LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 100, 24 November 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the Church of England Sale of Work to be hold in the Parish Hull to-morrow, refreshments may be obtained at V2 o'clock, for the convenience of business people and others who may wish to view the various utails during the luncheon hour.

The Annual Speech Day of St. Mary's School takes place next Monday afternoon at 2.30 o'clock, when His Lordship, the Bishop of the Dio-' cose, will be present to distribute the prizes, etc. # • The Mayoress (Mrs J. W. Boon) de-' sires to acknowledge on behalf of the Red Cross Fund a donation of 15s from Mr J. L. Luceua (Toko), also a box of tea from Mr J. Masters u'wl Mr Marks. As the ladies of Tututawa have been working energetically in the interests of the Stratford Wounded Soldiers Fund, which is much appreciated by the Ladies' Patriotic Committee, they will be assisting at the Mart and tea rooms on Saturday, when any donation, however, small, will be thankfully received. Perhaps someone who has not yet contributed will think of our wounded soldier bovs.

Rumours arc afloat that trouble is; brewing in the coal-mining centres (says the Grey River Argus). It is reported that the executive of the State Miners' Union visited Blackball on Wednesday to confer with the local union there, it is understood that a move is "on the hoard" to reduce the output from 1000 tons to 700 per day, so as to stop any export to Australia. Another question is that of a minimum wage of 12s per day and a hewing rate increase of 17 per cent.

Not often docs a boy secure many prizes for fancy needle-work, but Master G. Jones, of Tariki, is to be congratulated,, on securing several prizes at the Hkiwera Show, including Ist prizes for mounted cushion, wool crochet, huckaback work, besides a second prize for darned socKs, and other prizes as mentioned in another column. Tariki should be proud of such a lad, especially when he can make a scarf in the Soldiers Comforts class, and secure second prize.

"I may tell you something which the majority of you have not heard before," said the Hon. G. W. Russell at Bunvood on Thursday (reports the Christclmrch Press), "and that is this. Our Motherland and her fair Dominions, even long before the war, had been menaced by the foreign spies within them. Early in the war there was a motor car accident in France, in which some famous spies played a prominent part, and on them, do you know, there were'found plans -of every fort in New Zealand. We may truly thank God for the protection which our incomparable Navy is able to at'-' ford us."

Said Mr A. de B. Brandon of Wellington at a meeting of the Moderate! League:—"An old philosopher who flourished many years before Christ once made the remark that it is a mistake to make too many laws for if you have too many laws you only teach the people to be cunning and dishonest. So it is with the legislation regarding liquor. With too many laws you encourage the people to break them—invito them to be dishonest. In fact the more restrictions you place the more nearly you approach the serpent of the Garden of Eden that tempts you to break the law."

Staff-Captain Thurkeltle is announced to conduct the services of the Salvation Army for Sunday and Monday. The Staff-Captain comes with a good reputation as a speaker, combined with which he has considerable ability as a musician, being an excellent player on the English concertina, clarionette, banjo, and other instruments. He will give a special address at 3 p.m. entitled "War Startlers," being an up-to-date account of the war and what the Salvation Army is doing in connection therewith. On Monday night, with reinforcements from Eltham and Englewood, a Birthday Social is announced to take place, when music, song, refreshments, and The Sack are promised for all who attend.

The Eltham Argus states: A worthy couple whose son is at the front called at our office somewhat distressed in mind over a cable they had re* recived. It came from their son, informing them that he had been wounded, and concluded with the mystic words, "Blight soon." The word "Blighty'' was not known to the parents, and it mystified them greatly. They thought it might mean something dreadful, or it might be a mutilation of the word "writing." It was a great relief to them when informed that the translation of the cable was that the boy would be in England soon —but they had never before heard of" England being called "Blighty." The word is a stupid one, anyhow, and we shall be glad when it has had its day and been forgotten.

There was a fair audience present at the Toko Patriotic Concert given by the Stratford Anzac Concert Party on Wednesday evening, those contributing vocal items being Messrs G. T. Walters, J. S. .Rove, H. Barker, S. J. Ward, B. J. Peters, the Misses Sheahan, Greenlialgn, Payne and Mrs Kdmondson, Miss Bovve giving some recitations. Towards the Wounded Soldiers' Fund 19s was realised by the sale of flowers by a lady. The Toko Patriotic Committee made excellent arrangements for the evening, the ladies of Toko supplying the supper. A dance followed, Mr J. Kilpatrick acting as M.C. creditably, Mr .1. Edmohdson supplying the music. Altogether, Toko are to be congratulated for their efforts on behalf of the Kiind. and appreciate the services rendered by the Stratford Concert Party,

Mails closed at the Stratford Post '-' Office on Monday next at 8.10 a.m. for United Kingdom, Europe, South ! Africa, United States of America, and Canada, via Vancouver. The S mails are due' in London on the 28th • December next. S h Weather forecast.—The indications are for northerly winds strong to gale h and backing by west to south. The weather appears likely to be cloudy » and unsettled, with rain following, ri The barometer has a falling tendency. T —Batis, Wellington. ! I Entries for the Stratford A. and * P. Association are particularly heavy i in the dairy classes, and it is antici- S pated that Holstein cattle will be the m largest exhibit in the district. There I is every prospect of the Stratford Show eclipsing all previous records, | and the management (under the | presidency of Mr E. Jackson) arc * f preparing for a gigantic crowd. j The South Australian Amusements \ Tax Act is now in force. Under the Act where the payment for admission to amusements does not exceed threepence the tax is a farthing. In cases where it exceeds threepence, hut does not exceed sixpence it is one half- j penny. Where it exceeds sixpence, i for every sixpence or fractional part thereof the tax is a halfpenny, and in the case of members' or season tickets the tax is one half-penny for every sixpence or fractional part of sixpence of the price of such ticket. The Act imposing this tax places a. duty not only upon promoters of amusements, but also upon the public to see that the lav. is obeyed. The provisions of the Act do not apply to agricultural, horticultural, doric'lltural, poultry, dog, and other like shows. At the Hawke's Bay Spring Show held at Hastings recently, sheep dipped in "McDougall's" secured the following awards:—ll championships out of 14, 33 firsts, 16 seconds, 7 thirds, and 6 very highly commended. x