The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1915. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 19, 28 December 1915, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1915. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Weather Forecast.—The indications are for; Southerly moderate to strong winds. Weather probably cool and changeable with scattered showers. •The barometer has a rising tendency. —Bates, Wellington. I ... , the Stratford Municipal Brass Band on Sunday afternoon gave a sacred concert at the Hospital grounds. The music was much appreciated bv the patients and staff, and the bandsmen were afterwards entertained at afternoon tea. The Maunganniy with returned sick and wounded soldiers, arrived from file Sonfll Island this morning. The I New Plymouth and Wanganui men were sent home by the 8.10 express, and the Napier and Palmerston North and those for intermediate stations left by the 9.10 a.m. express, their next-of-kin accompanying them. The Auckland contingent return home by the 1.10 p.m. express this afternoon. A public reception was given to the Wellington and Auckland men.—P.A.

The day’s pleasure at the Xgaere Gardens yesterday was somewhat marred by the sinking of the row boat on the lake. Three young men, who were accompanied by two girls, wore rowing around the lake, and were warned by Mr Truelove to keep away from the vicinity of the chute, but they failed to take the necessary precaution. At the psychological moment, wjien a trolley was entering the water, the boat was rowed in front of the chute, and out in two. sinking immediately. The three “heroes,” realising the plight of their companions, lost no time in rescuing—themselves! Luckily for the girls the depth of water was not great, and they were able to rescue themselves without much difficulty. There is no doubt that Trentham camp would be able to make men of these fellows!

Instructions have been issued to al branch offices of the P. and 0« Coin- ' I r t pany to the effect that no women embarking by that line of steamers will be allowed to land in Egypt after December 20, 1915. • |

r JTie number of mail bags and parcelpost hampers received ami dispatched, and the value of stamps sold at the Chief Post Office. Wellington, from December 21 to 21 inclusive, was as under; —Mail bags received 3225, dispatched 4355 ; parcel post hampers received 2157. dispatched. 2785; value of stamps sold £5787 2s lid.

That it is possible to successfully glow bananas in the open air in Auckland lias been demonstrated by Mr Clement Wragge, the well-known meteorologist. In Mr Wragge’s gar-, den at* Birkenhead, lie lias growing! several different varieties of the banana tree. Mr Wragge is able to secure large quantities of fruit each year" from the trees, which appear to be thriving exceptionally well, t

A patriotic sacred concert will be held at the Xgaere Gardens on Sunday afternoon next, when the Wanganui Garrison Band, which holds an Australasian record to he proud :ofe will submit a programme of carefullyselected items, which will undoubtedly prove a musical treat to all visitors. The prices of admission are one shilling for adults and sixpence for children, and all proceeds will go to the Patriotic Funds. Light refreshments will he obtainable at the Gardens.

For the second time the racehorse Mehtas has been won in an art union by a boy. Recently the horse waswon in the Australia Day art union'by Master • Pkklington, son of the chairman of the Inter-state Commission, who handed it over to the Allies’ Day Committee, to be again disposed, ()f <>,v art onion. At the drawing oi this, the holder of the winning ticket. Np. 0319, turned out to be a four-year-old boy, Norman Collins, residing at Mosman. The arrangements for the visit of the Salvation Army Silver Band from Auckland are well nigh complete. Adjutant Cook is busy in arranging for billeting the party of thirty for the night of January -sth. The cables to band only go ‘to show how dire is the need ’of the Serbs at the-present moment, and bnly* ’efti]fhasi6e',;tlie' ffacti that' all that '<Mn be dime. wilhTie- nvore tliaff welcome. Tt is: hWp.Mf that the visit‘ of the Silver Band'avill fefenlt hia good found hum being raised To Help the Serbians. • "I ’ '(■

A- Christchurch Press reporter in : ivisiting the Post Office the other day asked .what effect, if any, the imposition of the halt-penny tax per letter had on the volume of correspondence generally. He was informed tb,e • ordinary correspondence had not been affected, but what had been touched was,i the,''.posting of advertising bills, circulars, etc. The unfastened envelopeiand enclosure that went for, a half-penny now cost a penny, and, the doubling of the cost had meant,,, a great dim: notion in that, class, of biisinefjs,. On -e, cartloads of this f .ipa|:tf‘r hpd been brought to the office, hut it 'was. limy } Restricted iu.TffrjTWW the fa flip; ;-off was most marked. ; • ( 'i ' . "dtH’d " The Stratford" Gun Club held a clay-' bird shoot for members on the property of Messrs Nelson and Green. Regan Street East, on the afternoon of the 25tb. There was a good attendance, and an enjoyable outing resulted. The principal sweepstake was won by Mr G. A. Harris, off 15yds., with a score of 13 out of sixteen birds. There were nine sbootists, and the other places were filled by Mr F. Whittle, . off 18yds., with 13 to bis credit, and Mr W. Clouston (14yds'). who won the shoot-off with. Mr H. Harrison (17yds), 12 birds each, for third. Other matches resulted as follows;—Ten Birds, ten competitors.— Mr F. Whittle (17yds), 10 birds, 1;j Mr J. Jackson (10yds), 9 birds, 2; j Messrs H. Harrison (17yds). J. R.I

IlfUlt'l V x M / ? V, . XI. ‘ 111 \ yds), Baker-Green (10yds), and W Clonston (14yds), tied for third money. Freeze ouf>, 24yds.-—Mr J. R. Wlieeler got four snceessive birds, Mi H. Harrison three. Freeze out, 3t j yds.—Mr F. Whittle won with three, 1 Mr H. Campbell filling second place; , Mr J. M, Shotter made a capable re- , feree. while Mr A. Nelson efficiently , worked the trap. The spirit of Christmas was'rudely violated by at least one despicable ; person on Thursday evening. Whilst i the Mayor (Mr J. P. Luke) and Mrs > Luke were engaged in offering Christi mas cheer to the soldiers-in camp at Trentham and May Morn on behalf i of the citizens of the whole of the Doi minion, some misguided person, evi- ■ dently posted as to the movements of ■ those in the Mayoral household, obtained access to their residence in Hiropi Street (Wellington South) and made away with several articles ol jewellery belonging to the Mayoress. These included a watch and gold chain, two gold rings, a gold bangle, and the Mayoress’s gold tramway pass. Mr Luke clot's not know how the intruder gained entrance to Ins house, but by climbing on to a low roof at the back it was possible to get through an upstairs window, and there were other windows quite possible to an enterprising burglar! The | dominion states that the Mayor and Mayoress regret the occurrence, naturally, more particularly as the items of jewellery stolen were all keepsakes. 'A wide regret will be expressed by the public, who know the vast amount of self-sacrificing work Mrs Luke has done in the cause of the Empire, the boys who are going out to light, and those who have returned. The matter has been placed in the hands of the i police for investigation. , •• u

To-morrow night the Midhirst Patriotic Committee hold a farewell function in honor of Private. 1 } I). Temporo, P. \ldratC. and A. Bradley,, in the TowifHall.

At the Stratford railway station l to-day one hundred and ninety excursion tickets were issued. The tickets issued yesterday for New Plymouth, El|lfa|u|aml Xgaere were 270, 77 and 35’” respectively.

The result of the Auckland Cup was haded with much satisfaction by residents of Stratford, and Air T. Grubb as holder of “Udlhoa” in the Licensed Victuallers’ Patriotic Art Union was the recipient of many congratulations. The oil painting of the winning horse is wffi'lh £IOOO to the lucky drawer, who was the possessor of a single ticket in the art union costing him five shillings. The holders of the second and third horses win £.500 and £‘2s0 f and they are. respectively, “BlackMi,” iiainger and Donald (Auckksnd),, “Snub,” Fj O’Connor (Tanraarunui).

General Putnik, the Servian Coin-mander-in-Chief has throughout the war directed operations from his bedroom in the town. Frequently he has made his plans and issued Ids orders id bed. He is a chronic invalid, and in the bedroom that is the Servian "general, headquarters, he was said to have been surrounded by more medicine bottles and inhalation apparatus than bv maps or documents of war. Yet no commander in Europe has shown greater brilliancy or courage, and Servin’,s victory over the Austrians last winter—-one of the completes! and most wonderful triumphs' in history—was directed from the office bedroom in Kragnyevates..

Sir Thomas Anderson Stuart in ait address at the Speech Day of Barker College, Hornsby (N.S.W.), said a letter had recently come into his possession which was sent by a German naval officer to his wife at Sydney, who wa§ a native of this State. The letter was written after a naval encounter off South America, in which the Good Hope and Monmouth were sunk. It said: “This is the first of our naval victories which will continue until English naval power is destroyed. We shall take possession of Australia. but before this occurs you must leave it fop: FGermany. where, you will safe, To ( remain where you are WjppJd be, teri'ible, for nothing! .will be left undone j|p, bring the. Australian . people .updercontrol, and ensure passive, subniission to German rfflk. ,! He; ,hgd abundant evidence ( ,hps possess-'' ion to show thaf r Germany"’ panted ! Australia, a great elapty continent'.' i ; X: .■ ' V A Sydney lady has been saying some hard things .to her husband, the cause of which is explained as follows:—At Balmain a man and his wife wore awakened by a cat outside the bedroom window. The husband reached for a boot, and the bowling ceased. Two bright spots' glistened in the darkness at the foot of the bed. The wife whispered ’to her husband- to make certain to hit “the wretched thing! “Sure,” he %nd let flyj-tr ; I he yell ilia t followed’ ( wiis'huriian, not-*-feline. ThL glistening spots l disap l - peared as ithe occupant of the bed drew up lifer feet. Whatever mayo have been j the wife’s appreciation of her husband as a marksmang'she had Other things to say regarding: his in-, tolligence, and the mental attitude of the male species generally. The astonished hubby then discovered that the supposed oat’s eyes were his wife’s protruding toes, two of which had .been rubbed by a phosphorescent corn cure! Though little has been said in the newspapers upon the subject of the protection of art treasures, the authorities have for months past been taking ‘extensive precautions to protect works [ of art against Zeppelin attacks (writes I the correspondent of the Melbourne “Argus”). Many treasures have been removed from the British Museum, but large works, like the Elgin marbles and other statuary, which cannot be “hidden away, have been protected by timber balking, sand-bags, and other means. About 250 pictures, the choicest in the National Gallery, have been removed from the walls; the Coronation Chair lias been hidden away from Westminster Abbey; the grand Dutch window in St. Margaret’s, Westminster, has been taken out of the stonework and put in a safe place. This, is one of the finest specimens of the old stained glass in Europe; The window was presented by the merchants of Doi t to Henry VII. for his new chapel at the Abbey. It was never erected, and found its way to the Abbey of Waltham. At the time of the Dissolution Bypassed to the Bollyns at New Ha’ll. During the Civil .War. the window was buried, to escape the Puritans. General Monck secured its preservation, arid it was restored to New Hall. In 1758 the window was purchased and presented to St., Margaret’s Cluirch. Another ecclesiastical Avon sure has been preserved by being buried in sandbags. The tomb of Habere, in St. Bartholomew’s Church, is a beautiful work of Gothic art. It cannot be taken down, and hundreds of sandbags are piled around and over it, to a height of twentv feet. The record of Rahete s work for St. Priory ind Hospital is ou<? of the romances >f English history.