FLASHES

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 28 September 1916, Page 2

FLASHES

Miss Muriel Allen is coming.—Helensville Brass Band Concert, October 12. Special attractions.

Mrs Marshall, of Helensville, has a notice re nursing in another column.

Euchre and Dance, promoted by the Church of England Ladies' Guild, will be held in the Star Theatre on Monday evening next. Roll up to good cause.

Owing to Father Kelly having been suddenly called away to Christchurch, there will be no service in the Roman Catholic Church, Helensville, on Sunday next.

It is expected that the Rev. A. V. Venables, the incoming Vicar of the Parochial District of Helensville, will commence his duties on Sunday, 29th October.

The British Government's intentions regarding cheese have not yet been announced, but there is a growing impression that the Government is likely to take over all arrivals of Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian, and possibly also the Home output.

Owing to continued ill-health, Mr J. A. Megson, who for so many years has carried on business in Helensville, has sold his stock of general drapery, crockery, and boots to Mr E. Gahagan, of Auckland. Mr Gahagan has bought at a big discount, and we understand that the whole of the stock will tie oifered to the public for realisation next week, the exact date of which will be advertised later.

Defence headquarters expect that it will be fully three months before a reinforcement draft contaiaing conscripts under the Military Service Act can be got into camp. They regard the Defence Minister's statement that the scheme will be in full working order by the end of October as exceedingly optimistic. A Memorial Service will be held in the Kaukapakapa Public Hall at 2.30 on Sunday next, to the late ActingSergeant Gordon Milligan, of Wainui, who was killed in action in France on Sunday, September 10th. Returned soldiers and all military men are requested to attend in uniform. The Rev J. A. Lamond will preach, and his subject will be " Man's greatest honou, is to be brave and good." Helensville should feel very proud o; some of its residents. For instance, a strong, healthy young farmer, when asked about enlisting, replied : " No, I am not going, and if the authorities want me, they will have to drag me'; I don't even care if they brand shirker across my back." Another one, a mariner, in his boastful mood, stated that he would sooner take poison than go. "The Valley of Lost Hope," by Shanon^ Fife, is the principal attraction at the Star Theatre on Saturday evening next. It is a strikingly realistic and thrilling tale of love and adventure in the wild and lawless times of the early Californian ; mining days—the mad rush to peg out the claims —the great struggle .for mastery when might was right—and showing the birth and growth of •' boom town " when gold is discovered. There is a wealth of wonderfully powerful situations, such as were presented in " The Spoilers."

The gem of the fine picture programme to be shown, at the Star Theatre on Wednesday evening next is the film version of Frank Danby's great book, " The Heart of a Child," featuring Edna Flugarth and Edward Sass. The story is so well written and picturized that it cannot be fairly measured by the ordinary standard. There is scarcely an author of to-day with a truer grip of London and its environments and the lives of the people of the great metropolis. The excellent material offered by the novel is taken full advantage of, and the drama makes a wholly satisfactory and intensely interesting film.

The commissioners appointed to enquire regarding aliens on gum-fields in the north of Auckland, conclude their finding as follows : —" We are decidedly of opinion that the existence of large bodies of Austrian subjects .in North Auckland districts is not attended with any danger to the community." The report adds: " The Commissioners are convinced that these men are possessed of no arms, except some shot-guns, odd pea-rifles and seven revolvers, which they willingly, handed to the police. The commissioners are also satisfied that the men do r^qt driU- Public feeling is overwhelmingly against the internment or segregation, of the men."

The Germans in Belgium, at all events, whatever their intentions may be when they have done swearing and polling their eyes, are reported to. be packing their trunks and getting ready for a bolt. No doubt these trunks contain a vast amount of loot, taken, of course, contrary to the laws of war, i c., if the systematic spoliation of the early days of war left anything in Belgium for Hans and Fritz and the officers and gentlemen of the Kaiser's army to loot. The story is quite probable, for it shows that these Germans are aware that at any moment their Western lines may break, and that when they do break it will be woe to the ; unfortunate, man who has to wait till he can pack his trunk. They know, too, that when the debacle sets in, the military will give no civilians any chance of railway travel. They know, therefore, that the brunt of the inevitable reprisals will fall on the German civilian e'ement in Belgium. No wonder they are packing and getting oat. Moloch is beginning to get pale.