TOWN and COUNTRY

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 228, 26 April 1933, Page 4

TOWN and COUNTRY

Second-hand Dealers’ Licenses j Two second hand dealers’ licenses i were granted at the. last, meeting ot ; the Stratford Borough Council one 1 to Mr. Stuart: lilair and one to iiodle j Mros. Ltd.

Governor's Relief Scheme The Stratford Borough Council decided at Monday night s meeting to receive donations of either cash or vegetables on behalf of the GovernorGeneral's appeal for the assistance of unemployed.

Requiem Mass 1 Requiem Mass for all those who j laid down their lives for their conn- i try in the world war of J!)l 1-11)18 was ■ conducted at the Stratford CatholicChurch yesterday (Auzac Day). The Mass winch was largely attended was celebrated by Rev. Father IT ans. —■ 1 Appreciation Appreciation of the activities of j the Stratford Library Committee was . expressed at Monday night’s meeting i ot the Stratford Borough Council. Cr. j jti. Trotter said that members of • ,h© committee spent a large amount i (, one in painstaking endeavour to; improve the institution. Official Closing Day The official closing day of fhe Avon ; Bowling Chib will take place tomor-! row (Thursday) afternoon. The season j has been prolonged as much as possible by players, but the colder snap and the imminent approach of more wintry conditions, has had the effect of gradually decreasing the number of regular bowlers on the green. A good muster is expected tomorrow, however, thus bringing the season to a successful conclusion.

Electricity Revenue At Monday night’s meeting of the Borough Council, the Town Clerk (Mr. Philip Skoglund) .stated that for (he year ended March 31, the electricity department’s revenue had amounted to £12,000, and it had been considered necessary to write off as “had debts’’ only £l2. Councillors remarked on the highly satisfactory position thus disclosed, and it was mentioned that the amount written off was an extraordinarily low percentage of the total revenue.

Thursday Hockey Teams The following players will represent, the respective senior and junior teams of the Stratford men’s hockey club in competition matches to-morrow (Thursday): Seniors v. Tariki, at Tariki. cars leaving White's corner at. 1.45: Sharrock, Young, Kendrick, Hall, Currie, Jury, Walker, Adam, McJ lines, Clements. Juniors v. High School B, at Victoria Park commencing at 2 p.m.: Hceffren, Vincent, Cutfield, Sayers. Skuse, Wuncli, Claridge, Jury, Thompsoil, Thomson, Gage, Boyle.

Artznc Wreaths Many admiring' comments have been made in connection with the display of wreaths and flowers hung in the. long entrance arcade ai (he Municipal Buildings in commemoration of Anzac Day and its honour of lire fallen. Yesterday afternoon and last evening the arcade was visited hy a large number of residents, many of them relatives of the men whose photographs were decorated with the wreaths. The arcade was lighted last evening and under the effects of the illumination the sight was most spectacular.

Flower Show A flower show and sale of work will he held in the Town Hall on Tuesday next, under the auspices of the St. Andrew’s Church. The function promises to be one of large interest to the public, ns the exhibits include blooms, floral decorations, cookery, sewing, vegetables and other fruits ol home industry. At M p.m. a bahv show will ho hold and large entries for tlrs event are indicated. In the evening, commencing at eight o’clock, a variety entertainment will be presented and will include humorous speeches and selections by Mr. C. H. Rogers’ orchestra of 10 instrumentalists.

Councillors Entertained The term of the present. Stratford Borough Council which has extended over the past two years was brought to a conclusion on Monday night following the last meeting of the council. Councillors gathered in the Medina Tea Rooms, where they partook of the hospitality of His Worship Ihe Mayor, Mr. Percy Thomson, who unfortunately and unavoidably was absent in Dunedin. Cr. R. F. Harkness presided. Members of the Domain Board, oillcers of the council and Ihe press were among those present and a short toast list was honoured, interspersed by stories from experienced raconteurs. Mention was made of the loyalty of the entire borough staff, and it was emphasised that each members of the staff had the object at heart of doing his utmost to further the ini ('rests of the borough.

Civic Pride ! The untidiness of the properties of. :i number of Stratford citizens was, deprecated at. a function on Monday j night at which borough councillors I and borough ollicers were entertained, following the concluding meeting ol j (he term. In mentioning the matter j C’r. R. F. II ark ness said that, a sense . of civic pride should he instilled j into those residents who did not take; enough interest in their town 10 keep j their own properties neat and tidy.j lie referred particularly to hedges and fences and the fact that in many! places rubbish dumps were plainly j seen from the footpaths. The need_ torn such a body as a Beautifying Society, was patently obvious, although he j ];new that tile society was now detuned. ; Apart from that, however, he wished In stress thi' fact that a little more ( interest in the appearance of their j properties on the part of citizens t would greatly enhance the general, appearance and appeal of the borougu. I The remark of Cr. A. H. Mel-me: toui have not been down our s'reid tel, was iu accordance with the peasant spirit of the function. j

ANZAC DAY SERVICE

Stratford Citizens Assemble; I honour of the fallen i SOLDIERS | Stratford citizens assembled in large numbers at the Town Hall on \nzac Dav and honoured in simple j hut impressive style the memory of, lho fallen dead —men of noble heart j who made the supreme sacrifice m j tho Great War of 1914-18. The building was packed, the attendance numbering about 800. lu the unavoidable absence of His Worship the Mayor (Mr. Percy I Thomson), Or. R. F. Darkness pre-1 sided. With him were Rev. T. Skusc j (Methodist), J. terian), Rev. Canon Beale (Holy i i Trinity Church) and Colonel L. H. | ! Jardine (president of the R.S.A.). The | | chairman apologised for the absence j ! of the Mayor, who had been called to j i Dunedin owing to the illness of his j : uncle, and Rev. Skuso tendered an | I apology for the unavoidable absence; ;of Ensign Taylor, of the Salvation | , Army. . . j j Arrangements made by the nut nun- j : pal authorities provided for the seij vice to ho held as usual in Victoria I j Park, but owing to the bleak nature J 1 of the weather it was decided to hold; | the service indoors. A parade preceded the service, and , ! headed by the Municipal Band march-! ! ed from the Malone Memorial Gales | 1 at the entrance to King Edward Parle j i by Broadway and Regan Street to the : Town Hall. Following the band was j a body of men—the returned soldiers i and a sprinkling of South African vet- ! crans, numbering about 70 in all —many i of them maimed and scarred, others | still with the upright bearing of the j i soldier, but all men who have fought j for the freedom of their country and ! unconsciously covered themselves in 1 glory of a great lustre. A company jof Stratford volunteer Territorials, , numbering over 30, by their familiar i khaki uniforms, lent an extra milii tary touch to the procession. A j smart troop of Boy Scouts, numberi ing about 45, follwed, with a com- ! pany of 25 Girl Guides and a similar ; number of cubs bringing up the rear. | Prior to the commencement of the ! procession, Colonel Jardine assembl--1 ed the returned men and remarked j his pleasure at the large number pre- | sent. He thanked them for their j attendance. “Lest We Forget” i A feature of the observance of the ' day was the display of wreaths hung I on the memorial gates at both King ’ Edward and Victoria Parks, and in

' the Arcade constituting the entrance! ■ to the Stratford Municipal Chambers. | 1 ■ A display of wreaths and flowers, ex-1 i traordinary in variety and colour, was | I set off with the significant motto, ■ j “Lest We Forget,” formed in flowers | i and hung at the end of the Arcade, j | Among the wreaths, made by a mini- I , her of Stratford ladies called together 1 | by the Mayoress (Mrs Percy Thom- | | son) hung the photographs of those i i men of (lie Stratford district killed in i i action and those who died as a re- | ! suit of wounds received in the theatre I | of war. The Service I The first hymn of the service at i , the Town Hall, “God of Our Fathers,” - I was led by the chairman and was fol- 1 : lowed by prayer offered by Canon ] j Beale. Rev. McGregor read a portion j | from the Scriptures, including verses i ■ from Chapters 12 and GO of the Book : j of Isaiah. I “Onward Christian Soldiers” was ! | conducted by Canon Beale, followed i 1 immediately by Rev. Skuse’s address, j

The well-known hymn, “O God Our i Help in Ages Past,” was followed by ! the Benediction pronounced by Canon > Beale. “The National Anthem” was | sung by the gathering, and the “Last i Post” was sounded effectively by i Bandsman Elliott, of the Municipal | Band, thus bringing the service to a j conclusion. The accompaniments lor! the singing of the hymns were played i by the Municipal Band. A Message to Mothers ;

“In preparing myself for today's service,’’ said Rev. Skuse, in’ opening his address, “I have been struck by the association of Paul’s passage from Asia to Europe with that of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces to Gallipoli at the outbreak of the war. You that sailed to Gallipoli sailed the same waters as that groat man of God. He went into the Western world with his mission and landed in the same colony as the Anzacs. He went because he felt that God had sent him. Today 1 have a message that 1 believe God wishes me to deliver. 1 have come to the conclusion, too, that 1 should give something that has not been given before, and sound a note that has not been heard before at such gatherings as this. I remember that at an Anzac dinner live or six years ago a major addressing several hundred soldiers sounded a note similar to (hat I intend to sound today. It was not we but our mothers who suffered most during the war, he said. He backed up Ins statement with good arguments, and I believe that the soldiers present believed he spoke the truth. “I believe,” continued Rev. Skuse, “that my message should he to the mothers of the soldiers —those present and particularly those who did not come back. Anzac Day is a day of memories and no wounds are as bad as old wounds. The aim of the service, however, is not to irritate those wounds but to soothe the unhealed sere. I would remind you that there is no place where earth's sorrows tire felt so much as in Heaven, and no place where our failings are more mercifully judged, for our Father is essentially kind. And the love of God is broader than man’s mind. May the God of all goodness comfort you and give you peace. Protest Against Armaments

“1 want (o raise a protest,” went on the speaker, “against the settlement of international disputes with sword, shot and shell. During the war thousands of soldiers wrote, ‘Wall’s hell!’ The wrongs of the world can never be put right by means so devilish. The millions of fallen soldim's. the cream of earth’s manhood, cry, ‘War is wrong!’ The voice of their blood cryelh unto heaven against such monstrous iniquity. We remember, 100, the words of our Lord, in whose name we meet today: *1 came not to destroy but to give life

incl to give it in abundance.’ To real.se this abundant life we individual and national security, bi this cannot be brought about by ai maments. Armaments trust on the other side. Arm* create counter armaments. Whert bcr;nany armed against France, _ armed against Germany. When Gemany built a greater navy Biitam built more warships. Thirdly, armameuts create counter armamei , worse than the world has yet known. The air will be polluted, poison gas will hang over towns and cities and humanity doomed in °ne day sentenced to death by armaments. Wasted Manhood “There is plenty of evidence for such a sweeping statement. Take tor instance, the wasted manhood of the Red Indian tribes of North America. Prior to the advent of the white roan they destroyed each other to such an extent that they were a wasted peopleLongfellow tells in his song of Hiawatha the words of Gitche Manito, the Mighty, addressed to the gathered tribes: — , “I have given you land to hunt m. ‘1 have given you bear and bison, T have given you roe and reindeer, T have given you brant and beaver, ‘Filled the marshes full of wild fowl, ‘Filled the rivers full of fishes. ‘Why, then, are you not contented? ‘Why, then, will you hunt each other?

‘I am weary of your quarrels, ‘Weary of your wars and bloodshed, ‘Weary of your prayers for vengeance, ‘Of your wranglings and dissensions. ‘All your strength is in your union, ‘All your danger is in discord. ‘Therefore be at peace henceforward, ‘And as brothers live together. T will send a prophet to you, ‘A deliverer of the nations, ‘Who shall guide and shall teach you, ‘Who shall toil and suffer with you. ‘lf you listen to his counsels, ‘You will multiply and prosper. ‘lf his warnings pass unheeded, ‘You will fade away and perish.’

“The prophet and deliverer of whom Longfellow spoke was Jesus Christ," said the speaker. “To Give Life Abundantly.”

Reverting to incidents of war, Rev. Skuse said that during an air raid over London, thousands of people were flocking to the underground railways for shelter. A crammed tram-car was making its way thence when a falling bomb struck it and exterminated in one fell sweep many human lives. Two men witnessed the tragedy. “That’s the result of your Christianity after 2000 years," said one. “No,” said the other. “That is the refusal of man to accept the teachings of Christ for all those years.”

The Lord and Saviour of us all,”

said Rev. Skuse, in conclusion, “begs humanity to turn from their ways and follow Him. The dream of the Prophet is one of the unfulfilled prophesies of Scripture. Our Lord stresses, ‘1 am not come to destroy, I am come to give , life abundantly.’ That call still rings clear down the ages to us to-day. ‘Follow me.’ ”

The Stratford Municipal Band under the conductor, Mr. H. McCaskill, beaded the procession and accompanied Hie hymns. On the march through the town the band played the march. “Wairoa,” and at the hall the hymns, ‘'‘Eternal Father, 1 ” "Onward Christian Soldiers,” ‘0 God Our Help in Ages Past,” and the National Am them.