LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 298, 15 December 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Stratford District High School Committee meet this evening.

The Eltham Dairy Co. last Saturday decided to make a progress of is pe; lb. on butter-fat supplied last mouth.

Mr John Fraser, of Victoria Hoad, has kindly donated a Jersey bull to be sold by auction, the proceeds to go to the'Belgian Belief Fund. The Com. mitten much appreciate the gift.

Two little girls, Grace and Ruth Houghton, of Toko, have kindly given ten geese, whichMs their own property, to be sold for the benefit of the Belgian Relief Fund. Such an act of self-sacrifice on the part of these little ones is much appreciated.

From the ashes of the Stratford Public Library is slowly arising quite a respectable pile of reading matter of every description. On the shelves, in the Council room in the Fire Station are about 600 books, of which 300 were loaned by the sister institution in New Plymouth, and 100 have been purchased by the Council, not to mention the total now on hand, half a dozen of which arrive weekly as usual. v

A special summoned meeting of the Oddfellows’ Lodge, M.U., took place in the Foresters’ Hail hist night, when there was a large attendance of members. One new member was initiated, and the following nominations were received for office for the ensuing term: G.M., Bro A. E. Gorton; N.G., Bro. C. H. Lawn; V.G., Bro. G. King; Warden. Bro. Watson; Guardian, Bro. Somerfield; E.S., Bro. J . H. Harston (re-elected); Treasurer, Bro. A. E. Gorton. The remaining offices are left over until installation night.

There are eighteen civil cases down for hearing at the Court on Friday next, two being defended. Of the five criminal charges, one is a case of assault, the surety of the peace being asked for, two for (breaches of the Licensing Act for being illegally on licensed premises on Sunday, one for breaking a dwelling with intent to intimidate, and there is also a charge of riding a motor cycle on the footpath.

Messrs Mark and Bush took a trip to the New Plymouth Mountain House yesterday. They found the road outside the Reserve very rough in places, but much better inside the Reserve. The party walked nearly as far as Humphrey’s Castle, and found the track in excellent condition. The roads, however, badly- require attention, those leading to the Stratford House from Pembroke Road being, altogether, in a better condition.

Miss Walton, at the Foresters’ Hall, to-morrow evening at 8 o’clock, will demonstrate health and surroundings from articles, flowers, etc. Admission is.

Readers should note that entries in connection with the Kodak Competition arranged by Mr T. A. W. Nicholson, Broadway, close on Thursday, the 17th December next. DetaileH particulars will be found in his advertisement in another column.

Mr Herman Ringer, of Opunake Road, seems unfortunate of late. Not long ago a horse he was driving played up and upset a milk-cart on top of him and he narrowly escaped fatal injuries. On Saturday, when driving the same turn-out, he met with a very similar accident, but this time got off with a bad bruising.

Many people who have time to take a short holiday but do not care fox the discomforts, of a long journey, will probably spend Christmas at New Plymouth, which offers very many real attractions. They certainly might go further abroad and fare a great' deal worse. ' If any of our readers contemplate such a trip they, might write to the Tourist League Office at New Plymouth for booklet. ‘

There was a good muster of members of the Home Defence Rifle Club last evening, thirty-two members being present. It must be encouraging to the officers in charge to find such enthusiasm amongst the men. Already six men of the Corps have left for the front, and last evening the opportunity was taken to bid farewell to a popular and enthusiastic member, Mr O. S. Kelly, Captain McMillan, on behalf of the Corps, presented Mr Kelly with a silver wristlet watch as a mark of the esteem in which he is held by the Corps, and in making the presentation, Captain McMillan said their comrade was the envy of every member of the Corps that he could go to the front. Lieutenant Grey was also in attendance to wish Mr Kelly “good luck.” Hearty cheers were given, with the best wishes of all. Two more members were elected to the Committee, Messrs R. B. Anderson and T. Richardson, and it was decided to urge the Government to supply ammunition for more rifle shooting.

Residents of Stratford and district may find food for hope ,of a new post office in the following business which was transacted at the Stratford Borough Council meeting last evening; “As the designs for the new post office are not yet completed, it is impossible at present to locate the precise position of the necessary culverts”—thus the postal authorities wrote in reply to the Council’s letter stating that the old wooden culverts were being done away with-and asking the Department to sanction the laying down of iron crossings.—On the reading of the letter ,His Worship the Mayor said the Council might ask the Department what the design was going to be! Members were inclined to be facetious over the matter, but eventually settled down to discussion, and it was resolved that the chief postmaster be written to pointing out that the culverts could be removed with little expense and that permission should be given to have them put in when the channelling was being done.