima Canterbury!" Fact J

The Domain Board yesterday decided to co-operate with other bodies in nominating a candfdate for the Carnival Queen contest.

The ordinary meeting of the Stratford County Council will be held next Wednesday, the only business outside routine work being to strike the year's rates.

The question of whether the girls of Australia and New Zealand are allowed too much freedom is raised by the editor of "Everylady's Journal," and answered in the July issue by Professor Kentoul, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Australia; Mr Paris Nesbit, K.C.; Mr Higgs, M.P.; and Mrs Dr. O'Hara.

Somewhat of a record was put up on AVednesday at the Addington Yards so ,fas as selling fat sheep is concerned. Mr Leicester Matson (Tor Messrs H. Matson and Co.) sold a whole race full of sheep, numbering 480 head, at prices that averaged out at 24s lOd per head. The greater portion were ewes and none of the pens sold under 23s lid per head.

The popular idea that chrysanthemums are to be seen growing in great profusion in Japan, is, it seems, quite an erroneous one. Mr J. Paton, head of the well-known Melbourne firm of florists, who returned last week, said that he had spent several weeks in Japan, and had not seen a single chrysanthemum outside of several nurseries he had inspected, and the only peonies he had seen were at a nursery at Yokohama, and at a flower show in Tokio.

Enquiries made by the Hawke's Bay Tribune reporter on Saturday morning showed that practically all the pictures and all the Maori curios, in addition to a nume'r of valuable Maori books, were saved from the fire which destroyed Mr G. P. Donnelly'6 residence at Taradale last Friday evening. A quantity of furniture was also rescued from the burning building. The loss (says the Tribune) is not so great as at first anticipated.

The monthly meeting of the Domain Board was held yesterday afternoon, when there were present:— Messrs R. McK. Morison (in the chair), T. H. Perm, P. Thomson, W. P. Kirkwood and G. D. Hunter (secretary). The secretary announced that the Board had a credit balance of £44 5s lid, but it was pointed out that much of this was revenue in advance. It was decided that as early as possible the members should make a tour of King Edward Park in or- 1 der to decide what trees should be culled out.

A good story is told in "La France Australe," published in New Caledonia, of an incident whjch occurred during a recent election in the colony. A candidate developed the brilliant idea of circulating in the various townships comprised in his electorate, gramaphone records which repeated to the rustic voters the most eloquent of passages, from his best speeches. "The idea was in itself quite original," observes the newspaper, "but, unhappily, it produced an effect quite contrary to that expected of it, for the electors decided, to a man, to vote against a candidate who spoke so disagreeably through his nose."

At Wollongong (N.S.W.) a man named Thomas Langham was charged with having assaulted Thomas Leslie Ferguson—a lad of nine years, whom defendant had adopted—by severely beating him. The police sergeant, who had since the affair taken.charge of the lad, stated that the child had been severely beaten with the handle of a stove brush. A doctor deposed that on examination he found that the boy was severely bruised about the back and shoulders, and he considered the punishment was too severe for a boy of his years. Defendant, who pleaded guilty, stated that he merely chastised the boy, and did not know that the lad was bruised as a result. He was fined £5, with 6s costs of court, and £1 15s expenses; in default, three months' imprisonment with hard labor.

Referring to the death, at the age of 82 years, of the once popular preacher and lecturer, the Rev. Arthur' Mursell, the "British Weekly" says: _"He was one of the first men in England to give Sunday afternoon lectures on current topics to working men. These homespun homilies were greatly appreciated by the workers in the mills and dye vats of Ancoats. On one occasion Mr Mursell strolled with a friend into the Freetrade Hall, when it was empty, and he asked, • "Could you fill this hall with people? I will engage to take the hall for four Sunday afternoon lectures if you agree, and I will give you a topic for your first lecture, "Fire, Fire, Fire.' " Mursell replied that he was mad, but the experiment proved a sensational success, and for some years the Freetrade Hall Sunday afternoon lectures continued to be delivered to immense audiences, and were printed week by week. It was the success of these lectures that laid the foundation of what Mr Mursell used to call his "bubble reputation."