LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 57, 4 October 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Members of No. 94 and 95 Companies of Senior Cadets are requested to assemble in mufti at. the Drill Hall j this evening at five minutes to seven o’clock, to bid farewell to Lieutenant| Gray. Weather Forecast.—The indications j arc for south-easterly moderate to, strong prevailing, weather cloudy to; overcast at times. The barometer j has a falling tendency.—Bates, Wellington. J Tn Tasmania daylight saving came into operation at 2 a.m. on Sunday, l when the clocks were advanced an hour. In England summer ended-at midnight on Saturday, when the clocks were put back. 'f The public are invited to welf patronise the Patriotic Ladies’ stalls on Saturday next, “Belgian Day. ’ Stalls laden with produce, flowers and lollies will occupy a central position opposite the railway station entrance and the municipal buildings, Broadway.

Something out of the ordinary will bo held this evening, when Rev. RB. Gosnell delivers a lecture in the Methodist Schoolroom on “The Romance of the Fijian Isles.” A collection in aid of foreign missions will he taken up at the close.

Amusing experiences are continually coining to light from the front. A Masterton boy writes stating how pleased he'was to receive a gift parcel from New Zealand, “but” he said, “I was rather amused at the note in my parcel from a school-girl. Site started, ‘Dear, Brave Hero,’ and ended, ‘Kill all the Turks you can.’ Evidently it was not meant for me, because I’m in the ambulance. Anyhow I got it.”

The Stratford Bowling Green will be officially opened for the season tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon, play comraefleihg at two* o’clock sharp, when all intending players are requested to be present and so avoid inconvenience later. The usual plate of refreshments from the members is expected by the committee, who have all arrangements well in hand. The green has improved rapidly under the influence of sunshine and tlu 4 drying winds of the past f ew days, and the keenest exponent may expect not to be disappointed in the “draw,” and may bo sure of being “up.” The Hawera Club - opened: their green to-day, five Stratford player.s attending. An invitation has been received from Manaia Club to the opening next Wednesday. • •

A KairangJi dairyman had a , mixed experience the other evening. His herd of 80 cows had been yarded for the evening milking when it was discovered that something had gone amiss with the engine that operated th e milking machine, and 'every effort to get it going failed. With spirits ‘at zero, he set to work with the members of his family to milk the cows by hand—a big undertaking. Nows of his dilemma reached his neighbours, and in a short time he was agreeably surprised to find,, a party of kindly-disposed, willmg helpcss at hand, who assisted him out of his difficulty in the good old-fashioned way.

The darkening of the London streets has brought grist to the mill of the enterprising suburban youth. Investing sixpence in the purchase of an electric torch, ho has blossomed out as a “link boy.” Soon after nightfall be takes up bis position at the suburb station and carefully scans the faces of arriving passengers. Espying a stranger, he advances, and flashing his little electric torch, offers to conduct the fresh arrival to the desired quarter of the district. Ihe police authorities ar e raising no objection to the use of hand torches providing they are used with discretion, but the use of a large lamp which throws beams in all directions is strictly prohibited.

The disappearance of a Bull! gh’l under mysterious circumstances is repoited by the Sydney Daily Telegraph. The girl, loi years of age, whose parents live at Bulli, accepted a situation in Bunvood some six months ago, and usually came homo to Bulli about once a month, stating that she liked her place well, and was getting on all right. A month ago, residents in the house where she was engaged, state they heard someone come to her room at night, and in the morning the girl had disappeared, and no trace of her has so far been found. On examination of her room the morning after her disappearance, it was found that her hair had been cut oil, and left behind, several of her teeth had also been drawn and left, and her clothes were also left in the room. Some letters were found in her room which indicated she had been in communication with seafaring officials.

1 The Anzac Minstrels at the request of Ngaere residents will give a performance in the Ngaere Hall on Thursday next, in aid of the Wounded Soldiers’ Fund. The object is such I p worthy one and the performance 1 given by the Minstrels is full of 1 merit, that a crowded house should be the result. x

At the choir concert in St. Andrew’s Hall to-night at .8 o’clock, an excellent programme will le presented. Visitors to the Stratford Mountain House report that the roads are hi excellent condition, and all speak highly of the efforts made by the caretakers, Mr and Mrs Elliot, to do their best to make everyone comfortable.

Saturday next is appointed by the Stratford Ladies’ Patriotic Committee as a special Belgian Day, when all donations and proceeds from the Tea Rooms will he donated to the Belgian Fund. As no special appeal towards this object has been made for twelve months, it is anticipated that throughout the district there will be a hearty response. Contributions, however small, will be thankfully received.

A spirit of ardent, even if misguided, patriotism is abroad among the bigger boys of Stratford. On Monday morning two of these, dispensing with parents’ consent or approval, left for the military camp at Palmerston North, and a Hegram, received last evening by a Deal confidant, announced that both had been accepted I’m service. Both boys are under 17 years of ago. .An angry father left by train this mo ning for the Camp, and the bovs’ mbitcy enthusiasm will probably get a chid. The spirit of the boys may lie approved, however greatly their action may be deprecated, and a little more of it in certain quarters in Stretford would bo hailed with much satisfaction.

The Mayoress, on behalf of the Ladies’ Patriotic Committee, wishes to thank all those who have contributed to the Soldiers’ Christmas Parcel Fund, and to acknowledge the donations as follows: Previously acknowledged £2B 18s 7d; Air RDingle £2 2s, Mr C. Watchorn £l, Mr G. Curtis £1;, Ngaere Ladies (Anzac minstrel concert) £2 17s; Stanley Road (per Miss Lilley) £10; Stratford Ladies’ Patriotic Committee £SO Is 3d, total £95 18s lOd. The fund is now closed. Arrangements have been made to deliver a parcel valued at 5s to each soldier at the front. The contents have been carefully prepared, and neatly canned and sealed, and a card is enclosed stating that the donations are from Stratford.

A correspondent writes as follows to a South African newspaper, the East London Dispatch: -“It may bo of interest to clergymen to know that ; 1 a South African lady with whom Lqrtl ( , Kitchener was on very friendly terms’' during the Anglo-Boer war (she 0 then a girl), managed to persqade ( v him to fill up a page in her ‘Book of. Confessions.’ One of the questions was, ‘What are your favorite hymns?’. Opposite this he wrote as follows (and I give his answer exactly as he wrote it): ‘27, Abide with me; 373, God moves in a mysterious way; 428, The Saints of God, their conflicts past; -137,, For all the saints who .from their, A labors rest.’ The numbers, of course, refer to ‘Hymns, Ancient and Modern,’ and it is perhaps typical of his unfailing grasp of detail that he should remember them.”

An unusual class of dispute, involving a conflict between theatre manners and official privileges, came befoyq Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M., at Auckland , r on Friday (states the Star) when Geq,‘, Stephenson, manager of the Opera House, was charged that on Saturday . week he assaulted John C. Letiez r ~assistant municipal traffic inspector, 'by forcibly ejecting him from the dress circle of the Opera House when he was there in the execution of his duty. In giving his decision, his Worship stated that the inspector might have removed his hat when courteously requested to do so, and it was only a proper form of courtesy that the inspector, if not in uniform, should remove his hat when standing inside the door of the auditorium. It was quite a reasonable request to make, and there was always the point of view that the audience might consider the civilian who stood inside with his hat on as unmannerly. He did not mean to say, by that, that the epithet applied to this inspector, who appeared honestly to think that his hat was rather a badge of office. There was no violence used by defendant, the assualt being technical, yet he was wrong in laying hands on an official who was in the course of carrying out his duties. There was blame on both sides. Defendant would be convicted, and ordered to pay costs, £2 3s His Worship added that the wearing of a. uniform by the inspectors while on duty would probably obviate such trouble as this.