LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 80, 8 April 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the Magistrate's Court, Stratford, to-morrow, the following business will he dealt \vith:~2o civil summonses "'three defended), two judgment summonses, and two breaches of by-law eases.

The annual meeting of householders for the election of school committees for the ensuing year will be held in the several schools of the district on Monday, April 26th, at 7.30 p.m.

Influenza has laid a heavy hand upon many of his subjects in and around Stratford. Indeed, sickness is prevalent. Schoolmasters remark upon the severity of coughs and colds among the children, the amount of "barking" in the school being a distressing feature of the daily routine.

Weather Forecast.—The indications are for variable ami moderate breezes. Weather cloudy to overcast at times, with mild and hazy conditions, but the night will probably be very eold with frosts inland. Barometer little movement.

The interest in "home'' is exemplified in a short excerpt from the letter of a Stratford trooper in Egypt to his friends in this district. The writer says: "Saw some New Zealand papers to-day (10-2-1.")) with accounts of the Xew Year Races. Stratford .had a good meeting. Flying Camp didn't win, but Percy Johnson had a pretty good innings, didn't he!"

Preliminary steps towards opening winter classes under the auspices of the Ktratford Technical School are announced in the advertising columns to-day. Intending pupils in dressmaking, painting-and advanced drawing copper and silver work, and shorthand, are requested to communicate with the superintendent (Mr F. Tyrer) from whom all particulars may be obtained.

Armed with a telegram stating that two cases of grapes were arriving by the mail train from some kind but anonymous donor at Otaki, a member of the linotype staff of the "Stratford Evening Post" issued invitations to all and sundry on the staff to a fruit supper in the evening. But alas, those grapes turned sour within an hour! A suggestion that the consignment was meant for the local fruit mart, and that the wire should have read "Lamason," not "Lawson," proved only too true. In a spirit of revenge, the latter now quotes other cases where the Post and Telegraph; Office made, mistakes.

Commissioner Hodder, the now commander of the Salvation Army in New Zealand, will conduct his first congress in this country next week. The congress will be conducted in Wellington, and will comprise several public functions besides council's with all the assembled officers. All officers who can possibly bo spared from their work will be present from the Bluff to the North Cape. Adjutant Cook and his assistant will be there, and the Adjutant purposes giving an account of his visit to England and Scotland last year on the occasion of the great International Congress held in London last June. The recital wiil be followed by a Scotch Pie supper. The great work being accomplished by the Salvation Army at the Front is interestingly set forth in the following paragraph culled from the latest issue of The War Cry: Sir Hutchinson Poe, Colonel-in-Chief of Boulogne base, called at Internationl Headquarters and asked for two Officers to be appointed to his personal staff; one, a man to be responsible to look up missing men—the other a woman who would meet the women who came to see wounded soldiers in Kranee, and comfort them, etc. He said, 'We soldiers have sympathy, but we cannot show it. and we are told your women are ideal, and will do it well for us.' The missing men. adds our informant, are scattered all over the land and get lost for days. Col. Poe said that they could be found, lie

was assured, l>,v Salvationists. Commissioner Rigging told him he could not agree to anything but Salvation Army Uniform and that they would lie under bis orders. The Colonel at once replied that they would be useloss to liiui in any other uniform. The Officers have since left for the front.

Two matches will be fired on the 1 local miniature range to-night. The staff of Bellringer Bros meet Smarts', and the Railway staff meet the Butter Factory employees. The wonders of wireless, particularly in reference to its use in the present world war. will be explained in a lecture by Mr T. H. Fegan in the Town Hall on Monday night. An exhibition of forty lantern'slides should make this subject more than usually interesting. The lecture is given under the patronage of the local School Committee, and the proceeds will be devoted to the school fund.

The Canterbury Rugby Union iasfc night decided to proceed with the competitions as usual this year. The decision was arrived at on the unani« mous recommendation of the affiliated clubs, which are all aide to enter teams, although in most cases (stntes the Press Association) this was to " done by promotions.

Dressed in the latest cut ot suit with stylish hat and boots and a "dirty" collar (reports the Patea Press) a young man boarded the train up the line at 11 a.m. ou Monday, and recognising an acquaintance, asked for :i match, in response to some remark of his companion he said he had already smoked two packets of cigarettes since he arose from bed that morning. In the next breath he said that he had signed on to go to the front and expected to leave for Trentham shortly. Overdressed, dirty collar, cigarette habit, and yet witha] this young man was prepared to do his duty to his country, proving what a mass of contradiction is to be found in some of outNew Zealanders. This young man, from his dress and cigarette habit, would be described by many as a waster, but when his country called lie felt it to he his duty to respond. There is still good to he found in every one of us if we did but know where to look for it.