LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Northern Advocate, 19 July 1915, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Popular Concert by the Whangarei Orchestra Town Hall, July 21. Tickets 2s and Is. Box pian at Chissell's* It is expected the Financial Statement will be brought down this week. The National Reserve drill competition held in Wellington on Saturday was won by the Hataitai section. question of a National Ministry is to be further discussed on Wednesday by the Opposition, but indications are not favourable to the aci ceptance of Government terms. Thomas Marshall was fined £ I to-day at Whangarei by Mr E. Page, S.M., for breaking the terms of his prohibition order. He was found on licensed premises in Whangarei on Saturday. The sacred concert given by the Whangarei Municipal Band last night attracted a large attendance at the Britannia Theatre. Interest was centred in the selection "Poliuto," which was played by the Band in the recent demonstration in Auckland. Mr E. Bryant sang "Th 6 Holy City," and Mr C. Bryant, by request, played "The Rosary." The other items of the programme wer e in keeping with the usual high musical standard which marks these concerts.

Mayor of Dargaville (Mr McLean), has wired to the Minister of Defence saying: "When will next batch of reinforcement leave Dargaville? Delay is causing serious loss and inconvenience to recruits and unless arranged more satisfactorily than at present will handicap recruiting in this district. Understand non-commissioned officers and men are taken from Whangarei district and yet full quota from this district held back. Some men have now been waiting- for months in this district."

The funeral of the late Mrs F. B. Smith on Saturday afternoon was attended by every mark of widespread respect. The husband of the deceased lady being a prominent officer of the Druidic Order, members of the fraternity joined the cortege, wearing funeral regalia. The employees of Messrs Smith and Woodman, coachbuilders, attended to pay their respects, and kindred trades were also well represented. The interment took place at the Kioreroa cemetery, the Rev. Father Bowen officiating. There were many beautiful floral emblems. Mr Henry H. Hall, a well-known American journalist, gives the following graphic little pen-picture of the King of the Belgians:—As a man King Albert is ' magnificent. There is no other word. He !s head and shoulders taller than 90 per cent, of his soldiers. He stands fully three inches over six feet, and his closely-fitting black tunic, without insignia of rank of any kind, gives him and air of slimne3S despite the immense breadth of his shoulders. This is accentuated by a pair of the longest and most serviceable legs I have ever seen. At first one does not realise that he has a giant's strength, even more than a giant's stature. Few men, however, are as powerful physically. The brake levers of all his cars have to be specially reinforced. He can bend an inch bar of iron and can lift his two eldest children off the ground, one in each hand, and hold them at arms length. One is a lusty boy of fourteen, the other a beautiful girl of ten. And this splendid physique is kept in perfect form by his almost ascetic method of life. He drinks nothing but water, and eats meat only once a day.