LOCAL AND GENERAL

Horowhenua Chronicle, 27 March 1915, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Barley is almost unprocurable in Levin now, and a marked shortage prevails throughout the dominion. The droughts in Marborough and Hawke's Bay have spoilt large areas that were under cultivation, and apart from this there is the further disability that a shrinkage in the total area planted was recorded last year-end. A Levin produce merchant informs us that reports from the south and Wellington show that brewers are at present compelled to purchase their malt-barley overseas. The weekly stock sales at the Levin saleyards "ill be discontinued from now onward and the .sales will be held once a fortnight. lie (rubbing it in): You know someone has said, "if yon would make a lasting pair of shoes, take for the .sole the tongue of a woman." «Shc: Yes, and for the uppers the cheek of the man who said it. Airs Murphy was getting the supper for the children on Saturday night I when a young woman came to her door./ "I'm a collector tor the Drunkards' liome," she said. "Could you help ns?" "Gome round to-night, and I'll give you Murphy." naid the housewife as she went about her work. Shareholders in Levin Co-operative Dairy Co. Ltd. are invited to attend a general meeting of shareholders convened for Thursday week (Bth April The question of installing cheeseplants at each of the company's local creameries will be debated, with a view to guiding the directors of the company in their final decision. In the acknowledgments of donations made -to the Belgium Relief Fund in connection with the garden ""party of the Levin Ladies' Croquet Club, the donation of lis (carting account) was erroneously credited to .Mr A. Ilook. instead of Mr 11. Hook. Mr Hook gave the whole of his .services free of charge. A member of the Expeditionary Force (Leo Stephen Curtis) a young man, was arrested yesterday on a charge of stealing £22 3s 3d from the Oluikuiie Borough Council. He appeared helore Mr D. A. G. Cooper, S.M.. at the Magistrate's Court. at Wellington, yesterday, and was remanded to appear at Wanganui on Monday morning next. An ostrich plume given for the Belgian Belief Fund wa.s to have been sold at the Levin school concert last night, but the service* ol an auctioneer could not be "obtained. The plume will be sold to-night in Oxford street at the l'ost Office corner. The receipts at the concert given last night at the King's Theatre, by the Levin district school children in aid i ! the Belgian Belief Fund was £19. This amount was made up from money taken at the doors and the sale of sweets. There remains yet the proceeds of the sale of tickets to come to hand and it is expected that the total will be well over £30. A dearth of farm labour occasioned by the heavy enlistments of men for the war exists in England this year. A note in the London Times of 22nd •January states that it is believed that the most likely means of making good the scarcity of skilled hands would be to relax the school age. so that boys from 12 to 14 years could be brought into service. Many lads of this age are more or less familiar with farm implements, and are no novices in handling horses. It was stated that the corn haj-vest and crops of sugar beet in Germany wore' I«*' autumn with the assistance of pupils from the schools working in organise I bodies. Wo might take a lesson from this example, and in the stress of the moment release the older and stronger 'of the boys from the classroom to help in work that is of national importance and well within their capacity.

Special services will Ije held all day on Sunday at the local Salvation Army Hall. Staff-Captain Wallace, of Wellington; will bo in charge throughout the day. Special vocal and instrumental items -will ho contributed in each meeting. Tn tho afternoon a ■service of nong will be given by the children. On Monday at 8 p.m., a special programme by band and songsters will be gone through, Staff-Cap-tain Wallace presiding. At the close, a large contribution of vegetables and fruit will be offered for sale. On Tuesday at S p.m., a service of song entitled "The Man who Spoiled the Music.'' will be given by tho band, songsters and young people. After this the final sale o! gifts will take place.