OTAUTAU.

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 27

OTAUTAU.

August -34. —A proposal is afoot to form a branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association here, end should this eventuate thero should be a fairly strong membership. Town Board Matters. —At the last meeting of the Town Board some very lively discussions ensued as to the advisability or otherwise of borrowing money for improvements to the town. Some of the younger members of our "city fathers" are strngly in favour of progressing, stating as their reasons that the town is not so heavily rated as some other municipalities, and that ratepayers ought to be prepared to pay more rates for the additional advantages to be derived by the raising of the loan. Tho older members, however, view matters in a different light, and are more inclined to conserve the money raised by the rates rather than borrow money for additional improvement* Bazaar.—The efforts of tho ladies of St. Andrew's Church, who have been busy for a long time making useful articles, culminated in a grand bazaar, which was held on Thursday and .Friday last in the Town Hall. Tho public, recognising that the object was a good one—the raising of funds to help' on the church, —turned out in large numbers,, and lent tho project their wholehearted support. The Rev. Cyprian Webb "(vicar) opened the bazaar, and explained the objects to which the money was to be devoted. Following -were the stallholders: — Work stall, Mesdames Lawless and Porteous; fancy, Mesdames Walker and Smyth; produce, Mrs Parry and Miss O'Brien;

lolly—Misses Evans, Usaher, and Dimmook; tee rooms, Mrs Grieve; coal mine, Misses J. Durham and Hilda Wall; shooting gallery, Sergeant-major White; and Indian dart throwing, Mr Geo. Parry, The hall was beautifully decorated for the occasion. Recreation Ground.—About 20 gentlemen turned up in response to an invitation on Wednesday, 14th inst., for the purpose of erecting seats and planting trees on the Kecreation Ground, and it is hoped to make this one of the beauty spots of the town in the near future. Amongst the improvements contemplated is the er 9£ tlo n <«, ft pavilion, which is to cost £2OO, £SO for which has been subsidised by the Football Club, £SO by the Progressive League, and a subsidy of pound for pound by the Town and Domain Boards. - , . P Church Matters.—The annual soiree ol the Presbyterian Church has been fixed tor Friday, 12th September.—On Sunday evening, 10th inst., the Rev. A. Macdonald gave another of his special addresses in the Church, entitled The, Jews: Their Dispersal and Their Restoration. The rev. gentleman stated that the Jews had been exiled from their own country, but had remained distinct as a nation, and although they Ijad been massacred and oppressed, they still retained their nationality, and managed to outlive it all. R was one of the greatest miracles m history how they had been scattered, without a Government, king, or national flag. No nation had produced greater men, and in every walk of life they monopolised the leading positions, and were among the wealthiest people in the world. The Zionist movement, which had for its object the repopulating of Palestine, "was a proof of this. Ic was a peculiar thing that the liberation of Palestine from the Turkish yoke should have devolved upon the British, and in the course of time we would see prophecy fulfilled, and the restoration of the Jews to their own land an accomplished fact.—ln the Methodist Church the Rev. T. Coatsworth is delivering some' interest ing addresses on -The Apostles' Creed," the first of these taking place on Sunday, 10th inst. Welcome Home.—The date for the next welcome home to a large number of our returned lads is set down for September 2. These popular functions will doon be drawing to a close, as the most of them have arrived home and settled down into their former avocations. Ball.—ln order to wind up "Paddy's Market" *the ladies of the Red Cross have de cided to hold a grand ball on Thursday, 21st inst., the admission being fixed at 2s 6d for gents and Is for ladies. Bayswater Embankment. —Mr Chas. "fljiomas, a returned soldier, was the successful tenderer for the erection of an earthen embankment and the raising of the old bank at Bayswater. This '.will, greatly assist the farmers of that. district in keeping the Aparima from flooding their properties, but will probably be" somewhat disastrous for Otautau.