STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 November 1916, Page 3

STRATFORD.

' (From Our Own Correspondent.? November 15. Writing to his parents, under date October 1, 1910, Lance-Corporal 11. E. Masters, who left with tlie 7tli Reinforcements, said: —"It is nearly three weeks siuco I stopped a couple of pieces of lead. Feeling weak, but should now improve. My wounds are two distinct pieces of shrapnel, square in the forehead. I bad a close go. The doctors say I lost a little brain-matter. The scalp bone is exposed, and will probably take some time to grow over again. I was lying unconscious for four f'ay< in Amiens Hospital, France. Five more flays spent in Rouen, and then I w.is brought to the New Zealand Hospital, Brockenhurst, Hants. I was hit while at the Somme. Our men are getting a bad time, but the Germans must be getting it terribly. Our artillery was 100 per cent, more active than theirs. Dining my short stay I had a good look round the old German grounds. Aft>'r going over their old trenches, one realises what tremendous hand-to-hand fighting there must have been to shift Fritz out of 'his great dug-outs. One particular dug-out I was in was CO feet underground, and would accommodate about 100 men. Fricourt, once a place, [ should say, about as big as Waitara, has been absolutely levelled to the ground. The artillery play on a wood for a couple of days until there is nothing standing but the tree-stumps." A cable message, previously received, conveyed the information that "Dick" was being invalided horns, and should arrive hers in December. Previous to enlistment he was engaged on the Kawera railway staff.

The Stratford Co.mfv engineer paM a visit to Mount Humphries, beyond Taurakawa. There were numerous slips and wash-outs, but the damage is nothing comparablbe with that of July, 1915. Farmers are assisting the roadmen to elear the roads. At Puniwhakau the engineer's car was held up for an hour whilst lie and others assisted the surfacemen to remove the debris from a slip. At the meeting of the executive committee of the Agricultural and Pastoral Society this week, the a;>pi;oaticn of the Stratford Ladies' Patriotic Committee to hold a flower and jumble stall was granted. The committee stipulated that there 3IIOIIM be no canvassing, all business to be doiu from the stalls only. Four new member?,! Mrs. Gilliver, Messrs. H. JVlanson, li. Jenkins, and H. Cook, were elected, i The Stratford Borough Council has resolved to accede to the request oi their roadmen to advance wages Is per day. This will be by ,vay of a war bonus. The carrying of Cr. Lav> son's motion ro lighting streets means that the boorugh lights will te burning all night, instead of up to 11 o'clock, as at present. This will be appreciated by those obliged to move round the lorough at late or early hours. How the will pan out rsmsini to be scen^' 'On Friday the S.M. Court will be enin hearing charges brought in connection with .the "shouting'' beaches in this district. Mr. Hasclden, SM., will be on the Bench. '"Too much rain, plenty of grass, but paildoeks are holding too many for farmers' wishes," remarked a man on &e land to •'Your Own" to-day. Thete. has been far too much gum-boot and qkibrella weather here' lately. Perhaps ®ie su.'tliine reiw/'ng its ap.icarlanj foi our A. ?u'l P. Show on the 29NL*and 30th inst. Meters. C .and E. Jiicfesaa end A'. D. Stanley, of the show exflcutlvs, are at present at attending the show there

CLOTHIERS AND .3 C ,'AR. "It looks as if we sha'! have to hustle, if we want to catch the Christmas trade," remarked, a clothier. A combination of circumstances are working against ust It was decidedly unfortunate that we should lose two boat:, the Eaugatira and Tongariro. These disasters upset calculations a good deal, and on top of these the colonial mills are unable to keep up with orders. Tor instance, men'? apparel is getting .1 bail run. A Wellington firm's traveller marched into a woollen mills' warehouse and, observing a big pile of men's socks, said he would take the lot at, any price quoted' by the manufacturing firm." '•No good," replied the mill man. "The best we can do is to allow you five dozen," and that's ali he obtained. "If a bis firm can only get five dozen what elmnce has the small man of (jetting his order filled? My boss is scouring Wellington to see what he can find tliera, but ht. will be very lucky if he secures sufficient to pay expenses." And the main cause?

"Why. the war. The mills are turning out khaki and underflar.nels, sox, etc , for our soldiers. These have got to b? made, and rightly so, but as for the usual summer and Christmas suits that are retailed over the counter, with other needs for mere man, well, some of us will have little;variety. No good pulling a long face, but sending orders are not much good, as the mills are frequently unable to look at them, even if they could fulfil same. On lop of the shortage those one happens to secure have scared up in price?. Underwear flannel that could be retailed at 3Ci dozen .ire now at (>3s. Umbrellas s.ra also affected, and the prices are r.ov; 120 per cent, ahead of those ruling tv;o years ago." There ar? many other lines that could be quoted, but enough has been eald ti' show that if poor old father grov/ls wi the kidr. weaving at 18.i boots at kicking jam tins he has reaecri to growl, and if the mater treats him to a pair of braces he will be pardxied if the prie° she pay.; now may have secured a pair of troassrs previously. The Gorman Kaiser has much to anr.ver for and perhaps when the Australian stay-at-home voter finds the wife hitches his trousers to the braves per medium of a two-inch nail because buttons and thread <>re unavailable, things may improve. In the mmtine Chrisiaiss is comm.? br.t the clothier v.ho had virions of big trade and big turnover during December k becomi:;" dfc,il!r.sipned.