LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 73, 23 February 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

“In this world crisis it does not urgently concern us if individuals squander their fortunes; hut every ounce of food saved will help to prevent starvation.” —National Economy Campaign.

A 191 b quinnat salmon was caught hy Mr Todd’s boat during the weekend on the Kelp Bank, eight miles east of Oamaru, on a cod line at a depth of about live fathoms. The bait used was a piece of barracoota.

An interesting fact mentioned by Professor Macmillan Brown in a lecture at Wellington on Monday was that in a grave in Ecuador there had been found a stone weapon the exact shape of a Maori mere.

A reservist who appeared before tlie Third Wellington Military Service Board last week has a patriotic

mother. She had four sons at the front, and the appellant was her fifth and last. She had written to say that she did not want him exempted. Mis place was at the front with the other men of the Empire.

“The Government has the ‘go-slow’ policy going, well in connection with workers’ homes,” remarked Mr A. N. Poison in his address in Wellington. Ho added that the Government provided only about one home a month, and he expressed the opinion that the scheme should bo enlarged to a considerable extent.

Speaking at St. Paul’s Schoolroom Wellington, Mr Holland referred to the conscription of Maoris, and wanted to know what pledge had been given to the Maoris in the Southern electoral. Was a promise given to Rua that he would be released if he would recruit among the Maoris What was Rua’s answer, and wffs he still in prison

It was mentioned before the Tnird Wellington Military Service Board that the cash trade of a butchery establishment in Wellington had nearly doubled during the war period. Four delivery carts out of ten had been withdrawn owing to shortage of labor, and last month 19,392 persons were served with meat in the shop. They paid cash and carried away their own parcels.

‘■l will challenge Mr Massey to come down next Wednesday night and speak from the same platform as myself. ... I will challenge him to come and prove he is a better man than I am putting up against him in Wellington North.” These words uttered by Dr. Thacker at Mr Poison’s meeting in Wellington on Thursday night, aroused considerable enthusiasm.

“How is 6 o’clock closing going to affect the union, ” writes Private J. McKenzie, formerly prominent in Wellington Labor circles, to the secretary of the Hotels Worker” Union. “I suppose it means cutting down the staffs of hotels and consequently a decrease in union, membership. It is quite certain that the soldiers do not favor the ‘reform.’ I do not think that sixteen men in the battalion could he found who would -be favorable to the change. Still, I suppose the war is as good as won, which is something to he thankful for.’ ’ A remarkable feat has been performed by a young Gisborne girl— Miss Dorothy O’Meara—in driving a heavy car about 1400 miles in a fortnight without a mishap. The party travelled from Gisborne to Rotorua via Opotiki, thence to Auckland, Waitomo Caves, Mokau, Mount Messenger JNew Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North and Napier, and then back to Gisborne. The worst road experienced was that between Napier and Gisborne. For a girl to manipulate a car along the tortuous road in the Motu hills is no mean achievei ment.

Dame Fortune is a freakish wench, she woos or jilts with callous partiality. Just '"before one of the recent big pushes in France, a Canadian Tommy received the news th£t the only relative he hod in the world had died and left him £50,000 (says London Opinion). He joyously passed the news along to his chnm, an Englishman, who was waiting by his side to go over the top. Then the thought struck him, what was to become of the money if his luck changed and he “stopped one ” So there in the muddy trench, he scribbled his will at the back of his pay-hook, with a stubby piece of indelible pencil, making his pal his sole heir. Sure enough the poor fellow’s luck turned. In the early hours of the day’s fighting he “went west,” leaving hi& friend the richer by a fortune.

A remarkable instance of the smallness of the world is shown by a postcard received by a Wellington resident. In 1913 this gentleman, accompanied by a friend, had an adventure with two whales, at Cable Bay, and the account of the affair was published in the “Wide World Magazine.” On Monday the postcard reached here, with the postmark “Irkutsk, Shelashinkovskaya, Siberia,” on it, and in good English, plainly written, was; ‘ ‘Having read with great interest the account of you and the Perdue’s adventure with two whales in September, 1913, while fishing, I should be very pleased to "know if It is true. Perhaps you would be kind enough to let me know. lam a very interested student of English. My address, is: “Irkutsk, Shelashnikovskaya, No. 13, Siberia.”

Speaking of native troubles in South Africa, Mr E. W. Evans, of Maritzburg, remarked (says the Lyttelton Times) that the disaffected natives had been enough to decide in conference that during the war they would hold their hand from anything that might embarrass ißritain in the conduct of the war, anu thev had strictly adhered to their pledge. The natives knew the Germans well enough to desire to have nothing to do with them, for the sphere of German influence wa~S just, near enough to make* itself felt. In German South-west Africa, among other atrocities, the Germans had entirely blotted out a tribe which turned out to he intractable and would not work. The strange thing was that in East Africa the Germans had induced the natives to do practically all the fighting for them. He had heard no satisfactory explanation of this fact, unless it was that the: natives had been terrorised.

An address from the Irish-Americans of Chicago to Mr Redmoqd, printed in The Times of December 29, conveys a sharp reminder to the Nationalists that the attitude of their kinsmen across the Atlantic has been completely changed by the entry of America into the war. These Irish-Americans have sent a large donation to the Nationalist funds because Mr Redmond, besides advocating Home Rule, has supported the cause of the Allies. They point out that any Irishman who tries to embarrass Great Britain at this time Is trying to embarrass America, “There is not a single honest and genuine Irish-American who does not stand behind the President and the American Government and the American people in this policy” of fighting a just war to a victorious issue. “The Irish people now have to choose between the enmity and the friendship of America.” The Sinn Feiners, who openly proclaim themselves the friends of Germany, are stabbing America in the back. This plain speaking from Chicago should, the Spectator suggests have a wholesome, effect in Ireland.

Giving evidence in the obscene language case at the Court yesterday, Mr J. McCluggage mentioned in reply to a question from the Bench that the older of the two young men was decidedly under the influence of liquor, but he did not state the condition of the younger man. Mr McCluggage desires that this explanation be published as it was not made clear in our report of the case.

' A special meeting of the Strat%rd Municipal Band will be held at the practice room on Monday evening.

' The report of the Inter-State Commission on'the price of meat in New South Wales states that the price of beef increased sixty-one per cent., and mutton sixty-eight per cent, since 191-1.-—Sydney cable.

A meeting is to be held at the Defence Office on Tuesday next, for the purpose of making arrangements for fhe holding of a social reunion of returned soldiers For some time there has been a feeling that the returned soldiers of the district should be better organised, and it is hoped that arising out of the proposed reunion some organisation mar result.

States the New Zealand Times: In the course of Mr Poison’s address at Molesworth street on Thursday evening, a question was asked relative to the proposed trip of Mr Massey to England. The' answer of Mr Poison was perhaps a little unexpected. It was as follows:—“Mr Massey cannot go Rome if I am elected because he would be in a minority of one. He would have to go to the country, and that is exactly what we want.”

Cardiff Notes.—The Cardiff School held its annual picnic on Thursday last in fine weather, when there was a ( good’ attendance, and the children had a* most' enjoyable day. The programme comprised children’s races, jumping, and ladies’ and gents’ races, the latter two events being keenly contested.. In the evening the Cardiff dance committee held an enjoyable dance, when Mr C. H. Fox supplied the music, and Mr A. O’Sullivan acted as M.C.—The Waingongoro School picnic is to be held on Friday next, and given' fine weather there should he a large gathering.—Mr W. Richards, who has been confined to his home for a few days, is able to move abbut again.—(An extraordinary meeting of‘shareholders in the Cardiff Dairy Co. is to be held on Monday evening to consider the advisability of erecting a new 1 factory in concrete. There is sure to he a good deal of discussion on .'the question. Some shareholders think the present factory will do until after the war, while others hold that it is time we had a new and more up-to-date factory. Our correspondent is of opinion that the former will win the day.

Miss C. W. Christie will lecture in the Medina Tea Rooms to-morrow (Sunday) .at .7 p.m. upon “National Karma, past, present, and future.’ Those who see in this great struggle something more than the clash of commercial interests would do well to attend. This lecture has drawn crowded attendances wherever delivered, ‘ and there will be no doubt that the same will prove to be the case to-morrow evening.