LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 76, 27 February 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"Men and women of N. Z., will you > help to feed starving millions by economising food ?"—National Economy Campaign, »

A special meeting of the Stratford Borough Council will be held on Friday, Ist March, at 7.30 p.m., for the appointment of a valuer in connection with the re-valuation of certain Municipal Leases. ■

Weather forecast The indications are for southerly winds, moderate to strong. Expect changeable and showery weather, and a cold night. The barometer has a rising tendency.— Bates, Wellington.

A curiosity in vegetables, which would doubtless furnish a hint in hybridizing, was on exhibition at the show (states the Waimarina Call) being a jointed plant consisting of two cabbages and a cauliflower grown from one stalk.

A painful accident happened at Midhirst yesterday afternoon, when the two-year old son of Mr and Mrs J. Hatcher, while playing" with an axe cut the second finger of his left hand so badly that, on being conveyed to Dr. Pr>cr-f < ; nrit'ate hospital, the finger had to be amputated.

The takings at the Patriotic Mart on Saturday were divided as under; shop, £l9 j tea rooms £ll. Donations were received as follows: Mrs Crowe ss, Mrs Tucker 5s and Mr C. Harvey £2 2s. The table centre was won by F. Rimmiugton, and the quilt by W. J. Neilson. ' ..-,_• ~

An event of interest to youthful cyclists will be held at the Stanley Road school picnic on Thursday March 14, when there will tie a }-mile cycle race open to all school children under 16 years, for prizes of 10s and 5s respectively donated by Mr P. C. Price, of Stratford, who will conduct all the arrangements in connection with the event.

A meeting of returned soldiers was held at the Defence Office last night, when it was decided to hold a social reunion at Midhirst to-morrow evening, and a resolution was passed affirming the desirability of forming a branch of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association for the Stratford 'district. Proceedings were of an enthusiastic nature' ensuring the success of to-morrow's function and promising well for the proposed branch of the Association, i ' ■--.. , ' ', ' -

When speaking at Napier, says the Hawke's Bay Tribune; the. Minister of Justice (Hon T, M. Wilford) ■■•wucl' that after the Seeadler incident, arid; on strong representations-being mode to the Imperial authorities, the Germans in Fiji were deported to Australia. All these Germans, numbering about 50, came under the heading of "suspicion." Similar action was taken in New Zealand when Germans gave cause for suspicion. . Incidentally Mr Wilford mentioned the fact, that- 'there: were: British people' at large in Germany.

A shareholder at the Dairy .Company's meeting yesterday caused a good deal of amusement by his comments oh the directors. He asked why the directors were not present at the meeting. One director drew tft» tention to his presence. "Oh," said the shareholder "you're only a makeshift." The director said there were' two other directors sitting beside him. "T"-o or three: wasters," said the shareholder. Another director started to count the directors present. "There are seven,of them," said this' director, "and me." "But you don't count," said the shareholder. Everybody had a good laugh, there being no desire, apparently, on the part of the shareholder that his remarks should be. taken too seriously.

Regarding the accident on the Waingongoro road on Monday night, Mr G. who was in the car at the time and whose wife and child were injured slightly, informed a representative of the '/Stratford Post" that ho is quite satisfied no blame was attached to the driver of the car, Mr J. Martin. At a bend in the road, which is recognised as a particularly dangerous spot, the lights on the car went out, and although the brakes were put on immediately the car could not be pulled up in time to prevent it going over the bank. It is understood that Mr P. Patterson has had under offer to the County Council for some time about an acre of 1 ground on condition that the bad corner be cut off, leaving the road at this place practically straight, instead of in the form of an "S."

"Agricola" writes: "I should like to point out to farmers in the Stratford district the advisability of growing maize as a fodder crop for Milking Cows, as it is immune from disease and does not taint the milk. This fact should not he overlooked, now that all the factories are going in for cheese. Mr Newton King has on view at his Stratford office some maize over thirteen feet in height, grown on Cordon Road, by Mr H. Mowbray. I know that maize entails more work in cutting and carting ,out, but I am afraid that owing to the prevalence of club root in Swedes, the position will be forced upon farmers_ of growing other fodder crops. One other point I should like to lay stress on is that it would pay farmers handsomely to drain all the creeks on their property with the object of getting rid of the swamp weed, which gives a most decided taint to milk and grows in the beds of all creeks, and to sew grass seed suitable for damp soil, such aa Timothy, Meadow Foxtail, Meadow Fescue and Lotus Major (by the way, do not confuse this "* r tb Hnrd Fescue or Tall Fescue). Farmers would find that, at a small oufl«v,, this would not only regain a good 'enl of land t but would make the/rre'oks ranch, safer for cows crossing ( and would obviate the danger of having milk returned from the factory and enable the manager to turn out a better article." i , . .^jjfl

■ iii. ' r i ' iii 1., i, -i t With"' fine weather to-morrow foi People's Day at the New Plymouth {sshow, there should he a large attendance. Special train services have been arranged to suit visitors from central and southern parts of the province.

A final reminder is given that the Midhirst Methodist Sunday School will hold their anniversary concert in the church to-morrow (Thursday). The chair will he taken at 7.30. A programme will he rendered by the children and the distribution of diplomas and prizes will be made.

One .of the members of the Natiouaj Cabinet has just finished writing, and will shortly send to England for publication, a book - which he has spent some four or five years in completing. Amongst-other things it deals with the "other side," of which Sir Oliver Lodge has been writing, and is a' hopeful, inspiriting menage to those who take iime In think of what may follow our sojourn on this terrestrial sphere.

..Final arrangements for to-morrow's school picnic have now been made. The function is to he run on oldfashioned lines, the Committee pro-viding-tea, milk, sugar, and hot water, and the parents bringing witu them their own provisions. A full programme of sports will be carried out during the day, commencing at 11 o'clock and finishing about 4.45. Members of the School Committee are particularly requested to be on tfie ground, 'at 10.30. A large gatherexpected, and given fine weather','; the Routing is sure to be a very enjoyable one. The Stratford Municipal Band will enliven proceedings with selections at intervals during the day,,:.and at 3 p.m. a presentation wil be made by the School Committee to Taranaki's first University scholar.

In continuation of the announcement that, owing to not sufficient boys offering,' the Post and Telegraph Department was employing girls for the purpo'se' of delivering telegrams in ■Wellington, Sir Joseph Ward (Post-master-general) states that the girls are carrying out their work most satisfactorily. • They will be equipped with a suitable uniform , somewhat on th% lines, o$ that worn by, the girls and Jwpmen, engaged.in similar duties in England. The uniform , will take the form of a dark grey coat and | skirt with red; facings, and a hat to match:": ?'Each girl. will be' s provided also, .with'* a coat, for protection, against the rain, and' with' vi suitable jhandbag lot the safe .custody arid:Convenient of telegrams. The- Outfit; will';present a-: Very neat appearance. .At-i present' nearly 20 giris: s areri engaged in the city tele-' o-drarii? delivery, and it is possible that several, more will be required.

■ :1#; connection with the recent fire i at.,{ JVMrtjerta«H<&elyao? incidenf «ffititehi .ded by remarkable circumstances is recording. Mr and Mr& Foster's! bedroom was on the' upper floor, and iii furnishingsi included a.Perry s4%'ih whichV.jVlrs..poster: kept her jewellery and.'.money, .whip!!,' at the time of „the'lai;e,•.included, a,roll o| notes fiopr " !4 o£..the, bedroom succumbed to the. v flames i : i . the iron,, safe,, through -to the ground floor ; and, in falling,"broke off a tap which was projecting from' a waterpipe -immediate)y<in ;the line of its fall," the Result'being, that it was played upon by a'continuous stream of water in the midst of the fiery furnace in which it was embedded. When the recovery of the safe had been rendered possible; it was found that, except for the charring of some cardboard boxes and papers, the contents were uninjured. With this exception Mr and Mrs Foster lost the whole of their personal belongings, A peculiar position has arisen in Opunake over the question of Sunday tennis. At the annual meeting of the. Tennis club recently, a motion that the rule prohibiting Sunday tennis be struck out of the constitution was carried. Another " resolution carried was that the number of members necessary to requisition a special general meeting of the club be reduced from seven to five. As soon as the hlefeting was over a requisition was drawn up and signed by five members of the club calling.a general meeting to test the regularity of the annual general meeting. The peculiar point about the business (states the local paper) was that those requisitioning the meeting used a motion passed "at a meeting, which they want*ed to prove irregular, to call the special meeting.. At the special meeting which was held last Friday the secretary stated that he had learned from a.former president of the Club that the annual meeting was irregular. It was then moved and carried that the annual general meeting of the Club held on the 12th inst. be deemed invalid. The chairman said it seemed to him that the passing of the motion made a most peculiar position. The fact of the annual meeting being declared invalid, would invalidate the present meeting, and it appeared that this only course open would be for' seven members of the Club to sign' a requisition-; hold another meeting,' prove the annual meeting invalid and hold another one. Members were not favourable to this opinion and one, more intellectual, remarked, "That's only a quibble." Asked for an opinion, on 6 of those present said it seemed to uim that the annual meeting having been annulled, the special meeting Was quite irregular and the Club would have to start over again 'and callan annual meeting by requisi-j tion. After discussion, the meeting was concluded, and the Club seems to j be in the same position as it was her fore the annual meeting, and the rule prohibiting Sunday tennis still holds good