GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 67, 24 February 1916, Page 2

GENERAL.

Should Young (Jills Marry Soldiers , J —That is rather a nude way of summarising a proposition iu tlio i'ebruaiy issue of “Everylady’s Journal,” just to hand. But war-marriages form a very burning etopic just no\v } and out of a discussion upon war and marriage rose this query, which was put by a representative of “Everylady’s Journal” to a number of noted people. Mi u; H. Knibbs, the Commonwoaltii Statistician, said in reply that ltd marry la to was perhaps economical}lv sound, but it was selfish and un•patriotic. Mrs Alfred Deakm, wife ol jtlie ex-Prime Minister, and Biss Ethel i Dane, the well-known actress, were equal!v emphatic in favoring early marriages, and the general opinion of j those who contribute to the symposium seems to he that girls should marrv their soldier lovers, even il they 'take more than the usual risks that accompany this matrimonial adventure.

Although the -New South Wales Railway Department benefits to the extent of £20,000 yearly from leasing the refreshment rooms, it has f°r t^lo last two years been recognised by the Chief Railway Commissioner that the leasing system is not the best, m the public interest. The view held the commissioners is that when they sell a man a ticket to convey him comfortably to any given point a long distance away, they impliedly contract that during the interval he should he properly and decently fed. Undei tlio leasing system they say that the public has not been properly catered for, and they have come to the eonelusion that it would he better if the refreshment rooms were under direct departmental control and the staffs engaged by the commissioners. Accordingly. a scheme providing ror State control will be brought into operation a s soon as the Government approves of the expenditure of about £50,000 needed to bring the service up to the required standard.

Owing to a singular accident connecting the metal work of a motor car with the Eastbourne public electricity supply, two men who tried to render assistance recently were electrocuted. They were Private Marshall, R.A.M.C. and Ehenezer Shadwell, married, of Dudley road, Seaside, Eastbourne. The motor car, which belongs to a local gentleman and contained two nurses, three children, and the chaffeur, was being driven through the broad thoroughfare known as Seaside, when the car got out of control and collided with an electric light switch box at the side of the roadway. The box, which 'as of iron and stood about «‘3ft. bin. in height, was partly smashed, and same high-tension wires which it encased were exposed. On these the axle of the car rested. A crowd collected, and, unaware of the danger, some men presssd forward to render assistance. Two were killed as if by a lightning flash. The chaffeur, Horace iSimms, saved the nurses and children, land also pulled away the men who had been killed. This he was able to do partly by reason of the fact chat he was wearing thick gloves. In dragging away a third man Sfmnis recei/cd a shock which threw him to the ground. A messenger was sent to the electric light works, and the current was turned off. v