LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 18, 24 December 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The “Stratford Evening Post” will not he published on Saturday next (Christmas. Day) or Monday (Boxing Day), December 25 and 27 respectheIv.* ’ '

The secretary of the Stratford District Hospital Board desires to acknowledge with thanks a donation oi £2 2s from “Anonymous.”

Lieutenant Gray has received official 'instructions from the Office that a telephone will shortly be installed in the Defence Hegistration Office in Stratford. ■ »-n

The Canterbury Laud has resolved that single men of military age shall not in future be admitted to land ballots or obtain Crown leases by transfer, . . r-

At the recent examination, -the.,, fol,lowihg pupils ofj the Ngaere School gained proficiently-Wilfred Bloomfield’, 7 Cecil“iFoitlere, Clarence . GibbbiJs;; Olidel' (hr; Ivor Saundei;s, Hoy Walker, oV'dfa l ',Gibbons,' May Ihnupall t HHa'’’Sihid. f?(l 'The , following , gained cb9ipfit^ehey : Bii £ Jones, Ivy Kenyon, did! ml) Ul< : , r A-copy .of ;* the “Racing; Guide/’ compiled- by Air E. G, Sutherland, is to hand.., The-maifl feature of ( The publication i isi a ■ ta,ble the winning and placed, forn\ of all honed competing at North, Island holiday hhoetiiigs; other items of ; interest to sporting men are also contained in the, booklet.

A railway engine-driver was fined £5 at Auckland for an utterance which it was held might prejudice recruiting. He informed a, cleaner who bad .enlisted that ‘‘youths going to ‘ the front were mugs’, and. were practically shot, before they ayriyed. there.” The magistrate,sairf ft.Ay.as, a very bad case so he inflicted; a light penalty. • i " 1 -■ ■ ; 7 ' , ‘‘’CTife m’fi-mberk jof the Ladies’ Patririii,c )(l Coiffrfi’ittee : |;ond,ucted‘ the usiia 1 'weekly ■ffihVket to-day. A tea-room 'lvas cilso u ‘ conducted in conjunction ‘with "tin? market- and good business "was reported throughout the daj. The market was in-charge of Alesdames Aliddleton and Mackay and the tea-room, Airs Crawshaw.

The indiscriminate scattering of crackers, especially in the main streets and near bridges, was commented on by the local sergeant ol police this morning. He stated that youths should refrain from throwing crackers about in main streets and frightening horses. Those who fail to take the hint may see the inside of the Magistrate’s Court.

The General Manager of Railways has advised Lieutenant-Colonel Cossgrove, Dominion Chief Scout Commander .that school stop-over tickets,, at excursion rates, will be granted to boy scouts going into camp. Parties must not be less than twenty in number, and the tickets will be available for one week after the close of the camp. Scouts must be in uniform and in charge of a schoolmaster.

Tlie Christchurch News suggests the following as an addendum to , the prayer on Christmas morning for our soldiers and sailors: —-“And enlighten the Hon. the Minister for Defence and his Chief of Staff that they may see the error of their ways, and learn that the lands that lie south of the Straits of Cook are not necessarily evil lauds, whereon the soldiers of Canterbury may not be as safely camped as those that lie around Maymorn, and Tanherenikau, Awapuni. and Kangiotu. and Waikanae, or even as the Holy Holies at Trenthnm.”

The effect of the war upon the cost of living is well illustrated in the tenders just received by the Wanganui Hospital and Charitable Aid Board for its supplies for next year. A comparison with the tenders for the previous year for local supplies shows that there wa s an increase of Id per cent, in the cost of provisions, 11 per cent, increase in meat, nearly 100 per cent, increase in funeral furnishings. S r>or cent, increase in linen and bedding, 3“ per cent, increase in bread. There was a decrease of 5 per cent, in lish, 2 per cent, in nurses’ unifdrms. 10 per cent, in sodawater. vyhile the prices for milk. fuel, and vegetables' showed neither increase or decrease. The tenders for the Taihape Hospital showed an increase of 10 per cent, in provisions, and 10 per increase in meat. Last year there was no eontract for bread.

Lieutenant Davey, of th e Stratford Eire Brigade, desires to publicly ack-’ how ledge the thanks of the Brigade (cr the gift of » hamper from Mr Cvlil'lrcidh, or ike Empire Hotel. The Farmers’ Gift Mart was conducted by Mesdaraes Sangster and Co. for the last time to-day. The mart will be opened until late this evening to selDitlife large stock of goods on hand. Tflie result of the guessing competitions will be made known to night. Special train arrangements in connection „ with the Stratford Races on Saturday and Monday, Ist and ,3rd January, appear in our advertising columns. Special note should be taken of the fact that visitors from niii and Whangaraomona can return home by train on both days. 131.. *

Nicholson’s photographic competition closed with a great many competitors, and the (Mr McAllister) gave his decision as follows: Ist prize, £1 Is, Mr H. J. Mail (Midhirst's; 2nd, 10s 6d, Mrs Xavier .Tones (Xgaere); 3rd, os, Mr Wildon (Midhirst).

It will come as a shock to many loyalists to learn that the custom of the Christmas tree comes to us from the Germans. It was introduced at the beginning of the reign of Queen Victoria. The'tree is a young spruce tree. Santa Claus is identified with St. Nicholas, and also with Knecht Rupert and Robin Goodfellow. He is in some quarters represented as an ugly hunchbacked dwarf, called Krampus, who carries off naughty children. The Xmas card dates from 1846, when J. C. Horsley; R.A., designed a card at the suggestion of 4>ir Henry Cole.

' A Vduth aged 16V years who lives iTr the country in the vicinity of Wanganui evidently possesses the pairioti'c'spirit to a far greater degree than other boys,'and bis patriotism has led him to the rperuiting office where be enlisted, without bis mother’s c'olisent, the latter only discovering the fact when the lad received a notice 1 from the Defence Department. Explaining the circumstances to tile registration office (states the Herald), the la'd in a letter sffid he would be ready next June, whejtt i lie would be seventeen and if hi S( mother, would let him, adding, in a, foot-nptp, “|| lf vou want a fellow to break fog the, droops. I,am your map*” i; ,jo,f, f ~ , i i» * tinder , the'Shops and Offices Act , shopkeepers are -permitted to employ their assistants up ,to 11 p.m. on Christmas ~Eve and New Year’s Eve. Hitherto the ffl?uergl practice has been to regard this, late Work as part, of the ordinary hours of the assistant, for which overtime payment had not to be made. This year the position was submitted to the Labour Department that overtime should he paid. The Department has replied to the 'effect that, ( if the employers observe ‘ the Fnday evenings preceding Chrlstnias and, New Year as long nights, they may eniploy their assistants 1 until'-'ll’ pm. without payment‘of 'overfittae provided that not more than eleven _ jvoyked by any' assistant '

A Christmas iNigfit' progrdWtiife to be screened at His Majesty’s Pictore Theatre in Stratford, permission 1 for .which has been granted the proprietor', Mr F. Foley, by the Borough Council. Special attention has been paid to the choice of films for the evening. and all comics have been cut out in favour of movies of a semi-religious character. The management have been fortunate in securing tor the occasion. a very fine drama set in the old Roman days, entitled “Clios and Phyletes,” with gladiators and chariot races pf those times prominent in Die scenes, There’will also be screened, an Indian film, “Child of the Forest.” which has been highly spoken of by the critics in other centres. The supporting films in this programme will be quite up to the standard assoHis Majesty’s. On Boxing Night. a splendid holiday bill will lie provided, headed by a brilliant star melodrama entitled “Children of the Sea,” the scenario of which may be summed up in the words, “A Love that knows no bounds.” The management intend to distribute Christmas souvenirs in the form of Chaplin fans to their patrons to-night and at the Christmas gathering.

In the Whangamomona Hall on the evening of the 17th inst., the annual school concert was held. There was a large attendance. In the un-

avoidable absence of the chai man of the Sclibol Committee, Mr Redmond

presided. Character songs were given by the infants, junior, senior scholars.! recitations by the infant class. Master Campbell McMeekan, and Miss Mary Atley. Mrs A. Mc- ; Cutchan rendered a song and also j helped with the playing of the accompaniments. Mr Sharpe favored the company with a cornet solo. Masters Wildermoth and Hodder evoked great applause by the rendering of a humorous dialogue named “Feeling-the Bumps.” The pioceeds which afnounted to about £9, are to go towards the annual outing, which is to take place early in February. The schools from here to Toko are combining and a special excursion train has’ been arranged to run to Xew Plymouth’ On the afternoon of the 18th inst.. in Mr H. W. Bovis’ room. Mrs McMeekan, who intends to leave here shortly, was the recipient of a silvermouivrsd brush and a purse containing a- cheque. The presentation was made by Mr Fawkner on behalf of the numerous societies and associations of the town, in which Mrs McMoekn had taken so active a part.—Correspondent.

BBpg ■ ■ ■ The Hurunui has arrived at London, states a cablegram to-day. !i>. The steamer Wernbee, which arnin Wellington on Saturday from well River, near Vancouver, brings | g car go of 3209 tons of reel printing iCaper, of which 2209 tons are for New ! Zealand, and 1000 tons for Australia. ? Una is the biggest shipment of paper that has’ever been carried in one bottom. In each one there is approxima|l tely 14 miles of paper, so that the full v tWpment would cover a distance ot 44,926 miles, or nearly four times the distance- from New Zealand to England The total insurance value, of the shipment is £47,000. The Wem- ' bee was charatered by Carmichael and Co, Ltd., of Sydney, and the paper was manufactured by the Powell River . Company Ltd., whose mill has an output capacity of 250 tons a day. A course of instruction for officers and N-.C.O.’s of the Territorial Forces and Senior Cadets, will be held on the A. and P. grounds, Palmerston North, commencing of January 15, and te minating on January 29. The camp L takes the form of a District Refresher I course. The course is open to officers " and N.C.O.’s pf the. Territorial forces - and Sensior Cadets, with the excep- / tion of the N.C.O.’s of the Senior i Cadets, who must hold the rank of sergeant or above. At the conclusion ■: of the Refresher Camp, a voluntary six days’ camp will be held for the benefit of officers of the Territorial and Senior Cadets who wish to qualify for promotion at the- examination to he • - held in February. The names of the officers and N.C.O.’s who are to fl t* tend the camp, should he sent to the local Defence Office before December 28.

A rather unexpected incident happened at the Morven School concert on Wednesday night week, when a , well-known farmer and local variety entertainer, instead of giving his I usual item, made a very demonstrative and a rather unusual speech, denouncing racing, drink, and all kinds of: amusement (says the Oamaru I Mail). He said: “I am not making a '■ Vecruiting speech, because I- haven t gone myself, and have no intention of /Agoing; it is quite unnecessary for, me to give you any reason. But at a time like this, we should be more serious and not sing foolish, comic ( sort&s.’’ , This much to the discomfiture of the next on the programme, hooked' to sing a comic song. The’ latter, 1 not , feeling justified in. surging after 'these . pointed remarks, left it to the audience to decide whether they would hear him ot not. This' the audience made no mistake about, and he came on amidst vigorous cheering. He explained that, beiffg a married mart with encnmberances, he could not go to the front, nor could lie afford to give a fortune to the Red Cross and other patriotic funds, but by his little bit of fooling he tried to do his best to help a worthy cause. He then sang two comic songs, and was loudU cheered and encored. The audience was unanimous in declaring that the F; incident was most regretful, and that the earlier remarks,, ( Were quite uncalled for. Strang?,, to. say the man who made them has.beenvervprominehf (particularly since ment of the war) in assisting at pat\f riotic functions with pother humorous