LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2063, 4 December 1919, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A cold wintry snail iva- experienced in this district yesterday. There was a heavy fall of snow on the Tararuas. A balance-sheet in connection with the dinner and, welcome .social to returned soldiers will he published at an early date. The Rev. Air Raine informs us that there will be a small surplus in hand. In connection with the forthcoming election, soldier patients in hospitals who are unable to proceed to the polling booths are to be afforded the opportunity of recording their votes. A ballot-box is to be taken to the bedside of each soldier, after first obtaining the medical officer’s permission.

A wc!l-al tended meeting of members of the Fox ton Retailers’ Association was hold on Wednesday morning, Mr W. D. Baucldiam presiding. The question of the holidays to be observed at Christmas and New Year was discussed tit length, and it wa-> decided to observe close holidays on Thursday, Friday* and Saturday, December 25(b, 26th and 27th, and for New Year lo close only on January Ist. On the Saturday before Christmas the business places will remain open until 9 p.m. On Election Day the usual ha If-holiday only will be observed. The question of a distribution of presents to the children on the afternoon of December 24th was discussed, and a committee was set up to canvass for donations and make arrangements for distribution of the presents. We had a visit this morning from our old town-man, Mr Hillary, whom we are always pleased to see,'because he brings with him not only a cheery optimism, hut a waft of old Foxtou days. Mr Hillary is in his 77th year, and is now feeling the effects of the strenuous life he has led, sciatica making it difficult for him to got about as much as ho would like. Mr Hillary will have completed a residence of 53 years .in Foxtou next February, lie arrived in Wellington as a seaman.niioard the Commodore, just prior to coming to Foxtou. This was not Mr Hillary’s first visit to New Zealand, for he came, to New 'Zealand in the “Water Nymph” in 1855-50. People who travelled through Foxton in the early days were well acquainted with Mr Hillary, who ferried them across the Manawatu, and an ideal ferryman he was. Anyhow, his pilgrimage to this sandum (his morning was wilh (he object "f paying a IrS'iuilc to the honoured dea.d by handing us a donation of 19s for (ho Fox!on Falhm Soldiers' Memorial Fund, which, we thankfully acknowledge.