The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1915. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 37, 13 October 1915, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1915. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

| A rinmber of articles, including leading matthVVare unavoidably held over. The price of flour in‘ Auckland has been deduced from £ls to £l4 per ton. Out of a population of 250 at Stewftrt Island, 55 have -either gone to the front or are waiting to go. ~ _ j The monthly meeting of th^-Strat-ford County Council will be held at the County Office, Stratford, on Wednesday next.

A special meeting of the Stratford Borough Council will ho held on Friday evening to discuss the electric light and loan proposals.

The mails which left Wellington on —Oth August, and connected with the Suez despatch by R.M.S. Omrah, arrived in London on the 7th inst— three days late.

As the result of the military concert last evening, the Stratford Ladies’ Patriotic Committee will have £-10 with which to swell the Sick and Wounded Soldiers’ Fund. The chairman of the Stratford County Council, Mr W-. Hathaway, states that there is every probability of the Council obtaining a grant of £2OOO from the Covefnment to' repair the damage sustained by the recent washouts. 'The Stratford Belgian Relief Fund Committee have an appeal in our advertising columns for donations of warm clothing which is urgently required for the coming winter. Parcels will be received at the shop lately used as a butcher’s shop south of Victoria Bridge, or at Borough Chambers. 1

Private A. M. I). Wilson, son of Mr A. F. Wilson, Inspector of Noxious Weeds, Stratford, was in Cairo Hospital when he last wrote home. After four months in the trenches continually, Private Wilson was completely run down and a rest had been found absolutely necessary.

After taking his seat at a Wellington picture theatre, the other evening, remarks an exchange, a Chinaman was pelted with paper missives by some youths. Highly indignant, he rose and relinked the offenders thus: “You cheeky devils. You want to throw, you go light Hermans.”

A specially instructive and educational picture will he screened at His Majesty’s Theatre on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, entitled “In the Nestles Factory and Fields,” depicting the making of Nestles chocolate. The picture is specially adaptable to Taranaki, as it shows the Swiss dairy industry from beginning-to end. At the matinee on' Saturday afternoon Mr Fred Foley will present every child with a “Tobler.” !

At a special meeting of the Stratford Borough Council last night, the brick area was extended to in Broadway between Began and, Seaton Streets, and in Began . and' ' Fenton Streets between Juliet and MirandaStreets. The Council accepted the surrender of lease from J. McCluggage, granting two leases in lieu thereof. Private Evans, in a letter to ins mother in Stratford, discourses on the work of the British destroyer: Less than half the aizc of a cruiser, fast as a racehorse, as cheeky-Jookir.g as the .Devil himself and just as destructive when they get busy witn their guns going The accuracy of then lire Is marvellous. When the enemy 'guns are turned on them, they simply pour cotton waste over the fires and send up a hell of a smoke, and obscure themselves from view! Of course, this can only be done with I’avoraole winds. Then at night time they look like little black beetles on the water, with huge shining eyes (searchlights) ; and woe betide the enemy when they are caught by the searchlight.

The Prime Minister enlightened the Hon.se as to the difficulties of .V'w Zealand’s official war correspondent, Mr Malcolm Boss, when he called attention to a very interesting despatch published in the London Times under Mr Ashmead Barlett’s name describing the northward push of the combined New Zealand and Australian forces on August 6th. 7th, and Bth, when die trout was extended by some miles. The whole of the operation was described to the length of several columns, and the famous war correspondent states in an introductory paragraph that he is indebted for his despatch to the courtesy of the New Zealand war correspondent.’ Mr Malcolm Boss. The Prime Minisip; called members’ attention to this as indication of how .Mr Boss was undw a disadvantage as compared with t.ne English writer. “What’s the mat ter?” asked members? “Is lie dead'"

“No, but he is on an island with some other war correspondents,” replied Mr Massey. “In his last < cmmunicaGcn to me he stated that he was only allowed to visit the mainland occasionally, and then practically under guard.” “Interned?” queried Mr Hornsby. “Practically,” replied the Premier. “No wonder that his articles are of little value when they reach Now Zealand.”

'I Private Bert Terry, writing.,to. his parents' in Stratford, under date August 18, said lie wps,. then lying in hospital at Alexandria with wounds from a bullet, which went through the call of both leas, ft was not, serious, and he expected ,to he quite well and perhaps “hack at his old job” by the time the letter reached New Zealand. Terry says he was hit on the morning of the 7th August, and lay for half a day with the bullets striking all around him. “At last,” he says, “they began to make it too hot, so I began to crawl to safety. I orauled for a mile and a half before reaching the dressing station, and I will not forget the experience in a lumy. I had to spend four more wretched days on the Peninsula, and then was put on the hospital ship, arriving at Alexandria on the loth. It is a grand place. . . One could not wish to he better treated. I consider myself lucky to have been wounded so as to be able to get a holiday. . . Poor Leslie Lee,, he was shot dead. 1 was only a few yards from him at the time. . . I only lasted through one night of continual charges, and I saw enough that night to last me for the rest of my life.” Writing again on the 26th. Private Terry says : “By the time this letter reaches New Zealand 1 shall be in England. 1 understand we go to England until our wounds are better, and then go to France. It will be decent to light first at the Dardanelles and then in France.”

The following letter from a Palmerston North lad, 15 years and 10 months old, is published a s a lesson in patriotism for the benefit of slackers. ' School House, Christ’s College, Christchurch, October 1. 1915. Dearest | |)ad,—l was very glad to get your letj ter this morning. The chief reason I am writing this letter is to ask you it you will give me permission to go to the wav. I have been thinking it over, dad, ever since last term. I lie in lied at night and think of it. AMien Two chaps went away from here last term to go. 1 was nearly going to write then, hut did not.* Now when 1 hear that is going, T want to go with him. (live me my chance, dad. ’s mother has given him his. I am stronger than he is, 1 can shoot hotter than he can, so do let ns go together, dad. 1 can do nothing better than die or my country it it must lie, and I am not afraid to do that. I have thought it all over, and I see there are great odds against me, but I want to go. I know mum will be right against it. hut talk her round, dad. .Remind her ot the .sacrifice'Mrs has made. If you will write as soon as yon can and let me know what you say, dad, 1 will be pleased, because I will be looking forward to your letter. Again 1 ask for my chance, dad, and please don’t disappoint me. All i ask is your permission and I can fix the rest.

Mr H. W. Kerr has forwarded cheque for £5 for the Hospital Ship Fund. The Working Bee arranged for tomorrow afternoon at St. Andrew’s Hall ln*s been postponed on account of the opening of the Bowling Green. Weather Forecast.—The indications are for freshening northerly strong winds to gale, and backing by north to west. Expect warm and humid conditions. Weather clouding over, rain later. Barometer falling.— Bates.