GENERAL ITEMS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 74, 25 February 1918, Page 3

GENERAL ITEMS.

A presentation Ims been made to Trooper L. Draper a Hussar, ot Stevenage (Hertford, England), in recognition of the fact that on reaching his eighteenth birthday he. has three years and three months’ army service to his credit.

Early one morning a cyclist left Timai'U for Christchurch. It was still dark when he got to Winchester, and whilst passing the Park, along the main road, going at about 20 miles an hour, he ran into a thrashing plant which was stationary in the middle, of the road without lights. The -cycle was badly damaged. The rider for half an hour tried to find someone who was in charge of the plant, but without avail.

The Defence Department is erecting on the Otago Harbour Board’s property at Port Chalmers a sterilising plant for the treatment of blankets, mattresses, etc., after use on transports. The cost is not heavy only about £2OO, and the expenditure will be quickly made up in a saving of time and in getting the articles thoroughly cleansed withoutinjuring the fibre of the material. Possibly (says an exchange) the plant may be retained as an adjunct to the shipping arrangements at Port Chalmers after the war. Liners would no doubt find it convenient to make use of such a plant. The steam for the. steriliser is to come from the dock.

There was much amusement at Auckland’s expense at a gathering of the Early Settlers’ Association in Wellington, when the Hon. G, W-R-usell, in emphasising the need for local patriotism, remarked that one had to admire Aucklanders for one thing, anyhow. “Whenever you meet an Aucklander,” continued the speaker, “Auckland is it!-Whether .it is man, woman or child, should you name anything .Auckland has got something better; (Laughter.) I like to see that spirit.of local patriotism among people, hut sometimes it leads to amusing results.” The speaker went on to relate the story of a Canterbury resident whose eloquent discourse on the glories of moonlight on New Brighton Beach to a, visiting Aucklander was interrupted by the latter remarking in all seriousness, “Ah, hut yon might to see the. one wo have got at Auckland.”

fn connection with .a pupl (Mr. C, A. Fyfe) at the Canterbury Flying Sthool losing his way in the clouds on Saturday, Colonel Sleoman, T.G.S., has.written to Mr J. C. Mercer, assistant instructoi;, who .searched , fpiq and found Mr Fyfe, and piloted himhome, as followswish to place on record my appreciation of. the manner in which yon performed your duty on Saturday t , February 16th. The facts are these:—That a flying pupil, whilst carrying out portion of his examination test, became enveloped in a heavy mist, and found it impossible to locate the aerodrome. Your chief' instructor, Mr Hill, recognising the danger, sent you in pursuit. The conditions were difficult owing to the rain and heavy mist, and to the Fact that the pupil by this time, was going straight away in the direction of the Cashmere Hills. You carried out your duties excellently, finally gaining touch with the pupil and bringing him hack to the aerodrome successfully. In my opinion your action and the able manner in which you carried out the resuce duty should be placed on record in the flying school, as hut for your promptitude it is quite pos- ) sihle that a, serious . accident might have occurred.”

The organist of one of .the local Anglican churches scored very well off the ignorance of a critic a week ■or two ago (says the Auckland “Star.”) ITc had received an anonymous letter complaining that at an -important service the, “Te Dcuin” was debased by being sung to a “puerile, whirligig chant.” By way of reply, the organist wrote to the parish magazine, explaining first that he used the chant in deference to the expressed wish of the vicar, and had been glad to do so, because be considered that it was one of the simplest and most devotional that could ho found in the whole realm of music as a setting to the “Te Drum,” or any jubilant psalm. Further the chant had been used in the service of the church

since the time of Pope Gregory the Great (born in 540), under whose supervision it was one of the chants that was considered most fitting for ecclesiastical purposes'. It was also probable that, it bad been sung to the .pibilaut psalms in the time of King David; certainly it had been commended by authorities on. church music through the Middle Ages up .to modern times. Personally he was prepared to lot the congregation judge_ for themselves as to the relative values of the verdict of history and that of his anonymous correspondent.