LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1745, 25 October 1917, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Eggs are now a glut in the market in Masterton, and,many thousands are being pi’eserved. No less than Jive ex-pupils of the Palmerston North High School have been killed in action during the, past week. Shearing operations are now in full swing in the Wairarapa. Owing to the shortage of shearers the season is likely to be protracted. Three pilferers of salvage were fined £lO each, and one £5,, in default fourteen days’ imprisonment, at Dannevirke on Tuesday.

A meeting of the New Zealand Plaxmillers' Association is being held in Palmerston North to-day. The Poxton Harbour Board Amendment Bill was read a second time, passed through committee, and finally passed in the Legislative Council yesterday. The winner'of the picture at , the Patriotic Shop on Saturday was Mr. Pigott, "who can get same at Mr Healey’s shop. Private “Bob” Jeffries, who returned invalided from the front this week, arrived in Poxton to-day, He has been twice decorated. Prior to going to the front, Private Jeffries was employed at the Opui mill. The coastal steamer Kotare, af - ter being laid up for about a month, obtained a crew yesterday, and sailed for Timaru and Wellington. She has a full cargo loaded a fortnight ago. Prank Yillers, aged 14, while riding a bicycle with'a companion sitting on the handle bars, collided with a motor-car at Palmerston on Tuesday, and was killed instantly. His companion escaped. ' “He spent so much money in drink that the men in Featherston Camp called him the ‘Silver King,’ ” stated a woman giving evidence in the AYellington Magistrate’s Court, against an ex-boarder, who, she alleged, owed her money. The guessing competition regarding the takings of the Irish Stall (cake stall and tea rooms) at the recent bazaar was won by Mr J. Smith, who guessed £lOl Os Gd. The 'total takings of the stall amounted to £lOl 5s 10d. Mr A. D, D. Crawford; sometime journalist and lawyer, was found dead at- his residence in Hokitika last week. He. had been in bad hlealth for some time. The deceased loaves a widow and three children, who are at present in Scotland. He was 56 years of age. The monjthly sifting of the Magistrate’s Court will be held before Mr AY. G. K. Kenrick, S.M., to-morrow. The cases set down for hearing include five under the Licensing Act, seven for alleged breaches of the Borough by-laws, and two defended civil actions. A well-known AYellington business man who is in Australia, writing to his Wellington house from Melbourne, said it was estimated that there were fully 2,000 people in Sydney awaiting transport to New Zealand. They have been held up by the recent strike of seamen. At the Christchurch Police Court, Victor Panning Fraser, charged with theft of jewellery on the steamer Maori on 15th October, was convicted and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, to be cumulative, upon a previous sentence of three .months’, imposed at Lyttelton, for other thefts on the Maori, in addition to a period of reformative treatment. The Auckland Male ..Choir gave their third concert of the season last Thursday to a large audience. The outstanding feature was the singing of Madame Johnstoa-Top-liss, who is well-known in Palmerston North. Miss Ava Symons, eldest daughter of the late Mr Jas. Symons, formerly of Poxton, also contributed two violin solos, and had to appear again to satisfy her audience. The Prime Minister was asked by Mr J. Craigio if he was aware that there was a shortage of benzine in the Dominion. Mr Massey said he was aware of the fact, but just recently the Department of Imperial Supplies had been making enquiries and had found that there was enough benzine to last to the end. of the year. By that time it would be possible to bring it from the United States. The serious" charge of criminal assault on a Maori girl under 16 years of age was preferred against a married man named Thomas Aquinace Murphy in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The evidence was to the effect that accused became acquainted with the girl at Greytown, and the pair came on to AYellington, where they resided at the same hotel. The accused, who was represented by Mr H. F. O’Leary, .pleaded not guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. The' defence was reserved. l > “This matter is under consideration,” was the reply given in the House of Representatives by Sir James Allen to the question by Mr W. Hr Field, M.P. for Otaki, as to whether, before proceeding further with the calling up of the Second Division of Reservists, he will take steps to comply with The request contained in the following resolution, carried by various branches of the Second Division League, particularly in farming districts, throughout the Dominion: “That the Government be urged to see the necessity of it being made compulsory that all essential industries, occupations, or professions, specified or to be specified, appeal, for the purpose of the Government determining whether or not it is in the interest of'the Empire that such persons be sent abroad, thereby placing the onus of appeal on the shoulders of the Government and not on the individual.” SOUR STOMACH, This is a mild form of indigestion. Eat slowly, masticate your food, thoroughly, and take one of Chamberlain’s Tablets just after supper, and it may be avoided. For sale everywhere.—Advt. , Wanted Known: you can get better groceries for the same money at Walter and Furrie’s, .. . ,

To-night find -to-morrow’night, in conjunction with the picture programme at the Town Hall, several vaudeville items will be given by artists'- from the Fuller Circuit. These artists appeared this week at Palmerston N., and of their turns the Standard says The vaudeville “acts” introduced into the picture programme at the Palace are much appreciated. Tilton and West, singing and patter comedians, are very good indeed—their part singing is nicely blended and their “patter’’ quick and clever. George D’Alma on a banjo is a revelation —lie can almost make it talk.

A contingent of sick and wounded soldiers who arrived in Auckland recently included six who previously had returned to the Dominion, and had been discharged from the forces as unfit for further service. Four of their number —Pte. T. M. Driscoll, of Dunedin; Pte. C. Barker, of Port Chalmers; Pte. W. P. Houlihan, of Timaru; and Pte. J. Edwin, of Christchurch —had each lost an arm, and the other lavo —Pte. W. S. Fuller, of NgaruaAvahia, and Pte. H. Woolford, of Mosgiel —had each Igst a leg. The men were sent to England last year for the purpose of having artificial limbs fitted on at the Roehampton Hospital. They Avent Home in uniform and under military discipline, but did not receive pay other than their pensions. They expressed themselves as highly pleased with the artificial limbs, but that it was- exceedingly difficult to receive attention at Roehampton, oAving to the very large number Avho required to be attended. In. many instances a patient had to Avait months. All six has sustained their injuries on Gallipoli Peninsula, Avhenee they had been transported to the Dominion, via Egypt. Speaking at Wanganui of the nature and variety.of services he had held, Chaplain Blamires said that one Sunday morning, over the Belgian border, he held 16 services—each of about three minutes each—amongst batches of men. as they Avere moving towards the front. He had held services in a breAvery and in a Roman,Catholic church, only the bare walls of Avhich latter had been left standing. A Christmas service he had held on. the field during a fog so dense that the Avhole of the men in a battalion could not lie seen at once. After referring to the great and useful Avork of the Y.M.C.A., Chaplain Blamires, speaking of the morals of the men, said' that the standard avus not too high as far as the army authorities Avere ■concerned. The men, hoAvever, frequently used bad language Avithout thinking or meaning AA T hat they said, and dropped the habit Avhen in'hospital or in the company of Chilians. Drunkenness avus not very apparent at the front, though plenty of light Avine and beer Avere drunk. Gambling avus very rife, but this habit AA T as frequently formed as the result of trying-to pass aAvay the time in the trenches by tossing pennies. There avus abounding cheerfulness, unselfishness, devotion to duty, and Avonderful courage and bravery in the face of great odds displayed by the men. There Avere very Icav sceptics; he had not met an agnostic. Men did not trouble about theology. Some of the noblest and best traits Avere found in men Avho had big vices, and our theology Avould have to be modified.