HALCOMBE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11667, 12 September 1916, Page 2

HALCOMBE.

From Onr ..Own Correspondent. As a sonlees old man, it is with mingled feelings that I warmly congratulate Mr and Mrs H. Prcye upon the receipt of a cablegram informing them that their only son, Lieut. Eric Dakeley Pryce, D. Battery. 105th Howitzer Brigade, 23rd Artillery Division, has been awarded the Military Cross. It is more than sufficient tp make the heart palpitate with pride and thankfulness. Claiming “Eric” as a Halcombo soldier lad, to all of whom I’m known as, “Dad,” X share those sentiments to the full. Eric D. Pryce is only 2B years of age. is a boy he attended the Marton Huntly School and the Wanganui Collegiate School and of both institutions he became “Prefect” after which Eric went to the dear old Homeland and .entered Christ’s College, Cambridge. He, was there ;jr§t twelve month's "ben war Was declared. Being a member of King Edward’s Horse finding tbat there was no immediate prospect of the mounteds being ordered to the front, onr young hero applied tor and obtained a commission in the Royal Field Artillery, and went with that fine.force to the French front on August 29tb, 1915, and n«w after twelve months’ active service Eric D. Pryce has received this enviable distinction in recognition of some special service, the nature of which is not yet known. May our soldier boy return to his parents and to ns fit and unscathed, with his honours thick upon®him, is the sincere wish of every patriotic person in this district, who thinks, reads and understands.

Not long since when some of onr boys wpfg leaving the railway station for the front " ati o jd man might be seen” pinning buttonholes to their khaki coats. Said bile of the recipients, with aq infectious tremolo in his voice, ‘‘Dad, those beautiful flowers will wither and ule; should I die at the front or elsewhere, their remains will he found with mine. If I return they will return with me.” “Romantic smoke” some will say*. Let ’em. I know it’s the sort of smoke that dims old eyes and starts their owners blinking and thinking. Mr Grant Thorby, who is in N.S.W., in search of hralth restoratives —which we all hope he will soon nficl—thoughtfully sends me interesting “notes, 1 ’ “clippings” and the Sydney Morning Herald. The latter devotes most ot its reading space to the reception of the Hon. W. Hughes. Grant says 421-8-16): “This is a great day in Sydney, 1 went to the Town Hall, but it was crowded long before the guest arrived. The crowd was immense—4o odd thousand. The Federal Prime Minister is the man of Australia today. ” In welcoming him home the Lord Mayor said: “Our right honourable friend is not only the most colossal personality that the pub - lie life of Australia has produced, but is to-day one ot the greatest men in the British Empire. This is no extravagance of language on my part for one of the world’s greatest statesmen, Mr Lloyd George, speaking at Conway on May 16tb, referred to Mr Hughes as one of the most distinguished champions of liberty in the Empire, whose name was not merely a household word throughout the British Empire, but whose speeches had been ringing through Europe and had been a source of inspiration to the Allies. Mr Hughes’s prescience and intellectual vision were illustrated by the celebrated address delivered by him nine years ago in the Carlton Hall, London, with the late Lord Roberts in the chair, in favour of compulsory military training. Lord Roberts was then crying in the wilderness, endeavouring to awake Britain from her lethargy and smug complacency.” Mr Grant Thprby also sends me a photo of an Ana tralian flag upon which our famous war leaders and statesmen have placed their autographs. The olfer of £4OOO for it has been refused, and its owner, Mr P. W. Tewkesbury, expects to make this flag the foundation of a £50,000 raffle. Quite an interesting account of how and where the signatures of the twenty odd celebrities were obtained accompanies the .picture. When obtaining Earl Grey’s autograph that statesman expressed the opinion that the war would last another twelve months. He described the periods of the war ns “one year of preparation, one year of conflict, and one year of victory.” There are two vacant stars in the flag. One is reserved for the autograph of the King of Italy, and the other for that of the King of Belgium. Tickets for the raffle are to be sold at 2s each. The money realized is to be used for the benefit of permanently incapacitated Australian soldiers. Mr Allen Campbell, of Stairway, has received a letter from his nephew at the West Front, in which that aoldier boy tells of a raid his company made upon the enemy, and in which another Halcomhe boy-—Her-bert Wishnosky—of the 10th Reinforcements, was also engaged, and how they returned with six prisoners, a number of Tin hats” and other trophies of the fight, which will.be reserved for exhibition and distribution “when we return.” May it be soon, for I want to be with them then, A. heavy downpour of rain created a network of silver streams which formed a charming contrast to the vivid green of the rapidly growing grass. Later in the afternoon Halcombs was gently tickled with the tail end of a thunderstorm. Several paragraphs, together with sensible editorial comments upon the effects of “Anti-Shouting,” have recently appeared in the columns of this paper. Knowing of the social side of the “drink habit” 1 predicted a large reduction of liquor consumption, bat I had no idea that it would be so big. A friend ot mine who was in "Wellington a few weeks ago was surprised at the apparent effect that this prohibition had upon the public bar trade of the various hotels that he was accustomed to stay at and visit in the city, and he made it his business to obtain first baud information upon the subject, and he tells me that us the result of his enquiries and observations he is satisfied that sales ot liquor at the bar have been reduced fully fifty per cent. Quite a large number of euchre players .. competed for prizes at the tournament on Friday night, when Miss Paranihi won the Indies “first,” and Miss Thomas the laumo ‘last.” Mr Stanley Morrison secured first place among the gentlemen 09mpelitofs, and Mr Thomas was awarded the booby belt. The dance that followed was also a great success. Forty odd couples moved to the music kindly supplied by Mrs Jerdon, Mrs Peft'ers and Miss Paranilii. These popular entertainments in aid of oar School Fund will"he continued on Friday nest.