GENERAL NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 50, 2 March 1915, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

We can neither number our dead nor compute the measure of our ruins (stated Cardinal Mercier in Ids famous pastoral). And be continued . And what would it he if we turned our sad steps towards Liege, Namur, Ardenne, Dinant, 'famines, Charleroi, and elsewhere? And there wfere lives were not taken, and there were the stones of buildings wore not thrown down, what anguish unrevealed! Families,’ hitherto living at ease, now in hitter want; all commerce at an end, all careers ruined; industry at a standstill; thousands upon thousands of working men without employment; working women, shop girls, humble servant girls,, without the means of earning their bread,; and poor souls forlorn on the bed of sickness and fever, crying, “0 Lord, how long, how .long?” There is nothing to reply. The reply remains the secret of God. Yes, dearest brethren, it is the secret of God. He is the Master of events and the Sovereign director of the human multitude. . . .

The s.s. Tainui arrived at Wellington on Saturday from London, and, according to the passengers, an uneventful voyage was experienced. No German cruisers wore seen, but the comse of the vessel was changed several times, and most nights “lights out” was the order. When she was two days from the line, a boat’s crew from a P. and 0. finer, converted into a cruiser, came aboard and inspected thb sihp. This converted liner was aceompanie dby a" warship, which whs seen in the distance. Apart;from- this the only vessel sighted was the Rakaia, seen near Teneriffe. Good weather was experienced, on the whole, throughout the voyage.- Th passengers were kept well supplied with war news, but news of the raid in the Irish sea and the sinking of the Tokomaru was not received until Capetown had been leached.

“We may now say, my brethren, without unworthy pride, that our little •Belgium has taken a foremost .place in the esteem of nations. I (Cardinal Merrier) am aware that certain onlookers, notably in Italy and in Holland, have asked how it could be necessary to expose this country to so immense a loss of wealth and of life, and whether a verbal manifesto against hostile aggression, or a single cannonshot on the frontier, would not have served the purpose of protest. But assuredly all men of good feeling will be with us in our rejection of these paltry counsels. Mere utilitarianism is no sufficient rule of Christian citizenship. . • The laws of conscience are sovereign laws. . We should have acted unworthily had we evaded our obligation by a mere feint of resistance. And now we would not rescind our first resolution ; we exult in it. Being called upon to write a most solemn page in the history of our country, we resblved that it. should he also $ sincere) prison glorious, page. And as long as we are required, to give proof oi endurance, so long we shall endure.”

The, registrar of friendly societies, Mr 11. E. Hayes, speaking at a lodge banquet in Christchurch, gave some very interesting figures relating to friendly societies hi New Zealand as a whole. He said that in the 27 years up to 1913 the enormous sum of £2,487,573 was paid ou by the societies for sickness and medical and funeral benefits. In the same period the members paid in contributions amounting to £2,773,307, and their funds earned in interest £875,147. The present funds stood at £1,465,159. Speaking of the percentage of population affected by friendly societies in New Zealand. Mr Hayes stated that the actual membership was 74,000. Allowing an average of four to a family, the number affected would be 296,000, or nearly one-third of the population, who directly attd indirectly received projection and benefits from these organisations in New Zealand friendly societies medical attendance covered the family instead of the member only, as in Britain.

“All children carrying cats kindly form into single file and deposit cats on the table as you pass.” This from the publicity manager of the “Seven Little Australians” company, as he surveyed the big gathering of young'people at the stage door of the Grand Opera. House on Saturday morning. The management had advertised that it would purchase the kittens used ill the second act of the Ethel Turner play, and a large number of youngsters arrived with kittens, some 'Of them destined never again to see the home of their birth. One sturdy little fellow endeavoured to cope with live lusty young cats which clambered about him in a desperate effort to escape from a theatrical career. A little lady brought a bran-bag packed with squealing sopranos, whilst a cardboard hat-box was the means of transport for two energetic yellow tile.walkers. During the process of selection several kittens ol an exploring nature disappeared into the theatre,and were chased into the “Hies” by excited stage bands. Three others considered the matter settled immediately upon arrival, and walked straight into a dressing room, evidently to await the drawing up of the contract for an extended tour. Eventually little Esma Cannon, the Baby of the “Seven Little Australians,” made a selection, and the kittens parted company with their owners on a cash basis. Tl>e disappointed traders in kittens were solaced by the

management’s invitation to go along and have some refreshment at its expense, and the band of cat carriers left the theatre quite contented. Unfortunately the management’s invitation did not extend to tho cats, which probably viewed tho whole proceedings with disfavour,