TOWN EDITION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14713, 19 September 1918, Page 6

TOWN EDITION.

( The health of Mr. A. L. D. Fraser, M.L.0., is at present causing his many friends some anxiety. At ithe Stipendiary Magistrate's Court this morning, before Mr. W. A. Barton, S.M., George Smith was granted a pawnbroker's license. , I Wheat is worth 4s 9d per bushel \n \ Australia, 8a 6d m America, and 10a 6d m England. All these prices are controlled. Advice has been received locally that Sergeant Cooper, of Auckland (formerly stationed at Whataupoko and Tuparoa as a police constable), iB seriously ill as the result of heart strain. Captain Bollons, of the Government steamer Hinemoa, who owing to illness left the vessel at Auckland on Saturday, had to enter a private hospital on Mon--1 day to undergo an operation that night. Flying-Lieutenant S. Dawson, son of Mr. Robert Dawson, Masterton, who re--1 cently escaped from Denmark, where he had been interned, has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for conspicuous brayry m connection with aerial fighting. Lieut. Dawson has cabled to Mr. Dawson that he and his three brothers, who are on active service, are well. . ! An incident that fs causing considerable comment m the Hutt Valley at the present time is one connected with the illness of a number of residents. Seven persons, who are not related m any way, were taken ill with violent pains, accompanied with gastritis. They each consulted the same medical man, who, strange to say, was affected m a similar , manner. The "flu," which is now taking whole nations m its grip, is undoubtedly the worst outbreak experienced since the remarkable epidemic of 1889-90 (says the . London. Daily Chronicle). There was hardly a. country m the iwh'o^e world , which then escaped, and it became epidiemic m places so far apart as China. Abyssinia. South Africa, Iceland, Australia, India. Canada and Central Africa. In fifteen* months, beginning with its undoubted origin m Siberia, it traversed the entire globe. Russia was the most ' j badiv hit. and it js related that m one Government department m St. Petersburg, out of 226 officials, 220 were I stricken down m one night. How a soJdier's wife spent his money while he was serving his country was related to Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., m the Magistrate's Court. Auckland,, when the wife sought a separation and maintenance order from her husband. After hearing the evidence, the Magistrate, m refusing to make a- separation' order, said the woman had apparent.lv znn* through over £500. and if she liked to spend) money like water she ivras not going io get any past maintenance from that Court. The case would be adjourned for a_ month m order to see whether the pension which the wife iwas drawing would be continued. If it was stopped defendant would, have to pay £1 per week maintenance. It is estimated that there is over £1,500,000 worth of wool m store m Napier and the prospect before the merchants of storing the coming clip is not very pleasing. AH the available storage has been taken up by the different firms. The Empire Theatre, Gaiety Skating Rink, Coronation Half and other suitable places have been leased for use as wool stores, the Hawke's Bay farmers are building a large brick store at the port and only recently a large local firm leased the small shed on the West Quay, near the Iron Pot, for the storing of wool at £5 per week. There has neen " some talk of the Government taking t, over the new shed on Jull wharf to relieve the pressure, but no official advice on the point is available. As there is practically no prospect of the wool being shipped m the near future, the dealers m wool are having a bad time. The fire risk is also great and two special constables are engaged every night guarding the golden fleece m the different, stores. The story of Claire Ferchaud, the wonderful girl prophetess of the war, was related by the Hon. T. M. Wilford during the course of a war lecture. "Claire Ferchaud," said Mr Wilford, "is a young girl peasant of twenty-two years of age — born m hilly, wooded country, which makes for meditation, m the parish of Loublaude. You readh there from the railway station of. Cholet, close to the border of Vendee. She is the seer and the prophetess of the war — a deeply religions girl, who has written works worthy of St. Thefese. At tho end of 1916 she announced to France that some of her most powerfnl politicians were plotting against her, but prophesied that they would speedily bo punished. The prosecution of the Bonnet Rouge gang, the execution of 8010, and the 1 imprisonment of Malvy, and that arch-traitor Caillaux followed. She warned the French generals that their front would be pierced when it was pierced. They all had announced that it would hold. The Bishop of Poitiers and the Arohbishop of Bordeaux have proclaimed her prophecies. President Poincare met her, . and a French general who won fame at VerI dun went to Loublade to consult her. Clemenceau, the present French Premier, met her. She asked him to recall General M , who had been m disgrace, and give him his command back, andi he would make good. General M was given his command, and stopped the Boche at Compiegne. She prophesied that the Italians would annihilate the Austrians at the Piave river and save Venice. This has come true. Soldiers swear. by her; generals consult her; and France awaits her pronouncement with every interest; while the Loublaude parish has become a place of pilgrimage." A world's record for a working bee was accomplished at Port Pirie recently by 2500 men, employed chiefly by the Broken Hill Associated. Smelters. Ten acres of land adjoining the township were transformed into a children's playground m a single day. Mr. C. C. Reade, town-planning expert, made the design, the land was £he gift of the Port Pirie Council, and the Broken Hill Proprietary Company provided all the material. For six weeks preparatory work had been going on. The bricklayers got the day off and gave up their pay so that they might put m the foundations of the central pavilion. The carpenters prepared the timber for tha kiosk, sheds, and pavilion. The ironworkers made 1 100 pair curved legs for the garden seats [m 100 minutes. The blacksmiths made ! heavy ornamental gates for the main and other entrances that would grace any park. Employers and officers labored with the rest. The general manager j worked with pick and shovel m one j group, while superintendents and heads lof departments took orders from shift j bosses. The playground was artistically i and elaborately laid out m separate sections for infants, junior boys, senior , boys, junior girls, and senior girls. Cotn--1 plete appliances m each section include ! eight sets of swings, 13 sets of see-saws, four see-saw ladders, six slides, two giant strides, two horizontal ladders, horizontal bars, Roman rings, two J wading pools of 30 feet diameter, two ■ sand piles, four rocking boats, three swinging hammocks, three box swings. There are open playing areas with pro- | vision for basket ball, baseball, and ' rounders. There is a sports oval with a track eight laps to the mile. In each of ;the five sections there is a shelter shed, ; and a sixth is intended for a quoit club. Later on a bowling green, a croquet lawn, and a tennis court will be proi vided.