FLASHES

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 24 July 1914, Page 4

FLASHES

A new foreman of works for the Town Board has been appointed. Plenty of work, and money scarce. A live local and sole agent is required for the Golden Age Cement. Apply C. Aickin and Son, Auckland. The Helensville Lawn Tennis Club held their annual ball last evening, and a very happy and successful function it was. A. big sale of dairy cows, etc., is announced to take place at Whangaripo on August 6, by' the Auckland Farmers' Union. Stewart's great bargain sale of boots, shoes, remnants, etc., is now being continued for a few days longer. Inspection invited. Holiday railway excursion tickets are to be issued for the great football match. England v Auckland, to be held in the Auckland Domain, to-morrow, Saturday, 25th inst. Mr R. Coe, organiser of the Kaipara No-license League, was in Helensville on Friday and Saturday last. A strong committee has been formed locally. A notice appears in our advertising columns calling for tenders for catering at the Foresters' Ball on August 11. Conditions and specification may be seen at Sandin's Pharmacy. A fund is being raised to erect a tombstone over the grave of Thomas Bracken, the New Zealand poet. The burial place was located with some difficulty. An effort-is to be made to increase the number of members on the Helensville Town Board from five to seven. Wonder if this proposal would induce increased vitality, better roads, and street lighting. The Commonwealth statistician reports that the cost of living has increased by 20 per cent in New South Wales, and 12 per cent in Victoria during the past two years. Two hundred soldiers have been sent to deal with an outbreak of the Colorado » beetle on several potato farms to the Westward of Hamburg. Dr. M'Nab passed through Christchurch on Monday night going north, where he will get into active work in Hawke's Bay, for which seat, it is rumoured, he is a "dead bird" this election. The social circle intend to have a merry time of it in Helensville during the month of August: Foresters' Ball on the 11th ; the comic opera of " Mandarin " on 25th ; and Masonic Ball on 27th. <• i "All the new appointments are known supporters of the Conservative Government, and this is the party of ' purity, which was to give everyone a ' square deal.' "—Spectator. The Yankees are getting nervous over Shamrock IV. The Hereshoff boat, Resolute, won by several seconds over the Vanitie, and by two minutes over Defiance, in the eightli elimination test for the selection of the American Cup defender. An opportune auction sale of timber of various kinds and in small lots, is announced to be held at Helensville, on Wednesday, August 5, by Buckland and Sons. This is a rare chance for those in want of timber, and doubtless they are numerous. The new issue of King George V. stamps will be available, it is expected, before the end of the year.—But there is plenty of time for King George to meet with a bomb before then, save the mark: What with Suffragettes, Home Rulers, Nationalists, and other factions.

Whilst engaged in dehorning cows at Tangiteroria the other day, a man named John Whitford was gored in the abdomen by one of the animals. He was im mediately conveyed to Dargaville for medical attention. Although the injury is a serious one, the doctors have hopes

for his recovery

A horrible murder has been committed in Whangarei, when a man named Hammon killed his wife in their boarding house, Bank Street, with a small axe, the blade of which was buried six inches in the poor woman's head. She lived for a few hours after the deed. Hammon was found by the police, dressed in his Sunday clothes, near the Town Wharf.

A stranger recently strolled into the Hastings cemetery. On a monument life read, "A lawyer and an honest man." A well-known citizen, seeing the man appeared to be interested, said to him, " Have you found the grave of an old friend?" "No," replied the stranger, " but I was wondering how they came to bury those two fellows in one grave."

Bill Smith, a country shopkeeper, went to town to buy goods. They were sent home before him. When the boxes arrived Mrs Smith, who was minding the shop, uttered a scream, seized a hatchet, and began to force off the lid of the largest. " What's the matter ?" asked a bystander. Pale and faint, Mrs Smith pointed to an inscription on the lid. It read :—" Bill inside."