Local and General.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 98, 30 August 1923, Page 4

Local and General.

An advertiser in the Hawera Star offers a reward of £5 to anyone giving information leading to the con- , viction of the person who cut a daffodil bloom in his garden between six and eight o'clock on Tuesday night. “I don’t know how you sell H at ! the price" Is what they all say who ! have inspected and tried the bcauti I fully finished new model 1923 Chevrolet car. £290 complete Inspection invited and demonstrations arranged.—Stevenson, Blacbstock & Co. International Harvester Co., Regan r Street. *

During the last forty-eight hour# there have been twenty-four eases of suicide and attenpted suicide. In Budapest. With one exception they were due to privation and want.

The P. and O. Company has ordered two fifteen thousand ton oilburners specially for the Australian trade. They are expected to be ready at the end of 1924. The company is negotiating for a third similar steamer.

A meeting of the Stratford Horticultural Society was held last night. Among others present were Mr S. Ward (chairman), Mr and,Mrs H. Masters, Messrs. W. Pettigrew, F. Davis, S. Reader, and Len Reader. Affairs relating to the operations of the Society were discussed, and the secretary 'Mr Ucn Reader) was directed to apply to those who held trophies not won outright to hand them over to the secretary ana t»» obtain possession of all property be longing to the Society.

There is a £250 grant on the Supleraentary Estimates for the Egmont Park. Mr O. Hatvken M.P. for Patea, informed tb<» Ijjtar correspondent that he and his colleagues greatly regret that the Government was unable to get time for the pissing of a Bill putting this park on a better footing, but they have a promise to get legislation next session. The Hon, C. J. Parr, Minister for Justice and Education, is going round the coast from New Plymouth by Rahotu and Opunake to Eltham on Thursday, September 13, with a view to looking into various matters affecting his departments when an opportunity ’will be taken of again urging the needs of the National Park.

Doomed was the fatted calf! A Fordeli farmer had sold him to a butcher in a distant town, so one of the hands was deputed to lead him to the station, the only “packing” being a addressed label suspended frpm his neck. Two hours later the farmer was startled to see his employee strolling casually back, the calf walking placidly behind him. “Here, man!” shouted the angry farmer, “What on earth are you doing? That animal ought to - : have gone by train!” "Taint * my' fault,” said the farm hand. “The brute’s been an let up where he was goin!”

On Friday next a lodge under the R.A.0.8. (Royal Antidiluvlan Order of Buffaloes) will be opened in New Plymouth (reports ;he Herald). There are only a few lodges of this order in New Zealand, but those at Auckland and Wellington are making good headway. The name of the local lodge will be “Ye Mount Bgmont,” and weekly meetings wil| be held at the Foresters' Hall, The founders of the Ye Mount Egmont Lodge are Messrs A. J. Millman, C.P., and W. Kerr, C.P. There are 14 Buffs in New Plymouth, and there will be about 20 candidates for Initiation at Friday’s meeting. The lodge is under the Grand Lodge of England, and the order is similar to the Freemasons.

The danger to the travelling public of driving cattle along Eltham highways at night was exemplified by an accident, fortunately not attended by serious injury, which befell a motor-cyclist of Eltham on Monday evening (reports the. Argus). The young man who was proceeding from Stratford to Eltham and was travelling at a moderate speed along Mountain Road, when, wihout warning, he crashed into a cow, one of fifty head that were being driven in the opposite direction. Despite the fact that lights were attached to his bike, the cyclist failed to see the cattle and collided, narrowly escaping a broken neck. As it was he injured a knee, smashed tho front portion of his motor cycle, and ruined a new suit he was wearing. The drover when approached by the victim maintained that he bad a permit to drive cattle at night. A few minutes later a motor car hove in sight and missed another animal by a hairbreadth as it passed the herd. Under the regulations, it appears that permits for driving stock at night can be granted, despite the grave danger thereby caused to motorists and cyclists alike.

Smart Bros, for electric light advertising flashing Solar Lamps. For Electric wiring, repairs, etc. ring up No. 30 and at night No 156. Jack Sullivan undertakes to do plumbing, electric light installations, repairs, and concrete paths etc., at reasonable cost. Best materials used. Workmanship guaranteed. Estimates given. Private residence, Regan St. Phone 94. x Sanderson and Judd lor plumbing drain-laying electric work, etc. All kinds of electric flttings stocked. Good work, prompt attention. Telephone 222. •

Overland passengers report the presence of very substantial icicles in the Otlra Tunnel, larger than good-sized carrots, which (says the Grey River Argus) are broken off regularly by the electric locomotives In their, runs through the tunnel.

In the Wellington Police Court on Monday George Hannington Reminers, es-member of the South African 1 Police, was fined £SO with the alternative of three months’ imp ionment,, for being in unlawful prosession ■pi a revolver.

In Queensland the Liquor Amendment Act, providing for eight O’clock closing, operates from the end of' the current week. After Saturday night no liquor will he obtainable before eight in the, morning* or after eight at night.

A lamp trimmer employed at the railway at Huntly, named Harry Meadows, a single man, aged 23 years, was driving a gig at Huntly on Sunday when the horse bolted, and in endeavouring to alight Meadows had his right leg fractured. He was admitted to the Waikato hospital, where he is making fovourable progress. ■ ■■

“There, ought to be a permanent model of a car in Court, with names on the various parts, like flowers in a garden,” remarked his Honor Justice Hosking at the Supreme Court Wanganui in the course of an action In ...which motor-cars figured promlnenily,,- and.., where in the course of evidence, there was some doubt as to the names of certain parts, “These cases , are pretty frequent nowadays,” agreed counsel.

j At a meeting of the provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, field on Saturday at Fielding, the following resolution was carried:—“That, whilst agreeing that an agricultural college should be established in the North Island as sooii as finances can be arranged, the' executive is of opinion that the systetfi of technical high schools, with a special course In agriculture, should be encouraged.”

A- well-known local stock dealer informed a Wanganui reporter th§t y it, -is now j Impossible to beef under £l/10/-, per 1001 b., whilst, second grade : quality, including cow beef, is worth 25/-, Beef is getting very scarce owing to , the drain upon local supplies. Seven truckloads a week are now being supplied to the Auckland market from Wanganui and Manawatu, In (pdditlon to the shipments being made frequently to the Canterbury market. The matter of giving publicity to the town of Wanganui at the Britlajfi EmpiEq..* - has been considered by the Finance Committee of the Borough Council, and the following recommendation was adopted: “The Committee have directed that the Department of Internal Affairs he asked if Government could not print suitable folders containing photographs that are now being secured by the Government’s photographer, as well as descriptive matter, as it Is of opinion that 'this would be suitable W distribution' at the Exhibition.” 1

‘smail boy yraa haled before the supreme power by a shocked elder sister, who explained that he had been using “bad words" (relates the King Country Chronicle). The teach- ; er pressed the TOung culprit to tell | what he had said. At first he resolutely refused to reveal the precise nature of his misdemeanour, but in the end he yielded so far as to mutter: “I dlnna like to say it again, Miss, but if you’ll say some swears, I'll tell you when you come to it. Mr E. Bowmar, speaking at a Southland League meeting at Gore, said (states the Mataura Ensign)* that <the; North Island received very liberal Government grants when compared : with; those of the South Island. "It, is very disheartening,” he sq,id, "and if South does not get more consideration there is going to j be a jolly good row.” They would not- tolerate the treatment meted out to Southland recently, and the County Council was going to see that Southland did not get left. In this matter they wanted the league’s support. 4 lu which Charlotte King, of ; . .Qpunake, claimed damages . amounting to £750 from Newton King, of New Plymouth, for the death of her husband, arising out of a motor-car accident on March 17, 1921, at Opunake, was commenced before His Honor Mr Justice Hosking and a special jury of twelve at the Supreme Court at Wai rui on Tuesday. SThe following iasues were put to the jury:— Was the overturning of the Ford car due to negligent, improper or unskillful driving or management of the Essex car? Was the death of King due to injuries and shock, and as a direct consequence of the accident? What damages do you award? Specify how much to the mother and how much to the daughter, Ethel King, The jury returned an answer of “yes” to the first two questions, and in the reply to the third awarded Mrs King £4OO damages.

A coal train bound south, with thirty-nine laden trucks, passed through Stratford railway station this afternoon.

The population of Australia during the ten years from 1913 to 1922 increased from 4,746,800 to 5,634,552. It Is expected that the six million mark will be reached early in 1926. (Press Association.)

Weather forecast. —The indications are for westerly strong to gale winds. The weather appears to be cloudy and unsettled with rain following. The barometer has a falling tendency.—Bates.

Two monkeys, one fox, and a number of badgers, Civet cats, Barbary sheep, ibex, and agoutis are being shipped from London hy the Pakeha for the Auckland Zoological Gardens. Six young Polar bears are also to be shipped shortly.

Fire completely destroyed a motorcar belonging to Mr W. Richardson, New Plymouth, on the Frankley Road on Tuesday afternoon. How the vehicle became ignited is not known (states the Herald) as the owner had left it on the roadside whilst visiting a relative ana returned later to find it in flames.

A London cablegram states that armed gangs of roughs are terrorising Sheffield, robbing pm an extensive scale and brutally assaulting and beating all attempting to stop them. It is estimated there are at least two hundred, members of the various gangs. The trouble is made worse because there are frequent fights between the gangs. The police are hopelessly outnumbered, as they are unarmed, and they cannot meet men with knives and crowbars. A number of gangs work in groups of fifteen and twenty.

The Church anniversary service in connection with the Methodist Church will be held on Sunday next, when the Rev. H. C. Orchard, of Inglewood, will be the preacher. The morning anthems will be “Praise the Lord, 0 Jerusalem” and “Te Deum.” and the evening anthems “The Heavens are Telling” and “I am Alpha and Omega.” The annual congregational rally and social will be held on Wednesday next, when the ladies of the church will repeat the performance known as Chinatown. Special singing by the choir will be given at all services.

A party of motorists from New Plymouth had a scare on Tuesday morning, (reports the Herald), when the car ran into a loose wire across the road about three miles from Inglewood. The force of the impact was not sufficient „ to stop the car, the wire passing over the hood. The passengers broke the wire and placed it alongside the road, notifying New Plymouth of the mishap. It was a fortunate escape as an obstruction like this in the dark might have ended disastrously to the car and passengers. ‘

At Carman’s rooms last night a team from the Public Service played a return cribbage match against the Borough Council, the latter winning by five games. Results: Borough Council being mentioned first: W. Harris and A. Nelson 10 v. V. Curtis and P. Moxham 7; B. Green and V. Forbes 9 v. T. Rouse and J. Goldup H. Collingwood and A. George 11 v. K. Syrae and R. Hall 4; W. Croots and C. Gatton 9 v. G. Donaldson and P. Casey 6; P. Skoglund and R. Haylock 5 v. C. Neal and J. Jermy 9;. W. Schnider and P* Reeves 9 v. J. Jones and J. Neal 11; T. Lawson and 0, Tocker 6 v. F. Jackson and P. James 9. Totals: Borough Council 59, Public Service 54.

It is characteristic of the secret methods of the Ku Klux Kian (suites the Auckland Star) that it has already v. become established in Auckland, with a membership of something like 900 to 1000, we understand, without one word appearing in public. Most people know of this strangely named organisation from the sensational cablegrams from America from time to time, and put it down as a purely American organisation body. But that is not the case; there are British branches, or whatever they call the offshoots, and in Canada it is one of the strongest institutions in the country. As far as Auckland is concerned the central fact at the back of the formation of branches or lodges, or whatever they are called, is antagonism to Asiatic labour. The Chinese and the Indians are mentioned as the two races to which the Kian has most objection. In the United States the Kian Js said to be the sworn foe of the negro race, more especially where it has been shown that there has been interference with white women by men of colour. It is understood that in the propaganda against Asiatic labour the aid of other societies, such as the Freemasons, Forest rs. Oddfollcws, Orangemen and others is to be enlisted. The Ku Klux Kian is said to be the most secret society in English speaking countries, more so than the Fjeemasons, and the oath is said to bo a particularly binding one. We understand that it is already opening in Australia, and that in Wellington there is a fully fledged organisation.