LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 261, 31 December 1914, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ii conjunction with otfur churches, the Methodist Church will observe Sunday next as a day of intercession and prayer for a speedy termination of the wsr. Tee Rev. (j. Frost "ill preach in the Fukekohe Cbuich at II a.m. and in the Buckland Ch'jrch at 7 p.m. Probab'y a record for a country authority in the payment of rates for the period of one week was made for Franklin Cuuntv in the week preceding Christina?, when over £4OOO was received at the County office in Fukekohe. The rush may be explained by the desire of the ratepayers to avoid the ten per cent penalty that stood imminent for rates not paid by December 20th.

At a meeting of the Loyal Pukekohe Lodge, helj on Tuesday evening last, the honour of tbe "Orders of the Lodge" was conferred on Bm. Crook*, who suitably responded. The programme of meetings for the ensuing year was also arranged. The secretary of the ledge, Mr W. Wilde, anticipate* winning the shield presented for competition among lodges of the Auckland Province; to be won by the lodge gaining the largest number of new members during the year.

An illustration of thrift is contained in the story of a Scotswoman who had been promised a present of a new bonnet by a lady. Before she made the purchase the lady called and asked the gcod woman, "would you rather have a felt or a straw bonnet, Mrs , MacDuff?" "Weel," Maid Mrs' Mac "I think I'll take a strae ane. It'll maybe a mouthful to the coo when I'm done wi' it.."

Here is a story of a private who is one of England's most farrouf rot trait painters —there are all forts in Kitch tier's army. One day bis sergeant spotted him sketching. "Ho, you're a hsrtist, are you?'' he queried, "then you cau paint my photo." A few days later the sergeant again caught his private painting. "You 'aven'l done my photo yet," he said. "Well, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll give you fatigue duty, and tbe fatigue will be painting my photo." Pleasant for a man who gets his own price fjr painting duchesses!

The Prime Minister (the Uight Hon. W. F. Massey, M.P.), accompanied by Mrs an! Miss Massey and Mr F. D. Thomson (private secretary), visited Pukekohe yesterday. Arriving from Auckland in the morning by the Kotorua express Mr Massey and party motored out in Mr 3. Mills' Daimler car to the residence of Mr J. N. Massey (the Prime Minister's son) at funi, where lunch was partaken of. On the way back to Pukekohe a call was made on Mr Charles Shipherd, and the party returned to Auckland by the down Thames express at 3.38 p.m.

Here is the latest Kitchener story which is delighting the various Service Clubs in London: When Kitchener consented to till the post of War Minister in the greatest emergency the British nation has ever koowo, he was effusively welcomed in Whitehall by an ex- ; ceedingly important and distinguished Minister. "We shall be | most grateful," said Ihe Minister, j "for any advice you can give us on any matter." Lord Kitchener shrugged his shoulders. "I'm afraid I'm not much at giving advice," said the New War Secretary, "I'm more used to giving orders." Then the thermometer dropped appreciably. In a certain Government department, where they are working very hard indeed, the staff is allowed a little latitude, which, in the vast majority of instances, is never abused. Still, there are exceptions, and uoe of these exceptions was noticed to be going out more frequently than was quite necessary for his healfh, or even good for it. On one occasion he met his chief in the corridor. "Going out egain'.'" queried the authority. "Only to posht a letter, sir." said the delinquent, thickly. Then, spotting the red-painted fire-extinguisher, he added, even more thickly, "But I shee I can pesht it here." As he fumbled at (he extinguisher, the truth forced itself on him, but he put the lid on his last chance when he blurted out: "Shilly of met' mishtake it like that; might "ave known a pillar-box was higher; there, that's better," and he rcachul a foot higher and dropped has blank envelope in the tire-bucket hanging just above. The "Pahiatua Herald" has a little "dig" at the Waikato as follows:-"Distant hills lonk greenest" This, however, is not the experience of a late resident of Pahiatua, win was lured to the Waikato a few months ago. In a letter to a local businessman he says: "We have had a h of a season here so far. Until last night we have had no rain for live nnnths on end, and to make things worse there has been a | continual hot gale blowing, so you j can see how much good the cows are doing." The writer refers to u crop of oats he has sown at the cost of the thick end of £IOO, but accordu g to a sentence in the letter, punctuated with a common i adjective, the crop is not likely to materialise. Chaff is L' 7 a ton. It | is evident from Ihe tone of the letter that there art worse places j than Pahiatua, even witli all the ] recent vageries of the weather. j