LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 67, 24 February 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

No postage stamps issued during Queen Victoria’s reign an* now valid. The annual mooting of the Toko Settlors’ Picnic and Sports Association will he held on March 23. Boring operations at the Huiroa oil wells have been resumed, and the prospects continue to be very promising. The hon. secretary of the St. Mary’s branch of the C.E.M.S., at Hawera, has sent away seventy-two Testaments to young men belonging to the parochial district who have enlisted. Five sheep were discovered in a snowdrift on Knott Bigg, on Buttermere fells, near Keswick, England, where they had been entombed for twenty-two days. Three were still alive, and one wa s able to walk. The McHardy art union run by the Palmerston Patriotic Society resulted in the sale of £9516 10s 6d worth of tickets. It is proposed to contribute £2OOO of the profits to the Wellington Y.M.C.A. fund. At the last meeting of the Board of Agriculture (reports the Press Association), the proposal of the Stratford A. and P, Association that a model dairy farm run on commercial linos should be established in Taranaki. was discussed at length, and it was decided, before making any re-* commendation, to obtain fuller details for consideration at a later meeting, j

A former member of the well-known Kaikorai Band, of Dunedin, for years one of the leading bands in the Dominion, states that before the war two bands of .32 members were always in first-class training, and were both fit to enter the band contest. Now the committee find it difficult to raise one band of sixteen players, so many have' answered the call of the Empire. The Hon. J. Bart made a neat retort to an employers’ assessor at the sitting of the Conciliation Council the other day in the aerated water workers’ dispute. Th e assessor had objected to an advance in drivers’ wages on the ground that there had been a rise in horse feed. “A rise in horse feed!” interjected Mr Barr. “Think of the rise in man feed, in woman feed, and in children feed, and then talk of the rise in horse feed!”

Early on Tuesday evening (reports the Hawera Star), a lire was discovered in one of the servant’s bed rooms in the Railway Hotel, the window curtains having caught alight. The Eire Brigade were called out, but their services were not required, the flames having been extinguished with a few buckets of water from the adjoining bathroom shortly after the alarm was given. Some of the wallpaper and scrimming was burnt, and the damage is estimated at about .30s.

A well-attended meeting of the Loyal Toko Lodge, .MX.. 1.0.0. E., was held last night to receive the annual visit of the District Officers. A

very interesting discourse on matters particularly in regard to the position of soldiers at the front and the liability of the State and the Order, met with the approval of members. At the conclusion of the business, the Grandmaster notified that he had been requested to present engraved gold medals to Bros. Steer and inglis, but, unfortunately, they had not been able to get the necessary leave to attend. He then presented the late secretary, Bro. Finciiam, with a handsome pair of oinocuiars, and wished him t«od speed, the District Secretary, Bro. | C. E. Bellringer, in a fine speech, referred to the great response of the Toko Lodge to the call, over 25 per; cent, of their members having taken! up arms for the defence of Truth and" Justice. Bro. C, I). Sole said Bro. Fiucham had been a private in the Territorials and by sheer hard work and assiduous attention to his duties had passed his examination for a non-

com’s commission, and wag now a fully qualified sergeant, and had been notified to go to camp next week. The speaker gave some good sound advice to Bro. Fincham as to his conduct while away, urging him particularly to be honorable towards women, and to leave liquor alone. In conclusion, -Mr Sole congratulated Toko as being one of the most loyal and patriotic parts of the Empire, but any good cause would always find Toko to the; fore doing her share. At the conclusion of the meeting, N.G. and V.G. degrees were conferred on several members by the district visiting officers, after which an adjournment was made I to Mr Corbett’s boarding-house, where an excellent supper was provided by the Lodge members for the entertain- | ment of (he visitors.