LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 16, 19 May 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A team to represent the 11. J.uniors to play the High School at Stratford to-morrow, will be selected from the following:—Syme, Crossan (2), AV. Robson, Vickers', Kivell (3), J. Lawrence, A. Petrie, Collins (2), Lee, Nolan, Sharrock (2), Healy, T. O’Neill, McCullough.

The shepherds of Te AVera are holding a plain and fancy dress ball in the Te Wera Hall next Friday evening. The.services of Mrs Bianchi and Air S. Parker have been secured for the music. The dresses promise to be novel and interesting, and not a few are making the trip from Stratford.

Speaking at the Education Commission yesterday, Air H. Trimble said that South Taranaki people had been so long joined to Wanganui, and that was the reason why they looked to Wanganui as their centre. Personally, he believed the time was coining when they would look more to New Plymouth. Once direct steamers came to New Plymouth, their interests would lie this way.

A prisoner, named Jolm Findlay, escaped I'rom tlie New Plymouth Gaol during .Monday night, and at an early hour this morning was still at liberty. Findlay ,who is .’59 years of age, is of medium build, Iresh complexion, with lirown hair, grey eyes and a large nose. He wears a moustache, and is 10st llh in weight. He was arrested some time ago for the murder of Rennie, a school master at Papakaio, hut was acquitted. He was, however, sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for burglary in connection with the same case, and was declared an habitual criminal, hie had been in the New Plymouth gaol for some years.

At a Farmers’ Union banquet at Pabintua, subscription lists for the Belgians were taken round, and realised over £7B. Tlie Now Zealand Shipping Company’s Rotorua, which has the New Zealand nurses as passengers, and which left Wellington on Bth April, is reported to have left Teneriffe on the ]4th inst. in continuation of her , journey. A New Plymouth message says that, in a letter to the press. Mr Wilson, mayor, suggests that in order to encourage farmers to put in more crops, associations should be formed in towns for the purpose of guaranteeing a supply of labour at harvest time. At this morning’s meeting of the Stratford County Council, the Engineer’s action in ordering a new 10-ton Aveling and Porter road roller was confirmed. The cost of the roller will he £778, nett cash, on delivery at Stratford. Some idea of the bridge problem facing tlie Stratford County Council during the coming year was mentioned by the chairman at the meeting this morning. Mr Hathaway stated that on an average three nut of five bridges in the County were unsafe for traffic. What tlie Council was going to do about it, the speaker said he did not know. Writing from Cairo, Lieutenant Fur by says in a letter to Mr W. P. Kirkwood (letter dated 4th April) “Am sending you photo of Stratford men, as it may be of interest to you, especially as we are just off to-night to the Dardanelles and expect heavy casualties. The force is in good fettle and everybody, including the Stratford boys, are very happy and looking forward to another go at the Terrible Turk, although this time it will not he a fisaeo.” Mr Kirkwood has placed the photograph, together with the names of the men represented in the photo, on exhibition.

In a letter to his father, Private S. G. Robinson gives details of the arrival of the Maoris in Egypt. They were officially received by General Godley and Staff. He relates an amusing incident about a Maori and two English Tommies. The Tommies passed some remark to the Maori concerning his brown skin. The Maori did not hesitate but, as the writer puts it, “simply tore into the pair of them.” The Tommies were glad to beat a hasty retreat. Mr Robinson expresses the opinion that the Maoris will remain on garrison work in Malta. In the face of the above incident it would seem a shame to put men who can put two Tommies to flight on garrison work!