Lake County Press. PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY Arrowtown, June 15, 1916. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Lake County Press, Issue 2636, 15 June 1916, Page 4

Lake County Press. PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY

Arrowtown, June 15, 1916. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The trust that -■ </»<•• « U--y:uird, and to thyself be just.

The Arrow Borough Council invites tenders for the supply of a number of seats for the Alheneum Hall. We understand that the Gibbston coalpit will' probably be taken over by a local syndicate at an early date. The potato crops .in the Gibbston district have been an absolute failure this season. Many farmers will have to buy seed for next planting season. The Henri French Vaudeville Coy. appeared at the Atheneum Hall on Friday evening last. There was a fair attendance, and a first-class variety programme met with due appreciation from the audience. The Rev. W. Uphill was entertained at a social and made the recipient of a presentation by the parishioners of St. Paul’s Church at the Parish Hall last evening. Our report of the proceedings is unavoidably held over. As a sequel to a recent motor “ joy-ride,” twenty informations have been laid against various persons, including three hotelkeepers, for alleged breaches of the licensing laws. The charges will be heard at Queenstown on 29th inst. The weather during the past week has been exceptionally mild, and there has been an almost entire absence of frost. There is very little snow on the hills, and runbolders with high country are already anticipating a successful season. At Thursday’s meeting of the Southland H. and C.A. Board Dr E. K. Edie (Lake County Hospital) reported that during the month 3 males and 1 female bad been admitted, 4 males and 1 female discharged, 1 male had died, and G males remained on June 1. At a meeting of the Arrow Patriotic Concert Party held on Monday last the resignation of the President (Mrs Barty), who is leaving the district, was accepted with regret. Miss Jopp was appointed to the vacant position, and Mesdames A. J. Campbell aud A. G. Lea were elected vicepresidents. Messrs H. McKibbin, A. J. Campbell, and D. Maeleod were appointed a committee to make inquiries in regard to the requirements of returned soldiers. The annual presentation of prizes in connection with St. Paul’s Sunday School took place in the Parish Hall on Monday evening. The prizes (which were donated by Mr A. Goodley, Dunedin) were presented to the children by the Rev. W. Uphill, and a couple of hours were devoted to competitions and parlor games. At an interval in the proceedings Miss Mary Romans, ou behalf of the pupils, presented Mr Uphill, who will shortly be leaving the district, with a writing case and a collar box. Mr E. H. Graham had the misfortune the other day to lose two valuable horses, says our Gibbston correspondent. A team of four horses had been forwarded from Dunedin to Kingston by rail, and thence to Frankton by steamer. On arrival two of the animals appeared to be in a bad way, and they ultimately died. It is surmised that the horses were bruised and knocked about on the way up, and inflammation setting in caused their death. A social arranged by the residents of Crown Terrace in aid of the Red Cross Fund took place in Mrs O’Fee’s barn on Friday evening last. There was a large attendance, and all present spent an enjoyable evening. Songs were contributed by Messrs A. Smith, K. Mitcherlick, and D. O’Fee, recitations by Messrs Mitcherlich and R. H. Todd, aud a cornet solo by Mr C. M. Lyons. The dance music was supplied by Messrs D. O’Fee, W. McKibbin Jr., and G. Stevenson, and Mr M. Jenkins acted as M.C. The holders of the existing licenses for the Victoria Bridge Hotel (VVaitiri) and the Macetown Hotel did not apply for a renewal of their licenses at the annual i meeting of the Wakatipu Licensing Committee, and the hotels mentioned will be closed on 30th inst. Forty years ago there 1 were six licensed houses at Macetown, but : owing to the collapse of tho mining industry s the population gradually dwindled away, ( and now the district is unable to support i even one hotel. i Foil choice jewellery, wedding and birth- ' day piesents, latest in watches, optical € goods and silverware. If you wish to get ' your watches thoroughly, repaired, and desire everything of tho best send to the I most reliable watchmaker, Peter Dick, 'i jeweller and certificated optician, 490 Moray t Place, Dunedin (established 1889). a

Mr T. J. Cotter will hold a sale of furniture and effects, on account of Mr B. H. Todd, at the dairy factory residence en Saturday, 24th inst. A social and dance in aid of the Red Cross Fund will be held at Gibbston to-morrow (Friday) evening. Several performers from Arrow will assist at the concert. Mr Tomkies announces a highly attractive programme for Saturday evening next. The star film is entitled “ A Matchmaker and Detective,” in which an educated horse plays a prominent part. Another fine picture to be screened on Saturday evening is “ The Chimes,” which faithfully depicts the hardships and trials to which the children of the poorer classes of Great Britain are subjected. A good supporting programme is also promised, and there should be a large attendance. A Masterton party who went to the Otaki races last week had rather a unique experience (says the Age). They left Masterton by motor-car at 6.30 o’clock on Saturday morning. They encountered a very in the Forty Mile Bush, a dense fog at Pahiatua, three or four mobs of cattle in the Manawatu Gorge, three punctures between the Gorge and Palmerston, two punctures thereafter, and eventually found themselves at Foxton. When they reached Otaki, they were just in time to see the last race. Big stones on the roadside in the country such as are to be seen in different parts of South Canterbury with texts printed on them, do not always lift humanity’s thoughts in that direction which it is intended they should do (says the Timaru Herald). One night recently a runholder was on his way to Timaru from the country when a wheel of his car struck one of these “ Are you saved ?” atones, with the result that so far from being “saved” his car sustained such injury that it had to be towed into Timaru from some miles beyond Pleasant Point. The correspondent of a Petrograd journal who is at the front speaks of a new weapon which has been distributed among German officers. This is a small and well-made revolver, and when it is fired a small cloud of suffocating gas escapes from the cartridge instead of a bullet. The gas does not cause death, but those who inhale it become insensible for several hours. It is stated that the Germans use this revolver for the pur- - pose of obtaining prisoners near the Russian ~ trenches, their obvious object being to com- • pel these prisoners to divulge information as to what is going on behind the Russian lines. A few [days ago the Russians sue* . ceeded in capturing some of these revolvers, j which have been taken to Petrograd. Speaking in the House of Representatives recently on the third reading of the War Pensions Act Amendment Bill, Mr Wllford said that a wealthy man had told him the previous day that he had already given £3OOO in subscriptions to the war funds. “ I asked him,” added Mr Wilford. “ how much are your war profits ?” He answered; *• Bight thousand.” Then I said “ You f have not given one shilling. Ton cannot give one shilling till yon have first given the whole of your war profits.” The man replied that he had not looked at it in that way before. “ But I hope he will look at it that way now,” said Mr Wilford, “and that many more in bis position will do the same.” A sergeant-major who belongs to a British j regiment entertained an interested little group in the train recently with stories of the Anzacs in Egypt. “ Give you my word,” he said impressively, “ I have seeu an Australian major and two lieutenants and a private go into a bar together for a drink, and the private pay for ’em !” His horror at this proceeding was equalled by that of an English officer sent to inspect an Australian trench in Gallipoli. While he was doing so an Australian private came rushing down the trench, jovially.calling: “ George, George, come and feed with us. I’ve got some new potatoes.” “ George ” ,pr jtuptly emerged from a nearby dugout. He was the major. A purchase price of £s* per acre was paid last year for a fairly extensive area of fattening pastures situated in the Manawatu district (sa>s the Horowbenua Chronicle). The wisdom of this venture was questioned in Levin and elsewhere by some critics, who deemed the price too great a one even for the very best of pastoral land. A sequel to the transaction occurred this week, when the new owners sold a draft of S*JO prime fat bullocks from the pastures. The purchase price was £2O per head, which gives a gross return of £IO,OOO for the year’s work. This represents a highly satisfactory return on the capital invested and labor expended. Most of the bullocks are intended for the Imperial Government. One of the funniest stories of the Kaiser appears in a Glasgow contemporary. It i gives a conversation which is said to have i taken place a few weeks ago between his Imperial Majesty and the Crown Piince. Willie: “ Father, who started the war ? i Was it the Emperor Joseph, or King George, or had the King of Bulgaria or the Sultan , of Turkey a baud in it?" “No, no, my ' son.” said the Kaiser, “ None of them had anything to do with it. There was a man , man named Rooseveldt came from America ( to see me. I let him see my great army, my great navy, my great guns, and my huge | stores of munitions. He gave me a pat on the shoulder, and said ‘ Bill, you can conquer the world,’ and I, like a blooming fool ( believed him.” The Belgians, although maintaining a correct attitude towards their oppressors, do not leave a single stone unturned to make them appear ridiculous. A young ’ woman entered a tram car, carrying on her corsage a cockade composed of the national ) colors of Belgium—black, yellow, and red. ’ A Prussian officer entered and sat opposite the young woman. His gaze resting on the 1 ribbon, he leaned over and told her that she would have to take it off. “ I will do ’ nothing of the sort, sir,” was the firm re- ’ sponse. ‘ Then I will take it off myself.” “ I defy you to do so!” The officer, coloring, i reached out and ripped off the cockade, i The end of the ribbon still remained on the woman’s blouse, and he tugged at it. The ribbon lengthened, but the end was not in 1 sight. With a gesture of anuoyauce, he tugged farther, and another yard of ribbon appeared. Purple with rage, the officer went on yanking, and yard after yard of ribbon unrolled, while a chorus of laughter rose from the other passengers. Finally, with a muttered curse, he dropped the ribbon and rushed out of the car. “ I can’t do it gentlemen; you can’t do it, and I defy any man to keep himself, his wife and children on £3 per week to-day and save any money,” said an assessor at the Conciliation Council at Christchurch when the butchers’ dispute was under discussion. “ You tell us we ought to save,” he continued. “ Well, I don’t drink, smoke or gamble, and the wife makes everything the children wear. Yet when my old mother died recently it took all my savings, amounting to £lO, to go north to attend her funeral. If that is the position to-day, when I am young and possessing health and strength—if I am unable to save to-day, although I am a competent tradesman—what is the position going to be 10 or 20 years hence, when I begin to get old and less valuable ? I say that I ought to be paid a wage now that will enable me to save sufficient to keep myself in rny old age. It can’t be done on the present wage, and the result will be that, despite our care, we will ultimately bo thrown on the State—otherwise, the ratepayers -and taxpayers. The employers should give us a reasonable wage.” If you want to erect yont own out building drop a note to T. F. Bowden Timber Agent, Queenstown, who will cut timber ready for erection and deliver same at Frank ton at lowest rates.-—Ad vt.

Thh year walnuts have commanded a (rood price at Ashburton. One resident gathered nuts to the value of £lO from one tree. A word to the wise is sufficient. Adam Smith’s mercery is far above all others, at lowest town prices. Honors have the disagreeable accompani' ment of honorariums. Recipients of knighthood have to pay .£9O, and Lord Melbourne refused the offer of the Garter because “ the expense of accepting the blue ribbon amounts to ,£1000.” One of our soldiers, wbo passed many a sleepless night in the trenches, was asked what he was going to do after the war. “What will I do?” he ruminated. “11l get two beds, and have a six months snooze, and I’ll sleep in the one bed while the other’s being made.” A record was established in the slaughtering department at the Finegand (Balclutha) Freezing Works on Friday last, when 1620 sheep were put through by the sixteen men, employed by the board. It might be mentioned that 1500 per day is considered good work. A lot of wool is being lost from the heads of people by the attrition induced from efforts to fill np the income tax returns, this year more maddening than ever (states a farmer at the Taranaki Farmers’ Conference). One feels inclined to say to the Government “ Here, conscript the lot and give us back as much as you can afford. The final figures in the Earlv Closing of Liquor Bars Referendum in Tasmania are as followC o’clock, 43,713 votes ;7 o clock, 427; 8 o’clock, 1,093 ; 9 o’clock. 1,871 ; 10 o’clock, 26,163 ; 11 o’olock. 560. Total valid votes, 72,817. Six o’clock thus had a majority of 12,609 votes over all the other hours. It may not be generally known that Lord Kitchener had a narrow escape from losing his life in the Uanawatu Gorge while on his visit to New Zealand some years ago. He and his party were motoring through the Gorge, when they came to a small bridge over a deep ravine which the county workmen were engaged in repairing. The bridge had been stripped of the decking, and the motor car was unable to pass until temporary repairs had been carried out. Lord Kitchener, with his practical knowledge of engineering, proceeded to instruct the workmen in a speedy method of replacing the decking. While so engaged,he happened to step on the end of a piece of loose decking, which tilted with his weight, and the great soldier had a narrow escape from being precipitated to the rocky bottom of the deep ravine. Lord Kitchener was said to have remarked at the time that “ he had had a close call.” Farmers save your money by buying your timber delivered at Frankton in lots to suit purchasers. For particulars apply T. F. Bowden, Timber Agent, Queenstown,— Advt.