LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1524, 18 March 1916, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Writing from Featherston, a soldier says the camp has improved wonderfully as regards health, although there are even yet a few cases of influenza and gastritis. The number of pupils at the Wanganui Girls’ College is a record this year (221), while the boarders (88) show an increase of 14 on last year.

The Rev. Mr Scrogie, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand, has issued a pastoral letter calling on all congregations in connection with the General Assembly to observe Sunday, March 19th, as a day of humiliation and prayer. He lays great emphasis on the need and power of prayer in the present national crisis.

‘‘By the very fact that freedom has existed for us always,” said Father Goggau, preaching at Taradale, Hawke’s Bay, "there are some who yet fail to realise that it can be lost—that victory for the Germans would mean for us and the democracies of the world, the irreparable loss of civic liberty. Perhaps this is why some are so unpatriotic fn their speech, go unwilling to give their personal service, so niggardly with their purse,”

Tenders are invited by the local manager of the N.Z. Shipping Co. for the painting of the Company’s clumping store and dwelling house situated in Harbour street. Tenders close on 2Jtd hist.

The Group Commander notifies by advertisement that there will be no parade of senior cadets and territorials on Tuesday evening next.

Under the War Regulations Act, correspondence is prohibited with C. lilies and Company, Japan, and Yamanaka and Company, Japan.

Trooper Roy Robinson, son of Mr and Mrs J. H. Robinson, of Foxton, who was among the soldiers invalided home by the Tahiti, arrived in Foxton on Thursday evening. By proclamation in this week's Gazette considerable areas of land In the Hawke’s Bay and Southland districts are set apart for disposal by way of sale or lease, under special tenure, for returned soldiers.

The Queen of the South, hemp laden, sailed lot Wellington at 8.30 o’clock this morning. The Avvahou, coal laden, from Greymouth. is due on Monday, and the Queen of the South and the Wakatu from Wellington with general cargo are expected on Tuesday.

A fine ot £io and costs has been imposed by Mr Loughnan, S.M. at Blenheim, in a case in which Mr F. N. Dillion, owner of the Leefield Estate, Marlborough, was charged with having failed to take proper means lor the eradication of rabbits on the property. Counterfeit coins in considerable quantities appear to be circulating in Auckland just now. The coins are all in imitation silver, and not of the one die. shilling and twoshilling pieces being in circulation, though half-crowns are mostly in evidence.

The local Borough Band recently invited applications for the position of bandmaster, and from the applications received that ol ot Mr J. J. Drew, professional cornetist, of the Tramway Band, Wellington, has been accepted. Mr Drew will take up his duties in Foxton very shortly.

The season for shooting Sambur or Ceylon deer in the Manawatu, Oroua, and Kairanga counties will open ist June and close on 31st July. The red deer shooting season in the Wairarapa South county opens on ist July and closes on 16th May, and in the Hutt County opens on ist April and closes on 31st May.

Some people, said Sir Joseph Ward at a recruiting meeting at Gore, were crying out for New Zealand to raise a large war loan locally. Why did not some of them subscribe to the recent two million loan ? He had been told, and people had written to him to the same effect, that the Dominion must raise a war loan and give 5 per cent., but they would not get It. They would not get more than per cent, for an internal loan as far as he was concerned, he said emphatically, amid an outburst of hearty applause.

At Levin last nigt the Druids Lodge held a- banquet to celebrate the twenty first anniversary of the opening of the Lodge. Representatives were present from the Grand Lodge, Wellington and from the Otaki, Shannon, Foxton and Tokomaru branches. Three of the charter members of the Horowhenua Lodge, who still take an active interest in its affairs were also present, Bros. B. R. Gardener, J. Mclntyre and C. Thompson. In responding to the toast of “The Charter Members,” Bro. Mclntyre gave a brief outline of the “ ups and downs ” of the lodge during the twenty-one years of its existence. It was now in a very satisfactory position, the membership totalling xoo, and the accumulated funds exceeding

A happening which Is unusually rare in the North Island was referred to at last meeting of the Wanganui Education Board, when the closing of a certain country school, where the attendance had fallen to three pupils, was discussed. The chairman (Mr Fred Pirani) said it was a matter for regret. A lot of money had been spent on the school, and a nice garden bad been made. The trouble was that a company had mopped up all the surrounding land for one big sheep run. It was decided to shift the school to a locality where there was a better possibility of thexe being children to use it. [Yet we are told that aggregation of land does not now obtain in this county. Absolute bunkum.]

In the course of the chairman’s report, presented at the last meeting oi the Wanganui Education Board, Mr Pirani said: “The most important matter in connection with the Board’s affairs has been the determination of Mr Bowater to appeal against his transfer to Queen's Park school. In connection with that determination, it is a matter for comment that the ex-Director of Education should have been selected and should have consented to act as the teachers’ representative. The case for the Board is such a strong one that the members need have no fear of the transfer being interfered with by the decision likely to be arrived at.” The Board went into committee to deal with, a voluminous amount of correspondence in connection with the controversy that has arisen over the proposed transfer of Mr Bowater. The Board, after considering the objections, decided to proceed with the transfer. It was resolved to instruct Mr Bowater to take up his duties at Queen’s Park school on April 10, and Mr Payne to take over the Gonville school on the same date.

There is on view in MrGolder’s window a silver cup, won by Foxton’s champion “ tug-of-war ” team at the flax workers picnic recently held at Ashhurst. Mr H. Mcßegney was “skip” of the team.

Mr P. Skelleu has received word from Trooper C. Tuunicliffe, Wellington Mounted Rifles, Main Expeditionary Force, stating that he will arrive in Foxton on Tuesday by the “Queen of the South.” Trooper Tuunicliffe, who resided in Foxton prior to enlisting, has been invalided from England. The Gilchrist Furnishing Company, Palmerston N., are making a special offer in the -way of furnishing a four-roomed house. Readers are referred to their advertisement on page 3.