FLASHES.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 28 November 1918, Page 2

FLASHES.

Owing to the influenza epidemic the usual monthly memorial service will not be held next Sunday. The Postmaster notifies that ordinary full rate messages may now be accepted for the United Kingdom and Europe via Pacific. A message from Sydney states that it is officially announced that the influenza there is completely under control. The Education Department has decided that all State Schools in the Dominion shall remain closed until after Christmas. War loan moneys raised in the Dominion, as at September 30, 1918, had reached a total of approximately £39,250,000 since the war began. The German Navy is ndw in the status of that of a fifth-rate Power. It is esti-^ mated that the ships surrendered cost considerably over £50,000,000. Doctors say that influenza may be warded off by dressing more warmly j than usual. A stitch in time saves qui-nine. We have had several enquiries as to where the Show Schedule may be obtained. The public have only to apply to Mr L. L. Bailey, Secretary, Helensvillle, and their wants will be supplied. The hairdressing saloons will re-open as soon as they have been thoroughly disinfected by the Health Officer. To the amateur tonsorial artists this will be welcome news. Between August 21 and November 4 the New Zealand Division captured 8700 prisoners, 145 guns, 1300 machine-guns, and a large quantity of miscellaneous war material, including tanks. Mr Lloyd George, speaking at Wolverhampton, said that we had captured 60 times more German guns during the past three months than we possessed at the beginning of the war. Applications are invited by the Town Board for the position of ran ger and | poundkeeper. Perhaps when one is appointed horses will be put in their paddocks instead of turned out to graze on the roads. Man made the city, God made the country, and the German Army transferred both into a place some of us no longer believed in.—New York Times. An American military shirker wa-J sentenced by court martial at Rockford to life imprisonment. President Wilson, when reviewing the case, reduced the j sentence to 15 years. A cable message from Constantinople states that Tewfik Pasha, Crand Vizier, interviewed, said that the Cabinet would try to re-establish the old friendsnip with England. He suggested that the Allies should lend Turkey trained administrators and advisers. The New Zealand military authorities have arranged for six large steamers to leave for New Zealand before Christmas carrying wounded men. Demobilisation cards are already being issued to the New Zealand Forces. . Men of the 1914 class will return first, and each succeeding class in rotation. German newspapers state that no fewer than 278 kings, queens, princes, princesses, dukes, and duchesses in Germany have abdicated, renounced the Throne, or been dethroned. Bavaria heads the list. She has sent 39 into exile, while Prusaia comes next with 33. The member for Riccarton, Mr G. Witty, is not in love with the Railway Department and says that radical changes are wanted. "If we want a train we cannot get it," he said, " but if j we do not want a train it is provided If we want to stop at certain stations we are not allowed to do so, but if we do not want a stop we are given it, and all | the time we are paying a man £3000 a year to manage the railways." Mr J. T Hornsby (Wairarapa) : " We pay him that, but he is not allowed to manage them." The fourth. Financial Statement of the National Ministry was submitted to the House of Representatives on Tuesday evening, and the new proposals include : —Public Works loan, £2,500,000; loan for soldiers' land settlement, £1,000,000 ; assistance to soldiers, £500,000 ; authority to raise additional £10,000,000 for war purposes; £1,500,000 for war pensions ; < £300,000 to be provided for school buildings, etc. ; £150,000 to be provided for Government hydro-electric schemes; authority to borrow additional £200,000* for afforestation purposes.

" Many people have the erroneous idea that a recent attack of influenza will protect them from a second attack," says a medical man. "As a matter of fact, one attack rather predisposes the patient to a second, the dangerous period being about a fortnight or three weeks later. Many others try to " stick it out,' and stay on in their offices or wherever they are employed and poison the building at every breath. A man who does that neither does his duty to himself, his employer, nor the community, and apart from the fact that he is a menace to everyone, he runs a grave risk of bringing on an attack of pneumonia. He is rather rqore than a fool; he is a crinr'nal!""

Next Sunday being Advent Sunday the Helensville Anglican Church will be re-opened with special services. The meeting of the Waitemata County Council which was to have been held yesterday has been postponed in-; definitely. It is officially estimated that 50,000 i. deaths occurred in South Africa as the result of the influenza epidemic. v The' Fourth War Budget gives our war expenditure to September 30, 1918, as £51,400,000. 17,117 war pensions were granted to March 31, 1918, representing an annual value of £1,122,052. The first test of shrapnel was made in England 112 years ago, when a committee of British Army men reported favourable on the invention of a fellowofficer, Henry Shrapnel. The Helensville Public Library will be open on Saturday next from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7to 8 p.m, and subscribers are requested to return all books then in order that they may be disinfected by the Health Officer. Issue of books is stopped until further notice. Although the cook tried to brain him with an axe, the captain of a windjammer made a plea for clemency when the case was brought up in Court, explaining that although the man was a menace he could not be spared. Cooks are scarcer than captains. Your attention is drawn to the Ideal Drapery's new advertisement of great Christmas sale. Owing to slack season they have decided to clear their up-to-date stock of general drapery, clothing and millinery regardless of cost for the next month. Inspection invited. A number of ladies attended the Open Air meeting called for last Friday, and after discussion it was decided that garments and other things required for those suffering from the Epidemic be made by voluntary labour. Those who were unable to attend and wish to assist, kindly communicate with Mrs J. A. Wilson, phone 21. Some of the streets in HelensTille have become rather unsafe of late, especially after dark, owing to the practice of turning horses out to wander at large. Certainly some of streets in the south, end of the town are temptingly green and an open gate means a good feed off somebody's vegetable garden. But how about the danger to pedestrians and children? The owners of these straying animals may one day find a heavy claim out against them for compensation for injuries inflicted by their noble steeds. The wretched quality of Japanese safety matches that have been in the market recenty has led the Goremment of Japan to issue a decree fobidding the exportation of matches that will not light well, that have sticks less than 1^ millimetres square, or of which more than 5 per cent (10 per cent of the first year) have useless sticks or that are packed in boxes that draw loosely. A correspondent who has been dispatched to Germany describes amazing scenes in the Rhine towns. They are>. • he says, filled with drinking, dancing, and shoutine troops, who are looting and carrying off plunder of every description. Strange equippage trains are going to Cologne and Aix-la-Chapelle packed with soldiers, whose first act is to destroy or sell their rifles. They, have sold their helmets for twopence each, and their iron crosses for a halfpenny each. Mr Percival Phillips, describing King Albert's triumphant entry into Brussels, states that the city evinced overwhelming enthusiasm. Cheering resounded aU daylong, and the crowded streets were impassable. King Albert, wearing the khaki uniform of a Field Marshal, rode at the head of a brilliant cavalcade, including the Queen, Prince Albert of England, the Crown Prince of Belgium and a brilliant of officers representing the Allies. The civic authorities of Le Quesnoy have presented the General of the Rifle Brigade with the first flag hung, in the Grand, Place after the entry of the New Zealanders into the town,, a8 a momento of their delivarance by the valiantsoldiers of his Brigade. In return the ■ General has handed to the Mayor and and Councillors a New Zealand flag In returning thanks the Mayor said the Council had already taken initial steps - to have the' New Zealand fernleaf badge* deluded m the coat of arms of the tow?**' and to have one of the principal street named after New Zealand. The Mayor of an up-country town in tamed l ong) say , nhft T Chronicle. After being absent f* m three consecutive meetings,, th. Council passed a vote of censure on him S meeting he was in Jii ß place,' and did of the aldermen, and befo c he^o U he^said, as he tore the l ea f from the