LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waipa Post, Volume I, Issue 25, 11 July 1911, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Preliminary arrangements are new well in hand for the forthcoming annual ball in connection with the Loyal Te Awamutu Lodge, 1.0.0. F., IVLU. At a meeting last evening a strong committee was formed to arrange for the ball on Friday, August nth, in the local Town Hail.

The Bridge Tournament in the Town Hall on Friday evening was very well attended, and from every standpoint was a decided success. A very keenly contested night’s play resulted in the prizes going to Miss Leigh Collins and Mr E. A. Cox.

Every rain sees our mam thoroughfare in an almost impassable condition, and ratepayers are beginning to wonder when the much-needed concrete crossings are going to be put in. We hope to see a start made at an early date.

Glass verandahs hampered the work of the fire brigade at a fire in Christchurch a few nights ago. They prevented the firemen from reaching the windows of the upper story, and allowed the flames to spread through the verandahs to the upper floors.

A “ working bee” at Box Hill (Victoria) on a recent Saturday resulted in the erection of a band rotunda of a most substantial kind. Between fifty and sixty workmen got to work in real earnest about I p.m., and at 8 p.m. the rotunda —which reaches a height of 23 feet from the ground has a floor space of 21 ft diameter, a sounding board 3ft 6in in width, a neat balustrade, and various artistic features—was as much a part of the town as though it had been there for years.

. 'We have received official advice that under the compulsory military training scheme every youth who serves will be supplied with a record book. There are two copies of the book*; one entitled the “personal record book,” will be the property of the registered holder, and the other —“the duplicate record book” —will be in the possession of the defence department. The book, which has to be kept up to date, will contain the record of the military training and service performed by the holder from the time of his registration to the date of his final discharge, and will be legal proof that the training and service recorded have been performed. The book, should therefore, be carefully preserved, even after the registered holder has ceased to be liable for training or service. Every registered holder is bound to inform his company commaner of any change in his place of residence or postal address, and the changes will be entered up.

Quite a boom is being experienced in emigrant traffic to Australia and New Zealand (says Lloyd’s Shipping Gazette of May 12), and the resources of the steamship line are taxed to the utmost to cope with the demand for berths. There is, in fact, not sufficient accommodation at the moment for all the passengers offering, and this applies particularly to West Australia. There the easy terms and grants of land free to settlers have proved so attractive during the last year or two that immigrants, having surmounted the initial difficulties are sending Home for their wives and children, causing thereby a great demand for passenger space. A great deal is being written just now about the exodus from Scotland and its causes, real or supposed. It is surprising, however, that comparatively little notice is taken in tips connection of the extraordinary and powerful attractions held out to labourers and small farmers by the Australian 'Governments and agents. Considering that a free grant of too acres of land is made to settlers, with assisted passages, and advances of capital are forthcoming on ridiculously easy terms, it is by no means wonderful that emigration on a large scale to the Antipodes should have set in.