LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 67, 18 November 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Mayor (Mr J. W. Boon), desires , to publicly thank Cardiff-for a con-, trihution of £1 17s for the Soldiers’ Tobacco Fund. At an early hour on Tuesday morn- 1 in<>; fire destroyed a six-roomed house 1 on Croydon Road, Waipuku, owned by Mr A. Barlow, of Stratford, and occupied by Mr Crozier. Mr Crozier. and a farm hand were the only inmates of the building and had to escape through the window in their night at-: tire. The house was completely destroyed and practically none of the con-j tents were saved. The house was insured for, £2(X) in the Phoenix Office,', and the furniture for £6O in the Stan-' Idard Office.* . ; j

The. | ladies of the j)oug]a.s patriotic' committee have energetically work.ec f6r some time making garments foi the Wounded Soldiers and the Bel gians. In order, to add to the fundi to purcha.se the needed material, 8 grand social will take place on Friday evening. It is anticipated there wil be a large attendance of representatives of the district. Vocalists from Kiri, Huiroa, Douglas, and Stratforc will render an excellent programme Gifts are kUsp to be disposed of by the committee and the children are being catered for by bran tubs, etc. lh< hall is to he. tastefully,decorated wit! patriotic designs, and games, dancing arid supper will be provided. ( 1 -U I, May Morn Camp is proud of its bands l ,?‘judging from,the tone of a lot. ter received in Stratford'to-day. “Tin bra-sfe baud is going to consist of .fifty players.” states the writer, “but already tliere are twenty instruments available. Last Sunday they gave an entertainment, and it was very enjoyable. It is my belief it will be the best band in New Zealand. They have got a professional bandmaster, out on his own. Then, we have the bagpipes every morning; just as we are getting up, they march right round the camp playing a tune—it sort of puts good life in one for the rest of the day! Something like a rush for permit*! to leave the Dominion occurred at the Department of Internal Affairs at Wellington yesterday, reports the Press Association. Many were anxious to leave, for Sydney to-day, but as every application must be investigated before a permit is issued, many will miss the steamer. The shipping companies are asking intending passengers to produce their permits before issuing tickets, but even if the ticket is procured, tins will not entitle the passenger to board an outward-bound ship or relieve the company from the responsibility of letting him go without a permit. ' | A regulation gazetted under the War Regulation Act, 1914, provides that no person shall bring or cause to be brought any intoxicating liquor upon a troop-train, or have in his possession any intoxicating liquor upon a troop-train, or supply any intoxicating liquor to any person being carried in a troop-train. In this regulation the term “troop-train” means any railway train or railway carriage which for the time being has been set apart for the exclusive use of the Defence Forces, or which is for the time being exclusively or chiefly occupied or used by members of those forces. I The Grand United Order of Oddfellows (states the Sydney Daily Tele-..-.•nv.M of outset of the war nr-

ranged that any of the Order’s 30,000 members who were financial would have their contributions paid whilst on active service, thus ensuring lull benefits, including medicine and medical attendance for the wives and children left behind them. This offer has been availed of by 1050 members, 25 of whom have given their lives, leaving 1025 at present in camp or at the war. The contributions paid on behalf of these members amount to £1175 Is a year, and it has not been necessary to levy those left behind to j meet this claim. j

The only cases to occupy the Stratford Magistrate’s Court to-morrow hie ot the civil order to the number of’ l thirteen, two of which are defended. A great sale of work for which preparation has been made for some time past is to he held in the Parish Hall, Stratford, on Saturday next. The sale will he opened by Mr .1. B. Hine, M.P., at 11 a.in.. ' There will he plain and fancy goods stalls in variety and an attractive display of wares of all sorts. Light luncheon will be provided from 12 o’clock to 2 p.m. In the weekly return issued by the Defence Department yesterday it is ■ shown that the percentages- of '.egistrations (enlistments, incluring unfit* s ) on. Saturday last for the four military districts throughout the Dominion wore as under, those -for the proceeding week being given for the sake of comparison—Auckland, week ended 13th November 23.55, week ended (3th November 23.17; Wellington. 47.08 and 47.16; Canterbury, 19.20 and 19.44; Otago, 10.17 and 10.23.

Ihe annual Romney Marsii show iam sales in England in September" were a great success, every animal offered being sold at good prices. An average of £l7 4s lOd was obtained for 281 head, as against an average of £ll Os 9d for 371 head last year. The champion ram, bred by Air j. E Quested, was bought for an Australian client at 150 gns., which was the top ju ice of the sale. The same firm also bought two at 72 gns. each, a nd one at 50 gns. At a dispersal sale of Romneys a week preceding the show, 762 head of rams, ewes, and lambs made a general average of £7 7 S per head. At both sales heavy purchases were made for the Argentine and Patagonia.

There lias come to hand from the Defence Minister’s office a handy publication entitled ‘‘England Expects” in which aluable details are given for the information of intending recruits. Conditions of service, enlistment, pay, promotion and pensions are clearly stated, together with a rough outline oi the various proposed schemes of putting returned men on fruit and other farms. There is also at the end of the booklet a registration card for the man' who has read the conditions and is satisfied that the authorities have considered everything, especially the care of himself should he be disabled; The 1 publication is really a long-felt need ! that can be distributed in districts where there are no pefence or recruiting officers at hand with the (lesired information. *

I The amount of support that tradespeople and others of Stratford, and district are 'according the committee, of , the Associated Auctioneers in their grand social and dance in the Town Hal! on Wednesday next is reported to be quite exceptional. Practically everything required from the overture • to the supper table has been promised . for the taking away: Eatables of all j varieties to tickle the palate of the most fastidious, bunting and color for the eye, a drawing-room for a rest, music with its charms, ami that wealth of youth and beauty which only Stratford can boast. With such a great j combination, the evening is bound to 1 prove a memorable one of its kind. It is to be a redl “nobby,” in fact, dance programmes, vocal items, cards, and tickets for a supper which the mem-' hers of an enthusiastic ladies’ committ tee term an occasion for an epicure.' At a meeting of the general committee in the Loan Company’s offices ' last : evening, Mr N. B. Fletcher presiding, the various sub-committees reported on the progress made to date. Mrs W. A. Hewitt, representing the ladies' committee, was present and lent valuable assistance in regard to the. details of the arrangements. The ladies will meet again on Saturday, and all subj committees will report to a final gen- ' eral meeting in the Loan Company’s offices on Monday night. “You don’t know what you are missing, nor do the young men who don’t enlist,” writes a member of the May Morn Camp to a friend in Stratford, under date Monday last. “I am having the time of my life. . . It’s a good job we are in tents with floors in; if not, we would have to swim. Talk about Taranaki! It can rain here, too. To-night the tents are just like buoys' out on the ocean, and if it keeps on don’t be surprised if we land back in Stratford! We have not had a fine day since we came here, but still we are not downhearted.” Xext morning the writer continued: “The weather is still raging, and the wind is just terrific; there wasn’t a marquee left standing in the whole camp. I never experienced a rougher night in my life; every minute we wore expecting our tent and belongings to he blown into the next paddock. We thought it advisable to take down our rifles in case that they should fall down and hurt somebody. This is the second time the Y.M.C.A. has been blown down. It is 'a great sight seeing the mess orderlies going for the tea and stew. Talk about skating! You don’t want skates here; you can go for chains, not on your feet only! To show you how bad it was. 1 toll you that some of us did not have pants on at all. just sloshing through it. We are all taking the opportunity of going barefeet, for we find it much easier to wash our .feet than to clean our boots. Still, I would not miss it lor anything!” A Monster Gift Stock Sale for Wounded Soldiers’ Fund is being organised by the Auctioneers of Stratford and the Patriotic Committee. Promises of gifts will be welcomed, and every member of the Patriotic General Committee is asked to work hard and make the sale an unqualified 1 success, * 1