NEWS OF THE DAY

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 78, 11 March 1931, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Stratford Autumn Races The total stakes to be given by the Stratford Racing Club at the autumn meeting on Thursday, April 23, will be £930. The programmes have been printed for circulation among horseowners and trainers.

Export of Fruit Record bookings for the export of apples and pears this season from the Auckland Province have been made through the New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation. Space for 124,000 cases has been applied for, as compared with 104,000 shipped last year. Fourteen to One "No country would like to start a war when 14 other powerful countries had sent a wire to ask them to wait until they had seen what the trouble was," said Major E. Harston, who addressed the Wanganui Rotary Club at its weekly luncheon on the League of Nations. Good Evidence During the hearing of a case against a motorist at the Wanganui Court, in which the matter of speed entered into the question, a lady witness said that she noticed a certain .car travelling too fast towards the intersection. "That," said the magistrate, "was good evidence. If the lady had said that she saw the car travelling at 23.3 miles an hour," he added, "I would have disregarded the evidence.

Striking Incident A striking incident of the earthquake was noticeable at the Catholic Seminary at Greenmeadows, wher<such great damage was done and where several lives were lost, states the Napier "Daily Telegraph" Although the buildings there capsized and masonry filled the air, after the quake had passed it was observed that there still stood the statue of the Virgin, untouched by the upheaval which had ruined all aroun.l it.

Haystacks on Fire Lurid glares have lit up the sky on all sides of Ashburton in the last few days, where straw stacks have been set alight in paddocks a few miles out of the town (says the "Guardian.") Low-lying clouds have added gently to the effect, and one evening the burning of several stacks west of Ashburton produced a brilliant glow in the heavens. The British farmers who toured New Zealand last year were surprised that in this country old stacks were not converted into manure instead of into flames.

Stratford Operatic Society As the result of the efforts of the committee of the Stratford Operatic Society, it is understood that Mr. W. Graeme Holder, of New Plymouth, is writing the plot of an operetta specially for the society, and in the course of a few days the committee will be able to discuss arrangements for its production. The president, Mr F. Kear, hopes to be in a position shortly to announce particulars and the nature of the production to be staged, when a meeting of members will be called to carry on.

The Rising Tide of Taxation A table of figures published in a circular placed before the Stratford Chamber of Commerce last evening struck the president, Mr. J. B. Richards, as being of sufficient interest to read to members. He pointed out that State and local body taxation per head of the population of the Dominion in 1914 was £7 4s, whereas in 1929 it was £l6 lis 2d (State tax "£l2 4s 3d, local body tax £4 6s lid.) To this must be added now, said the president, at least another £l, which accrued in 1930. In the same period local body expenditure per head rose from £2O to £47. Narrow Escape With each new quake which arrives to shake Napier the fine building which was a landmark on the Marine Parade, known as Dr. Moore's Hospital, seems to take a further backward tilt as the foundations sink into the ground which gave way on the occasion of the first big shock. In connection with this building a story of a miraculous escape from death is told by a man who was in the garage at the time of the upheaval. He was penned in one corner of the structure as the huge building tilted backwards and was forced to maintain motionless for several minutes while two girders closed in upon him. By great good fortune he was enabled to struggle free and reach the open before trie space became completely blocked. Get to The following incident Is reported to have happened at Napier shortly after the earthquake: A Minister of the Crown went to Nelson Park where they were handing our tents, the job being done by an old sergeant-major. "You should have got a receipt," said the Minister, when one tent was handed out. The old chap went on handing out tents —really slinging them out. "My man," said .the Minister loudly, "have you got a receipt for those tents?" The old sergeantmajor, who did not know the Minister when he saw him, stopped in the middle of handing still another tent out and said ferociously: "You're about the tenth old —what's been 'ere this morning interfering. Get ter out of it." Luck of Twins The proverbial "luck of twins" is illustrated in the case of three pairs of twins, all of whom are related, who are staying at the Auckland City Mission's camp for families of Napier refugees at Surfdale. One pair of the twins, Noel and Noeline, aged 11 months, were inside a house when the earthquake occurred. Noel was thrown by his mother out of a window, landing on a garden unhurt, while Noeline was carried to safety. Another pair, Jack and Jill, aged nine months, were in separate prams on a verandah of another house in Napier. Jack's pram was thrown off the verandah and capsized, the child escaping without injury. The other pram, after being buffeted to and fro, remained on the verandah, which was the only portion of the residence left standing. Jill was sound asleep throughout. The third pair, two girls, aged 14 years, were in a suburb of Napier and were also uninjured.