LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 50, 2 June 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Owing to .Monday next being universally observed throughout Taranaki in lieu of the King's Birthday, the "Stratford Evening Post" will not he published on the sth. The paper Will be issued as usual on Saturday. Writes our correspondent at Kohuratahi: It will be of interest to the local district of. Hurimoana to know that Mr Harry Gallagher has successfully passed for the reinforcements. Always popular in the district, the good wishes of all who know him will follow. jj.n*rjsf ,;>'::. ,■ It was decided at the last meeting of the Southland Education Board, that it l>e an instruction to teachers and sewing" mistress*?*'"that,the. 'bqajfd, was /desirous that sewing lessons should consist of the making of articles .suitable for Red Cross purposes and the comfort of soldiers at % the front, teachers, to be requested to report to the board in a month's time as to what steps have been taken.

It is the intention of the Health Department to rigidly enforce the lawns far as butchers'.shops are concerned. Within the last few days two butchers—one at Bulls and. the other at Wangmui—were lined £lO and heavy costs for having dirty shops. In one case the magistrate said that the maximum fine was £SO, and if any more cases of a similar nature came before him lie would have no hesitation in inflicting the full penalty.

Mount Egmont, after the longest spell in the memory of the oldest inhabitant, has again clothed himself in his winter mantle of white. The recent cold snap experienced in the lower levels was accompanied in the higher altitudes by much snow, the fall showing well down the Mountain side, and sprinkling the top ridges of Fantham's Peak. To-day, in the bright sunshine, Mount Egmont may again claim to he par excellence the scenic feature of Taranaki.

By command of the King, there will be no official celebration of his Majesty's fifty-lirst birthday, which falls to-morrow. Advice to this effect has been received from headquarters in Wellington, and there will he no salutes, reviews or public ceremony ol any kind, which, prior to last year, marked the anniversary of his Majesty's birthday. Flags- will be flown as usual, however, and a holiday will be observed by banks and Government offices. The retailers in Stratford will observe Monday as the holiday.

A practical illustration of the good work that can be done by women as apiarists is afforded at the Dilwortli School of Agriculture, Papatoetoe, where a graduate of the Ruakura State Farm has entire charge of the apiary department (states a northern paper). Mr Hopkins acts a s adviser, and, with over 60 hives under her care, the beekeeper attends to every detail of the work, including the building, cleaning, and repainting of the hives, j making of frames, attending to the j bees' food during the winter season, and numerous other duties connected with bee-keeping. Assistance is necessary in the work of extracting, which is done by a maehine rim on a principle similar to that of a separator, the honey being forced from the comb, through two strainers, and into tanks. One of the by-products of the honey industry is honey mead and honey viuogir, both of which are 'made at the Dilwortli farm, where last season's honey output amounted to close on a ton. ; The "Swandri," for riding or walking is the only coat on the marke; that is absolutely waterproof. Made ol woollen texture, if is always warm and comfortable to wear, dries' in a few minutes, and- never cracks. Guaranteed waterproof two years. Solo agents Egmoni Clothing Co, x

A declaration of insolvency has been sworn by Ernest Alfred Osmond, of Stratford, agent, and the first meeting of creditors will be held at the Courthouse, Stratford, on June 14, at 10 a.m. The first of a series of weekly dances was held in the Parish Hall on Wednesday evening, when there were over fifty dancers present. The floor was in good order, and the music supplied by Mr A. Richardson was much .appreciated. The committee intend holding a "long night" next Wednesday.

The Patriotic Market and Tea Rooms will be conducted as usual to-morrow. On account of the holiday a large number of country people are expected to come into town, and the promoters (members of the Ladies' Patriotic Committee) will be pleased to receive donations of produce, cakes, etc.

Railway excursion fares in connection with the King's Birthday were available at the local station yesterday, but so far there has been very little increase in passenger traffic. The stationmaster (MrPeattie) attributes this to the inclement weather of the last few da vs.

On January 25th, Mr E. Kelleher, of Stratford, found a sum of money, and duly advertised for an owner in the "Stratfo \1 Post," and in New Plymouth. Xo satisfactory claimant having turned up, Mr Kelleher has now asked us to hand the sum of £3 15s to the Patriotic Committee, being the sum found, less cost of advertising.

The EL .iv,-a Star reports: The sneak thief in Haweia is not confining his attentions to the library only. He has been visiting motor garages, removing parcels from cars, and in one instance, uncoupled and took away a cloak from a car. This kind of thieving is about the most contemptible of all, and deserves sharp punishment when the culprit is brought to book.

Among the stories of German humor which an American war correspondent, lately in Germany, tells is one of a cavalry lieutenant who said the Germans had found a way to keep their prisoners in training. "You see," he explained, "we, lock 20 of the 'red trousers' (Frenchmen) and 20 Englishmen in the same room at night, and shut the windows. You know a Frenchman can't stand air, and a Kitchener will die without it. So we stand outside and watch the fun. First a window goes up, and then it goes down, and pretty soon there are growls, grumbles and oaths. In ten minutps a terrible fight ensues; in half an. hour the. Frenchmen are badly hea ten—they always are— and 20 battered English heads come sticking out of the window for a breath of air."

An interesting story of the recovery of a watch whicli a New Zealand soldier lost during the Gallipoli campaign is related by a Wellington man now in the Military Hospital at Rotorua, in a letter to a friend in Wellington. The writer says: "Whilst at the Dardanelles a New Zealander lost his watch (with name engraved thereon') in the trenches. Later another soldier happened to obtain the watch from a wounded Turk, and when he himself was wounded brought it back to NewZealand, as a memento. He had been unable to secure any information as to the whereabouts of the original owner until in this hospital the other day, when he came across a fellow of the same name as that inscribed on the watch. This proved to be the owner, who is greatly pleased at being able to once again hold his watch—this .time with a much stronger grasp than before."

The unanimous opinion of members of the Acclimatisation Society at the annual meeting last evening was that game was becoming scarcer in the district, and that this was due to the birds being driven into the back country by the progress of settlement. Sportsmen reported gloomily on their experiences up to the present period of the season, pheasants being conspicuous by their absence from old well: known haunts. It appears also that endeavors to obtain fresh supplies were resultless, the Wellington game farm, from which the Society had been wont to replenish the stock having suffered from floods, and disease breaking out the management had found it desirable to liberate the remainder of the young birds to save them from annihilation. In reporting on this state of affairs, tlie President (Mr W. P. Kirkwood) regretted that there was no other source of supply. In connection with desirable improvements "to the Society's ponds, the idea is to get a supply of water from the Gentle Annie by means of an hydraulic ram, and a committee has been set up to inspect and report. The Fisheries Department stated that 100,000 brown trout ova would be available for distribution in the streams of the district during the season. A full report of the proceedings at the annual meeting appears on page 7 ot this issue.