LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, 9 July 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

On Sunday 124 trucks of sheep from the snow-covered Mackenzie country were railed from Fairlie, and 100 trucks were brought in to Timaru yesterday.

Twelve pairs of women's silk stockings were found concealed on a water, side worker as he was leaving the Queen’s Wharf, Wellington, the other night.

The West Coast has unearthed a champion sneak thief. He broke into the Red Cross depot at Dunollie, and removed the goods being made up for wounded soldiers.

Owing to engine trouble the northward bound mail train was held up at Mangaweka last night. An engine was sent down from Taihape, and the train passed through an hour and a .half late.

According to a cable received yes. terday, Mr. W. F. Massey, Premier of New Zealand, has returned from France. To an interviewer, he sale; “I feel more confident than for the past two months. I addressed over twenty thousand New Zealanders. When tUb next big ‘show’ comes the Allies will give a very good account of themselves.' ’ 3

The engine wffiich was derailed recently through the slip the other side of Bennett’s Siding was righted and brought into Taihape yesterday morning. It presented a somewhat delapidated appearance, and will he sent to the railway workshops for overhaul.

A German aeroplane containing thiee aviators landed on the island of Masnedoe, south of the island of Zeeland ,last week, declaring that they had descended owing to lack of petrol j They were evidently deserters, for j 1 they refused to depart when the German consul sent petrol.

A cable message received yesterday stated that the Berlin potato ration had been reduced to one pound per week. This will give some idea of the extremity to which the people of Germany are reduced.

Another draft. No. 167, of returned soldiers is returning to New Zealand at an early date. Among the list we notice the names of Privates F. Fry, of Raetihi; B. Stubbing, Rangiwaea; and C. H. G. Wrightson, son of Mr. Geo. Wrightson, of Taihape.

The annual football match between the Pirates and the Old Boys will be played in the Recreation Ground in Saturady next. Considerable interest attaches to this match, as a number of the Old Boys imagine" that they can still “come hack.” The forthcoming match will settle this point.

A donation of £llOO from a donor who does not wish the name to be mentioned has been received toward** the fund for rebuilding St. Mary‘s Cathedral, Boulcott Street, Wellington. which was destroyed by fire recently. The total sum in hand for rebuilding now stands at £B4OO.

The Railway Department is at present busy recovering the wreckage from the recent slip at Bennett’s Siding, Two large steam cranes were brought into use and the engine and several trucks lifted on to the line. Several of the trucks are at present in the yard at Taihapc loaded with broken wheels, bent- axles, and sundry other parts of the trucks which were broken ah the time of the derailment.

Rev. H. L. Blamires, in the. course of his lecture at the Town Hall last night, stated that, although he was a minister of the Gospel, he hoped the war would not end until it had been carried into the enemy’s country. He -did not say this out of a spirit of revenge, but because he believed that R would be for the ultimate benefit of the German people. The chaplains at the front, said Mr. Blamires (himself a returned chaplain), were unanimous in their support of air reprisals.

Last evening a happy social hour was spent in the Methodist Schoolroom, the object being to afford the members and friends of the church an opportunity of meeting ChaplainCaptain Blamires during his visit to Taihape. Upwards of 50 sat down to tea, and a very sociable houiv was spent. Mr C. E. Darvill, in a few T well chosen words introduced the guest of the evening, who was most cordially received Mr Blamires, in the course of his remarks stated that his visit, primarily was in the interests of the Church Foreign Missionary Movement and in the course of a few brief, yet highly instructive and interesting remarks, commented upon personal observations during his three years abroad of the blessed influence of the gospel in its ever widening course, and stressed the urgency for prayerful and earnest effort for its still further advancement A word of thanks to the speaker and to the local Ladies’ Guild, who had arranged the tea, terminated a most enjoyable little gathering.