LOCAL AND GENERAL

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 August 1915, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A cable message (savs that Clutlia Mackenzie, . the High commissioner's sou,, has been blinded in both eyes by the bursting of a shell at the Dardanelles. This morning, the district's contribiK tion of men, to the number of twentyone, to the Eighth Reinforcements, left fov tile Trentham training camp by the ( J o'clock train. A -Wellington message reports that the Government has decided to send 'Mr R. 11. Rhodes, late PostmasterGeneral to Egypt and Malta to report regarding matters that nave been the subject of complaint in recent mouths. The Levin hockey team to play .Shannon to-morrow (Wednesday) " will consist of—Wells, Martin, Leslie. Hook (2), J. Thompson. Parsons, Hounsell, Howe, Coombes, Smith, Allen. Winter and Pringle. Unclaimed property "lying at ihe Chronicle office, and to be Had 011 application of the owners, includes a pair of farm boots, a set ol talse teeth, a carter's hook, two bnuss axle-caps, and a pair of smoke-coloured spectacles. Unless rain comes shortly the sheepfarmers in the Waiparn and Amuri counties will have to face a very serious position in shortage oi leed lor their stock. Already sheep are dying by the score and many can be seen shrunk to the skin and bone, and almost too weak to move about. Artificial feeding is being resorted to in some ease.-, at a heavy expense. For example it is costing one farmer with a 12l)0-acre holding in the Waipara county L'HiO evel'y toil days lor tunics.Christchurch Star. As showing the high values to which stock prices have risen it may be mentioned that a line of ( J0 lat bullocks is under oll'er to a Palmer,ston dealer at ■C 2 7s Gd per cwt (says the lU'ihling Star). 11 not accepted, the offer is to pass to a Christchureli buyer, who has the opportunity of purchasing the line at £20 per head. There has just been demolished in Eden Street, Oamarii (states the ''Times''), a very old landmark, in the shape ol a cottage of tussock and daub, built over o2 yeais ago by Mr. "■Jock'' Shaw, of Onmaru. At the time of building it stood ill ;i sea of lussocks. with 110 other habitations near. .Since its erection it lias been continuously in use, the last tenant. I iie late Mrs Ninon, having lived in it it lor the past 10 years. Levin butchers ♦should endeavour to raise sheep of the kind lately seen at Ngaturi. In that district a lamb was born having eight legs two tails and two bodies. If this sort of "'lat" could be obtained in euflicieil? quantity, the local trouble about making the log joints equal to the demand would be lessened. A commercial traveller, out lor a lark, accosted .some milk vendors at Hasting*, took sain pins ol their milk inspected their carts, and severely rebuked them for the state of their vehicles. lie also upbraided them on II eir personal appearance. The men stated their intention to have their eartrs painted without delay and to comply with all the requirements of the "inspector," never dreaming that they were being hoaxed.

At the social which is to be given in ihe Town Hall, Weraroa. on Friday night the first scene of ''The Red Hiding Hood" cantata will be given by iTTe Weraroa Sunday school children. There will also be choruses from "The Rose of Joy" cantata which has lately been given in the Wairarapa with great success. about £200 being obtained for tlie patriotic fund in that district- hy the staging of this pretty little operetta.

A white leather wrapped in tissue 4japer. and enclosed in an envelope, was received recently through the post office by a nfember of the iJelen'ce Force, who is stationed in Levin, the intimation thus conveyed being that the recipient hats not sufficient courage to offer his services lor the front. It -may interest the one who robbed a bird of part of its coat in winter time, to know that the man to whom it was sent, volunteered for the front with the first force that went awav. but being a member of the Defence Force lie was not allowed to go. As far oack as last February, the Headquartelrs Staff circularized members ol the lorces as follows: ''Several requests for acceptance of resignation, or lor discharges, to enable the aplicant to proceed abroad to join other forces have been made to the commandant. .It should he clearly

understood that the N.Z..5.C., R.N.Z.A. and permanent staff are regular and permanent units, liable for service anywhere. The duties they are called on to carry out in New Zealand are important equally with the duties at the front. There is no necessity for these units to volunteer for (service abroad. As the" necessity arises, they will receive orders accordingly." So it is up to the person who sent the feather to apologise to the bird that, lent it.. ike sending it this requires no courage. Extract from London Times ol one hundred years ago"Thursday, .June loth, 181o: —\\ e have great reason to believe that an express leached town yesterday from Paris, with an account oi Buonaparte's departure lor the army. A report to that effect prevailed in the City yesterday; and in the course ol the day it was stated, that Government had received dispatches officially confirming the fact. We have reason to know that it lias been the general opinion at Paris for some time past, that Buonaparte's departure for the army would be the signal for an embargo in all the ports oi France, and nothing is more probable than that this measure has actually taken since no French papers or other communications havo been received for the last two days from France, although the wind has heen fair for their arrival. It is credibly believed that he left Paris late on Thursday evening; and we hear from Ostend that on Sunday ho was at Lisle. Some persons surmise, that with his usual attention to the superstitions of the soldiery, and perhaps from a similar impression on his own mind,Jie will have endeavoured to fight his first- grand battle on the 14th inst.. tlie anniversary of the 'battle of .<lavengo.

A "send-off"'is to be given to the Kev. A. C. ltanderson, M.A., iu Levin I'resbyterian Church to-morrow ('Wednesday) evening, Mr Rauderson being about to depart lor Dunedin where lie will co-operate with l)r Ttaddell ill the parish oi St. Andrew's. All members and adherents of Levin Presbyterian Church are invited to be present at to-morrow's function, which will be held immediately 011 conclusion ot the annual meeting, which begins at 8 p.m.

The Bishop ui Melanesia will reach Levin by the Napier tram 011 Wednesday. lie is bringing with him a act ui slides showing lantern pictures of llie extensive work dune by the Melalicsian mission which employs over SOU men and women ill evangelistic and educational work iu the ootilli Sea lain ads. An opportunity ol' hearing llio bishop and seeing the views ol Uie islands should not be missed. All are invited lo the meeting in St. Maiy's ijuunch-rooni, Levin, oil <S\ ednosday night. Admission will he iree. An advertisement on our fourlll page gives iiirther particulars. The Hon. T. Mackenzie, High 10111missioner lor Nin Z,ealanu, in a loiter to his Levin . relative (,-Ur 1). £>. Mackenzie; remarks on various -su»pecis ol tiie war, and observes Winter alia): — "L will not .speak ol the position of affairs here at the moment, because by the time this letter readies you many changes may have occurred. 'liiat the position is exceedingly serious all thinking people realise. W'o nave, however, Lhi.s comfort—that the courage ol the men. and of the women too. ol our Empire was never higher, and that il tli'. l organisation which irs now in hand can bo successfully carried out. as I think it will, victory must assuredly come to our arms and those of our Allies. . . . Not the least important part of the work oi my office is that of looking after our wounded soldiers here. 11' you only knew the kindness that has been showered upon them by the people oi Britain you would realise that there is something more than sentiment in the feeling ot this country to her oversea children and our attachment to the Motherland. . . . One New Zealander. smiling all over, said to nip the other tiny, "J.t is worth while being wounded to come home and receive the kindnesses that are bestowed upon us '. . . 1 was at Net-ley Hospital, near (Southampton, this-week when some sixteen New /-<ealanders arrived. 1. had a chat Avith them and with those who were already there. They were in great heart, anxious to get well and back at the lront, doing a little for their countVy. . . .

The war is coining home to you much closer than it <1 id. as those near and dear to New Zealanders are now included in the killed and suffering. During the past ten months the war has always been with 11s with its dreadfulness: we have seen the very flower of the manhood of the country offered in defence of home and empire. Men upon whom all that love, attention, training and education could bestow have been ruthlessly cut down hv that enemy of the human race the German Kaiser; hut the light must be made ii civilisation and freedom are to conlinue 011 this earth."

Shannon Notes * [By nin Resident Representative.] FALLMEIIS' U.\ lON.

A meeting of the, Farmers' Union was held in the Mechanics 1 Institute uii .Saturday night, Mr E. Law presiding. A letter wats rend from .Mr Sellars. secretary of the Belgian iM'ugee.s Food Fund. Masterton. urging the Union to contribute. It was decided to explain what had been done on this coast. The chairman suggested thai. elie Union should give a machine gun to the utn Mounted Rifles. it was decided that t'je matter be iurther considered ai a iuLure meeting. .\J.r C. 13. Robinson read a report ol the decisions of the conference at Pahiatua in May iast to v. Inch Mr Law and liiniself were delegates. Mr haw explained that it was decided that the Government bo requested to recognise the Fanners' Union at future Government conferenceis. A hearty vote ol thanks was accorded to the delegates on the motion ol .Mr G. N. .Stephenson, seconded by Mr Waring-Taylur. Mr Graham Watson was elected a member of the L'nion on the motion ol Mr WanngTaylor seconded by Mr O. B. Robinson, It was resolved on the motion of Mr J? Robinson to request- the Agricultural Department to send an expert to give a demonstration ol tree-pruning at the Rev. C. Palmer's orchard A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the meeting.

31 r G. X. Stephenson has sold his properly at Buckley to Mr Steam, of Kingston-road

M.r . .S. Alloway has received a letter Ironi his son, Private U. T. Alloway, who leit New Zealand with tlie Auckland Battalion ul the lhird lleintorcemonts. Mr A Moray's son has Ueeu tw-iec wounded and i.s now buvk in the t'/cliches at the Dardanelles 31r 13. Keys, contractor, for fiapiiill work, met with a bad accident on Monday last. He was biking at Karero on the Foxton lino when he was ruu over by a motor car, and had ail arm broken and was badly bruised. i'hu motorist conveyed Mr Keys to a doct'K' and his injuries were attended to. Mr Rotter's hoy, Laurie, has been sent to the Palmerston ilospital suffering Uoni an internal ailment. 'Mrs Moynihan has received a tele r gram from the Hon. J. Allen, -Minister of Defence, stilting that her son, Mr Kewi .Uoynilian, has been wounded again, but the nature ol the injury is iiMt stated.