LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 74, 25 October 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Members and others of the A. a rut P. Association are reminded oi the Working 800 on • the tomorrow at 10.80.

Although the actual date has not yet boon fixed, it is definitely arranged that the Hon. J. Allen (Minister of Defence) will visit Stratford shortly, when he will present the D.C.M. to Corporal Barker, of Cardiff. v *

The Press Association states: As a* sequel to the raid on a "two-up" school on Saturday, thirty-seven m»n appeared in the Auckland court yesterday. The principals were fined '£7s each, and all the others, .'l4 in' number £3 and costs.

The number and personnel of the delegates from the A. and P. Association to attend the opening of the Imlay Freezing Works, Wangamii, have not yet been definitely decided upon, and the matter will be dealt with,. by the executive on Thursday evening. . ;

Reports the New Zealand Times: Mr F. Xorris states that the school children in Wellington are "out on their own" to help the soldiers. One hoy - refused to take payment for a newspaper, as he had two brothers at the front, and knew that as the National Service League organiser the buyer was helping the men in khaki, while a schoolmaster, on asking his pupils to supply a bunch of flowers for tlie hospital was overloaded with them.

It is stated by an exchange that some days ago a returned soldier telegraphed to tlie Defence Department, asking that his August pay should be handed over, making the telegram a "collect." In reply, he was informed that the matter was not a sufficiently urgent "one to necessitate a telegram, since a letter would have been equally effective, and stating that the sender owed the department Is 3Jd for the telegram. The money for which application was made was five weeks over-due.

The State Treasury received a big "windfall" yesterday (says the Sydney "Daily Telegraph" of the 19th inst.) in the shape of a cheque for £123,391, being the amount of stamp duty paid by the executors of the late Mrs Walter Hall, in respect oi the New South Wales portion of the deceased lady's estate, which has been assessed by the Stamp Commissioner at £822,516. The Queensland portion of her estate was assessed at £245,996, but the assessment of the Victorian portion has not yet been completed.

Despite Hie .short;.go of labour tli farms around Midhirst and Wan. uk arc looking well. !n many cases,

is noticed, farmers lire paying more attention to the appearance of then homesteads, and it is not an> uncommon sight to see a neatly-clipped hedge ;ind a brilliant show of flowers in the front garden. Again, in place of a tumbled-down </\ix, shed there is often a well-built motor house, sure evidence of much prosperity. Here all'.' there, sometimes along a main road,

is to be seen an empty house on tlit property which is being worked. II only these house's were occupied ami the windows curtained, the place would be more attractive. However, the- great majority of farmers in the district referred to are making the most of their holdings. The stock, generally, is of better type than was the case a few years ago, no doubt, due largely to the educative eil'cctsof Itiie local A. ami P. Show, which has enabled many a farmer to take u lesson from the stock seen in the ling.

To l'opo correspondent writes: It is gratifying to know that Mr Cooke, manager of the new cheese factory, secured first grade for the first consignment of cheese made at the factory. Mr P. Skoglund (Town Clerk) wishes to acknowledge receipt from Mr Trevarno Helston of £2 for Belgian Belief Fund, £2 for British Red Cross Society and £1 for New Zealand Red Cross, also from Pohokura Ladies' Sewing Guild £5, and Pohokura school children 10s for Belgian Relief Fund.

Under short notice, live of the boys left by this morning's mail for Trentham Camp, namely, E. A. Fazackerley, W. S. King, E. J. P. Fitzsimons, (all of Pohokura), R. McLeod (Eltham) and F. D. Brammald. There were no speeches, but each were presented with holdalls by the Mayoress (Mrs J. W. Boon) before leaving, and on the call of three cheers by Mr C. 1). Sole, these were heartily given with the "good .luck" from many friends as they started off. It is understood that other men will be leaving now under short notice, as there is a general shortage, and it is hoped that there v. ill be a larger number coming forward.

Once a year in Auckland .reports the Star), any person near the Strand Arcade, about 10.30 p m., on the 21st of October, will see a number of hardy old men slinking hands, and each carries a churchwarden pipe as an evidence that he has been to the annual reunion of old salts on Trafalgar Day. Thirty-two. members of the Royal Naval and Marine Veterans' Association attended the dinner tendered on Saturday night in Prior's Strand Arcade, by the president, Mr W. B. Leyland. Their united ages totalled 1827 years, the father of the , lot being Mr J. Pridmore, who is within two months of his ninetieth year, and still goes to work regularly. He joined the Navy as far back as ISIO. These 32 veterans had served in the following war vessels:—Caledonia, Niger, Wolverine, Blanch, Trafalgar, Victory, Zealous, Repulse, Shannon, Duncan, Rodney, Ocean, Goliath. London, Euryalus, Racoon, Achilles, Revenge, Vanguard, Devastator-. Aurora, Inflexible, Terrible, Powerful, Pegasus,:Australia, Phaeton, "vie, Blenheim, Brilliant, Col-'

luvgwooa, Victoria, and Colossus

A curious revelation of the care with which the British national accounts are audited has been causing interest and amusement in England. Last year the Controller and Audi-tor-General noted, in respect of the accounts of the Paymaster-General and the National Debt Commissioners, that there was a discrepancy of a penny. His report for the current year again notes the discrepancy, which has not been adjusted or ■ explained. A "Daily Mail" correspondent asked the Exchequer and Audit Office for a statement, hut could get no satisfaction. One of the officials explained that it would cost hundreds of pounds to trace the mistake, and "we feel," he added, "that it is not right to spend that . sum in wartime. For that reason the penny was allowed to stand over in the balance of £2,234,760 13s 3d last year, and again in the balance of £2,080,502*' this year." The "Mail's" correspondent produced a penny and offered to pay it in and settle the matter, but lie was told that such a thing would be most improper. The search for the missing penny is suspended for the time, but when the war is over, no doubt the Audit Office will insist upon the mystery being solved.

A visit was made recently by a party to an immense flying-fox camping ground in the Upper Hunter River district of New South Wales, and at a place within eight or nine miles of Belltrees (says the "Sydney Daily Telegraph"). The foxes were hanging all over the trees in a gully between high hills, and the noise and stench arising from them was surprising. All the trees from which they were hanging were covered in one mass of black, pear-shaped objects. A sight so strange one could scarcely forget. When the guns were fired many of the foxes rose like so many swarms of gigantic bees, and seemed to obscure the whole sky in the wide valley. The noise from the hundreds of thousands of wings resembled an approaching wind storm or the roar of the ocean. An idea of the numbers of the foxes can he formed from the fact that 40 of them were shot from one small tree by one person before they had all left the tree, and altogether that afternoon over 200 were shot with five guns before they got away. Many were wounded! It is estimated that their numbers would not have been far short of half a million, so that a flock like this, eating, say, one pound of fruit each in one night, would devour over 223 tons.