FLASHES.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 26 April 1917, Page 2

FLASHES.

Shooting season opens on Tuesday, May Ist. Several trespass notices appear in our advertising columns. The coal strike- has ended, and the Railway Department will resume the ordinary running of the train service on May Bth. Miss E. Vercoe has an announcement in another column that she has started business as a dressmaker in Fifth Avenue. Don't forget the Garden Fete on Saturday afternoon next in the Vicarage grounds, the proceeds of which are in aid of the Church of England funds. The interruption occasioned to railway traffic on the line-north of Helenville, by the heavy rain in the early part of the week, has now ceased, and communication has been restoied.

Householders are reminded that the annual meeting to elect a school committee will take place at the Helensville School on Monday, 30th inst., at 8 p.m.

Anzac Day was observed as a halfholiday in Helensville, and passed off without much enthusiasm being shown. The military memorial service held in Stewart's Theatre was well attended, a very appropriate address being given by the Isev. Pattisqi}, of Auckland. An auction sale of nine shops in Commercial Boad, Helensville, took place at the Court House on Monday last, by order qf the I^eglstrar. A number of prospective .buyers came up from Auckland, The bidding started at £500, and a local gentleman (Mr Jas. Hand) eventually purchased the lot for £1250. Richard Arthur and Co. were- the auctioneers. The term " conscript" is frequently wrongly applied to men who have been drawn in the ballot. Captain Bellamy, District Area Officer, Dargaville, states' that all men who voluntarily take the oath of allegiance are recognised by the Defence Department as volunteers, but the man who demurs at so doing is immediately "conscripted" by the responsible officers.

A soldier writing from ElArish says :— We have an N.Z convalescent home at Cairo managed by New Zealand ladies, I believe it is-a home away from home ; the best of food, good N.Z. butter, scones, and all kinds of good kai. Boys who have been there cannot say enough for the treatment they receive. About the best wish we can give a wounded comrade is that he may get a spell at " Otia," I look forward to mail day, in fact, we all do, it seems to bring little N.Z. and home closer to us. The Australians think and talk of nothing but Australia. But the New Zealand boys say there is no country on earth like our little pig island, and we are always talking of what we are going to do when we get back,