LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 92, 24 March 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The schools in the Taranalri Education District will be closet) on April 25, "Anzac Day." ,

An Ordination and Induction of Elders will Ik: hold in St. Andrew's Church on Sunday morning.

A general meeting of riiemuers of the Employers' Association is to be held on Monday next, March 27th, in Mr 'Elder's rooms at'B-p.ni.

The usual weekly patriotic market and tea rooms will be conducted by the members of the Ladies' Patriotic Committee to-morrow. Donations of produce, cakes, etc., are solicited by the promoters.

At the Stratford Magistrate's Court last evening, the "saw doctor," John Thomas Potter, appeared before Messrs J. Masters and J. McCluggage J.'sP., and on the certificates of Drs. Steven and Paget was committed to the Porirua Mental Hospital.

A man charged at Thames Police Court with drunkenness said he "made merry" because his wife presented him with twins, and becauso his son was coming home from the front. Magistrate: "That sort of double event won't happen again. Go away."

The programme at His Majesty's Theatre this evening will bo specially interesting by reason of an address by Lieutenant Gray on "The Life and Training of a Senior Cadet," and also of the presence of a company of local lads who will march to the theatre headed by the School drum and fife band after parade.

At the Fire Brigade's ground yesterday, the Eltham Brigade ran the local Brigade for the Challenge Shield. The visiting team had a day out, winning two events out of three, and securing the shield. For the two-men event, Eltham's time was 38 4-5, Stratford's 40 1-5. The five-men event resulted, Eltham 31, Stratford 34 4-5. In the three-men event, both teams blew out, and it was run again, Stratford winning in 2i) sees., and Eltham blew out. This concluded the competition, and both teams adjourned for afternoon tea, which was admirably put on by the ladies.

On Wednesday evening a farewell social was given at Tuna to Mr A. Wright (.sou of Mr A. Wright, a wellknown .settler of Tuna), and Mr V. Jones (a Whangamoinona* lad who has l>een a resident of Tuna for about two years'). Mr W. Hatha way made a presentation to each of a gold medal engraved with their respective initials and 'HOth Reinforcements. Presented by the inhabitants of Tuna." They also received a fountain pen each, and New Testament on behalf of the Tuna Sunday School. Both the young men who arc a credit to Taranaki (states the writer) have not seen their twentieth birthday, yet they are full of light. There was a record attendance for Tuna. Two Scotchmen tolled np with their "pipes," and their sections were greatly appreciated. There was also a great amount of mu.sioa! talent of n very hie;li order. The ladies of Tuna provided a goo:! supylv of provisions. Mr H.'Kir'iby addressed the men. wishing them farewcli and a ssfe return. He sounded a note of warning to others who were present that they also would have to go. sir Wright, in reply, said he was going to do his hit when he got to the front. The writer add;;: "He looked it, too!"

k remarkable record in family pat-

riotism ha s been disclosed at the Palmerston North Recruiting Office, when a, young man named William Laison, 22 years of age, offered himself for active service. It transpired that he

was the last of seven sons, six of whom had gone to the front. Five Of these had returned wounded, and there was one still at the front. Mr Laison, who comes from Fordell, is a widower with one child.

The United States used to be looked upon as the land whence emanated "tall stories," but evidently England is waking up, judging by a paragraph. that appeared in "The People," Simday, January 16th, which reads as follows:—"Complaining of the refuse at Guston, near Dover, a district councillor says that the rats there grow nearly as large as rabbits. One lady found, to her horror, she had been stroking a large rat, in the twilight, in mistake for a cat."

In the Supreme Court at Nelson on Wednesday, a case was concluded before Mr Justice TVnniston and a special jury, in whkh Joseph Kaye claimed £100;* damages from the Westport Hrrbnr Hoa d for the loss of a foot as the result of an ; ccident in Taurango Bay tunnel at Cape Foulwind. The jurv awarded £750. Argument on a poin raised for the defence, that th; V rW*' Compensation Act limits the compensation payable to £opn, will be heard at Wellington next week. , . Sir Doug 1 s Haig makes a point of looking i.i't the comfort of ins men,; and it is a m 'it of his to wander about the camps at odd times to see that everything is in order. In thi3 connection he relates a good story. As he was strolling past a tent he heard the angry voice of a sergeant threatening what he would do to an unfortunate private who had disobeyed orders. "It's lucky for you my lad." roared the N.C.0.,. "that I'm not sure how to spell 'insubordination,' or else I'd report you!"

Speaking at a farewell interview before returning to the Commonwealth, Mr Webster (Postniaster-General) said of his visit: "Thp on|r feature I saw with regret was what I took to be the horns and hoofs of the American Beef Trust; it is establish* ing itself at Wanganui. Eabulous sums are being expended, and such savours of the Trail of the Trust. I hope I am wrong; if not, then I fear the stock raisers of New Zealand will realise how deceptive are the ways of man, and ever regret placing their trust in Trusts. Maybe you can control it; many have tried, but none succeeded. Wait and watch.

In a letter received by a Wanganui resident ''from Scotland mention is made of the high prices ruling for food supplies and the big wages now being earned. Fowls and clucks are 3s 6d to 5s each, turkeys 15s, eggs 4s to 4s 6d dozen, and fish Is 6d to 2s (formerly Sd). Colliers are making £4 to £7 a week, as against their old wage of £2; and steel workers, who formerly earned £3 to £4 a week, are receiving from £7 to £lO. The letter states that the workers are living in princely fashion, spending all their earnings, while the middle classes are suffering most.

"The Turks are clean fighters," said Chaplain-Captain Blamires at Wanganui on Sunday night, "infinitely cleaner fighters than the Germans. I have never known or heard of an occasion where they have deliberately fired on the Red Cross, and I have heard pf occasions when they gave water to our wounded when we were unable to help them. Hospital ships may have been fired on but it was because they were so close to the fighting ships. There may have been isolated cases of brutality and gery committed in the heat of battle, but.they were not all on the side of the Turks."

While the exhibition of Anzac curios was in progress at the Grand Theatre building in Christchurch recently, a valuable gold ring forming part of the collection was suddenly missed. It had been taken from its

place on the table, and nobody knew what had become of it. When the loss was discovered a large number of people were in the room, and as nobody admitted possession of the missing ring, the police weYo eomnum-cated with and the doors closed, and nobody was allowed to leave. Two detectives arrived, and all present were subjected to a thorough search, which lastted until nearly 11 o'clock. The

missing ring, however, was not rediscovered. There was an interval of about fifteen minutes between the time when the ring was last seen and when its loss was discovered, and the souvenir hunter must have got away during that time.

The question of cigarettes for our soldiers in Egypt and at the front was referred to by Chaplain-Captain Blamires in an address at Trinity Church, Wanganui. He remarked that it was not a fair thins to use the ordinary criterion in the ease of our soldiers at the front. Theirs was often a lonely experience—in the trenches and elsewhere—and they were often in the midst of unhealthy smells and distasteful surroundings, and in other cireumstances where such comforts were greatly appreciated by them. Further, their open-air life and activities prevented any baneful influences from smoking, which was not objected to by the medical authorities. He had never hesitated to secure cigarettes for the men in the trenches or on shipboard, and had himself distributed 12,-500 packages, doing it just as much for the glory of God as other duties he performed..

■Mr Arthur Needham, of Douglas, writes in defence of the good name of his district, and points out that the acts of vandalism referred to in a recent issue of this paper, as having occurred in that district—"have probably been done by some person miles away from Douglas." This is a very reasonable and we hope -it may prove to be correct. Mr Needham concludes by remarking: "I have been a resident here (in Douglas) for eleven years, and our good ' name is involved." Frankly, we fail to quite follow him in this line of argument. The police investigations will, it is to be hoped, clear up the whole matter.

A very interesting relic of Gallipoli is to be seen in the window of Allen's 101 ly 1 shop in Broadway, in the shape of three coins (two flowins and half a' crown) welded together as the result of artillery fire. The coins, which are battered considerably and, bear evidence of having been subjected to fierce heat, were purchased from a returned soldier who placed no value on mementos of a place which held to him such nerve-wracking experiences. Mr Allen hopes shortly to add to the above relic a German helmet from Mons, which he has just been informed is being forwarded to him from France, i

Harvest Thanksgiving Services will be held at the Methodist Church on Sunday. The morning service will be conducted by the Eev. A. 0. Harris, and in the evening by the Rev. A. Header? A special musical programme will be rendered by the Choir, assisted by an orchestra, at the evening service. The Sale of Work and Produce will be held on the following Thursday afternoon and evening. No effort has been spared to ensure a successful sale, and many attractive features will be in evidence. In addition to numerous stalls, there will be sheep-guessing and other competitions and an art gallery. Refreshments will also be available. The sale "will be opened by His Worship the Mayor at 2.30 p.m.

A meeting of Taranaki members of the New Zealand Institute of Architect's was held in. the Patriotic Committee's rooms, Broadway, Stratford, yesterday, when practically every member of the Institute was present, including Messrs F, Messenger F.N.Z.1.A., J., D. Healy A.N.Z.1.A., J. T. Mannix A.N.Z.1.A., V. Griffiths F.N.Z.1.A., J. A. Duffill, A.N.Z.1.A., W. S. Gibson Lie. R.1.8.A., N.Z.1.A., J. Allen A.X.Z.1.A., while an apology was tendered for the absence of Mr J. A. Hogg A.N.Z.I.A. Mr Hoaly was voted to the chair, and welcomed the visitors to Stratford. Mr Griffiths was elected secretary. A considerable amount.of,business of interest to the profession was transacted, and mention was made of the fact that local bodies were in the habit of engaging outside architects, for their work, and the opinion was strongly expressed that the-local men should be given a chance or an individual selected from-members of the Institute.! The conference lasted two and a-balf hours, and at its conclusion, the party visited the municipal buildings, and went on a short tour, of the town. Altogether the gathering was very satisfactory to all concerned. Jt was decided to meet again in H'awera in June next.