GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 53, 8 February 1916, Page 7

GENERAL.

Perhaps the meanest theft on record was perpetrated at Shannon on Thursday (states the Now Zealand Times), i There were two burials that day, and our local correspondent reports that wiien the sexton went to dig the | graves he found Ids spade and shovel had been stolen. A New Zealand Maori War Cross, awarded to Assistant-Surgeon Samuel Walker in 18(5!), was sold at the famous auction rooms of Messrs Sothe--Iby (London) some time ago for £196. In 1911 one fetched £IOO, and in the previous year a New Zealand Cross, said to bo the first to he sold in England, brought £2.%. The following is an extract from a letter received on Friday from Mr A. E. G. Rhodes: “I have been round St. John’s Gate and Red Cross Stores office in London. They are enormous, and they all speak most highly of things sent from New Zealand. They showed me shirts, etc., and say they get no better ones.” Britain is taking no chances with Egypt, says a Canadian exchange. The press is not permitted to specify the extraordinary defences erected in j the Suez Canal zone since the abortive j attempts of the Turks against Egypt j early in the war, but British military experts agree that these defences are now practically impregnable.

“There are some terribly bad concerts being given by incompetents in the sacred cause of charity (writes a London correspondent), and really

when I listen to some of the singers j I have heard within the past six I months and realise that many of them J have been giving “their services” for hospital ward concerts for the sick and j wounded, it astonishes me that any of j the sick and wounded who are sus- j ceptible ever recover from their sickness or wounds. I can quite understand the mental attitude of the Tommy who, bored to extinction by the attendance of an amateur nurse, put upon his pillow a notice to the effect that “I am too ill to be nursed.”

Writing under date Cairo, December loth, 1915, a young New Zealand officer makes reference to the proposed attack on the Suez Canal: —“Cairo is rather dull after Alexandria, but the weather is beautiful and cool as we are in the middle of the Egyptian winter. The place is teeming with troops, and all preparations are being made to meet the Turko-German invasion of the Canal, which is expected to be launched at any day now. I sincerely hope that this time we have made preparations in time. The lino to the Canal is being doubled, and as transport facilities is one of the main things in present-day warfare, it is a very essential work.”

llev. 11. Milner, an Irish Protestant f clergyman speaking in London at a ' recruiting meeting in December, said : “Nobody can say Ireland has not done' her bit, and 1 think that even it 600 j Irishmen were leaving for America only to avoid compulsion—which I | very much doubt—this should be eclipsed by the fact that there are in ■ London about men who eoul; serve and do not.”

The Poverty Bay Herald reports the following fortunate rescue of u drowning child:—As Mr H. Gemmell, a halfcaste property owner at .Mangnpoiki, was driving some sheep towards War roa, his attention was called to the river by some children crying. Proceeding to the spot he saw a child lying in the bottom of the river in some seven feet of water. Taking oil his coat only, lie jumped in and brought out the child in a very exhausted condition. He took the usual Maori steps to resuscitate it, and was successful. The child was aged four or five years, a son of Haora, manager ol Mahurangi station. Had Mr Gemmell not been prompt, the child must have been drowned. ,

During the big strike’ in Auckland

a young man from Te Awamutu enlisteu in the “specials.” Towards the end of the strike lie was taken seriously ill, and was sent to hospital. Before his recovery the strike ended ? and when he left the hospital and returned to cam]) he found that the horse he loft in camp had been stolen. He tried to trace the horse for a long time, hut was unsuccessful, and finally gave up tiie search. He received no compensation whatever. When the war broke out he enlisted, and, after training for some time in New Zealand, went Ito Egypt. Strange as it may seem, it is perfectly true that one day, while strolling along the lmes ) ho discovered the horse he lost in New Zealand He recognised the animal immediately ( and he is positive the horse recognised him. This, writes a correspondent to the Auckland Star, is absolutely true, and can be verified.

The Auckland Star of Wednesday last says:—“included among the passengers who arrived from America by the Maitai on Sunday were four strapping young Finns, who have come to New Zealand to follow farming pursuits at Pigeon Bay, Canterbury.. Only one of the party is able to speak English, and none of them have been away very long from their own country. One of the passengers by the Maitai states that in his opinion the action of the Government in allowing such men into the Dominion at the present time has the elements of a problem. Being Finns, these young men are Russian subjects and ordinarily would be liable for military service, yet they are allowed to come into the Dominion—their passports are in order—and settle down to peaceful agriculture, whilst our own young men are being urged to enlist. All the men are of military age, and fine specimens of manhood.”

A brief visit to Hie N.Z. Sugar of Milk Co’s, factory at Fdendale, found it a veritable hive of industry, says the Wyndham Farmer. At the present time 7000 gallons of whey are being received daily; while at the height of the season the intake was 8500 gallons per diem. From the present supply 21001 b of commercial crude sugar, which is equal to 18001 Its of refined sugar of milk is manufactured per diem. The quality of the output is above criticism, and meets with an unlimited demand. The whey from the Edendale, Seaward Downs, Men;'ies Ferry, and Dry do no caeese factories is laid under tribute; and the, work is undertaken by a stall' of 18 hands, divided into three shifts, the machinery running continuously through the twenty-four hours. The manager, Mr Chism, has had twenty years’ American experience, and by substituting American for British and Continental machinery, he has cutdown time and cost considerably. An instance of the friendly relations existing between the soldiers oi the Dominion and its public men is afiorded by a letter recently received by the Prime Minister from several members of the New Zealand I’iHe Brigade. The letter was written from Sidi Merger camp a few days before the battalion took part in the engagement with the Senussi. The text of the letter is as follows: —“Dear Bill, --Just a few lines to let you know that the N.Z.R.B. are still going strong, and have not come to any harm yet. We will he here apparently for some time yet, and our tent is completely stuck for a Christmas duff. We wore thinking if you could kindly send one, I am sure it would be received with a hearty welcome at Sidi Merger. The hoys here all heartily wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” The letter bears the signatures of half-a-dozen men.

The commercial editor of London Truth writes:—“l hear that both Lord Northcliffo and his brother, Lord Rothermere, have just retired from the Board of the Amalgamated Press, Limited, the company which they founded in 1906 under the title ot Harmsworth Bros, to take over the business previously carried on by the Answers’ Publications, Limited. The capital is now £1,219,500, and ior the past ten years the ordinary shareholders have received a dividend of 40 per cent., while for 1912-13 a bonus of 30 per cent, in addition was distributed. Lord Northcliffe is a much-criticised newspaper proprietor, but nobody who knows him will suppose that he would relinquish his chairmanship of this company if its position were in any way unsatisfactory. Far from that, there is reason to believe that it is doing well in spite of the war, and it is probable that the customary 40 per cent, will be paid for the financial year just? ended. It is expected that Lord Northcliffe (who has not taken an active part in the business for the past two or three years) will be succeeded as chairman of the company by Mr G. Sutton, who has been a director ever since its formation.”