LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1621, 7 October 1916, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thorp is to he n social reunion of all those who took part in the reoent Patriotie Concert, in the Mnsonie Hall next Thursday evening. 1 may he dead long before this reaches New Zealand; still I am proud of the day I decided to come here to light alongside the brave soldiers of France —the saddest country on earth, a nation in tears. —A New Zealander in France.

An inmate of the Cost ley Infirmary, Auckland, named Thus. Parkinson, it labourer, aged 30 years, was found dead in his room with his throat cut on Thursday night . Deceased was a consumptive patient, and had no relatives in the Domin-

Wc are asked to thank the following who kindly lent cars to convey the Foxton performer’s to Levin on Thursday evening:—Mrs Aus'l inJohnston. Mrs ('has. Robinson, Airs das. Robinson, Messrs Harper Bros., 11. Osborne, T. Powell, 11. Coley, W. Xye, L. Smith, F. Gardes, Alex. Ross, d. Buglass and W. Signal.

During the interval at the Patriotic Concert in Levin on Thursday night, Mr Ilornhlow was asked by the Levin committee to auction a plum pudding on behalf of the Levin Christmas Gift Fund. Mr Ilornhlow set the objective at £5, and Mr Cameron was the lirst to buy at £l. Bids came from all parts of the hall, and from the Foxton performers, till finally £ll 8s (id was obtained, which was considered highly salisfactorv.

At a meeting of the Fox (on Ladies’ Patriotic Guild held yesterday, it was stated that the sum of £37 7s !)d was in hand for the Christmas Gift Fund. It was decided to donate £25 of this to (he Soldiers’ Christmas Gift Fund, £5 to the Governor’s fund for men on (he troopships, and to hold over the balance, £7 7s !)d, for the Red Cross Fund to provide Christmas comforts for the wounded in hospital. A collection for this fund will be taken up throughout the Dominion on November 3rd.

This week the Foxton Girls' Guild forwarded to the British Red Cross Depot, Wellington, one case containing the following: —ll2 towel face washers, 2 knitted face washers, 24 swabs, 47 roller bandages, 4 pair hand-knitted spiral sox, (i pair hand-knitted sox, 1 pair hand-knitted bed sox, 1 handknitted scarf, 1 balaclava, 1 chest protector, 1 pair mittens, l(i flannel under-shirts, 2 flannel bed jackets, I flannelette operation gown, 3 Thandages, 3 flannel cholera belts, 12 pairs flannel shorts, 2 pillow cases, 7 pairs pyjama's, 12 handkerchiefs, (i Roslyn arm slings, illustrated papers. Also box containing the following:—Tobacco, cigarettes, toffee, condensed milk, cocoa, sou]) powder, chocolates, etc.

The Dunedin Star states that there is practically no bluegmn timber in the local market. It is unlikely that (he load recently landed at the Bluff will be taken (here, as its price will be fairly high. A fair supply of Oregon is held locally, and it is expected that this will relievo the building trade, which generally is very slack", ft is said that, although the rates of Oregon are relatively reasonable in (he circumstances, the price is such as to provide a noteworthy profit to holders. It is alleged by. those who oguht to know a great deal ii,boul it that prices generally for this timber give merchants a protit of 10s per lOOfl.

A Wellington gentleman visiting North Auckland recently was pained to sec going on the gradual destruction of the famous limestone “monuments" at Hikurangi. They are being broken up and burnt for lime. This unique formation has been the wonder of all scientific men who have stum it. To geologists it tells a most thrilling story of earth-crust movement; Inti for the unscientific visitor the fantastic roclcs have 1 a great fascination. They resemble nothing so much as “futurist” efforts at sculpture, preserving some resemblance to forms human and architectural, so that one might imagine that a sculptor had been fashioning them. They have a charming setting of native vegetation, too. It is understood that most of the local residents feel very sore over the spoliation of the rocks, especially as there seems to have been some sort of promise by the Government that the rocks should be reserved for ever. They only occupy a couple of acres or so of ground.

Olaki turned out on masse on Monday to give a hearty welcome to Nurse Lewis. 'When the “Little Nurse’’ slopped off the train in her khaki costume she was received with rousing (dicers, and deluged with Mowers. The chairman of the Patriotic Society, Mr W. B. Smith, made a speech of welcome. He said Otaki people had followed Nurse Lewis' career with much interest; they had heard with anxiety of her campaign in Belgium, of the evacuation of Antwerp, and her return to the Old Country; how she had volunteered for service in Servia, and had gone through the anxiety and strain of a long term in that typh-us-infected country. She had had a memorable career, had been wounded, had broken an arm, and passed through trials and hardships enough to kill many a strong man, and yet this frail little woman had been spared to return to them, and was now in their midst looking lit and as well as ever she did. Old friends and new had gathered to express their appreciation of the splendid services the “Little Nurse” had rendered, and to welcome her home again.

It is expected that about £35 will he netted by the Levin Patriotic Society as a result of the Foxton performance on Thursday night.

The supplies of milk to the Wairarapa butter and cheese factories is much in excess of the supplies at the same period last year. A number of Loudon firms are making efforts for cheese outputs in this district (says the Pahiat.ua Herald). Prices are high, very (dose to lOd per lb. f.o.b. being offered to (me factorv.

An unusual contest was witnessed on the rocks at Sumner, a fox terrier and a penguin being the parties. Though short, the battle was tierce while it lasted, which was till those near-by could intervene. The penguin was so badly mauled that it died in a few minutes.

Picture-goers are reminded of a particularly good programme at the Town Hall to-night, an outstanding feature of which is a 5,000 ft. drama “The Flash of an Emerald," with Robert Warwick in the leading role. In addition, several other excellent pictures are included in the programme. Parents who have had sons wounded in action will be interested to know that they are permitted to despatch three cables of inquiry, at intervals, to (he Base Records Oftice in London, free of charge. Replies usually occupy a week in transmission, but (hey also come free, and contain progress reports. Parents will be directed as to the form of cable that should be despatched, on application to the nearest post office. This concession is not, we fear, too commonly known. Hence the publicity we are

now giving it

Albert Milne M'Ken/.ie, aged about 20, employed by Mr A. B. L. Smith, coalman, of Christchurch, was leading a horse to a paddock, riding, on a bicycle, when the animal got out of control, dragged him some distance, then galloped round a corner, and dashed his head on a culvert, death resulting. At the inquest a verdict was returned of accidental death. The evidence disclosed that he was riding a bicycle and leading the horse. He was minus the fingers of his right hand, and had lied the rope to his arm. He had been warned by his employer not to tie himself to the horse.

“America is the land of the motor car, and California is the motorists’ paradise,” says Mr C. L. Thomson, of Dannevirke, who has just relur cd from an interesting trip to the United States (reports the News). In California it is estimated that one out of every thirteen inhabitants owns a motor car, while in Pasadena, a millionaire suburb of San Francisco, the proportion is one car to every six persons. Some rich people appear to demand the addition of an entire garage. The roads are magnificent, one highway constructed in concrete, and asphalt running the length of California from the north to the south Pacific coast. The Lincoln highway—a concrete and asphalt road from New York to San Francisco, 4,000 miles—promises, when completed, to be one of the greatest motor runs in the world.

A sensational incident happened during the performance by the local concert parly at Levin on Thursday night which was within a hairsbreadth of a tragedy. The company was grouped on the stage, the chorus girls well forward, and Miss (Irani had started to sing her solo, when, without warning, the huge drop scene and roller fell, missing several performers by a hairsbreadth. Moth audience and performers were startled, and a sigh of relief went up when it was seen that no'one had been injured. The roller weighed several hundredweight, and had it struck any one of the performers, it would have been a sad’ ending to the outing. Miss Grant behaved with the utmost coolness throughout, and continued singing, despite the temporary stoppage of the accompaniment, and although the accident marred the item she, was accorded a line tribute for her coedness under circumstances which had unnerved nearly everyone present.

A burly specimen of a returned soldier entered a, Napier hairdressing saloon last week and seated himself with a sigh of luxurious satisfaction in one of the chairs (says the Herald). lie smiled genially at the hairdresser as that person made jmepura lions to shave him. Then he closed his eyes as the shaving brush traced its soapy course over his face. The razor had hardly been applie.d when a, resonant snore almost shook the establishment. By the time the barber had ceased operations the returned man’s snores were frequent—and louder. The barber said “Next please,” but a loud snore was the only response. He shook the man gently, but it only evoked more snores. Then he shook the sleeping man vigorously, brushed his hair energetically, made the spray form little rivulets of bay rum down the sleeping man’s face, but stilt the soldier slept on. Customers were waiting, so the barber adopted extreme measures, and with the help of an assistant lifted the man to a bench in the saloon. There he merely subsided to his full length, and slept on. It was not until closing time that the sleeper was eventually awakened, following on combined efforts of those present.

Have you a good stock of accessories for your Spring Cleaning? If not, we have them here —everything you may need, at moderate figures. Call at Walker and Furrie’s, Foxton.

Strong, hardy carnation plants are advertised for sale, hy B H. Just, Palmerston N.

The collectors of donations through the Patriotic Boxes are reminded that the amounts received should be handed in to Mr E. Healey as early as possible.

William Armstrong, 2fi years of age, employed hy Gordon and Gotch, was found in the Avon, at Christchurch, yesterday, with his throat < j cut.

At the local police court this morning, before Air Hornhlow, J.P., Edgar Tanner was charged with drunkenness, and pleaded guilty. In reply to the Bench, Tanner said that he arrived in Foxton with £2 10s, which had been spent in liquor. He was convicted and ordered to leave the town.

The following recruits from this district have been attested and sworn in as members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force: J. G. Davey, blacksmith, Himatangi: A, E. Gill,, clerk, Foxton; L. Clark; clerk, Foxton; G. M. Hughes, farmer, Foxton; R. M. Hi miner, Foxton; and X. W. Pearson, clerk, Foxton.

Mrs R. Andrew, whose eldest son, Rifleman William W. Young, was killed in action in France on the 15th instant, has received advice that her other son at the front, Private Richard Andrew, was wounded on September Kith. Private Andrew was previously wounded on the Gallipoli Peninsula on August 7th of last year. Another Foxtonian who was wounded in the recent fighting is Private William Cottingham (Nobby).

Last year the Mayor collected £2O 15 s. (id for the Christina* Tobacco !' I tni(! tor our boys at the front, and as there are now considerably more to provide for, it is hoped to make the amount up to £3O. The Mayor in another column, is appealing for funds, and there is every reason to believe he will not ask in vain, but the matter wants to be taken up at once, as there is a period of only three weeks left, the Fund closing in Wellington at the end of this month.

Most people will approve of a new Koval decision with regard to the decoration known as the MilitaryCross (stales the Post’s London correspondent). While most winners of distinction (e.g., the Y.C., D. 5.0., D.C.M., etc.) were supposed to use the letters after their names, for some reason or other this was not permitted with the Military Cross, and there was therefore no method of showing that an officer bore this honour. It is now ordained that the Military Cross is to be worn immediately after all Orders, and before alt decorations and medals (except only the Victoria Cross), and that although it will not confer any individual precedence, the recipient will be entitled to the letters M.C. after his mime. It is

further ordained that bars may be given to holders of both the D.S.O. and the Military Cross for performing subsequent acts which would have entitled them to the medal if they did not already possess it.