LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 93, 25 March 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The annual meetings of householders in Iho various school districts under the Taranaki Education Board will be held on Monday, April I7tl>, at 7,30 p.m. at the various places stated in the advertisement appearing in this issue.

The weekly Patriotic Market and Tea Rooms were conducted by the members of the Ladies' Patriotic Committee to-day. Though the heavy rain in the early morning somewhat marred business, financially, the market should be a success.

"Soldiers' Day" in Stratford on Easter Monday promises to be somethins quite out. of the ordinary. The little" people are to play a prominent part in the doings of the day, and Miss Papps and Miss Pearee have kindly consented to organise the children for the Committee. ;

West-land is holding a Monster Art Union which is to be positively drawn at Easter when gold specimens to the value of £IOOO will be awarded to tlm lucky winners of the first, second or third prizes. Tickets are only 2s 6d each and the proceeds are entirely for, the benefit of our soldier heroes. Mr, C. J. Pfaff, of 38 Pirie Street. Well- ( ington, will be glad to forward tickets, to applicants of whom there should be many from these parts.

About eight o'clock on Tuesday night a male child about three weeks old was found in a vacant section near Wood's store, Mount. Eden, Auckland (reports the Star). Mr Howie, who resides near by. was attracted by cries in the direction of the section, and on arriving at the spot found the little one lying in the grass, on top of a bundle of clothing. The child was strong and healthy, and well nourished, and had apparently been in its present position for only a short time. It was comfortably, dressed, and the bundle found alongside contained all the necessary clothing of a young child. The police were informed and the child was temporarily taken charge of by a lady near by, and afterwards by the police matron. No due as to the child's ider-tity has yet been obtained by the police.

As a relic of fclie Dardanelles, Mr J. Stockley, of Kioto, is in possession of a Turkish officer's sword, to connection with which there .is an interesting story. Private Stockley, son of the Kiore resident, enlisted with the .Main Expeditionary Force from Australia, and wa.s present, at the famous .landing on the Peninsula on April 2o last. At the end of throe days he ''stopped one," as the soldiers say. and while lying wounded on the ground he noticed a Turkish officer moving about among the British wounded and despatching them with his revolver. This made Stoekhy literally sii up and he shot the Turk. On request to the authorities, the sword in the possession of the officer at the time was handed to him as a souvenir, and this he forwarded . to his father in Kiore-. who. it is almost needless to state, is now immensely proud of his memento. Private Stocklev Has shot through the thigh and returned invalided to Australia abouti three months ago. i

The Dominion Boy Scouts Organisaii:>n fund has received a donation of £oo from the Union Steam Ship company.

At che Wellington Waterside Workers' Union picnic on Wednesday week, one competitor in the baby show was tlie eighteenth of the family (says the New Zealand Times). The judge, Dr. Platts-Mills, donated a special prize of £1 to the'proud mother.

At one school in the Wanganui district there has been a disinclination on the,part of the elder pupils to take part in games, except dancing, in which both sexes participate (says the Chronicle). Drastic steps are to ,he taken to provide a remedy for the attitude of the pupils referred to.

An Auckland Press Association telegram yesterday states. At the police court. Martin Taylor who was charged with removing a sulky and wheels from the control of the Customs on the wharf without a written permit, was fined £IOO and costs, the fine being reduced tc £2". defendant was ordered to "orfeit the sulky.

Reporters at the Granvhle (New South Wales) Borough Co: cil left a recent meeting, declining to report the proceedings because the usual facilities to in'ain't the correspondence had been withdrawn m-i, they were relegated to a back p.: fcion of the meeting place. The May-.jr and clerk were t- endeavor to get the "strike" called off;

A Pi •"■ A'so' : :t"on telegram states:—A* V ferns' Thomas Adam Fowler, the attendant at the Blue Bath, was found in the bath this morning with his throat cut, his head being nearly severed. His coat f vest ? purse and keys were in his batch in the office ( and a razor was lying in the bath under the body. Deceased wont to the bath at 6.40 a.m. and locked himself in. Fowler, who was 45 years of age, was married, but had no children. He was peculiar in his manner recently, and worried over the purchase of a business he intended buying, but suicide was not expected. A Mocri child, Marjorie Katene, six years of age. fell into a hot spring at Ohinemutu yesterday and was fearfully scalded, being now in a critical condition.

Paper hags are put to many uses. It lias been known for -milk to he supplied in a paper bag. Within the last tew days another use of a paper bag has boon amply demonstrated. The steamer Kauri, from the North Pacific. Coast, brought to Pert Chalmers a large number of motor-cars, about 100 (says an exchange). Some of these, owing to the press of cargo offering, were tarried on deck. They received; as would naturally be (ex-

pected after a winter passage, a severe wetting. However, on opening the cases at Dunedin. it was found that inside the case each car was wrapped in a waterproof paper envelope, all the seams being stitched together with strong twine by machinery, and after the car had been put inside the ends of the paper envelope were sealed up. -As a result, although pools of water were found on top of the paper lining, the cars on being taken out of the cases ? were found to be in perfect order.

In what was perhaps the climax and central portion of a brief but powerful address delivered to a large meeting of women in the King's Theatre, Dunedin, (states the Otago Daily Times), Miss Helen S. Barnes made striking reference to two great social evils. Miss Barnes, who is one of the foremost leaders of Young Women's Christian Association work in America, has been at the head of the association's work in Australasia during the last three years. "Well, I know," she said, "there is sweeping over this country an insidious foe, not shooting men down or dropping bombs on cities, but a subtle foe of licentiousness, if I may use that term. Hundreds of your girls, because "of the glamour and the excitement of these times, are unable to stand before temptation and are going down morally. It is high time you women stood up and raised your voice against this drink traffic—(Applause). It is high time you began to think definitely about the women here in Dunedin and in New Zealand. What value to win tin's war, what reward for the heroes of Gallipoli if they come back to a country whose daughters are not noble? It is for women to take the sting from these temptations, and so far as that can be to make them impossible."

A rather unusual incident occurred p.t St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church at Hamilton on Sunday (states the Auckland Herald). The minister, the Rev. A. Gow, during the sermon, read extracts from a book by Stephen Graham, wherein the author drew a lurid picture of the behaviour of the Main Expeditionary Force at Cairo. At the conclusion of the service, Sergt.-Major Purdom, who left with the main body, and with them in Egypt and Gallipoli, rose in the body of the church, and stated that while the author might have some data for his comments, the strictures applied only, to a small handful, who had a predisposition in the direction indicated, and who. in all probability, would have acted similarly in New Zealand. But it was an exaggeration to infer that the men as a body were affected. Numerous agencies were actively at work, both to assist, the men and to warn them of the pitfalls, and many officers were ever ready and anxious to conserve the welfare of the men. He could personally assure parents and friends of the men at the front that tiie picture drawn by Mr Graham need not give them concern. Marked signs of approval of the sergeant-major's remarks were shown, and the incident closed.

Two further cases of infantile paralysis were reported at New Plymouth yesterday, and the High School has teen closed, the hoys' hoarding house apartments heing quarantined.

The members of the Stratford Hospital Board risited New Plymouth yesterday and inspected the Old People's Home, and the new hospital. They were shown round by Mr F. C. J. Bellringer (chairman of. the Taranaki Hospital Board). A story of the trip by a member of the party will be published in Monday's Post.

The Press Association reports that Mr A. S. Malcolm, M.P; for Clutha, who is secretary for the New Zealand Branch of the Empire Association, has received a cablegram from the British branch of the Empire. Parliamentary Association, stating that freo return passages to England have been arranged-for four delegates from New Zealand branch of the Association, who were invited by a previous cablegram. '"

A new "slogan" to be adopted by the Wellington Patriotic Society was announced by Mr T. M. Wilford (president) at a meeting at Kaiwarra on Wednesday night. He referred to the fact that many soldiers who had already been to the front were returning, and yet there,were some still hesitating befen-e volunteering to go for the first time. Here was the Hue he was going to harp upon in the future: "Every man once before any man twice."' That would be "the "slogan" of the Patriotic Society. (Applause).

The local Senior Cadets had a "night out" last evening, when they were admitted to His Majesty's Theatre at half price. The weekly parade was held at the ordinary time, and at about 8 o'clock, the Cadets, under Lieutenant Gray, accompanied by the School Drum and Fife Band marched to the Theatr*. t On arrival the band adjourned to the balcony and played selections, which' no doubt, assisted to attract so large an attendance to the pictures. Directly after the interval, Lieutenant Gray delivered* a short address on "The Life and Training of a Senior Cadet." The lecture was very interesting, and the able manner in which it was delivered will be long remembered by; ajl who \\ere »* attendance. The Lieutenant also; referred to the need for men a.t the .present time. The speaker said he was looking forward to the time when he would again be on active service and .facing the nickel. At the conclusion of the address Lieutenant Gray thanked Mr P. Foley, the proprietor of His Majesty's Theatre, for admitting the Boy Scouts free of charge, the Cadets at half price and for allowing him to deliver the lecture... ' Mr J. M,i,. Boon in moving a vote. of thanks to Lieutenant Gray for his address, asked the boys to carry the motion hy giving three hearty cheers. The wiflh was complied with in a way. that is only known to Britishers.