LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 246, 30 January 1917, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pte Edward W. Clarke, sera of Mr Charles Clarke, of Pukekohe, who enlisted with the 25th Reinforcements, has been attached to the N Z. Medical Corps and is now at Awapuni Camp. Pte. Clarke, prior to enlisting, passed his examination as a qualified dispenser.

Fked. J. Thompson & Co , Tuakau, (late Free Bros ), Sale now on. Visit the new firm. Astounding bargains in drapery. Tenders, to close on Monday next are invited on behalf of the Taukau Town Board, by Mr John Routley, engineer, for certain works on Capt. Ryder's Roai, Taukau. For particulars see advt

Patterns of all the designs of fashions, etc, appearing in our supplement, week by week, can be obtained by sending stamps, value 7d, for every pattern required (coat, skirt, blouse, one-piece gown, etc) to Miss Ida Meller, Care of the Editor. The envelopes should be marked "Patterns."

Major Charles Samuel Schofield who has just returned to Buckland from Egypt was born" at Thames 45 years ago. He is the son of Colonel S. C Schofield, who saw a good deal of service during the Maori war. Major Schofield became first identified with local military circles when he joined the Pukekohe Rifles as Trooper in 1903, gradually working his way through the ranks to the post of Captain. Afterwards he became Officer Commanding the 3rd Squadron of the Auckland Mounted'Riifes. At the outbreak of war he offered his services and was accepted, leaving Wellington with the first main body in October 1914. He served first at Egypt for five months during a trying time, was afterwards at Gallipoli for three months when he was wounded in the lungs and sent to Malta. Ultimately he was transferred to a military hospital in London and afterwards spent some months in England before going back to Egypt. There is a probability that when he has sufficiently recovered from the effects of his injuries, the Major will return to the front.

The attention of water consumers in the borough of Pukekohe is drawn to a notice appearing in our advertising columns that the supply of water in the town district will be suspended from midnight to-morrow (Wednesday) until five o'clock on Thursday morning, with the additional notification that water will not be available to consumers in Manukau road and on the eastern side of the line until 5 p.m. on Thursday. This temporary cessation of the water supply service is necessitated by the removal of the mains at the lower end of King street from the roadway to the footpath prior to the road being treated with tarred macadam. The consumers in the vicinity of other parts of King street will receive due notice as to a similar temporary discontinuance of supply. All consumers are advised to keep a supply of water available in case of an emergency during the removal of the mains.

The training of New Zealand soldiers is shortly to be extended in a new direction, and it is claimed that greatly increased efficiency in the field will be the result (says the "OtagoDaily Times.") Onboard a steamer which reached Port Chalmers last week there was a small body of men who have come back to the Dominion as instructors in bayonet fighting and physical drill, and they will take up their duties almost at once. Lieut. Clark, formerly of the 10th (North Otago) Regiment, is in charge of the party, which consists of himself and eight non-commissioned officers. The lieutenant is enthusi astic about the new work, and he states that the instructors, all of whom have seen a good deal of active service, have been specially for their task by the Aldershot staff in England. This new style of bayonet fighting was used iu the Somme offensive, and was found very effective against the Germans. During the training period it will be the first thing the men are taught, and the chief principle of it is that everything is done on the advance nothing being done in the standing position. " Under this sytom a man's morale and confidence are increased by IUU per cent.," said Leiut. Clark, " and he goes into action with the belief that he is able to kill anything ho meets. The battalions that had received this training did really wonderful work on the Somme, and it should prove of greatest value to our New Zealand troops."

Tenders are invited by the Wbangamarinn Road Board, per advt, in I 1 "* is * ue ; for breaking and stacking 500 >' ar, ' ? °* meta l at Couper's W aerenga. | Pdrticularß of Gntryfor their fir(jt B heep and ram fair of the season to , be held at Taukau on Monday next I b y Me s srs Alfred Buckland and Sons I are advertised in this issue. Some j mQ be «v~ 4000 ff m R omne y.Li n coln ewe£ 1000 two, four and six-tooth ditto, I 100 ° two and four tooth wethers, 1500 lambs, and 50 rams. Further entries are invited.

Owing to magisterial duties requiring his attendance in Auckland on Thursday, Mr F. V Frazer, 8.M., will iot preside on the bench at the Pukekohe Court on that day. Small claims will be dealt with by two Justices, and other cases will stand over until Thursday, February loth, when the charges laid in connection with the recent police raid at Bombay for alleged sly grog-selling will also be heard. The interesting and remarkable sight of a cat mothering a duckling is to be witnessed at Miss Newman's boarding establishment in Pukekohe. The feathered (or rather fluffy) one strayed away from a hen that was its foster mother (others of its brood having died) and espying a cosy nook occupied by some very young kittens it took up its abode with them. There it has since remained and the mother cat jealously keeps guard over its adopted offspring as well as over the little ones of its own race, the kittens and duckling all being happy together and sleeping huddled up one against another.

The death occurred at his residence in Pukekohe this morning of Mr Joseph Penman. The deceased, who was 69 years' of age, had been ailing for some time but up to a few days ago he was out and about as usual. Born in London, he was apprenticed in that city to his uncle, who was an architect by profession, but at the age of 16, with a view of seeing something of the world, he sailed for New Zealand. Soon after arriving in Auckland be was drafted into the Militia and took part in the Maori war, subsequently returning to England as a storeman on one of the troopships that conveyed the Imperial soldiers home. He only, however, remained in the Old Country for a brief period for at the age of 21 years he again came oat to New Zealand. He married 39 years ago Miss Theresa Bradley, an Auckland lady, and took up residence in Pukekohe about 23 years ago. He had the honour of serving as a member of the late Duke of Edinburgh's, bodyguard on the occasion of the Duke's visit to the Dominion. The late Mr Penman was a vaiuei member of the Presbyterian community and acted as general secretary to the Church. He also identified himself with the Public Library and only very recently resigned his appointment as Librarian. For some years he had acted as the Borough Council's Sanitary Inspector. He is survived by Mrs Penman, one son and three daughters, the latter including Mrs Jasjes Roulston, and general sympathy in their loss will be extended to the bereaved relatives. Tne funeral takes place at the Pukekohe Cemetery to-morrow (Wednesday) afternoon.

Lieut. W*. J. Baxter, who returned to bis home iu Fukekohe last Wednesday after having arrived from England at Port Chalmers on the previous Friday, is a son of Mr J. M. Baxter, the popular secretary of the Franklin A and P. Society, and is 26 years of age. When the war broke out he was engaged in business duties at Hamilton, where he held a commission as Lieutenant in the G. Battery, New Zealand Field Artil lery. Officers at that time not being called for, he enlisted as a Gunner in the Artillery with the Main Expeditionary Force but was gradually promoted at the training camp to the rank of sergeant before the Force sailed in October, 1914. He arrived in Egypt two months later and took part in the historic landing at Gallipoli on April 25th, 1915. After a month on the Peninsula he returned to Egypt and then after a short spell he was sent back to Gallipoli and was one of the last to embark at the evacuation in December, 1915. Lieut. Baxter speaks admiringly of the success of the plans made for the departure of the troops and of the cunning measures taken by the authorities to deceive the Turks. From Gallipoli he again went to Egypt and took part in preparations made in view of an anticipated invasion by the Turks. He landed in France last April and after the New Zealand Artillery had been refitted he was sent to the firing line in Flanders. It was on July 9th that he received shrapnel wounds in his right thigh and leg and he still carries in his leg a portion of the shell as a memory of the occasion, as well as" being afflicted with lameness. After treatment for a couple of days in a hospital in France he was conveyed across to England and spent a couple of months in the military hospital at Cambridge and was then transferred to No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital at Brockenhurst, Hampshire. From the latter institution ho proceeded direct on board a transport, which sailed for New Zealand on November 13th. Being in hospital all his time in England he saw nothing of the Old Country other than from trains or from ambulances, and his only glimpse of the busy life of London was when he was whirled by a taxi across the metropolis from King's Cross railway station to Waterloo in the course of his removal from the Cambridge Hospital to Brockenhurst. Whilst he was at the Brockenhurst Hospital a call at that institution was made by the Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward. Lieut. Baxter testifies to the excellence of the tield hospital arrangements in France, which enable wounded men tit to travel to reach England the same day that they are struck down. English hospital trains, he says, are running in France, as well as in their own country, and they are of an ideal cluracter for couifcrt. Lieut. Baxter hopes that his injuries will not be of a permanent character, in which case he has expectations of being able to return again to the front.