FANCY DRESS BALL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 75, 4 March 1916, Page 3

FANCY DRESS BALL.

PLUNKET NURSE SOCIETY FUNCTION. A KALEIDOSCOPE OF COLOR. A very successful children's fancy dross dance was held i" the Town Hall las) evening under tlio nuspiQOK of the local Plunkel Nurse Society. There were about two hundred children present and the entertainment opened with a grand marcli in which ; ,1| the young people participated. The inarch was a very spectacular one, n s the children looked charming in their dainty fancy dresses. The children's dance concluded with- a grand marcli at 9 o'clock, after which supper was handed round. The adults had the l! "" 1 ' r, '" m !) o'clock till midnight and a most enjoyable evening was spent by all present. Mrs Riera and Mr R. Cottier, assisted by other local musicians, supplied the music for the dance. THE FOURTEENTHS. The members of the Mth Reinforcements who go into camp on Monday, were present as guests of the Society. His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. W. Boon) in his opening remarks said lie was sure all present were pleased to watch the little children enjoying themselves. It was a delight to see so many smiling, happy laced children. The speaker said it behoved parents to see that their children were sound in body and mind. The IMunket Society had under its charge certificated nurses, who had made as special study of children's hoaitli. One <*f these nurses visited Stratford every week. At a time like the piesent, the fact was brought borne to nil that every every child was an asset to the State, and the Plunkefc Society was to be congratulated on the splendid work it was doing in striving to ,-nise the standard of health of the children who would soon he looked to to defend the country.

In bidding good-bye to the men of the 14th Reinforcements, the speaker said it seemed no time s ince the Ist Reinforcements went into camp. Fifty thousand men were now at the I rout or in training, and many were enlisting at the present time who ware unable previously on account of ties. Now that the new recruiting scheme had been brought; in, there were many men who were waiting to be called on. and no doubt the members of the committee would call on every single man in the Borough. A- the scheme had been inaugurated by the Government, it was the duty of every responsible citizen to be loyal and carry out the scheme. In conclusion, Mr Roon said be hoped the men of the Mth Reinforcements would see active service, or no doubt they would be disappointed. He hoped Iftey would be spared to return to New Zealand sale and sound. Mr Boon bade farewell to Captain Iline, who is going into camp with the Kith Reinforcements, and said there was" no doubt that _ the "Sixteenths" would have a reliable

officer. Mr W. P. Kirkwood. chairman oi the Patriotic Committee, in his ofX'ning remarks, complimented the promoters on the manner in which the children were turned out. both as

regards costumes and deportment. In bidding farewell to Captain Hine, lie said. the member for Stratford was practically making the same sacrifices as were made by thp late Colonel Malone, and. be had no doubt that the people in Mr Hine's constituency appreciated his action in deciding to join the Kith Reinforcements. In saving farewell t« the men. the

speaker said, he felt sure they would uphold the honor of Taranaki. Taranaki had nothing to be ashamed of, but- everything to be proud of, both in the matter of men sent to the front and of always providing the full quota of men asked for from the district. Up to the present some 36.000 men had gone forward from the Dominion and something in the neighbourhood of 12,000 are now in training, making a total of over 50,000. Just how many men the. Dominion would ultimately *oiu\, he did not think anybody knew, not oven the Defence Department, but he fully believed that Xew Zealand would continue to send men as long as possible while the war lasted. A new recruiting scheme of substituting recruiting committees for the honorary recruiting officers for the district, had been instituted. Whether the Government was right Or not in their decision in this direction, it would not be politic to discuss, and every assistance possible .should be given in an endeavour to make the scheme a -success. Dilfercnees. and difficulties always arose in committees', and this would appear to be accentuated at the present time of strife. Personally,, be had bis own differences and difficulties, but he did not propose, at this stage, to air them. At a suitable time he would have them settled to his own satisfaction, hi finally saying farewell, or rather au revoir, to Captain Hine, and the members of the Mth Reinforcements, he wished them the best fortunes of war, and hoped that it would be possible for them all to return to the district again. Mr C. D. Sole, a member of the Recruiting Committee, said it was the intention of the committee to wait on every man who was lit and enlist him. The pl(W;sf>niedically unlit would be decided 'by the' doctor, and all so, turned down would receive a badge. He appealed to the women to help theln. , The influence of tin; women of Stratford was great, lie said, and he asked the women and men of Stratford to see that no more recruits left our town without a suitable send off. If the first main body were heroes, how much more so were the reinforcements who now knew what they were up against. Mr Sole, on behalf of the Recruiting Committee thanked Mr Kirkwood for his kind remarks to the new body and gratefully accepted his offer to do what he could to assist them. After congratulating Mr J. 15. Hine and the 1 Itii Hoys, he said he trusted they would come back again lit and well. CAPTAIN HIXK. M.P. Mr J. 15. 1-line, member for the district, in his opening ivmarks said he much appreciated the speeches of the several speakers, and tiiat. while he was ,L>;oing away to join the loth Reinforcements, he wished to make it plain and state so openly, that he was not doing it with the greatest pleasure in the world, and that he was actuated only by a sense of do-

ing his duty. He desired to thank all for the many kindnesses during ill' 1 number of years that he had represented them ill Parliament. It was the fact of being their representative that had given him many of his opportunities, of which his going away with the reinforcements was one. The speaker said that in his opinion every man who was lit and able to serve, without undue responsibilities, should voluntary offer to join the Dominion's forces for the front. He would like, if possible, to have a quota of men from the Stratford district under him in the Mounted Rifles which he was joining. .Mr Hine said that while he was away on active service .Messrs Okov and Wilkinson would attend to any request made by his constituents, as both gentlemen bad offered to act on his behalf while he was away. He hoped he would return to the district sound in body and take up his labours again as the people's representative.