Grey River Argus and Blackball News

Grey River Argus, 8 October 1914, Page 4

Grey River Argus and Blackball News

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1914

Drtlvered every morning m Greymouth. Eumara, Hokttika, Dobson, "Wallßead, Taylor, wile, Brtmnerton, Stillwiter. Nffahere, Blackball, Ifelson Creek, Ahanra, Ikamafcua, Waiuta, Beefton, Cronodun, Bunanga, DuuoJhe, Cofedon, Baxters, Kokiri, Patara, Kaimata, Araiika, Kotuku, Moana, Buru, Te Kinga, Kotoaiauu' Poerua, I bounie, Jaoksous and Otira,

As the true facts leading up to the present titanic struggle in Europe become more fully known, it becomes more evident that to Getmany and Germany alone is the blame due for precipitating war f There is a long account to be preisented for it some day, and pay|ment of it will be- demanded in away Which will- stagger the Kaiser and the War Party in Germany hy whom it has been incurred. Pitt said after Austerlitz "We may roll up the map of Europe." .When this war is over we will look out on a continent which has not only changed. in the geographical sense, but largely in its governance as well. The military autocracies whose blundering pc^icy and aggressive ambition hatfe 'br (flight misery to millions cantiot- survive the day of

business. Every battle means a shambles, every death a shiver of pain and tear-sodden sorrow. The imagination cannot picture the scene, the more simple have no idea of what battle means. War means death, disaster, privation, cruelty and grief. The fool cries for war ; the veteran never prays to unsheath his swords. He knows the terrible price and it is to a war the darkest, and most cruel that the world has ever seen that the Kaiser and his myrmidons have plunged Europe. The Germans have held themselves up as models of culture and refinement, but the 1 present war has shown that their civilisation is a veneer, and was rubbed off in the first engagement, and they stand revealed as mad, as savage, and as cruel as the pagan Goths who swallowed up Eome. Of chivalry they know nothing, and it is said that the French officers now carry phials of poison in their haversacks. They expect no mercy when wounded, and prefer to end their sufferings . rather than fall into German hands. The struggle will therefore be long and bitter, and Britain must .be prepared to make great sacrifices. The authorities are leaving nothing to chance, and a most strict censorship is being observed. • Even the news that does percolate through is of a most unreliable character. The latest emanation from, the cable de Rougemont was that the British, French and Belgian forces had united and that the Germans , were shut in by a' wall of steel — in other words, the Germans were surrounded and we might daily expect news of a debacle which would make that of Sedan pale into insignificance. Thisnews comes by way of Rotterdam, and we may at once ask ourselves the question how is it that the authorities allow the Dutch to ob--1 tain accurate knowledge of the movements of our troops and at the same time deny the same information to the British public. The" thing is absurd in the extreme, and we can take the news "made in Holland" with a very large pinch of salt. Even the papers of the United States , with their great powers of imagination, find very few. facts on which to rear their superstructure. All we know is that Great Britain is in the war, and with her it is a fighi to a finish, and that finish will be when Germany and all that she represents is humbled in the dust. The war will be costly not only in money but also in precious lives, and when it is concluded many a home will miss dear ones who went forth in all the pride of their manhood to fight for their country's cause. Those who have to face the rigours of a winter campaign in Europe, will undergo hardships that we find it difficult to imagine. There is one item of news from the front that is most assuring-, and that is that the British and French forces are amply provided with commissariat, and that despite the privations they have had to undergo the health of the men has been excellent. British and French vessels holding command of the sea, it is comparatively easy to convey the sick and wounded across the Channel to Britain where ample provision has been made for their acebmmoda- ' tion at the various sea-side re- [ sorts. In spite of all this, howi ever, there is bound to be considerable privations among the troops; and it is to be sincerely ; hoped that the war will speedily end with victory to the Allies arms, and that there will follow a lasting peace, such as the pro-, phet spoke of when he said : — The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; . . . and a little childr shall lead them. «. . . and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. . . . They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain. \

The Caulfield Cup will he run October 17; Meblourne Cup will be Tun November 3.

We have a magnificent stock of new season's neckwear, smart colourings and shapes, in every variety and style Cream, White. Qriental, teal 'MMtese

The directors of the New Big River Company met on Tuesday evening and declared a 66th dividend of one shilling for 24,000 th share, equal to £1200, payable on and after Friday, 9th October.

Further contributions to the Eeefton Patriotic Fund are: James Woods (Globe Hill) ss, Energetic Mine (per J. Bolino) £3 4st 6d, R. W. Rathby £1 Is and Thomas Kearns £1 6s.

The transmission of mails from the Dominion to Austria, Austrian agencies, Germany, German agencies and colonies, Hungary and Luxembourg, is suspended meantime.

At Monday night's meeting of the Reefton School Committee, Mr. D. A. Lundie, 8.A., Oxon and Durham, now teaching at Kaiapoi, was recommended as asistant teacher at the local State school.

The Inspector of Police (Mr. Phair) received a telegram last evening from Constable Eache, stationed at Boss, stating that Frederick Chirm, 41 years of age, married, with three children, was accidentally killed at Pukekura at 1 p.m. yesterday. It appears that a loaded timber dray overturned in a creek and Chirm was pinned underneath.

Harry Anderson, alias Henrickson, alias Charles Erickson, who pleaded guilty on" the 29th ult., at the Greymouth S.M. Court, to the theft of jewellery of a value of £15 from William McGregor Hannam's private residence in Tainui Street, on the 23rd September, was sentenced to seven years' hard labour at the Supreme Court, Christchurch, on Saturday last.

A special meeting of the Eeefton Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held at the Council Chambers, Eeefton, on Tuesday afternoon. Present: Messrs Scantlebury (chairman), Fagan, and Mirfin, Dr. Conlon (medical superintendent) attended by request. The business was connected with Waiuta cottage hospital which was expected to be completed in three weeks. It was decided to notify Miss' M'Nab that she would be desired to take over her duties as matron and maternity nurse on Ist November. Necessary, bedding, and furniture was ordered, and it was carried that Messrs Fagari' and Scaailebury attend a public meeting at Waiuta on Sunday, 17th October.

Ready to wear blouses and frocks. We specialise in White Silk American Shirt Blouses, a splendid range from 7s 6d, 12s 6d,. 15s, The new Summer frocks are smart garments, and are in CTepe, •Pique. Voile, Fldrai, Muslins. " Prices 14s 6d, 17s 6d,. 205 to 25s. — Wm. McKay and Son, Leading Drapers, Greymouth. Hbkitika and Nelson.

A pleasant little function took place at Moana on Tuesday evening, when the presentation of prizes in connection with the flatty sculling handicap was made by Mr. J. Williams, captain of the Moana Athletic and Aquatic Club. The competition, Mr. Williams said, had created a lot of healthy interest, and some good sport had been witnessed. The first prize, a hunter silver watch (presented by Mr. Din) had been won by Mr. Neilson. The second prize (a handsome eight-day clock, presented by Mr. P. Magee, of Greymouth), was secured by Mr. Pattison, and third place (for which an oak and silver butter . dish, presented by Mr. Coll, of Greymouth, was given) was won by Mr. J. Kennewell. The recipients suitably acknowledged their prizes.

"Mrs. Tommy Atkins" is the title of a song which Alex. Widley, Ltd., of Christchurch, send us. There lias been an abundant crop of songs and verses arising out of the war, but this is distinctly above the average. It was written and composed by C. L. Fleming, and is reminiscent of ' ' The AbsentMinded Beggar." In fact it is a sort of companion song to that, as the words of the refrain indicate: "Have you got a boh to snare for Missus Atkins? IV;-' her husband did his country's call obey. He lias gone to fight for you, So the least that you can do Is to help her now that Tommy's gone^ away." The air is as catching as tie words. .

The regular monthly meeting of Lodge Mawhera will be held this evening at 7.30 o'clock.

Inspector Austin made his annual examination cf the Moana State School on Tuesday, and yesterday was engaged in a similar duty at Buru. For the next week the Inspector will examine the remaining schools in that district.

The s.s. Kaitangata from Greymouth, arrived at Melbourne yesterday.

A cable message states that Mr. J. Cook has been re-elected leader of the Liberal Party in the Federal Parliament in the Commonwealth.

The members of- Court Concord, No. 4355* are requested to meet at their Lodge Room this afternoon at 2 o 'clock for the purpose of attending the funeral of their late Bro. W. Gandell.

Sawmill matters are very busy at Moana at present, and the management of Goss's mill estimate that, the orders now; in hand will occupy the full capacity of the mill till Christmas.

The Moana Aquatic and Athletic Clup is an institution that provides competitions for its members all the year round, to the pleasure of all concerned. Reference to these competitions was made in the report at the an-nual-meeting on Tuesday as follows: — During the past season a number of club matches were got off, and interest in aquatics was well maintained throughout the year. Flatty races, watermen's pair-oared races, boys' flatty races, point to point handicaps, sailing and rowing races, etc., kept the club members busy for tne period mentioned.

The question of fire alarms was discussed at length at the meeting held last evening to consider the forming of an auxiliary branch of the Fire Brigade in the southern end of the town. One gentleman present favoured the penny-in-the-slot telephone system, but several of those presen« promptly pointed out that persons who wished to give the alarm did not always have the penny handy, especially in the early hours of the morning. Another advocated the system in vogue in Wellington which was that the person giving the alarm must take off his boot and break the blass bulb in the alarm post, and by the time the boot was Te-adjusted the brigade would be on the way to fire. This, however, did not meet ready acceptance, for it wa» stated that the alarmist might near tight boots/ or in the event of button boots, the button-hook might be left at home.

A - resident of Timaru left at the newspaper office on Wednesday, a letter which he has just received from a person whom he does not know, and oi\ whom he has never heard, in Washington. The letter, which is typewritten, is signed "Alpheus Bancroft, Director of Appointments, Washington, D.C., North America." It is a long letter, and in it the writer offers the person to whom it is addressed a very lucrative position — "high class and of a dignified nature." The writer goes on to say it is urgently necessary that the position be filled as soon as possible, and he asks for a prompt reply, stating that he has instructed his office assistants to lqok out for this particular reply "from the many hundreds of pieces of mail that come in daily, and it will receive immediate- attention." The person who received the letter does not propose to reply to it.

An unusual capture was made by the schooner Kosetta while fishing off Pegasus last week (says the Bluff Press). In appearance, face on, this fish has the appearance of the British bulldog— all head and hardly any body. Its fearsome appearance is added to by two short horns over the eyes — quite the style of bulldog that the Kaiser has been dreaming about lately. It is what is known as a "Tock lifter," a rare species, of which less than a dozen are known to science. Five are in the Melbourne Museum.

It is said that there is a likelihood of the Hon. W. Fraser being returned unopposed for Wakatipu, owing to the interest he has displayed in pushing forward the Otago Central railway. In any case, no matter what the opposition, may. be (remarks the Clyde correspondent of the Otago Daily Times) he would presumably have an easy win. In the Otago Central electorate the present member will probably be opposed by a Liberal supporter, but so far no name is authoritatively mentioned in that respect.