LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 13, 9 December 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In Hawke’s Bay, harvesters are being ofiered 2s per hour for eight hours per day this season.

The sum of £22 10s eaeh was the price Mr Harper, of the Wanganui district, got /for 200 fat bullocks last w eek.

Steps are being taken in Wanganui to hold a conference of local bodies on the West Coast of the North Island to induce the Government to provide hydro-electrical power for that pari of the Dominion.

As there appears to be some' misunderstanding with regard to voluntary enlistment, it is officially stated that voluntary enlistment £ at no time to cease, except at certain stated dates for a definite reinforcement, but it is still open for the two succeeding drafts. -Men can volunteer for January and February up to the 9th January, and after that date for February and March.

During November 279 deceased persons’ estates, were certified for death duty. The largest was that of John Hardie (Auckland), £129,399. The following are the largest for the New Plymouth district: —Henry George Gibbs, £10,566; Margaret Bonner, £6916; Frederick Hitz, £578-1; William Winwill, £2727 Thomas Hogan, £2293; Emily Mary Elwin, £1998; William John Bussell, £1704; Elizabeth Loveridge, £1505; John Martin, £ll9B.

An organised “smashing match" which would have delighted the heart of the most exacting small boy took place in Invercargill last week, says the Southland Times. The scene of action was the back yard of certain premises in which was* ' stored, in bond, a considerable, quantity of light hardware of German manufacture. The Customs Department carried- out the execution order in no uncertain manner, and at the end of half an hour of determined work chaos reigned supreme in that back yard.

Anti-conscritpionists may be interested, though not comforted, by reading the following remarks by Father Vaughan: “We need not for the moment debate the question whether or not the State has omnipotent control over its citizens, but anyhow this much is certain, that no man, in the present stage of civilisation, where the States are for the most part compacted and fully organised, can for a moment reasonably pretend to regard himself as an independent unit free from the obligation of serving the State."

The general subject of profanity was discussed at some length at a meeting of the Presbyterian Sabbath School Association in Dunedin. The matter was raised by a letter received from a prominent Sunday school worker, now in camp in the North Island, who stated it was a moderate estimate to say that 75 per cent, of the men there were addicted to bad language varying from the comparatively mild type to the worst kind of blashphemy and obscenity. A number of speakers expressed the belief that the habit of swearing was alarmingly prevalent and on the increase among our young people, and were of opinion that the Sunday School Association as a body ought to take some action to combat the practice. One proposed that the Sunday schools should work in conjunction with the Bible classes and day schools, in organising a regular campaign against profanity. The Otago Daily Times states that the matter was left with the understanding that it would be brought forward again and dealt with by the executive of the association next year.

A correspondent writes to a contemporary: “I have been reading how the milkman was always getting into trouble. Sir, the milkman goes Ids weary way be!ore the rising of the sun. He earns a hundred thanks a day, and often gets less than one. While lucky people snore, and drowse, and bask in dreams of rare delight, the milkman takes his stool and milks

liis cow, about.jj/he middle of tlie night. If you have milked an old red cow humped o’er a big six gallon pail, and had her swat you on the brow with seven feet of burry tail, you’ll know the milk-man ought to get a prize ior every pint he sells; he earns his pay in blood and sweat, and sorrow in his bosom dwells. As through the city streets lie goes, he has to sound Ins brassy tins, and people wake up Irom their doze and curse him as he goes along. He has to stagger through the rain, when others stay at home and snore, and through the rain he has to go to take the cow juice to your door. 1 brough storm and Hood and sun and rain the milkman goes upon the jump, and all his customers complain and make allusions to lus pump. Because one milkman milks the creek instead of milking spotted cows against the whole brave tribe we kick and stir up everlasting rows. Yet patiently they go their way distributing their healthful juice, and what they d > not,

get in pay they have to take out in abuse.”

The gross takings in connection with the orchestral and vocal concert in aid of the Stratford Wounded Soldiers’ Fund amounted to £33.

Special services will be held to-mor-row in the Methodist Church in connection with the Sunday School Anniversary, the preacher being the Rev. R. B. Tinsley.

An accident occurred to Mr J. R. Yandle, of Stratford, last night when riding Ids motor cycle near the Manganni Bridge, Midhirst. The

engine went wrong, resulting in the rider being thrown against the bridge and receiving a severe shaking, necessitating his removal to the Stratford Hospital. This morning he .was reported as better.

To accommodate the groups of youngsters taking part in the drills and. action songs at the Picture-Con-cert next Friday in aid of the prize fund of the Stratford Convent (School, Mr F. Foley has had the.stage of His Majesty’s enlarged. Interspersed between these items will he solos and instrumental selections by artists wellknown in Stratford and abroad. Up to the present, the services of the following have been promised: Mrs Massey (Stratford), Miss Reilly (Hawera). Miss Kelly (Hawera), Mr G. T. Walters (Strafford), and Mr F. Foley (Stratford/. Music by Mr C. Fox (Stratford’s accomplished pianist) during the evening will also materially further the pleasure of the entertainment. The full programme will bo published in tin? “Post” on Thursday next.

To allay to some extent the anxiety of relatives of soldiers killed in action, the following letter from the National Headquarters of the Salvation Army in reply to an enquiry for particulars of the death of a soldier may serve to explain the lack of immediate response to cable messages for details of a soldier’s death“ The friends will not get full particulars in connection with the death of their son, killed in action, until about 5 months after the date upon which which he was killed. As soon as is possible under the circumstances, the Defence Department 1 send on pci zonal belongings to the next of kin, and this takes about the time stated above. In the event of there being any deferred payment .due, it will be necessary for the friends to apply to the Q.M.G. Defence, Brandon Street, Wellington."

At a-sitting of the dtliani Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before Messrs J. W. Stubbs and L. Hill, J’s.P., a man named John Norman, alias Archibald Norman, wearing a rejected soldier’s badge, was charged with having committed a serious offenece in Collingwood Street, Eltham, on December sth, Accused elected to be dealt with summarily, and pleaded guilty, saying that lie was drunk at the time he committed the offence. Constable Towushend asked the Bench to pass a salutary sentence. Accused had also endeavoured to entice little girls to Taumata Park. Such a man was not fit to be at large. He bad a list of previous convictions which included vagrancy and theft. Accused pleaded for the Bench to issue a prohibition order against him and if given a chance would leave the town and never return. A sentence of nine months’ imprisonment with nard labour was imposed.

From time to time there lias been some adverse criticism of the Taranaki Education Board from school teachers and booksellers owing to the displacement of certain copy books and readers. The Board recognising the need for a change, had to adopt it, and although this to some extent may cause some hardship it is well to remember that the Board as a whole are in favour of a uniform system throughout the whole of the Dominion. Mr B. Masters (the chairman of the Board) has on more than one occasion expressed the opinion that the books should be printed by the Government, ■ as other bocks are, and be supplied to the parents at cost price. The present Board, alive to the interest of the child, may be depended upon to watch over the best education possible for the child, and any departure from the usual method, either in change of reading books or otherwise, can always be regarded as a wise innovation. Due notice is given of any change in reading or copy books, and when once adopted can be regarded as stable for the following four or five years.

A New Zealander who lias been serving on the engineering staff of a British destroyer since the commencement of the war, writing from “the German Ocean” to a friend in Welling, discourages the idea that the war will he over “all in a hurry,” hut expresses supreme confidence in the ultimate result of the struggle. “I still hold to my original opinion as to the duration of the war,” life says. “The great offensive has been magnificent, worthy of the best traditions of the British army, hut it has not yet carried us to the German frontier, and the Huns are still in Belgium and Poland, and, hardest of all, in France. But what does it matter? We are in the game now, and whether for one year or for ten, we are going to give the Germans such a hiding that they never will raise their heads again. Information concerning the sinking of submarines is not permitted, hut we have done something in this way ourselves, and on our notice-hoard yesterday appeared the following screed:—‘Great 'joy in Hades. The crew of U docked this tide.’ ” Unfortunately the letter trenches too closely on the war regulations to he quoted in extenso, but it is full of words of good cheer to the friends of the writer who are watching the fight from this end of the world.

At t)io meeting of the Executive Committee of the Stratford A. and P. Association the following new members were elected: Messrs A. G. Haddler, J. Priestly, D. B. Smith and Mrs Becker. It was resolved that the produce shed be converted into a j dog’s pavilion. j 1 At a meeting of the Domain Board, yesterday afternoon, there were present: Messrs G. N. Curtis (chairman), T. H. Penn, W. P. Kirkwood, and the secretary (Mr A. D. Stanley). lt| was decided to increase the rent oi the paddock leased by the Central Co-op. Store Co., Ltd., and also to charge a rent for the ground used by the Stratford Croquet Club. Of the films screened at the Foley’s Pictures last night, the views of “Birds of Foreign Lands” deserve special mention, not only for their educational value, but for the perfect color tints. These and photos of many of the gallant hoys who have joined the Army at the Front, will he screened again to-night. Ihe management are to he commended for the wide range of subjects in the latest programme. w The result of the protests lodged

with the Stratford A. and P. Association in connection with the recent Show were dealt with by the Committee as follows;—In class 67, trotting horse or mare, in harness (maiden event for horses that have never won a prize at an agricultural show or trotting event) in which Mr D. Pitcher (Kaponga) Jack was awarded first, Mr D. J. Warrender (Eltham) “Wildwood King,” second, and Mr P. Phelan (Stratford) Miss Lena, a protest was lodged by Mr Phelan against “Wildwood King” being not eligible as an entire to Compete, and the protest was upheld, Miss Lena being awarded, the second prize instead of third prize. In another case, Mr J. T. Walsh was disqualified and the prize money paid to Mr* Nicholson. Mr Nicholson’s protest was against a horse in class No. 98 being shown in class 29, the reading of the rule being that a horse shown in class 24, 25 and 26 is not eligible in class 29. Mi Kasper withdrew his protest.