LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 72, 24 November 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The office of the Stratford A. and P. Association will remain open np to 9 o’clock this evening. The retail shops in Stratford will he closed at 11 a.m. on Thursday, 2nd December, “People's Day” at Stratford Show. Weather Forecast; —The indications are for northerly winds strong to gale and backing by west to south, weather clouding over, rain later. Barometer falling, but rising after about twenty hours. —Bates, Wellington. The contributions in response to Miss E ssie Jennings’ singing of “Tour King and Country Need Ton” at the Town Hall last night, amounted to £2 10s, which the secretary of the Patriotic Fund desires tp publicly acknowledge. The Bank of New Zealand has re ceived advices from Loudon that the Wool Sales closed firm, and that ten thousand bales of New Zealand voo* was held over. Greasy crossbreds were from ten to fifteen per cent, and slipes from seven-and-a-balf to ten per cent, dearer than at the September closing sale. The first series of the 1916 London wool sales has been fixed for January 18th.

• Contrary to the statements circulaed as to the effect on fclio Wanganui Education District of the alteration of the education districts, tile Chairman points out (states ‘the Press Association), that the Board loses twenty-five schools and over two thousand pupils, in addition to almost the whole area in which agricultural instruction is being successfully carried on. Ihe majority of the members of the Board have expressed their intention of retiring from education administration as a protest against the extraordinary action of the Council, and the probability is that the Board will resign as a whole.

A Monster Gift Stock Sale foi Wounded Soldiers’ Fund is being organised by the Auctioneers of Stratford and the Patriotic Committee. Promises of gifts will he welcomed, and every member of the Patriotic General Committee is asked to work hard and make the sale an unquali Red success. *

An Auckland P.A. telegram to-day stales. Alice Franklin, wife of John * rankly n, of Whakatane, and her two-year-old child were drowned at Y Imkatane Heads. The woman’s body was found af the base of a cliff. It is supposed tlie child got into the water, and that the mother perished in attempting to rescue it.

The annual meeting of the Stratford County Council and the harmony .which had been expressed by all at the election of the new chairman was rudely disturbed by another “Baskin breeze.” The Councillor attacked the truth and accuracy of several reports made by the Engineer, Mr W. J. Lopdell, who asked the Chairman to request Cr Baskin to apologise. Cr Baskin then was asked to explain, and did so at some length. During the expla-mp-tiun, several Councillors and the Engineer left the room to look up the iepoi ts referred to. In then* absence, tlie Council adjourned for luncheon. In the outside office the Engineer approached Councillor Baskin smj told him that Ins statements were lies. “You’re another,” “I’ll se e you outside” said the Engineer. “Ah go Sway” retorted Cr Baskin, who himself went away

Kolmi atahi correspondent reports as follows: —At the invitation of the employees of tlie P.W.D., Mr R. Masters made a visit last week to get a practical insight into the state of affairs regarding the education of the children, A thorough visit was made of the district-, Mr Masters negotiating the tunnel, under construction, and incidentally paying the penalty by getting smothered in papa and mud. The employees are petitioning the Education Board for some facilities so that t*heir children may get a school near the work. Tinder the present conditions it is impossible for some of the children to go to schoo] at all, the state of the roads being (to say the oi it) rough. Mr Masters seemed sympathetic, and promised to do his best for the men, who had a previous petition “turned down.” A vote of ihariKs was accorded' Mr Masters, who came specially, at coniderahle inconvenience to himself.

To-day the Town Hall is being rapidly transformed into a picturesque fairy dell, whiph is to he the scene of dancing and jolity this evening on the occasion of the grand social and dance under thq auspices of the Associated Auctioneers of the district. A large gathering is expected of town and .Country residents in view-of the spec-* ial cause for which the function was . inaugurated, namely,, the Sick and 'Wounded Soldiers’ Fund. No effort has been Spared by a big crowd of willing workers .who are attending to every detail whjich, it; would appear, wduldi make for the enjoyment of the evening. A splendid programme of music Hvill be supplied by a select;orchestra, and the floor has been specially prepared, while the arrangements for supper have taxed the combined ingenuity of the'ladies’ committee to surpass any- - thing of its- kind in Stratford up to date. The vocal and instrumental items to be sandwiched between the dances will he given by popular artists,

The annual meeting of the Stratford County Council was held to-day, there being a full attendance of the Councillors. Theannual balance-sheet evoked considerable friendly banter among the representatives.of the various Ridings. The year’s review .showed that a good deal of work had been gone through, and considering the bad weather, tb e Engineer and staff had done well. The chairman (Mr Wm, Hathaway) and several -Councillors wore of opinion that the increased traffic, -while it increased the*texpenditure, showed the prosperity of the County. Routine matters were gone through. The Engineer reported that the bad weather during the month had interfered with the work, and mainly surface work was done. During the year over 15,000 cubic yards of metal had been crushed, and the Council may have in future difficulty in finding ample quantities. When the Council resumed, the election of chairman for the year took place. Cr Hathaway was unanimously reelected, many fine compliments being paid to his work and attention to his duties.

Sir James G. Wilson, in a letter to the Wellington Dominion on various aspects of the war, says; “For months past most people in New Zealand have felt strong resentment against the cabled criticisms of Colonel Repington on the war, the ways of the War Office,, and all and sundry in connection with the war. His views wouldn’t be worth tuppence if they were not expressed in a powerful paper, and would certainly not he sent on to us by the Press Association. Now comes the terrible indictment from a Russian paper laying tbe heavy responsibility on the Northcliffe Press for the failure of tlie Entente’s diplomacy in the Balkans. . . . The Press Agency can cable to their agents to stop sending the opinions of these professional whimperers. We want them as little as the opinion of Ash mead Bartlett on the wisdom of the Dardanelles campaign. Though quite ready to read his description of the fighting, his opinion on u complex political and complex military question is not wanted. I would gladly pay for a cable to •sepd Home by way of protest, but coming from one individual would have

no effect. A petition would he largely and quickly signed to ask the Government to make a protest on our behalf. Perhaps the authorities in all the colonies would join in making a joint protest. We cannot stop the pernicious talk in the British Houses, hut we certainly can enter a protest, for our men are in the thick of the ■ fight ami must he discouraged at what * is going on at Home.” t