TOWN EDITION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14392, 3 September 1917, Page 4

TOWN EDITION.

Mr. Ciia-. A. Bar lon. who is repotted to have been drowned whilst crossing a river in the Wangamii district, is a brother of Mr \V. A. Hnrton. S.M.

A party <>f (Jermnn prisoners weiv whitewashing the outside of tlu? lints in a. certain camp, under the. direction of a Oernian sergeant, who had been a I risouer in England for ov»r two years.' and incidentally spoke English perlectly. A British officer, passing through the lines, returned the sergeant's salute, and asked him how the work was going on. "Splendidly, sir." was the reply. "I fare you noticed, sir, what a much better class of men we are getting now compnr?d with those we used to get?" That ."we" wa.s distinctly precious.

About three o'clock in the afternoon, strawberry trains ran now be, seen unloading at London Bridge Station. It is hardly possible that the fruit can bn sold at Covent Harden market until, the following morning, and it will not reach the consumer until the afternoon. War conditions, lack of labor, and the difficulty of transport have robbed the people of "morning gathered" strawberries, as well at other luxuries. The fruit is taken from the railway waggons at London Bridge and loaded on the. vans by women porters.

Wonderful one-and-threepemvy lunclieons are being provided for employee.* at tho Government offices in London. The system of., luncheon clubs is enabling the workers to eat largely, as well as inexpensively. For example, the two thousand people employed at the Air Board Office, Hotel Cecil, wore given the choice, in their refreshment, club, of some half-dozen lunches, of which the following . is ■.a specimen: —

Consomme au petit ■ pois (why not- green pea soup?), 2-£d : roast sirloin of beef. 6^di; cabbage, l-£d ; bread, Id; boiled vice, l^d : boiled jam voll, 2d.. Total, Is 3d.

Additional .special prizes won in connection with tho surprise packet campaign are as follows : — Child's cot, E. Stead: Waltham wristlet watch, Mrs. C. .1. Scott: Tofam printing outfit, Mas. ter D. Neilson : vacuum cleaner, .T. C Harding : box dears, B. Gray ; E.P.N.S. t^a sot, ' Mrs. Mort: rimu table. T. Shean : school bag, Mrs. .T. Gordon ; Fnrr and Haul's special, Miss Fyson ; Rrpv;n'e camera' and outfit. Eric Bull : work ha-sket. Mrs. R. Stein ; case of oipos. Mi'. Worsnon : rase afternoon teaspoons. Master Limn; metal picture fvams. Master A. Allan; sewing machine. <!. Leslie (Patutahi).

"There is. in London to-day," writes a. London correspondent, "a very interesting New Zealand lady, Miss Maclean, daughter ;of Mr R. Douglas ;Mac- ' lean, of Hawke's Bay. , Miss Maclean has been eighteen months in France, most of which she has spent in assisting in a canteen run by some friendsAmerican ladies. Ho close was tho canteen in which she did her day's round to the firing-line that it was often within range of .enemy gun fire, and on . these occasions the women retreated into a dug-out. The canteen suffered on ooca r sion, and once' sonie of their men were killed. The canteen moved ■with the army. Miss Maclean was in a famous French town when, it had an aerial attack, and was right in" the thick of the bombing damage. In fact, were there no censor about Miss Maclean could a tale unfold. Xew Zealand, anyhow, can be proud of its part aii the way along the line, and of her women, too, as much in the fore-front of the-' firing line as any of our sisters from Home or other overseas, and XeAv Zealand's ties with La "Belle France have their support in her presence, too, as one of the few women doing- Mork so near the actual firing line with the 'French troops."

Writing lo a friend, Archdeacon 0. C. Harper, formerly vicar of St. Peter's, Wellington, now vicar of Newington, London, S.E., says : — '/We are (Bth July, 1917) just now being treated to a good dose of the enemy's frightfulness,. They have discovex-ed that they run less risk of loss and can kill more women and children and civilians generally by aeroplane raids in, the day time." This has often been done on coast towns and villages, but we. have yesterday had . our second visit to London of a whole drove of air machines. They apparently try to get the city at the lunch hour,' whoii the streets will b e fullest. But' they were a lot too soon. They looked like a flock (if wild ducks, or rather seagulls, as they did not fly in the wild duck formation. The wonderful , thing was to see how, when they appeared, everyone in the streets sought ■ shelteT, but as soon as they were gone:; work, etc., went on as calmly as ever. The 'buses and trams never stopped even when it was on. In the city litself the 'buses pulled up and let the passengers off for shelter, and they were not allowed to proceed by the police, but just outside (the city), while the people were ruahing for shelter, the^ 'bus and, tram drivers and conductors went straight on to their work. Really the English people aro a wonderful people. Of course, there is a good > deal of talk about reprisals, but I believe the majority of opinion is against them, and our lenders, I' think, can be trusted not to make us eternally ashamed." '