FLASHES

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 9 October 1914, Page 4

FLASHES

Opening of Awaroa Bowling Green, Saturday, 17th inst. " Trafalgar Day!" Wednesday, 21st inst. Up with the bunting. Maungafcuroto is to the fore in promoting a Belgium Distress Fund, Dr. Mercer being the moving spirit. All creations have small beginnings. Instance our Town Fire Brigade of five, ,- with power to add to their number, which, we hope, will soon reach twentyfour. Staff Sergt.-Major Fletcher, of Helensville. who went with the first expeditionary :>!orce to Samoa** returned on a fow days forlough, this week. He proceeded to Auckland Thursday last. As an expert in repairing all kinds of sewing machines, Mr Luttrell of Helensviile, announces that he is prepared to over-haul any make whatever. Travelling trunks and furniture can also be renovated by him. A slight shock oi' earthquake was experienced here at about 7 o'clook on Tuesday morning last, though few persons noticed it. . Some landslips along the railway line a few miles out, took place at the time, and are now being cleared away. One of the most important announcements we have to make in this issue— this week —concerns the Echo and its welfare. All accounts due are out, and and the proprietors are anxious that they should-be settled. It is a noticeable fact that whereas Gevernment is preceeding with many new railway stations and improvements in various parts of the Dominion,,nothing is being done in Helensville, and so close to the elections too. A Gazette, Extraordinary just issued contains a proclamation by the Governor extending the period during which notes of Banks doing business in New Zealand shall be legal tender up to and including January 7,1915. The members of the new Town Board did some four hours' hard graft Tuesday night on the proposed new by-laws for the due regu'ation of local affairs, which everyone interested in the welfare of the district will need to study and abide by.

Special attention is drawn to Stewart Bros. Ltd., announcement on our front page, bearing especially upon "cut lines." —Housewives, bachelors' establishments, and others will do well to note them. The war prices have evidently not yet reached " Stewart's Store."

The. Soar Theatre proprietory propose .giying. a Patriotic Skating Carnival and Fancy Dress Dance, with sapper to follow, on Tuesday evening next. Music will be supplied by the Helensville B;ass Band, and the whole of the proceeds are to be devoted to the Patriotic Fund.

The usual monthly cattle sale by Buckland and Sons, at Helensvilie yards on Wednesday, was largely attended, when about 450 head of various grades were yarded. Bullocks fetched £12 10s; store cattle as high as £6 ; beef cows £8; yearlings £3 ss. The best sale held icr a long time.

The; Prime Minister stated on Monday evening that as far as ordinary development works were concerned the Government did not anticipate any difficulty in carrying on the o/dinary works right throughout the country. In fact, he said, the Government has more men employed now than has been the case for some time past.

About two hundred Maoris have applied for enlistment to L'eut. Jones, who, is organising the Auckland quoto of the Maori expeditionary foi-cs. As only 50 are required from Auckland, many have been rejected, and these are very disappointed. The fortunate 50 will go into camp with the remainder of the contingent at Avondale.

The difficulty of the unemployed in Auckland is being capitally dealt wlih by the Govrei'nment, bat the wonder is thqse gut Qf WQvk in the tqwns do not seek employment in fhe cgun\ry, where there appears to be little or no ce,ss.3,tiqn in the building trade especially. Of the men who reported last week in Auckland that they desi'/ed employment, 27 were carpenters, 32 were pamieis, and 111 were labourers, and move than two-tah-ds of them were man-led. The remainder or the unemployed, 21, were distributed over a dozen different grades.

It is very encouraging to note that the so-called pqqr land of the North can, under proper management, be prqduGave at a profit. Mr P. W. Strange, manager of Bell's Estate, near IJelensville, this, week shipped away 44 bales of wool, and he hopes to increase the output next year. Two years ago six bales of wool was the amount of the clip, and last year it was increased to 20. The run grazes 2,200 sheep, andlOO odd head of cattle. Mr Strange reckons that future prospects are y.e\-y satisfactory.

An unfortunate jfltprcapon toqk place, at the motor a^d cyqles' dinner at Wellington. One of the guests called for some Turkey without Greece, and the waitress rather rudely replied, "You must be a Geraian." He said, " No, I'm Hungary." His friend then nudged him and said, " Don't Russia, ■or she won't Seryia," The waitress then retried, and returned sa^tijg, "Dp you intend to Roum'ania?'*■'■ the guest then . ttjitUfid, "Certainly, I want "Sairoa.1?' '"' Thd waitress then became somewhat familiar, and said, :.' lyqg il,.e I^elgiurn, and J'il call Nancy. £t will only cqst yqu ' a Npw GniJea."

All the letters of the alphabet ara contained in this sentence of only thirtythree lettert: —J. Gray, pack with my box five dozen quills,