LOCAL AND GENERAL

Horowhenua Chronicle, 9 December 1915, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The offioer commanding group <i, Captain Thomson paid a surprise visit to Levin last night and was present at the parades held in the drill hall by the cadets and territorials. His visit Wius the oiitcomo of reports circulated anent the conduct ot the parades in tlio past. At his request, the officer commanding the local units, SergeantMajor' Daniels, "put the tetM'toi'ials through viarious military .evolutions, and they acquitted themselves creditably, Captain Thomson expressing himself as well satisfied with the progress being made at present. There was i-good muster ol territorials aiui cadete.

Horowhenua li&oing Olub is ,to hold a general meeting of members next (Saturday evening, in the Levin i'oivi Hail, to transact business of iinpo - taiice. The meeting is fixed for o o'clook.

Private John Tiniiaha, of Ohau, who was wounded, is repoited as oeing convalescent; Trooper ALo&tyir Poole, late of Manakau, is 'reported aa inking, probably dead.

in uie championship iieat between lvirk's and Porteous's rinks played on Levin greon yesterday, kirk's rink won by a good margin. In the ladder championship singles Currie lias gained top rung by defeating Roe.

Butter-fat cheques by Levin i)ai.*y Factory, to be paid out lor November supplies, will total nearly £7,000. The price per lb is Ik Id, and there will be a further payment if the Condon aell-ing-price of the butter warrants it.

An Ohau lad, only fifteen years of age, sent his name to tdie Defence Department, offering his services for the front. He received a. reply jto the effect that it was a pity to "have to turn <lown such pluck, out" that the regulation would have to be auhored to.—Mail.

A Hastings merchant told a Uisborne Times reporter that the pastures and crops in that district are in splendid condition. Further rains -would, however, be benehcial. In business circles the general opinion was that cereals would (he much dWajpeF tn&n usual this season. Already oats and chaff showed a distinctly lowering tone. Ir Hawko's Bay district the shortage of farirf labour was being very keenly felt.

Mr Claude .Mclvay, an Aiistnßlia;j journalist, writes Home from New Vork thai the only time lie saw .1 crowd cheering in that solemn city was when they saw £10,000,000 ol British goU being carted down Wall-street. They stood on the pavement and cheered" the boxes trulTfMiug by. Satirical reference is made by Mr McKay to the ski., fill way in which the American daily pap ors vary the -war news to keep up their circulation. - On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays win in the coiumns of the New York dailies, and the rest of the week the Allies have the best ot it.

Some of the Radical newspapers in the U.S.A. liavo found grist for their mills in the fact that Miss Virginia Bruce Loney, aged sixteen, has been awarded by the Court the annual sum of 25,000 dollars from the mother's estate for tho "necessaries' 1 of life (says the San Francisco Argonaut). These "necessaries" indliidie sucli items as GOOO dollars for rent, 000 dollnrs tor a maid, 3500 dollars for clothing, and '2500 dollars for vacation. At a vestry meeting held at St. Mary's vicarage on December Ist. the following resolutions wore unanimously passed:—(l) That ft vote of thanks he given to Mis Bowles for the gift of gates to St. Mary's Church; (2y That a heatv "vote ol thanks bo given to the Ladies Guild, the stallholders, tho boys' band, the Town Band and Mrs Matthews, and all helpers fit the bazaar; (3) That a vote of thanks 'be given to Mr S. Hall for repairing the organ.

The sum of £08 3s -kl was the amount raited as the result of the Church of England bazaar and the subsequent sale of a few articles?. The proceeds liavo been devoted to the following objects' Towards the fund tor the erection of a new church at Ivopu taroa £16 2s: towards the current expenses of the Church. £50; the balance of £32 Is 4di will be given townrds the paintiug and the fund for the enlarging oi St. Mary's Church, Levin.

Woodville ]'acos were lield yesterday and to-day. A number of Levin Idlowers went up yesterday, but there was a smaller outgoing to-day as the task of picking the winner Had exhausted the energies (if not the pockets) ol many who attended on the first day. The race for the "Woodville Cup was a stirring contest andi the winner turned up in Square Deal, the first favourite. Hiwitopu (a light weight) ran second and Rooya (top-weight) was third. Sea Lord, with 8.13 up, won tlie Flying in decisive fashion. Tavistock being second A useful sort of filly (Maraetotara) defeated twenty-two other runners in the Maiden Plate. She will he hea"d of again. Unplaced horses that sho'V ; ed good pace for live furlongs were Merry Dale andi Marsie Hclle. Mar sinah. who filled third place is not yet up to concert pitch.

A time coinee in every bottle wlnn men are so worn out that they musf sleep in spite of themselves. - In the fiercest fighting round the Alnlnl .Kaliman Hills a soldier ol the 14th Battalion was found in one of tho nrxst exposed positions surroundedi by dead and wounded, and a stretcher-bearer commenced to search tor his hurt. He turned the man over and over without result, until he opened his eyes drearily and muttered "Can'st you let a bloke sleep?" He was quite oblivious of the fact that fighting was going one, and went on cheerily enough to join his unit when the position was explained. Before tho new ridges were secured sufficiently to permit of men being relieved it was not uncommon to find soldiers standing with their rifles over tho paropet and their fingers on the triggers snoring loudly.

A native entered the witness box at the Suntly Police Court in a semicomatose state, and leaning lazily against the side wa6 handed" the Court Testament. When asKed by the clerK t> affirm or kiss the book, he merely gazed blankly at the open pages, fully a minute elapsed in this way,

when a peremptory reminder came from the Bench. The witness nodded slightly, but still grasped the book .firmly, and; continued to stare at the printed leaves. Mr Rawson apparently considered that the man's evidence would be of little assistance, to the Court and the native was escorted out by a couple of constables. At a later stage of the proceeding bo was again called, and in answer to his "Worship as to whether he was sober then; said hi was fairly bo. "How much beer have you had?" asked the magistrate. "Oh, I dunno. 'bout a barrel T 'sposc. 7 ' After taking the oath the witness declared, with the air of a man in a tight comer "'Spose T'd better tell the truth?" His Worship, amidst considerable laughter assured him that he had better, but later on dismissed lum a.: finite unreliable.