LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1521, 11 March 1916, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr C. J. Kent Johnston, Town Clerk, is spending his annual leave in the Wairarapa.

We have been shown a little plant, a species of marsh mellow (Althea) with a tap root 4 It. Sin. in length. It was pulled out of the sandy soil in Mr Freeman’s garden. Harvest Thanksgiving services will be held at All'Saiats’ Church to morrow. The preacher will be the Rev W. Tye, vicar of Ashhurst. All the vegetables, produce, etc., used for the decorations will be sent to All Saints’ Children’s Horae, Palmerston North.

Mr Sbailer, one of the judges at the local Horticultural Society’s show informed our representative that he was surprised at the splendid display of cut blooms exhibited by Mesdames A. S. Hasten, Gallaud and Mr Pearson. The fruit and vegetableswere somewhat disappointing, but the prolonged dry weather no doubt was responsible for the shortage. At the Johusouville show the order of exhibits were reversed, fruit vegetables were well shown while there was an abseuce of cut blooms. Taking the season and other circumstances into consideration, Mr Shailer said the Society had no reason to be downhearted with the show.

At Thursday’s meeting the District Hospital Board, when the question of estimates for the coming year were under consideration, Mr Hornblow asked whether provision had been made for the purchase and installation of an X-rays plant at the institution. He said it was a matter for surprise that in so important an institution this had been overlooked. He moved . that provision be made in the estimates for X-rays, which was carried.

All the flaxmills in the district were closed down to day on account of the employees’ annual picnic, which this year is being held at Ashhurst in conjunction with the other trades unions in the district. Foxtou’s quota to the picnic, which left by the nine o’clock train for Palmerston North, where a connection is made with the picnic train for Ashhurst, was a very large one, over 500 tickets being sold at the local railway station. The picnicers will return to Foxton by a special train which arrives at 7 o'clock to-night.

Private I. Fox of the N.Z. Engineers, who has been invalided home, is on a visit to Foxton, Private Fox was a resident of Foxton many years ago. When the war broke out, Private Fox was in England, where he enlisted in the infantry for service with the New Zealanders. . He was sent to Egypt, and was attached to the Engineers, subsequently removing to Gallipoli. Some months ago he was stricken with sickness, and was invalided to England. Next week he is to go before the Medical Board for examination, and hopes soon to be again ready for service at the front. In conversation with us last night, Private Fox said he would be pleased to deliver a lecture under the auspices of the local Patriotic Society on Egypt and Anzac. Private Fox is the guest of Mr and Mrs Jas. Robin-* son.

Says the Wairarapa Age : —lt is quite evident that the people of the Wairarapa are not enthusiastic over the new recruiting scheme. Barely thirty persons attended the meeting in Masterton to devise means for forwarding the scheme, and only a third of that number were present at a similar meeting in Carterton. The fact is that there is a strong opinion that the Government is not adopting the proper measures. This opinion found expression in Carterton when a resolution was passed, asking that a form of compulsion be introduced. We sincerly hope that the voluntary system will not collapse before the Government is prepared with the alternative. But, in spite of the optimistic statements of the Prime Minister, we are concerned regarding the outlook. In view of the above Foxton may console itself on the poor response to a similar meeting, which had to be abandoned last week.

“The Government have no right whatever to allow men like this to go away to the front," observed the Mayor of Palmerston (Mr J. Nash) at a meeting of the Hospital Board last Thursday. The remark was prompted by an application from the Foxton Patriotic Society on behalf of the wife of a soldier who was away at the front for charitable aid. It was stated that the applicant was in receipt of a military allowance of £2 2s 6d weekly and had six children to support. The portion of her husband’s pay allotted her amounted to' 3s a day. “These men should be absolutely blocked,” continued the Mayor. “This soldier had no right to be allowed to go away and leave his family 3s a day—it is a crying shame.” The charitable aid officer reported that under the circumstances he would not recommend assistance by the Board. It was pointed out that one of the objects of the patriotic societies was to supplement- Government pay in cases of this kind and this was done by the Palmerston and other societies. The Foxton Patriotic Society’s funds, however, only provide for the payment to sick and wounded soldiers.

Goods of unquestionable quality, backed up by sound value and prompt delivery, that’s what we give every housewife who buys here. \ou practise true economy by dealing at Walker and Furrie’s, Foxton,

The German fleet has returned to its base.

A Reuter message from Berlin states that Germany has declared war on Portugal.

Messrs W. Renton and Farmer will be ordained as elders of the Presbyterian Church at Rangiotu to-morrow afternoon.

The struggle at Verdun continues without further developments. Furious German assaults have been broken and hurled back by the French.

The woollen workers at the Petone mill threaten a stoppage unless their wages are increased xo per cent. The Minister for Munitions (Hon. Mr Myers) is conferring with the parties. At Hastings on Thursday night Reginald Joblin was run down by a motor car driven by Dr Robertson. Joblin was removed to a private hospital, but died shortly alter admission.

The Queen of the South, Kennedy and Waverley, all sailed on Thursday night, the Waverley tor Terakohe and the Queen of the South and Kennedy for Wellington, the former with a cargo of hemp and the latter empty. Approximate dates for sittings of the Arbitration Court have been arranged as under :—Palmerston North, March 27th ; New Plymouth, March 30th ; Wanganui, April 3rd; Napier, April sth; Blenheim, April nth ; Nelson, April 17th ; Wellington, May Ist.

Mr M. H. Walker is at present offering for sale white Leghorn breeding stock of great vitality and heavy layers. These birds are of the choicest, and include cockrels at 15s and 20s each, according to selection; one-year hens 7s 6d each, pullets 10s each ; six pullets and one cockrel £3 xos, six hens and one cockrel £2 15s. .

“What do I think of an early session ?” said Mr George Witty, M.P., to a reporter. “If they think they are only going to meet to deal with conscription, and Jet Sir Joseph Ward and Mr Massey go Home, they never made a bigger mistake in their lives. There are scores of things to be thrashed out before Parliament rises, and I, for one, will do my best to keep them in Wellington.” On Thursday Mr S. Jickell, engineer to the Palmerston North Borough Council, and Mr Howarth, engineer for the Wanganui Harbour Board, made a thorough inspection of the local wharf, with a view to giving evidence as to the condition and value of the structure before the Royal Commission set up in connection with the proposed acquisition of the wharf by the Harbour Board.

At the meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board on Thursday the Valuer-General wrote giving a summary of the rateable value of the contributory districts in the Board’s divison as follows: —Kiwilea County, £r,983,676, Pohaugina County £l,184,247 Oroua County £1,998,840, Mauawatu County £2,357,456, Kairanga'County £2,943,020, Feilding Borough £837,651, Palmerston North Borough £2,796,972, Foxton Borough £224,373. Total £14,326,235.

SEE CHEAP RATES, FRONT PAGES LAIDLAW LEEDS. WHOLESALE CATOLOG.

Household supplies I \ou cannot do better than make up your mind to use only the best groceries. In other words deal from Walker and Furrie who promise you genuine quality and good service at the lowest prices. Hewlett and White's famous English white shoes are now in stock at R, T. Betty’s. The best selection yet offered locally.*

Quality is the keynote 01 our grocery and provision stock and- the importance of quality cannot be overlooked where the household food is concerned. You won’t ge a better grocery service anywhere in the district than at Walker and Furrie’s. Foxton