LOCAL & GENERAL

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 September 1916, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL

An advertisement 011 page 3 calls Ihe annual meeting ol tin- Levin Indies' Croquet Club for Friday next, ~!Jth September. in the afternoon. at l-cviu rchoolroom. Ilit; ''.star ' picture in I'arland.s picturn program to-night (Tuesday) and fco-itiorrmv (Wednesday) is entitled 'ihe Woll"—a .story of life in the backwoods of Canada. The Mm is ('h)OO feet in length. On Thursday night (race night) special pictures will be shown. They include "The Ivory •".'luff Box, and Charlets Chaplin in ' Charlie the Tramp." While referring: to pictures it will interest picture patrons hereabouts, to know that i.Mr J'/. J. Righton, the Dominion manager of the New Zealand Picture Supplies Co. visited Levin 011 .Saturday, and made arrangements with tlie management of Farland's pictures for the continuance and further improvement of the class of pictures' that have been shown here for the past seven or eight months.

Heavy rains arc falling in Victoria and Now Soutli Wall's. In Melbourne nearly ~>s inches of rain have i,nllc-ii since Thursday last. The Kivcr Varra has rison fifteen feet and i* .still rising. Nearly three mouths have passed without a bankruptcy being recorded in Christchurch. Speaking to a representative of tile News, a gentleman 'inteiest-cd in financial proceedings said the war had done some good by discouraging over-speculation, especially in building, and thus putting business on a remarkably sound basis. He said lie had never known business more •sound and the length of time ebpsing since a bankruptcy had occurred was a record lor the office. In the second volume of his detailed history of the war (just published in London). Mr I?n!!oc describes the great battle of the Maine, which, although t tork place Tiearly two veais ago, made ultimate victory impossible for the enemy. N"o one, not even Mr Hi-lloe. quite understands the reason for the "complete military blunder" that worked the 'Germans' undoing. -Mr Belloc savs: "Tlr's blunder. . . j* so difficult of explanation, its commission by men who. though stupid, arc vet methodical, is so extraordinary that in reading it the mind is insensbly haunted by the cruieeptieii of a superior will, within whose action those of the opposing combatants were but parts of a. whole." Hati Houliama, paramount chief of the Ngatipo, oil tribe, who died at Auckland last week, held the rank of captain in the New Zealand Milif'a, and served through the Maori War- 011 the side at' the Hritish', together with •1 break .»f Ha 11 Hau-ism in 1800. He particularly distinguished himself bv. a f iilit sc.uth-'Wcst of the head of Tokouviru Hay. called Te Mawha. where ns a young man, he wan left in charge <'f a pa in "which some friendly women and children had taken refuge from the rebeils, who were a few miles inland. 8l!0 strong, at a strongly fortified pn called Pukepapa, The chief Hen are Potac, at Tokomaru. had left to gather his loyal men from along the coast settlements. and 110 men were left to defend the pa except Hati. another \oiin<r niiiii, and tlireo old men, anions; who was a well-known whaler named Henderson. At daylight. 200 Hau Haus, while the tide was out attempted to scale the cliffs and capture pa and slaughter the occupants. Hati and the younger man, assisted by three young women, repulsed the advance of the scalers up the cliff, the old men loading the rifles. The three young women. Colonel Porter, 0.8.. fold n Post reporter, in narrating the incident. particularly distinguished themselves and fought witli wonderful courage, with the result that the Han Hatis were repulsed. ' Eleven were killed rnd 11 number wounded, the remainder ictreating to their pa at Pukepapa, which was afterwards attacked and "overturned'' (to use the -Maori word) by Major Ropata and the lorces ltd by Potac and Houkama. Decease;! .subserviently served throughout the East Coast nnd Uiewera raids, and also in the fighting 011 the "West, v at 1 itokowant. Deceased was <.ver 80 vears of a<ie. A man of tender conscience has forwarded 12s (id to the New Zealand Government. being moneys wrongl'ullv l.'f unpaid. The lact is noteworthy because of the smallncK.s of the sum involved : there are many men of hardened conscience who owe hundreds of times as mii"}i to the Government without being tronbed to the extent of feeling impelled to make restitution. The Otaki Pacing Club's spring meeting was opened yesterday in fine weather. The sum of £]8,007 was put through the totalisntor. as compared with £16.95)0 last year. The Ma'den Plate wns won by Ayah, with Flying Spur second and Polynesian third. An outsider in Hose Pink won the Dominion Day Hack, Rronk Dclaval second and Hauniakaka third. Kirkby won the Tatinii <Steeplecha.se, Tauira nnd Silver Monarch being in places. Taringamutu- wen the Teone Memorial; Gold .S:milt being second and Master Moutoa third. The only favourite of the day (Miss I>e Vnl) won the Stewards Hack with and Pearl Marie in placcs. Coldstream won the l'T.ving Handicap. Jean Laddo second and -Marimba third. The last race of the day fell to Kongoi-a, with the Levin-trained Fir Wallace second and Ror.sil third. A notable incident is reported from Kranco in connection with the final "clearing up" at Ovillors. A party of prisoners with whom were two officers were being marched bade" in charge of n subaltern's guard. One of tlie'Gernian lieutenants, coming up abreast of the Brit'sh officer, unpinned an Iron Cross from his breast and extended it. I lie Hritish officer asked him what he 11:0 int. "lake it for having done what we considered to be impossible," ■ c aul the German officer. "T give it t" , v 'Ui. Ihe English lieutenant thanked the German, but declined, oxplaining that it was not tlie custom o! the Hiitish Army to deprive an unfortunate enemy of anything lie had won by his own bravery.