LOCAL AND GENERAL HEWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 12 July 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL HEWS.

At the meeting of the Hawera Borough Council last evening the engineer presented a report bearing on the proposal to erect a sanitary drinking fountain at the intersection of Princes and High streete. Tha Mayor said he thought the time had arrived when such a fountain should be erected. The matter was referred to the Works Committee to report.

Auroa people are notified that a very important meeting will be held in the Auroa Hall to-morrow (Friday) evening, when the question of appealing against the decision of the Health Department's statement that the district" is amply provided with medical men will be discussed. The convenors trust that all will realise the seriousness of the position and make a point of being present.

In reference to a recently published advertisement regarding classification of the second division, a mistake appeared in the definition supplied of the .term "child." In regard to illegitim ite children, the original advertisement stated that such would be included if the reservist married the mother of the child before. May 1, 1917. This should have read^ Jlay 1. 1915, and an amended advertisement to that effect ap- ! pears to-day.

One of the soldiers in camp at Trentham adopted a novel method of "raising the wind" for an outing in the city. He got up a raffle for a £1 note, the drawing to take place on pay day, which was a week "off. No less than thirty-five: -speculators ientered for the prize, and the winner was quite satisfied with his investment, while the snort was able to see life for a day or so.

A well attended meeting of the Manaia W.C.T.U. was held on Tuesday last. Mrs Tait presided and one new member was initiated. Mrs Hunt was appointed delegate to the Eltham convention. Mrs Tait reported that a Loyal Temperance Legion for Children diad been successfully commenced, and Miss Patterson was appointed superintendent. During the meeting a farewell was made to Mrs and Miss Tozer, and mention was made of their splendid help to the iinion whilst in Manaia. Various business matters were arranged and the meeting closed with the Benediction.

The Wellington correspondent of the Otago Daily Times sates that the accumulations of meat, butter and cheese in store amount to' 3,458,364 carcases of meat of 601bs, 130,752 crates of cheese, and 235,566 boxes of butter respectively. It has been calculated that this quantity could be consumed in New Zealand within the following periods:— Meat, at lib per head ncr day, six months; butter at lib per head per week, 13 weeks; cheese, at Jib per head per week, nine months. This is taking the dominion's ponulatiou at 1,000, 000, but is -act i/o.]; v l ,1a: 'ce\ exclusive of Maoris. Mucn •*• . ' cl; «*■• nnd practically all the mer. •). heei. .?Cv ured by the Imperial Government. The calculation is not concerned with fresh supplies of produce, which are ever being added to the accumulated stocks in varying volume.

Some interesting excursions into comparative mythology were made by the Rev. C. Willoughby, of East Africa, in the course of an address on African religions in Christchurch the other evening. He said that there was a very close similarity between the burial rites of women in primitive Africa and the rites of the Eleusinian mysteries of ancient Greece. There were also evidences, though he had found no conclusive proof, that at some time or another the ox was regarded as a sacred beast. The burnt sacrifice and the burning of incense were important African rites, and the sacramental principle had been disclosed on at least one occasion, namely, a great j-ain-mak-rng ceremony of King Komo's tribe, when a black ox, roasted as a sacrifice ona£nn Partfll5 ell ™ mouthfllls by 30,000 members of the tribe, each offering an individual netition for rain as he swallowed his morsel. The African ottered intercession to his ancestors and chiefs not as to deities, but as to dwellers in the spirit land who could approach the Great Spirit

A committee of the Patea Chamber of Commerce has been appointed to canvass the town and district for help in the movement to establish stock sales a*j Patea.

A statement made by the Hon. J. A. Haiian shows that for the year ending December 31 last there were in the gaols 808 male urisoners and 82 females. In 1912 tliere were 58 female convictions, in 1913 there were 54 il 1914 78, in 1915 82, and in 1916 82. During 1916, 244 women were received into prison. Of these none were or superior education, 233 could read and write, two could read only, and nine were unable to read. >

A cable message to the Australian papers states that in the course of a lecture on the future of aviation, Mr E. S. Montagu, M.P. (ex-Minister for Munitions), said that the British Empire, had numerous harbors and coaling stations in a favorable position for developing aviation. From London to Peshawar (India) in three days was possible, and at the rate of 1200 mile; dai.y the voyage to Australia by aeroplane would save 24 days.

"You Second Division men, will you come in now and fight with us for the repeal of conscription?" The question was put by Mr H. Holland to a crowded Labor meeting in the King's Theatre on Sunday night (the Wellington Post reports). One or two members of the audience answered "Yes." Mr Holland' proceeded to say that there should have been a fight by the married men at the start.

A branch of the Canadian Division of the Aerial League of the British Empire has been organised at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and a committee appointed to promote the organisation of an aeroplane company, which will manufacture machines and conduct an aerial service between the island and the mainland. It--- is contended that this is the only way at present of solving the problem of continuance communication all the year round between the island and the mainland.

The memorial to Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, erected in Mount Auburn Cemetery at Cambridge, Mass., has been taken over by the Christian Science Board of Directors by Elbert S. Barlow, of New York, v.ho had charge of its construction., Over a year and a half has been required to complete it. Christian Scientists throughout the world have contributed, as expressions of sentiment, the entii-3 cost of over 150,000 dollars.

M. Cammaerts' grim little book on the martyrdom of "Belgium, ''Through the Iron Bars," mentions an incident of the indomitable spirit of the population, says a correspondent of an English paper. As is well known, yon Bissing had forbidden the wearing of patriotic emblems. One lady, wearing a tricolor :osette, entered "a -tramcar and sat down opposite a German officer. He ordered her to remove it She refused. "The Boche seized the rosette and pulled—and pulled—and pulled. j The lady had concealed twenty' yards lof ribbon in her corsage."

When the Cathedral scheme was passed on Friday at the Anglican Synod (the Wellington Post r iports) there was a scene of enthusiasm. The President, the Bishop of Wellington, asked the members of Synod to stand and sing the Doxology on the occasion of the most memorable Synod in the history of the church in the Wellington Diocese, j The effect was thrilling. The following ! subscriptions towards the building fund have been announced:—Mr and Mrs Barton (for bantistry), £2000- H. Gilmei% £1500; W. J. Birch, V. Riddiford. E. Riddiford, H. Beetham, W. Beetham' A E. Pearce, A. E. Mabin, J. Martin, WE. Bidwill, G. W. Shirtcliffe. tJOOO each.

.The Hawera Borough Council has re_ ceivea a reply from the Department of Agriculture, Industries and Commerce with reference to its resoiution m support or the proposal from the Waimate West County Council -hat the Government be (requested to make provision for the inspection of all meat Killed tor human consumption "1 have to inform >ou,' writes the .secretary ot the Department, "that this matter has been carefully considered, and it has been ascertained that the scheme would entail the employment of 100 ad clitional inspectors and an expenditure in salaries and travelling allowances of about £30,000 per annum, and under these circumstances the Government, while hilly realising the importance of the work, does not see its way to undertake it. '

At the meeting of the Hawera Borough Council last evening the Mayor brought under the notice of the Council what he termed the unsatisfactory state of the street lamps. The Council he said, had written to the Gas Co several times in regard to this matter' but the position was still very bad' Many of the street lamps we're not alight when they ought to be. He moved that the attention of the company be drawn to the number of lamps that were not lit when they ought to i ' £•, Osborne seconded. Cr. Gormiey, while agreeing that the town was disgracefully lit, said he understood that the company had suffered losses recently m material, and suggested that i!? ghfc accou»t for any difficulty in winch it was working under. Cr. Goodwin remarked that he had taken particular notice of the lamps that evenmg i; xl passes were nice and clean, and the burners were giving a good clear light. The motion was carried.

A thought that is most beautiful— a .thought that you speak not, but that you cherish within you at this moment will irradiate you as though you were a transparent vase.— Maeterlinck.

At the Winter Slh.w. Percy Wilk agad iii Yours t:lic ! i[) r.^.iis; a pilu \ or the■ .Uai.suaiM won thS first prize ior the b,- c.:.,..y on -Conscription, in New Zealand; its advantages and disadvantages.'' °

The question of war medals was referred to by Sir Joseoh Ward in the Wouse last weok. He said that he and Mr Massey had urged in London that some special recognition should be made of the Gallinoli caiiDaimi by the issue of a special medal o r bar. The army authorities appeared to think this proposal impracticable, on the ground that it would be impossible to recognise one battle without similarly recognising many others. The War Office proposed that there should be two medals, a British medal and an. international medal -Millions of these medals would be required, and he thought that New Zealand, with the- consent of the Imperial authorities, should issue a eneeiil GalX\ mfrKr to its mvn men- (Hear, of tl IrMasse .^ "'With the consent "Yei SPV er?{S"-" Sir Joseph Ward: eiln <Th fh^nsent of the Sovereign, ihe Gallipoh camnai^n has a Place ? of us own in the history o?the