LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 45, 28 January 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Stratford Ladies' Croquet Club, in conjunction with tiie Park Tennis Club, intend holding a fete at an early date to raise fund for Serbian Relief. A public meeting to consider the steps to be taken by Stratford in the proposed "Battle of the Bullion" Carnival will be held in the Town Hall this evening, at 8 o'clock. A Press Association telegram from Auckland states: Percivai Henry Williams died in the hospital as the result of injuries received while working in the hold the steamer Tarawera. A heavy cask rolled against a large case and Williams' leg being between them was severely crushed. The Auckland City Council has resolved to send a circular to al] the single men in its employment who have not enlisted or who have not been rejected, calling upon them to serious- j ly consider their duty to the Empire, by offering themselves for active service. -P. A. I l During the three days' racing at Trentham five recruits registered their names at the tents provided by the military authorities for that purpose. The facilities afforded prospective soldiers for signing on were excellent, j There were two tents, one in the peo-t pie's enclosure and the other in the' grandstand enclosure, and a staff of sergeants-major was in attendance. A splendid response to the call for infantry recruits for the 13th Reinforcements is reported for yesterday's record, when there were eight enlistments. It is understood that heavy artillery and the Army Service Corps show a surplus above the requirements for several Reinforcements to come,' and recruiting for these branches will be suspended until further "notice.! However, men are still urgently required principally for infantry. ,

Early on Holiday evening the tar boilers in the Hawera County Conn- 1 cil's depot on Tunituru road caught, fire, and about 1500 gallons of mater-, ial was destroyed, and the mixing machinery was slightly damaged. The fire sent up dense clouds of black smoke which obscured the sky for a couple of hours, and townspeople who saw this were (says the Star) under the impression that a heavy thunderstorm was brewing. Some members of the Hawera Fire Brigade took a chemical extinguisher out to the scene of the fire. The amount of the damage is not yet known. The .Minister for Defence paid a visit to Somes Island on Monday, and told the "New Zealand Times" reporter yesterday that ',<; had found the conditions there satisfactory. The German and Austrian prisoners who were interned on the island were well housed and well fed. The life on the island was monotonous, but the prisoner did not appear to have any cause | for complaint. They would welcome ! gifts of books for their library. There were no cases of sickness on the is-i-;nd. The Minister mentioned that ;n [.roved aece.:imoda;,ir>i was to l»e piovided for the soldiers on the island. Red lights to most people denote danger. Last evening, about 10.30, a man walking down Kenton Street, [where workmen are putting down sewer drains, was attracted by a call for help, the first of which was "Hey!" and as no notice* was taken the call was repeated - The man from the city answered the call by "Where?" but the only reply was "Here! Here!" This went on for a minute or two, and the person in trouble answered: "I'm down the drain, and can't get out! Help me to gain the bank!" After the man had been hauled out lie stated he had fallen down the drain half an hour previously ami as it was over eight I'eet in depth be could not get out. It appeared to be quite a relief to the rescued man to be able to continue his homeward way, while the rescue)' is still musing quaintly upon [the possibilities attached to lal'in? injto such a predicament when so many i danger signals were spreading themselves acres, the road. Because the I hour was just after ten, when, by the way, all good convivial souls break for 1 home there is no occasion to treat the incident flippantly! 1

At a country race meeting in the north the last rider to arrive home in the hack race was Te Pene. says an exchange. In response to a tremendous ovation he pulled up and took the crowd into his confidence: "I can't help it te laugh," he said, "I saddle up te wrong horse."

''This is one of the worst forms of icruelty I know of." stated the Inspector (Captain J. Henry) when referring at a Wellington meeting of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to the practice of cutting the manes and tails of horses sent by tlie Defence Department to Egypt and elsewhere. He pointed out that a long tail Avas requisite as a protection against flies. The Inspector was deputed to visit the camp in order to ascertain the true position.

The "Wellington Post says that a lady recently received a unique present from the front in the shape . I a. very pretty clock, made from the band s of copper taken from a Turkish shell. The whole clock is copper, the hands being just in the rough grooved state that they were taken from the shell. The base is a solid piece of copper, on which are two inscriptions, "Anzac, Gallipoli, 1915." and "Made from copper band of Turkish shell." Tbis will be an interesting memorial of the great Avar in years to come.

At times some people have great luck. An instance of this is mentioned by a correspondent out at Upper Mangaehu, which is eastward of Stratford some twenty odd miles. A certain road navvy is in the habit of riding to and from work, and one morning last week he had mounted his horse and was in the act of picking up his tools, when the horse plunged and lie overbalanced and fell to tilt, ground. But one foot hung in the stirrup, and lie was dragged for some distance. Then his luck turned up trumps, and lie was freed from his dangerous predicament—his foot had come out of his unlaced boot! It was a true case of carelessness saving a man's life!

Last season a considerable quantity of New Zealand butter was imported into Tasmania, says the Hobart Mercury, and in view of this, and the prohibition by the Commonwealth Government of the export of Australian butter to England, it is interesting to note the contents of a letter received by a well-known firm of Hobart merchants from dairy produce merchants in Wellington, with whom they do it is stated that the New Zealand output this season is fully 30 per cent. greater than last year. The export

prohibition now in force in Australia is described as "certainly very novel," and the writer adds:—"The Labor Government in Australia certainly attempts to look after the working classes, but it is making a fatal mistake if it leaves the merchants out of its calculations altogether. We are glad we have no Labor Government here in the present crisis."

Two recent cases in Sydney indicate (writes the Sydney correspondent of The Post) that while other people find it very difficult to get hold of sovereigns and (half-sovereigns bookmakers are able to make considerable collections of gold coin, but, shrewd as they are, do not manage to keep it. A few clays ago a bookmaker reported that he had nearly £6OO in gold, and, fearing housebreakers, carried the money about in his motor car when absent from home. But on a run through North Sydney in Ids car the light board which formed the floor of the rear compartment of the car, where his bag of gold reposed, broke through, and the bag fell out. The money has not yet been recovered. Another bookmaker living in the suburb of Mosman had in the house over £250 in gold coin besides about the same value of bank notes. Three masked and armed burglars got into the house at night, held up all the five inmates at the points of automatic pistols, ransacked the place, seized all the money, and got clear away.

A public meeting was held at Hawera last evening to consider whether it was advisable to join in the "Battle of the Bullion" Carnival. The Mayor (Mr E. Dixon) stated that a list for donations for sick and wounded soldiers had been recently opened at Hawera, but the response had been very disappointing. The organisers of the carnival attend ed and explained in detail the methods by which the "Battle of the Bullion" would be managed. Mr G. V. Pearca, M.Pr, said from his experience, deri:ed at the Wanganui Carnival, he knew a great amount of the money was obtained by straight out appeal. There was no doubt that it would be a great advantage if all the districts in Tarariaki went into the scheme, for then there ought to be no difficulty in getting £70,000 to £BO,OOO. It was decided, on Mr J. B. Murdoch's motion, "That the district disapproves of the "Battle of the Bullion," and approves of drawing up a system by which to get straight-out voluntary contributions." Mr d. R. Corrigan, who seconded the resolution, said the carnival scheme would draw on the townspeople and not touch the men on the land, who were making money (.lit of the war. Mr Corrigan also stated that there were plenty of persons who would give £SOO, and he said he would have much pleasure in giving £SOO at the meeting. Mr Corrigan handed in a cheque for the amount, and the chairman announced that Mr G. \. Pearce bad promised £250. Xo matter what form of uric acid poisoning you have—Gout, Lumbago, Rheumatism, Sciatica—no permanent relief is possible until vou have cleansed the blood, banished the caused—excess uric acid. Try RHEUMO tj,day. It has cured thousands, it will I cure vou. Prices 2s 6d and 4 S 6d per bottle. 122

The schools re-open after the slimmer vacation on Monday morning.

The services at the Methodist Church on Sunday will be conducted by the Rev. A. 0. Harris in the morning, and the Rev. A. Reader in the evening. The subject for the evening service will be: "tfhe White Comrade."

A painful accident happened to Mr "W. Rowson, one of Mr N. J. King's employees, yesterday morning. He was putting in a window sash, when itslipped, and his arm went through the glass. His right arm, near the wrist, was badly cut, necessitating several stitches being put in.

A particularly fine line of 1000 fat lambs was railed from Stratford to-day to the Waitara Freezing Works, by Messrs Pitt Bros. These lambs were fattened on their Stanley Road property and are an excellent advertisement for that locality—as a fat lambraising district.

The Ladies' Patriotic Market will be open as usual to-morrow in the rooms, Broadway. Donations in the shape of either produce, money, cakes and edibles, books, fancy work, etc., to help our wounded soldiers, will, bo gratefully received and acknowledged. To-morrow is Market Day, and it should be specially noted that facilities are afforded for tradesmen and business people to enjoy their lunch in town, thus saving both time and the uncomfortable walk home. A tasty lunch will be served, and morning and afternoon tea will also be obtainable.

The Ackland schoolroom was filled last evening to overflowing when the residents of the district assembled to bid farewell to Messrs Red. and Edward Hamblyn, who are leaving New Zealand for the front with the 10th Reinforcements. The evening took the form of a euchre party, and the prizes were won by Miss Ada Lumsden arid Mr J. Christensen. After the cardplaying, Mr M. Knox spoke in admir-ably-chosen words of the value of the two young men who were so soon to be departing, and then presented Mr R. Hamblyn with a wristlet watch and

Mr E. Hamblyn with a gold ring as v a token of esteem from their friends and admirers. Mrs Mackay and Mrs Savage also spoke of the good qualities of the young gentlemen, and Mrs Sayage presented them with a soldier's writing case as a memento of fie kindness always shown to her. Following the presentation, a hearty supper was partaken of, thanks to the efforts of the ladies in providing a choice variety of toothsome edibles. The two sqldiers, accompanied by thenfathers, then left per motor car for their respective homes, amid hearty cheers and good wishes.