FLASHES.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 15 February 1917, Page 2

FLASHES.

Music hath charms—The Helensville Town Band will play at the Hot Springs next Sunday afternoon.

The fighting serial —The Broken Coin (episode 15)— at the Star Theatre on Saturday evening next.

Very little Kauri gum is being exported from Auckland at present, owing to the shortage of shipping space.

Don't forget the Red Cross Tea at Parakai on Saturday afternoon, 17th inst. A pleasant afternoon awaits you. A meeting will be held in Stewart's Theatre to-night (Thursday) to form a committee in connection with the Patriotic Carnival to be held at Helensville on faster Saturday, April 7.

Up to the present more than a hundred foreign spies have been expelled from Switzerland, and seven fresh espionage cases will shortly be tried in the Swiss Courts.

Lawyers are easy sleepers. It is immaterial on , which side they lie— the dollars have to be paid every time, win or lose.

Two conscientious objectors, who were employed as grave-diggers, left after two days' work. They objected to death in any form.

According to a special wire received by a contemporary, butter is so scarce in Germany that when mother gets a bit of it she puts it in the cupboard and rubs the bread on the door. Next, please.

Ten members of the Helensville Town Band (under Bandmaster Berryman) left Helensville by the launch Niagara in the early Jiours of Tuesday morning for the Pahi Regatta, when they rendered some very fine selections, adding greatly to the day's pleasure.

The Catholic Mission conducted by the Rev. Father. O'Sullivan at Helensville during the past week has been most succeessful. Unfortunately the Missioner has to leave for Puhoi on Saturday, and so will not be able to conduct the services on Sunday as at first arranged.

Sergeant: H What is strategy in war ? Give me on instance of it." Irish Private: "Strategy is whin yez don't let the inimy dishcover that ye are out of amunishun, but kape on firm."

Wage-earning women, excluding domestic servants and outworkers, have increased by a total of 866,000 since July 1914, of whom 66,090 are in agricultural employments, according to memorandum issued by the National Union ofWomen's Suffrage Societies.

"Bub, surely," urged Barlow, " seeing is believing." " Not necessarily," responded Singer. " For instance, I see you every day, but as to believing you " He never finished that sentence.

At a meeting of the German National Liberal Party, held at Dusseldorf, a resolution was unanimously adopted describing the defeat of England as the only guarantee of Germany's future, and demanding the ruthless employment of all weapons against this deadly enemy.

The' old lady had had a charge of drunkenness dismissed, and was profuse in her gratitude to the Magistrate. " I thought you wouldn't be 'ard on me, your worship," she remarked, as she left the dock, " I know how often a kind 'cart beats beneath an ugly face."

The big feature of Saturday's program at the Star Theatre is " Monsieur Locoq" —one of the most amazing and thrilling dectective stones that has ever been conceived by the past-master of French fiction, Emile G-aboriau It is a Parisian study of .wonderful contrasts, and will compel the interest of the most capricious audience. The supporting pictures are right up to the usual high standard.

The most valuable prizes offered by any of our " domestic economy " classes are mere trifles in comparison with the reward that is within reach of Miss Peggy Zennser, an American girl of 18. Her grandmother has left her a legacy of £2,000 provided tha,t she ca n QQDk a good meal within .the next three yearv

A method of dealing with the smallbird pest that has often been proved to be very effective (says the Journal of Agriculture) is to fire shot at night into trees where the birds are shearing in large numbers. The startled birds fly out, lose their way, beat about, and finally die of exhaustion—p i-ctically killing themselves/ Dark, stormy nights are best for. carrying out the operation.

" Tl^e light on trje rear, qf :,he motorcar, if there was a light, i S so faint that I cquld not tell whether, i- yas the moon shining on the glass/ said' a constable, when giving evidenc .. a bylaw case in the Magistrate1?: Court at Auckland. His Worship rein:, ked that the evidence given by the vaf- .ess was rather unfortunate, as it raised question as to whether the whole cir, : nstances were moonshine.

A settler at Arahura, Westland, who has been in the habit of ca, u"ng woodashes from the dump' of a sawmill and pitting them freely into his land, obtains fine crops of potatoes and turnips— sometimes when thn?c • ' .bouring farmers are indifferen a failure! The fertilising and ?.■.>••. ycoving' properties of wood-ashes (wiih their large lime-content—apart iroiii the. potash) should be more generally realized.

A number of canaries are advertised for sale.

The Town Board are inviting applications for the position of poundkeeper.

A fish and chip shop will be openedr s> in La Roche's buildings, , Commer'>ial - Road, on Monday next. , A Wellington magistrate has ruled the sale of soft drinks on Sunda illegal. ! Owing to the fsct that we are woi short-handed at present the S.M. G and other news is held over until! issue. . ) i How the years are lengthening.! "Daily Telegraph " says that the Nj City Council-registered 403 days irij and 372 in 1915. Perhaps they • cars. I

The repairing gangs are still hai work repairing the extensiv^jfcfr^jjk1 done to the Ahuroa tunnel by i^&b^^ floods, and many hundreds of toi earth, have had to be removed. j

To prevent the overflow of the wj tables at the lower end of Garfield j workmen have been engaged during week in laying pipes across the s thereby diverting the tremendous! of storm water coming down the hil;

Don't forget'to roll up to the) Theatre to-night (Thursday) the occ being a send-off to some of our boi the 23rd Reinforcements, who are j on final leave. On Monday eveningj inst., a similar entertainment wij given in honour of local members c 24th Reinforcements.

An exceptionally good two-star gramme is booked for Wednesday at the Star Theatre. " The Bacbl Romance " (Famous Players) has for its author the fame of having wi the best sentimental comedy-drama screened. It is a quaint portray tender love, and every scene is re( of human nature at its best, The naval picture, •" Friend and Foe c High Seas," is a film that should bi by everyone—the German fleet is s skulking in Keil Harbour and al mimic action, while Britain's poi navy is sweeping the ocean aud pri ing the merchant vessels from dang