LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 67, 16 October 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the Cardiff farewell function on Friday night, a medal donated by Mr 0. J. Howarth for the Cardiff Rifle Club Championship, arid won by Sergeant Rogers, was presented by Mi Richards to Sergeant Rogers before leaving.

Captain-Chaplain Angus McDonald, of London, to whom a message was sent asking if be could trace and send relief to four Waipu hoys reported prisoners of war, cables to the Waipu Caledonian Society as follows :—"Consul at Jerusalem telegraphs :—"One officer and eigbteen privates, Auckland Mounted Rifles, captured in desert arrived Jerusalem September 12. Going north; all well. Fool confident Waipu boys there unwounded. Tell parents."

A Dunedin 'soldier writes home, stating that he is with the Light Horse Australians. The majority are a good lot of chaps, he says. One of them was up before the colonel some time ago for over-staying his leave while on furlough ill London. The colonel asked him if he had anything to say. "Yes, sir," modestly replied the Light Horse soldier. "1 would have been in plenty of timo only, as T was running to catch the train, the band struck up 'Cod Save the King. 1 I bad to stand to attention, and missed the train sir." The colonel coldly gazed at the culprit, but could not sustain tlfe effort. He dismissed the case with honour to the Australian.

Tlie Stratford School Committee

meet to-morrow evening

The Stratford Building Society ballot takes place to-morrow evening.

Adjutant Cook, of the Sahanon, Army, desires to acknowledge a donation of £2 10s from the Toko Road

Card Club for work among the New 4 Zealand Forces by the S:d» r wtion

Army organisation.

Both the Patriotic Mart and T?a i Rooms record a busy and successful t time, Mrs H. E. Abraham and Mrs *■ ,f. Oliver being the ladies in charge. %, Outside a weight-guessing sheep com- ||

petition proved a financial asset, the gg sheep beiiig kindly donated by Mr J»" Fulcher. fc The Postmaster, the Census-Ennm- JB erator, at Stratford, specially notifies % residents within the counties of |3j Stratford and Whangamomona, that B Census schedules will be called for W as soon as possible, and householders *£_ are earnestly requested to assist the ® authorities by having their schedule § properly completed and ready for the g sub-enumerators when they call. Jg

Five hundred more? women have been accepted by the British War fl| Office as army cooks and will.be sent M to the front to jo'n 3 500 others who S have been satisfying * ite. These women wear khaki, live i in camps anil Ivvracks, mess, draw jt rations, and pre the nearest approach s the array has yet seen to Thomasina % Atkins. |

The ladies of the Stratford Patriotic Committee wish to thank the following donor, to the Red Cross Fund: Mr Alan Mc"iit-heon, 1 sheep; Mr George Smith, ] the p; Mr Fuleher, 1 slieep; Mr N. Barr, 1 drake; Mr J. Moore, 1 calf • Stratford Ladies' Golf Club. 15s. The proceeds from the shop and mart, \ together with donations on Saturday, amounted to £3O. The doll (donated) was won by Mr Watson, and Messrs A. M. Spilman and J. Lucena judged the correct weight of the sheep (81 Jibs). The Bishop of Auckland remarked at tiie Anglican Synod in Auckland that it might he interesting to note what our Expeditionary Force at the front is composed of—Anglicans, 53 per cent (not quite); Presbyterians, VQ per cent (not quite); Roman Catholics, 13 per cent (not quite); Methodists, 5 per cent (not quite); Baptists, 1 per cent; Congregationalists, J per cent; Salvation Army, 1 per cent (less than); Jews, 1-yth per cent; other denominations, 1-J per cent. The Bishop expressed fulness that the Auckland diocese had done substantial work for the spiritual welfare of our brave bovs.

The comfort of patrons at Foley's Pictures on Saturday night was rudely disturbed in a disgraceful way, but it must not be assumed that the person or persons were evily-disposed towards the genial "Fred." It is a disgrace to think that anyone should consider it a joke to distribute cayenne pepper in a public gathering. The effect may be imagined. As soon as the annoyance became known to the management, Mr Foley mounted the stage and addressed the audience. In a determined spirit, he told the, individual or individuals that it must he stopped, and he offered a reward of £lO to anyone who could inform him of the culprit. There is bitter feeling among the public against the offenders, and no doubt, they will be too considerate of their own safety to risk any further occurrence of a similar nature. Already, one individual is under suspicion.

Self-Denial Week of the Salvation ,Army is now at hand. Supporters of Army, as distinct from the active members, are numbered in their thousands, and it is at this annual event that their specially practical sympathy is extended. The Salvation Army iu"its efforts towards the uplifting of down-trodden humanity has no equal. Locally, no branch of the Army work is more interesting than the Eltham Boys' Borne, which is an illustration of what is being done to-day in every land throughout the world. The splendid results of the Army require no reiteration in these columns. Because the huge field of operations covered are widely known, the great majority of the Army's supporters prefer to make their" contribution at this season of Self-Denial throughout the Dominion. Gifts, large or small, in coin or kind, will be gratefully received bv the branch officers, of whom Adjutant Cook has the honor to be in charge of Stratford.

In the "Melbourne Leader "Atticus" tells a flood story which everyone who is in sympathy with perhaps the most powerful of all passions will find a little touching. It comes from the Upper Yarra. A number of people had their attention attracted to

a box going quickly clown stream, and several young fellows followed it. Every now and again a fox terrier would thrust his head out of the box and howl piteously. In response to encouragig calls, the dog at length jumped into the water and swam towards the shore. It could not be persuaded to land, however, but returned to the box, and then began a valiant struggle on the part of the little dog to get the box ashore. The animal could get no grip, and had striven for a long time when its efforts brought the box within reach of a man with a prop at a sharp bend. The box was hauled ashore, and then the mystery was explained. Within it, sleeping soundly on an old boat, were three fat pnps!

In aid of the Red Cross Fund for Wounded Soldiers, a Grand Concert will be held in the- Town Hall on Thursday next.

It has been ~the custom in the past to announce the amount of the monthly milk cheques distributed locally by the various factories, but it is now understood these will not be available.

This is a true bill. Yesterday was his seventy-second birthday, but ho is only as old as he feels. On Tuesday last he dealt out what is described as a "lovely pair of black eyes" to a man who was many years his junior because the latter said the British could never beat the Germans! However, be has got a heart, for a day or two later he was apologetic at having made such- a mess of the physiognomy of his opponent, whose outlook on life he had changed and who will not now intrude his personal views on the war while in the company of true Britishers. This septuagenarian's family is noted for loyalty and patriotism. The eldest son responded and was reported medically unfit on the call for men; two others have been there and back, and are now stricken in health; and on Saturday Mr 72 was in Stratford farewelling the youngest son, who had just attained military age.

The Ackland Schoolroom was filled to overflowing on Saturday evening, when the residents of Te Popo. farewelled Lance-Corporal Laurie Marchant and Private John Bishop, who are at present on their final leave. The evening took the form of a euchre party, the prizes being won by Miss Elendr Knox and Master Wheller, and. the consolation prizes going to Mrs Hamerton and LanceCorporal Marchant. After the euchre party, supper provided by the ladies was handed round, and last, but not least, presentations were made, Mr F. Mackay presenting Lance-Corporal Marchant and his bride With a silver cigarette case and gold chain and pendant. In doing so, he spoke in glowing terms of the many good qualities of the recipients. He also expressed his great pleasure at seeing" Mr and Mrs Marchant, sen., present; they had made great sacrifices for the Empire, ifS L-nwe-Corporal Marchant was their third son to proceed to the war. Mr Mackay then presented Private Bhhop with a wristlet watch. He placed on record the universal regret of l.hv residents at losing him from their midst, and hoped that he would soon return to the same little farm. Both the soldiers suitably responded. Te Popo (concludes the correspondent) wishes to thank all those wlio attended from outside the district.