LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 10, 6 December 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ono case is set down for hearing at the Stratford Magistrate’s Court on Friday at 1.30.

'Hie Salvation Army at Eltham desire to ad;nowledge receipt of £3 from •dr G. Sparks and family for the Army Belgian Relief Fund.

it is not often that the motor car Js used lor conveying a pony. Mr Worthington brought a Shetland pony in life car from Normanby to Stratford yesterday, and the little fellow did 1 not appear to dislike the novel joy-' ride. *

Many people who witnessed the! wrestling bunt at the Stratford Show between Joe, Gardiner and Tonga Car-' roll, resulting in a win for the latter, will be interested to learn that Carroll has accepted Gardiner’s challenge to all-comers in catch-as-catcli-ean style. I The match is for a small stake, and 1 will take place in Now Plymouth on Saturday night, and as both men hold' championship honors, a . keen contest! should result.

Adjutant Cook has received further addition to the Relief. Fund. Acknowledged up to last Friday, £3O Os Od ; since then 10s from Falstaff Street, Old Ago Pensioner 20s, four children at 3d, East Road daily farmer 20s, Opunake Road dairy farmers 20s, another 15s, Beaconsfield Road farmer £3 3s, and other amounts, bringing it up to £4l 4s. A street collection is to be made on Saturday for the same deserving object.

Press Association telegram from Palerston N. states: At the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce the following motion was carried unanimously : “That the Chamber congratulates the Government in having at length brought iu Conscription, and sincerely hopes that in administering the provisions of the Military Service Act no weakness will be shown; and

the attention of the Government be drawn to the fact that disloyal and seditions speeches are being made in public, with the suggestion that the Government should give the matter its immediate attention.”..,.

To those people who are not directly interested in the mistakes that have cropiped up in the working arrangements in connection with the Call to the Colours, the result is amusing, but to the principals and their families the effect must be ex-' asperating in the extreme. In Australia as elsewhere instances are continually being brought before the public, and perhaps the worst case of the kind was mentioned at the Richmond Court, Melbourne, recently,! when a man named Ernest William Bird, of Abbotsford, was sentenced to! three months’ imprisonment for failing to report himself for home service. In reply to enquiries, Mi- T. J. Bird stated that his son enlisted for active service five months ago, and by now should be in England. Notwithstanding that this information was supplied to the registrar in response to the summons on his son, the case went to the court with the result as stated.

The half-yearly installation ' of the Ancient Order of Druids took place in the Foresters’ last evening, Bro. A. Drake (District President) being in tho chair. The balance-sheet was read showing that the lodge was in a progressive financial position, though sick pay had been very heavy for the past half-year. The officials for tho year were duly installed as follows: 1.J.A., Bro. T. Ward; A.D., Bro. T. Smith ; V.A., Bro. J. Sharrock; Secretary i(re-elected), Bro. J. W. Jones; Treasurer, Bro. H. Burjnoster; 1.G., Bro. S. Howard; 0.G., Bro. H.AVorthington; A.D.8., Bros. T. Eichardson and AY. Barlow; V.A.8., G. BakerGreen and A. Huggott. At the supper which followed, toasts, both loyal and Druidic, were proposed and duly honored during a pleasant musical evening, songs being contributed by Bros. Stan Sharp, J. Lester, and AA . J Barlow, and recitations by Bros. E.| Jones and E. Parrott. A'isitors were also present from Eltham, Hawera, Mauaia, Inglewood, New blj—mouth, Pacroa, AVaimate and Law - rence.

The Salvation Army believe in turning everything to good account, as even the Birthday of the Officer was used as a special reason to announce a social. Tho idea was chiefly to push on the scheme for helping the Belgians, and last night a mevry crowd filled the Army Hall and enjoyed the social which had been arranged. Major Toomer made an ideal chairman, and soon old and young were in the Happiest mood; musical items on the clarionet by Staff-Captain Thurkettle, recitation by Bro. Milne, vocal items by the Major and Staff-Captain and Adjutant Cook followed in (puck succession ; then came the giving ot prizes, accompanied by a little jest lot this one, a happy word for another, or a request for a kiss Irum a tiny pi izewinncr—all these helped to keep things moving. Refreshments, provided by the ladies, were passed round to all present. Then followed the cutting of the birthday cake—a very nice cake, covered with iccing and an inscription,

“llirllnlay greeting to Adjutant Cook and success to the Belgian scheme a jril't trout Mr li. W. Kerr, ol Broadway. Slices of the cake were sold at Is each, and realised 12s (id tor the Belgians. At ten o’clock the happy crowd went homo, one old lady ol nearly seventy years of a ire remarking: “We ought to have a birthday social more often ; it’s so good 1”

During the visit of Major Toomer, of the Salvation Army, to Stratford, an inspection of property was made, and it is very probable that to-day a suitable property will be secured for the officer’s quarters.

A pleasing service was rendered yesterday by the visiting Salvation Army officers, who took their musical instruments to the Hospital and played selected items, much to the enjoyment of the patients. Major Toomer and Staff-Captain Thurkettlo leave to-day for Hawcra and Palmerston North.

Complaints are made by businessmen that our main streets, particularly Broadway, are not kept as clean as they might be. Frequently, the roadways are neglected by the wielders of the broom and shovel, and horse droppings remain for days which should not bo the case. Now, hints are being thrown out that the Council are likely to be waited upon by a deputation urging better attention to the cleanliness of our thoroughfares, hut probably this complaint will be attended to before the next Council meeting.

No worthier object could lie supported than the Stratford Wounded Soldiers’ Fund, and there is every indication that the concert this evening at the Town Hall is likely to be well patronised. .Judging from past results, the Stratford community are not slow to respond to patriotic calls. Sometimes an individual in a moment of seriousness peril, ps, when the thought carries one back to the noise of the bugle and the beating of the drum, comingled with the distressing cry of a wounded soldier on the battle field—stirs the otherwise dormant feeling, and then some people who have never yet “launched out” for such a deserving fund do so with a munificent gift. A suggestion in this way not infrequently produces good results, and it is hoped the fund will bo well augmented to-night. The Stratford Ladies’ Patriotic Committee are providing supper for the performers after the concert to-night.