LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 58, 11 March 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The mails which left Auckland b.v the Niagara on January 23rd, and which arrived at Vancouver on the due date, February 11th, reached London on the Sth inst.—eleven days late.

A brief but very sharp shock of earthquake was felt in Wellington at 1.23 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. It occasioned a deal of alarm, but no damage has been reported.

The secretary of the Patriotic Fund (Mr J. B. Richards), acknowledges receipt, per Mr A. .Meredith, of the following sums: J. Jackson £3, social at Strathrnore £2, J. Dromgool 10s 6d, H. Hansen £l.

The popular afternoon walk on Sunday should be to the Stratford Hospital grounds, where the Municipal Brass Baud will, for the second time this season, delight the patients in the Institution as well as the public with a select programme of musical

The camp at Rowa Eewa was broken up yesterday morning, and the Stratford men left, about 9 o'clock by train for home. The camp has been a very successful one.

Advices from Canada state that the buying of horses for wkC purposes continues on a large scale in that Dominion. The Government has adoptted the plan for its own needs of dealing directly with the sellers. The prices being paid are considered rather low. In heavy draught animals, weighing up to 1800 pounds, the price is from £35 to £SO; medium draughts, from £3O to £3-1; general purpose horses, from £ls to £3O. The average figure would be about £32. Canadian representatives af the Allies are also making large purchases in the United States, where the scale of prices is about the same.

On Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday next, the Salvation Army holds its Annual Haryest Thanksgiving celebrations. Donations, whether of money, flowers, frait or vegetables, will be thankfully received. The whole prog ceeds are to help the local work.

Owing to the inclement weather, the Garden Fete announced for today hiYictoria Park in connection with the Croquet and Tennis Club was postponed. If the weather "bo fine to-morrow, the Fete will be held as arranged.

A poll which was taken on the question of Napier South merging with the City resulted favourably by a three-to-one majority. The Press Association reports that the drainage wa.s the operating factor in deciding the issue.

In connection with the A. and P. Association's forthcoming Gymkhana, it has been arranged that 10 per cent, of the profits will be banded to the Belgian Relief Fund. Programmes of the events at the gathering are now procurable from the secretary.

The following is the Home Defence Corps team to compete in the triangular shooting match to take place at the school gymnasium to-night after the opening of the range by His Worship the Mayor: Capt. J. W. Lieutenant Howarth, Col-Sergt. Richardson, W. Brocklebank and Robson.

Hie Stratford Municipal roll contains 1598 name.-,, the number being 77 in excess of last roll, which was compiled two years ago. The supplementary roll closes on the 14th April. The date of the Municipal elections is fixed for April 28, and nominations for the Mayoralty. Borough Council, and Hospital and Charitable Aid Board will close eight or ten days before that date.

The following business will come. before the Stratford Magistrate's Court to-morrow: Seven civil cases, two defended cases, one ■ judgment summons case, and two informations laid by the police, one of allowing a horse to wander in the railway yards, and one of driving a motor car across a railway crossing while a train was approaching.

The usual monthly meeting of the Stratford County Council will he held at the County office, Stratford, on Wednesday next, at 11 a.m. _ the special business to be considered are three motions as follows:—Cr. Hatha way to move, "That one half of the cost of the Kaiapoi Road bridge lie paid out of the North Riding Special Fund, one quarter by Mr Walker, and the balance out of the road account" ; Cr. Christ■offel to move the rescission of the resolution passed on 2nd March, authorising the construction of the Stanley Road Bridge; Cr. Baskin to move the rescission of the resolution passed on 17th February re removal of bank of earth at the corner of Kent Terrace and the Mountain Road.

"At due date the Stratford boys left Wellington en route to the place for which they are bound." So writes a Stratford man. with the third reinforcements. "We are all together," the , writer continues, "on the bottom floor of the ship, but there is as- good light and ventilation as there is anywhere in the ship. The hrst two days out were fairly rough, and the Stratford men and Xo. 20 generally were fairly gen- * erally smitten with mal de mer. However, since then the weather has been excellent, and the whole ship is in good health and spirits. The platoon gets its share of fatigue, and all members of it will be full-blown A.B's. by the time G or thereabouts is reached. The two Corporals—Jones and Schwieters —are still corping away all they know and will, no doubt, become MajorGenerals or something later on. It is great fun in its way doing bayonet fighting on the ship when she rolls a bit. Everybody is well satisfied with the life aboard, but at the same time they are anxious to get on land. ■

A resident of Toko, who left with the main New Zealand expeditionary force, writes as follows, under date December 26th last, to a friend, who is at present in camp at Trentham with the third reinforcements: This is one of the last places in the world that I expected to see. We did not know till we got to Port Said that we were coming here. We expect to go to the front in Europe about the middle of February. . Last Wednesday, when the Proclamation was declared, we were armed with ball ammunition, but there was nothing doing. We rode for about three hours through all the slums of Cairo. It is a big place, about two-thirds being native slums. This is a most interesting country, and there is between here and Alexandria the linest land 1 have ever seen. It grows four crops a year, and is valued at £l5O per acre. We are camped on the desert, but the same desert will grow anything when irrigated. Heliopolis, about a mile from here, is the best built town 1 have ever seen, and the land on which it is built cost 1 id per acre. The roads in this part of the world are perfect. Oranges can be bought at forty for live piastres (12|d). Butter, I hear, is about 171 piastres per pound. Wc were not served out with any today. The Pyramids are visible from here, being about sixteen miles distant. 1 believe rain only falls every year or two, although some has fallen since we have been here. We had 33 Rmden prisoners on our transport.