LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 59, 9 July 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Sunday is being observed in St. Andrew's Church as "Patriotic Temperance Sunday." References will be made at the services to the King's example in abolishing drink from his court.

An "in memoriam" service is announced at the Salvation Army Hall on Sunday night at 7 o'clock, and Adjutant Inwood is announced to conduct meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday next. The Adjutant comes to Stratford with a good reputation a s a platform speaker, and has had some experience of special work in the South Sea Islands . He will probably speak of it during his visit.

A good story drifts from Egypt. A little group of New Zealand Battalion defaulters had been set to work to dig holes in which to deposit camp rubbish, no easy task beneath the burning sun. The English Provost Sergeant was called away for a time. When he returned he was astounded to see our brave soldiers sitting m the sand with pipes in full blast and intently concentrated on a game of euchre. A gang of Arabs were shovelling the sand and making the dust fly. It transpired that their services had been requisitioned for one piastre (2i(I) each to carry through the distasteful job.

A meeting of the executive of the Stratford A. and P. Association was held last night in the secretary's office. Present: Mr It. Masters {President), Messrs Dingle, Fletcher, Shotter, David, Kirkwood anil Jack-

son. Twenty-seven new members were elected. The report of sub-committee re stand was adopted. The President moved the following resolution, which was seconded liy .\ir Dingle and carried :—"fluit this Association is of the opinion that school children both of Primary and Secondary Schools, should lie allowed to travel free by rail to attend agricultural classes at the Government experimental farms, when under the control

of an instructor of an Kducation Hoard, and that we urge the Minister of Kducation to grant this concession, insmuch as it will be in the inter-

ests of the farming industry of New Zc'lmvl." i" e renditions of the sec-

retary's appointment was confirmed. A letter of sympathy was sent to Mr A. H. Halcombe on tha death of his

i Our Douglas correspondent states: The house for the local minister is J Hearing completion. A ment is being made with the muchneeded enlargement of the local school.

The .Methodist Church services in the Regan Street School on Sunday will be conducted in- the morning by the Rev. A. 0. Harris, and m\th.e evening by the Rev. A. Reader."who will deliver a special address. Subject: "Ihe Destiny of the Fallen." Everybody cordially invited.

A culprit at the Court this morning was wrongly described in the information and pointed this out. The informant was asked by the Magistrate if he merely guessed the defendant's description, but the informant offered no excuse. The Magistrate pointed out that more care should be taken.

Mr F. E. X. Gaudin has had his commission in the New Zealand Forces returned to him. Colonel Robin said that so far as he knows Mr Gaudin's rank as captain in the reserve of the Forces had not been affected by the recent proceedings, which were of a political rather than a criminal character.

The infant daughter of Mrs Ward, Prahran, Melbourne, aged IS months.

was sitting on a doorstep eating an orange l , when a large rooster, apparently attracted by the fruit, flew into the child's face and pecked her left eye, penetrating it. It is feared that the sight of the left eye is irretrievably injured, and there is danger of total blindness.

A healthy rivalry has risen up between the southern end of the Wairarapa and the northern as to the raising of funds for the Wairarapa fund for wounded soldiers. The southerners state that the northerners had put up a record of £21,000,for a flag, which they nearly equalled by putting up £19,500. Tn return, the southerners are getting a list of names of twenty settlers in their district who have already given, or are willing to give at least £IOOO to the i'und, and are asking the northerners to beat that record.

The following; letter signed "Seaiouri 1). P. Limehurst," appears in the Lyttelton Times : "Sir,—Anyone ivith any sense of appreciation must admire the way that many of the residents of Wairarapa are contrimitirig to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. At ruie meeting Mr A..M'Donald saia he hoped that each big sum realised by the sale of a flag would act ae a high explosive bomb to blow up the consciences of those men who were still sntrenched in their wealth and were giving nothing. I am afraid it will take more ammunition than even Wairarapa can supply to touch the consci»rtces of many in Kowai and Waipara County districts. Many wealthy people in these districts intend to keep both their sons and wealth. It is to be hoped that if an organised attempt is made in these districts to raise funds for the wounded soldiers a note rtill be taken of any and all of the big wealthy land holders who do not subscribe generously (a few pounds from them is only an apology and should not be accepted) to this fund, and a requisition got up, which would be largely signed, and presented to the government asking that their estates should be taken for closer settlement, and a portion of them might be kept in reserve for our lads when they come back.—l am, etc."

Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, perhaps the most widely-known man amongst those who were the victims of the sinking of the Lirsitania by i Genu in torpedo, left an estate valued at a littel more than £5,000,000 (writes the Wellington Post's San Francisco ■or respondent). At one time he had been in the neighbourhood of £sooo,ooo, but in his lifetime he gave away 'the difference between the two sums to his first wife, when she divorced him, and to his brother Cornelius. The latter had been left a comparatively small legacy by his father because he married against his parent's wishes All the members of the family united to make the legacy of Cornelius equal to-\that of the other children, am! to this purpose Alfred Vanderbilt donated £1,120,000. The second wile and widow of Alfred Vanderbilt receive.-, about £1,600,000 under the will. She is one of the most beautiful women in America. Before her marriage to Mi Vanderbilt she was the wife at l)r. Smith H. M'Kim, of Philadelphia. She and Mr Vanderbilt became infatuated with each other. Both were married at that time. Two divorces were necessary to clear the way to their union. Liberal provision is made in the will for the children of both marriages, but the second family get somewhat the larger share. There is no bequest in the will to any rehg'ou-;, charitable, or educational establishment.

A London cablegram states that in the Privy Council case, Rutherford v. Acton Adams CNcvv Zealand), the appeal was dismissed with costs.

The reserved judgment concerning the disposal of the liquor which formed a feature of the sly-grog case at the Courthouse last week has been further reserved.

A Press message from Christchurch states that first grade factory butter has now advanced to Is 8d lb there. Other grades have advanced similarly. It is reported supplies are difficult to obtain. V

The Manawatu "Times" says:—lt is understood that the sixth and seventh reinforcements will leave New Zealand together, and before the eighth go into camp it will be closed for a fortnight for fumigation purposes.

An Auckland Press Association telegram states that the Harbour Board has sold to the Bank of New Zealand fifty thousand pounds worth of five per cent debentures at par, and has arranged for satisfactory advances on the balance of £IOO,OOO authorised as a loan, if necessary.

According to a witness at the Magistrate's Court this morning, Midhirst is a happy hunting ground for Mrs Grundy. "They'll do auythink to cause mischief in Mid'irst," she said. The police evidence showed, however, that the mischief was made in this case through the witness' own neglect and conduct, which raised the scandal, land which, through the misehief-work-fersj was deservedly brought under the police notice.

At Mr J. Burkett's clearing saie yesterday a large number of visitors and buyers made use of one of Messrs 0/t Bios', paddocks for horses, traps and motor cars, and Mr S. W. Hil! took advantage of the opportunity of collecting on behalf of the Fund for Wounded Soldiers. The sum of £1 was the result of the collection, and this amount has been paid into the "Stratford Evening Post" office, and will be handed to the secretary of the Patriotic Committee.

At the Juvenile Court this morning a youth of fourteen, years was charged with breaking window panes at Midhirst. In commenting on the evidence, Mr Kenrick, S.M., said that children in these times get too much liberty, and at an early age control their parents. He had had cases where children of six and seven were absolutely out of all control. The result was that the children got into trouble, and had not a fair chance in life. In

everv town there are several bad

youths who greatly annoy people and I who, if punished, complain and think they were cruelly done by. The sooner this class was dealt with severelv the better.

A. defendant in a maintenance case did, not juiftke ,an .appearance ihis morning. Counsel explained that defendant was to have come in yesterday, but missed the train at Whangamomona and would not reach Stratford until % q'clock this afternoon. The Magistrate pointed out thaj; the litigants were becoming too lax in at-

tending the Court at the correct and ortlered ; hour. Sometimes litigants > . got cases adjourned on account of inability to attend, and after adjournments came to the Court and asked their case to he heard first, If" the Magistrate arrived late, or could not sit as he had missed his train, litigants would feel aggrieved and complain.