LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 95, 23 August 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Riverinn arrived at Sydney from Auckland to-day.

At billiards in Sydney. JwH. Hooper beat A. 15. Shailer for the championship of New South Wales by 1500 to 709.

The Home Defence Corps-,.shoot for the Peattie gold modal is proving an inviting contest, and many entries are being handed in. The entries close on August 31 witli .Mr Lander, secretary.

The Convent School 'resumes to-day after a fortnight’s holiday, and the pupils of the Public School commence a ten days’ holiday, resuming on Tuesday, August 31st.

The only Representative Rugby game of the season. Auckland V. Taranaki, will take place on Thursday next on the', Recreation Ground, New Plymouth.

A Brisbane. cablegram states that travellers in. (Queensland repqr.t the drought as, lining extremely severe <( stock dying in thousands. Not a Made of grass is visible,, and even prickly 1 pear is withering.

On - Saturday ‘ afternoon Dr. Paget miilkid sdnuAvhere between' Stratford a'lidl 1 Djmglas a 1 handbag containing Surgical instruments. 'A reward of £1 is l offered'the 1 finder for the retnr;i'of the bag.

While the steamer Chalister. . from New York, was: lying in, Wellington harbor. the Captain discovered that a hojy, containing the ship’s manifest and other .valuable papers, together with ahpvit £3OO Tin ..cash, had fioep. ,?to)en.‘ The Press Association adds that no arrests have been made.

A London cablegram states that a bronze bas-relief will shortly lie placed in St. Paul’s, in memory of Captain Sbotft'iijid his comrades. If will be inscribed: “Inflexible of ptirpose. steadfast in courage, resolute in endurance, they faced unparalleled misfortune. Their bodies are lost in the Antarctic, but the memory of their deeds is an everlasting monument.” 1

The stablekeepers of Stratford have decided to rise the price of horse-feed at their respective place* to two shillings as from tiio Ist September. To a representative of the “Post” stall, oi.e of the number justified the advance in the following; terms: “We are the last stables on the coast to rise the price ; in fact, we have been a sort of benefit society for the travelling public for many years!”

Speaking to the suggestion at the Patriotic Committee meeting on Saturday afternoon that the Hospital and Charitable Aid Hoard have representation on the new committee, Dr. Paget said he was sorry anyone should suggest such a thing. He considered the Hoard had no right whatever to representation. No one wanted it to appear that the funds were to he administered by the Hoard. “I say no. emphatically no,” continued the Doctor. “We don’t want any taint of charity about what we are going to do tor tlie wounded.” The loud applause that followed showed that the meeting were in lull accord with the speaker.

“Who will Volunteer:'” 1 nder this hooding -Mr J. H. Ford, Stratford, writes ;>s follows to the Editor. Stratford Evening Post: Sir.—ln other eeittres “home nursing” classes are he-, in*r formed in order that our s’.stersj and brothers may he competent tn nurse our wounded ho vs who are re

turning immc An attempt was made ill th:> f.Taii >iine months ago to start a St. John Ambulance Association, and the nucleus of a good class was obtained, hut it fell through ou account of not being able to secure an instructor or instructress 1 understand that there are in this centre ■ < \ eral certiiieated members if the St. John Ambulance Associitou. Now is their opportunity. Who will he the first to come to the front lor the horn * and help? Tis said that even certificated members get rusty and feel too Jiy to teach a class, hut may 1 suggest that they, for the sake of their fellows in distress, brush off tii" rust and conquer their shyness, both oil which they can do hy interviewing Dr. Stc-, ven. who would he too pleased to put anyone fairly competent on their feet, in this subject. In conclusion, may I ask tlu> aid of your able pen to lor-, flier an object so full of goodwill to one’s follows. With thanks, I am. etc., J. 11. Ford.

Owing to (ho members of (lie Loyal Stratiord Lodge taking part in the send-off to the troops the Lodge will meet at 7.15 o’clock to-night.

The Governor has received a cable that the Hospital Ship Maheiui left Alexandria on Saturday last for Modi ns Bay. Lemnos Island, in the Ae- t gean Sea. en route to England.

-The Home Defence Corps and Xational Reserve will parade this evening at the school at 7.15 o’clock. The parade will inarch to the Opunake Road to meet the Cardiff Section, who will escort the members of their section leaving for Trentham this evening. A numerous attendance on parade will afford a great compliment to those who are leaving. } A Press Association message from Wellington reports that a special meeting of the Dominion Executive of the New Zealand' Political Reform League on Saturday unanimously decided that all active organising work under the control of the Executive shall cease during the life of the National Government, and the League’s organisers are to be withdrawn forthwith.

At a meeting of the Egmont Club on Friday evening, the following re-, solution, moved by the President (Mr J. McMahon), and seconded by Mr R. Masters, was passed: “That the members of the Egmont Club extend to Miami Mrs f\. H. James their sincere sympathy in the irreparable loss they have sustained through the death of their son, and our late comrade, Captain T. P. James, and we trust they will find comfort in the knowledge that he died lighting for the Empire in the cause of Right, Freedom, arid Justice.” The Russian Navy, it will interest many to*learn, is manned almost exclusively by recruits, who serve fivjft. years afloat. Although his education generally leaves much to be desired, tlie Russian sailor Inis many excellent qualities. He is obedient, courageous, and never gets into a panic. Since the disastrous war with Japan, the Navy lias been purged of the elements which Impaired efficiency. The officers are now capable and zealous. The .change which has come over the Fleet is evidenced by an “order of the day” recently promulgated, which enjoins all naval officers never to surrender their ships under any eirenmstiincesi,’ but to; sink them if capture is imminent.

, i It!is proverbial that the Turkish reports are vdryDWnchi inclined to exagr l geratp in their own favor., For instance, jas a writen vvho; was da TurkfFi; nil tip 1 .June las.t ipointsiont, the populace at Constantinople ,wpre told, that ( -tO.pOO prisoners , were being led into tbe pity.. When the prisoners, arrived they numbered 19. After one battle, the Turks reported (07 wounded, but when the transports arrived there were 9000 from the one battle. The sinking of the -“Valenki Deria,” a ' Turkish torpedo boat destroyer, by a British submarine at Ran Stefano was charaeterisjed by t the s T,Mrk^ -as the sinking of an old gunboat. Up to the middle of May. the writer estimated that the Turks had lost RO.OOO tp 100,000 1 ■l.l','.- , ■ ■: / men. $ 1 11 ■ I n The sinking of a German cruiser in the Baltic by a British submarine is an answer to the ‘iiiqnity “What*’ are oursubmarines doing?” Some time ago a British submarine sank a Gerhfaii' cruiser and a German troopship in tho Baltic. These events, together with the unfortunate stranding of El 3, point to the fact that the. Admiralty are sending submarines into the Baltic to assist the Russian fleet and hamper Gernuln transport of troops towards Riga. The presence of British and French submarines in the Sea of Marmora has practically put a stop to the transport of Turkish troops and foodstuffs across the Sea of Marmora. Important news of the further activity of British submarines working in co-operation with the Russian fleet may soon be expected.

At the annual meeting of the Stratford Patriotic Committee on Saturday afternoon the following resolution was passed: “That a general committee be elected on the following basis; this meeting to elect nine members; Stratford Borough Council, Stratford County Council, Whangamomona County Council, Stratford, Midhirst, Lowgarth. N'gaire. Cardiff, Tututau a, Makahu Dairy Companies and N'gaire, Cardiff. Malice. Midhirst, Toko, Strathmore, Kohuratahi Patriotic Com-

mittees and the various religious or-

ganisatious in Stratford, one member each ; such general committee to elect for itself an executive committee not to exceed nine in number; the committee to have power to add to its number a representative from any other patriotic committee.” A full report of the proceedings appears elsewhere in this issue.