LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 170, 2 May 1916, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr Charles Boyd, of the Education Department, Wellington, is on a brief visit to his sister, Mrs R. Fitnes?, Pukekohe. The opening shoot of the season of the Pukekohe Rod and Gun Club is to be held on Saturday next, when a trophy presented by Mr W. Wright will be shot for. Mr Percy Boyd, dentist, of Pukekohe, is now in occupation of the new premises, known as Empire Buildings, he has erected in King street, and may bo consulted there instead of at Webster's Buildings. "The Prisoner of Zenda," a him reproduction of Anthony Hope's famous story, will be shown the Premier Hall to-morrow and Friday evenings. This gorgeous production is well worth witnessing. A final reminder is given of the conceit to be held to-night (Tuesday) by Miss Millicent Taylor's pupils, assisted by Auckland talent, in the Premier Hall, Pukekohe, in support of the fund for providing comforts for soldiers.

Tho JJajj'y Produce Committee has fixed the wholesale prite for butter and eggs the week ending May tlth as follows; Farmers' butter, first grado, 1/Jd per lb; fresh eggs Is t)d per dozen.

An important clearing sale on behalf of Mr Ben Johnson, who is giving up farming, is to be held on the property at Takanini on Tuesday of next week by Messrs Alfred Buckland and Sons. For particulars see ndvt.

Tho Railway Department announce that on Saturday next and on the first Saturday in each month up to September 2ud next cheap excursion fares will bo issued to Rotorua and Te Aroha available for return until tho Thursday following the issue.

JJy instructions of Mr Isaac Clark 20 seiitl'lo sections, situated at Waiau i'a, Wire submitted to public auction by Messrs Alfred Buckland anil Sons at tbrir salo-ro.,n:s in Ainldand on Friday. Nome bids wore I'urtUiJijming but with the reserve liguios not bei'rj reached no salos were recorded.

Mr H. Corbett, who WuS a few months ago transferred from the Pukekohe branch of the Bank of New Zealand to the Levuka (Fiji) branch, has enlisted for service with the Expeditionary Forces He arrived back in New Zealand by the s.s. Makura yesterday, and he proceeds to Trentham to-day as a member of the Auckland Mounted Riiles section of the Sixteenth Reinforcements. Two out of the six sections of Rouily's Estate, Pukekohe, offered for sale by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company on Saturday last found purchasers The seitioDs comprise ten acres each, Mr J. O'Connor purchasing one at the rate of £OB per acre and Mr J. Douglas another at £.37 per acre. Those not sold are open to be disposed of by private treaty and with enquiries already forward early tales are not improbable.

On the 21st instant the New Zealind Dairy Association, Limited, distributed amongst its suppliers the sum of £47,003 0s 9d. This covered 74025*61bs of butter-fat supplied during the month of March. The payment per lb butterjat was Is 3d plus premiums for daily supply and direct delivery. The amount distributed for the corresponding month last year was £38115 9s 8d ; thus the increase for the month was £8587 lis Id.

The Waikato Co-operative Cheese Company, Limited, have received a cable advice from their London representatives to the effect that 158 crates of their cheese shipped by the s.s. " Pakeha " was sold at an average price of 105/- per cwt. The Company has branch factories at East Tamaki, Hairini and Aka Aka. No doubt the suppliers of the Company will be delighted with the above returns.

The following local representatives proceed to day to Trentham as members of the Sixteenth Reinforcements, viz. : A. B. Berriman Pukekohe), J. Burton Mercer), W. C. Chipchase (Takanini), J. Clioate (Pokeno\ A. Clark (Pukekohe), D. Dorman (Patumahoe), R. H. Franshaw (Whitford), F. Granger (Whitford\ G. Mallinson (Manuiewa), T. L. Maxwell (Pukekohe), .T. A. McPherson (Clevedon\ A. J. Rowles (Pukekohe\ H. E. Seagar (Pokeno,, R. Slack (Papakura) and J. J. Taylor (Tuakau).

The Government has issued the following regulations regarding atendaace of discharged soldiers at leclinxal and Continuation Classes :—Any discharged soldier duly certified by tho Discharged Soldiers' Information I)epai tmont to be (a) unfitted to re-enter his previous o cupation or (b) likely to benefit by attendance at courses of instruction, niav be admitted to the classes without payment of fee 3. The Free place is to be tenable for one year irom Ist January preceding the actual date of admission, but the period may be extended by the Minister for one year or more. Free railway tickets will be granted where necessary to students holding fr- 3 e places under these regulations. The Pukekohe Boy Scouts, to the number of thirty, were encamped on Mr Isaac Clark's property at Waiau Pa from Good Friday to Easter Monday, Chief Scoutmaster McArthur being in charge of operations. Drilling formed a good part of the dutie? each day and swimming and fishing were favourite forms of recreation. On Easter Sunday morning a church parade was held at the Waiau Pa Church, the Rev 8. Nixon preaching. On Monday the boys returned to their home? delighted with their outing and with the hope that the camp would become an annual fixture. Assistant Scoutmaster Luke Wilson has enlisted for active service and he will in duo course be fittingly farewelled by the Scouts he has been helping to train.

At the instance of the Pukekohe Military Farewell Committee, opportunity was taken during an interval in the picture programme at the Premier Hall on Friday evening last to make presentations to Privates Andrew Erceg, Maurice Ford, Alec Nicholson and Noel Stewart, members of the loth Reinforcements, who were back in Pukekohe on their final leave. The Mayor (Mr H. G. R. Mason) first made a few remarks appropriate to the occasion and in congratulating the men on their loyalty and gallantry in responding to the Empire's call for men expressed the hope that their examplo would be followed by other eligible young men iu the district Mr C. K. Lawrie, as chairman of the Committee, then asked each of " the Boys " to accept a wristlet watch as a little token of public appreciation of their enlistment. Ho felt confident they would acquit themselves nobly on the field of battle and wished them a Bafe return in due course. Hearty cheers were given f>r the " Boys," each of whom made a suitable response. Members of the Pukekohe Fire Brigade assembled in full force last evening at the Fire Station to welcome again to their midst Fireman J. Willis, who has just returned to Pukekohe after gallant service at the front. Fireman Willis departed with the Main Expeditionary Force and part •in the historic landing at Anzac Bay, being woundod two or tnree weeks later at Cape Hellas, on the same day that Pte Adam Tawse, also a member of the Pukfkohe Fire Brigade, was mortally wounded, being in fact struck down ah ugside Corpl. Willis, Cr Robert Bilkoy presided at last night's function and an able speech of welcome to the returned soldier was made by Cupt. Woods, the Chairman also paying testimony to his gallantry. The toast having been honoured with extreme onthusiasm, Corpl. Willis gave an interesting account of the landings at Gaba Tepe and Capo Hellas and spoke admiringly of tho kind and effective treatment lie had received in the various hospitals of which he had been an inmate, viz., at Malta, Gibraltar and two in England. lie also warmly endorsed tho Empire's appeal for sullicient men to enable the war to be brought to a successful issue. Other toasts wrro honoured and a -apital musical programme was carried through.

L'readnoUKlii bcjo.u :■ ml Sboos, lieist oil the market. Sold only by L'RANK PERKINS & Co, Rukekohe.— Advt.

Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M. is to hold a special sitting of the Pukekobe Magistrate's Court, on Thursday next, when a charge of attempted murder of a newly-born child will be heard against a young woman resident of Pukekohe.

Patterns of all the designs of fashions, etc., appearing in our supplement, week by week, can be obtained by sending stamps, value 7d, for eveiy pattern required (coat, skirt, blouse, one-piece gown, etc.) to Miss Ida Meller, care of the Editor. The envelope should bo marked " Patterns." An examination of Pukekoho Scout Girls in First Aid was conducted in the Pukekohe Public Libraiy on Saturday by l)r Bronte, the candidates being presented for examination by the President (Mrs Dell J and the Scout Mistress (Miss Williams). The work performed was most favourably commented on by the Examiner, the following all being successful and becoming entitled to badges, viz Misses Vergie Kirnber, Hazel Blake, Edith Perkins, Margaret Sellars, Amy Woods, Leila Adams, Hazel Thompson and Alice Mansfield.

Messrs J. T. Stembridge and Co., report At our weekly sale on Friday last at the Pukekohe Auction Mart we had a good attendance and a large quantity of fruit, produce, etc., was disposed. In consequence of tho heavy entries of fruit and produce a considerable amount of sundries was left over for a future sale. No pigs came to hand. Poultry were in good quantities and sold at fair prices. Hens, aged and light, realised Is ; better, Is Id to Is lid ; roosters, os Id; ducks, Is 6d to Is 7d. Fruit, dessert apples, half bshl cas«, choice, 4s ; small dessert, iis (id ; cookeis, 2s 'Jd ; choice, Is, Pumpkins, lis tid for indillerent quality ; better, 4s to 5s cwt. Melons, os to lis, according to quality. Onions, llilb bags, 2s 6d to lis. Carrots, Is 6d to Is lid sugar bag. Cabbage, os sack. Kumeras, lid to 2d IU. Potatoes, good sample, Bs, were short of demand, inferior being hard to quit. A quantity of harness and sundries changed hands at satisfactory pi ices. Tho great importance of rifle shooting in war under present conditions was emphasised by Major K. C. Dawson in speeches of welcome made by members of the council of the National Kille Association of Now South Wales. "I bolieve that if troops leaving here did nothing but musketry," he said "and learned to handle thoir rifles properly, it would be the greatest aid in this dilticult warfare they could possibly have. The men must get into the way of making the rifle part of their being, as it were. Rapid fire is tho m- st essential thing. On the 19th of May, in Gallipoli, we took the Turks at a disidvantege, and the terrible slaughter we inflicted on them then was due to the fact that most of our men knew how to use their ritles. I noticed that among the Australians the more excited they wero the better they used their ritles. In Egypt we had the good luck to bo placed under General Birdwood, and he was vory particular in training ihe men in the use of the rifle. He had under him two famous rifle shots—General Leslie, the winner of many Queen's medals, and General Cairuthers, Y.C. We received highly valuable instruction in Egypt, and I believe that they did wonders for our men in the trenches. Several members of this association became noted marksmen, or snipers, and did somfc great execution." The Major went ou to tell of one young man from Mudgee who was reputed to liaye shot 350 Turks.

In tho early hours of Sunday morning tho tire alarm disturbed the sleeping residents of Pukekohe, a motor-car and shed being destroyed. About half-an-hour after midnight on Saturday Mr D. Fausett returned with his car from a journey to Aka Aka and placed it in its shod adjoining his residence in Tobin street. Thinkiug he heard a dripping noise he struck a match and immediately flames spraug up all around the car, the benzine gauge having apparently broken off with the result that tho spirit was oozing out and its fumes spread to the lighted match. So fierce was the outburst of fire that it was with difficulty that Mr Fausett made good his escape. Constable Thornell, who was on duty near at hand, was attracted to the spot, by llames shooting up in the air, aud was soon followed by Constable Farrell. The fire-bell was sounded and the Fire Brigade made a very prompt turn-out, their operations being watched by the largo crowd of spectators that <juickly assembled. The Brigade's efforts could not, however, avert the doom of tho car and shed, which were soon a mass of ruins. Mr Fausott ostimates his loss at £2BO, neither the car nor shod having been insurod. The car, it is interesting to mention, seems to have an unlucky career as some two years ago, before it passed into Mr Fausett's possession, it made a sensational plunge from tho traok ou Mount Eden into the crater below and it was with great difficulty hauled to the surface once again.