GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 24, 28 May 1915, Page 7

GENERAL.

jVt the Magistrate’* Court at Otorolianga on Thursday, before Mr Rawson” S.M., M. McCarthy, licensee of the I’irongia Hotel, was charged with lour breaches of the Incusing laws (says the correspondent of the .New Zealand Herald). For supplying a Native under 21 years of age he was lined £10; for supplying Natives with liquor for consumption off the premises, £25; on two other charges connected with Maoris, £OO each—a total of £OS, and costs. Counsel for defendant said he preferred a heavy line to the endorsement of the license.

Recently the firm of A. and G. Price, engineers, paid a tribute to the excellent services of five of their oldest workers, by taking the party lor a motor drive down the coast (says the Thames Star). The quintet, who were the guests of the firm, were Messrs G. Low son, who has 43 years’ service to his credit; E. Brownlow and R. Leslie, 40 years; .1. Coutts, 30 years; and .1. Lucan, 30 years. It is claimed that there is no other firm in New Zealand that can boast ol 189 years’ service from five of its employees. The little compliment paid them hy their employers was greatly appreciated.

A strange meeting of two brothers who had returned to England after long years of separation abroad took place at the headquarters of the Artists Rifles in London. A young man wiio some months ago returned from Ceylon to join the Artists Rifles arrived at the headquarters of the corps after drill and there met his elder brother. They had not met for thirteen years. The eider brother explained that after thirteen years, in China and Japan he had come home to fight for the country. The younger brother explained that he had come from Ceylon on exactly the same mis-

.siou. In a letter written aboard H.M.S

Iron Duke by Admiral Sir John Jellieoe to the Wellintgon branch of the Navy League, are the following'words, which will be read with interest:— “You ask for a short message to the juvenile adherents of the Wellington branch of the league. In reply, 1 would say that no message from me is needed by the youngsters in New r Zealand. One need only point to their fathers and brothers and say ‘follow in their footsteps.’ We are all filled with admiration at their magnificent example of patriotism for the Mother Country.”

There are varied experiences in collecting. One of the wealthy farmers in North Otago asked for a donation in kind for the Belgian fund, gave three sheep! Another settler in the same district risked an attack of enlargement of the heart by taking from his well-filled barn, for the same cause, one bag of seconds I On Saturday, during the lied Cross canvass in Dunedin, a professional gentleman answered the appeal by saying: “I suppose I’d better give a sixpence, but it’s worth only a penny”; and five mimitekj later the same collector, approaching a Chinaman, was cheerfully handed a half-sovereign!

At tlio Warden’s Court, Reefton, a miner in the Progress mine, named T. Valmadree, was charged with boring a dry hole and not having used the water laid on for the purpose (says the Westport Times). The workmen’s inspector gave evidence of finding the man at work. It was the worst case he had seen. There was a pile of dust and no attempt had been made to use the water. Warden Hewitt reminded the miners that the prosecution was taken on their behalf. He had lately attended an inquest at Waiuta, where he had seen the dust in the lungs like a coating of mud. In tbeir own behalf he felt compelled to Inflict the maximum penalty of £lO. Two other miners, P. Doran and J. M‘C racken, on similar charges, not quite as had in the circumstances as the former, were each fined £5.

“I respectfully record my protest against that word ‘gratitude}’ ” declared Mr A. M. Myers, M.P., at a, gathering of members of the Overseas Club at Auckland on Monday night, referring to the word which both Mr Asquith and Mr Bonar Law had used in expressing the nation’s appreciation of the services Xew Zealand had rendered in the war. owes Xew Zealand no gratitude,” said Mr Myers. ‘‘The Mother Country’s cause is our cause ; we have a common inheritance of freedom. We have common principles to assert and common interests to maintain. We are bound together by the closest ties of sympathy and affection. We would indeed he a craven people if we took all the privileges and protection which the Empire has afforded, and shirked our responsibility in the time of peril. With the greatest respect, I object to that word ‘gratitude’—it was our duty. While wo appreciate the sentiment, we should prefer that our action should he regarded as an obligation which we are proud to fulfil, rather than an act of grace which we are pleased to perform.”