LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17065, 18 August 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A^ meeting of the St. John's Hill STSeffith inst 0^011 " tO be held

It is stated that the Government has no intention of introducing legislation lowering the a^ of enlistment to 19. It is believed that the arrest of the rJ + Sm WOT on Thursday night by Consfeblea Wilson and (i'Donoghue was the first of its kind in the Don!

This week- two cases of comforts for £j s4 llors,, wei;6 Awarded to Wellington from the Wanganui Ladies' Auxii 1??*? r? Ed 266 blanket mufflers, 19 balaclavas, 13 pairs of socks, 9 pairs mittens, and

The .meeting convened by his Worship the Mayor for Monday evenin- ?« WV£ nnec%? wlfch the'forthcoming Red Cross "Our Day" appeal, has been postponed until the following Monday evening. The attention of all interested is directed to the official intimation m our advertising columns.

Mrs Lee-Cowie, known throughout Australasia as one of the foremost speakers on the No-License question" W1» Preach in the Baptist ClWoh. Inl gestre St., to-morrow morning, and in the Aramoho Methodist Church on feunday evening. Residents of Aramoho and Wanganui East should not miss the opportunity of hearing this talented and devoted lady, who is giving her time and strength to this "strength of tho nation" movement.

A rumour current in town yesterday that the lighter Morning Light had struck the bar while going outside was referred to the chairman of the Haii bour Board by-a representative of the •Chronicle." Mi- Bignell said tliac trom -inquiries he had made he understood that the lighter had met with some mishap to her engines only. He added that very careful soundings had been taken at the entrance of the river, and the present depth was not only most satisfactory, but better than had been experienced for a considerable time past.

Enthusiaseic workers have resorted to all sorts of devices to swell the patriotic funds, and many of them have proved thoroughly successful. In connection with the recent Belgian aud Servian effort, a rather happy idea occurred to Mrs. Jas. Laird, of Waitotara. Mr. Laird had built a very neat and serviceable little wheelbarrow, ■which he intended to donate for eaie at one of the stalls. Mrs. Laird, however, saw larger possibilities in it, and by the time she had got through Waverley and Waitotara with the barrow she had realised £9 ss. on it, to which a fiirthet £2 was added after it had been handed over to Mrs. "Jack" Gibson for her stalL in Wanganui on Wednesday. The . person who ultimately became the owner lias handed it back to Mrs. Gibson, who haus passed it on to another local patriotic organisation, by which, doubtless, it will be turned to good account in connection with the forthcoming "Red Cross "Our Day" appeal.

, Ihe respective hubs of a cart and a ara.y collided near Messrs Levin and Company's wool store yesterday afternoon, with the result that the driver o? the cart (a youth named Percy Gurney) was thrown on th c ground and rather badly cut about one of his'legs. Mr X Smith rendered first aid, and tno sulterer afterwards received medical attention from Dp Anderson

' kpecml farewell meetings will be iJeld at the Army Citadel on Sunday to Bandsmen G. Adams'and C. Janiee who are leaving for camp on the 22nd •use. lh e meetings are announced a* Hand Sunday; the bandsmen are taking the lead and sepecial addresses will be delivered by the farewellin" bandsmen and local officers of the band. A uearty welcome is extended to all. As a _ sequel to the exciting ai rest of a Chinese woman, Mrs Wong Chon fe , by Constables Wilson and O'Dcnoghue on Thursday night, the accused' a£. peared at the Magistrate's Court T £ S?i I ?*£> Messrs Cummiiwand Leneheld J.P. s, on a charge of breaking two lamps, valued at £1 55., the property of Ngan Kee and Co. The accused pleaded not guilty, and was re. manded until the 22nd mst. bail be. ing granted m two sureties of £50. The Qtago Labour Council lias *•- solved to endorse the action of tibe National Executive of the Federation of Labour in sending to the Prime Minister a letter of protest regarding the War Loan and the conditions attached thereto. The Council also- resolved to urge the Federation Executive to direct immediately concerted action throughout the Dominion against the methods of the Government in connection with the War Loan and endeavour to force the Government before tk* people.

A public meeting under the auspices of the Second Division League was held at Maria Place last night, the speakers being Messrs Slipper, Burnett, Ross Kogers- and Townsend. Mr Burnett also spoke from the stage of His Maiestys Iheatre, and received an excellent hearing. The speakers m the sneet explained the objects of the league, and although there were interjections, they had the full sympathy of their audience. During the evening: many membere of the I-eage were enrolled. .

. In the share application form issued m connectioin with a company now in process of flotation, an aplicant is required to fill in the necessary details mirier the three headings, "Name *' •Address," and "Description," theiatter^of ..course, referring to the occupation of the applicant. One would-bo pester, however, was evidently under the impression that something entirely different was required, and con' fifiqueiitly his form was embellished with a full personal description, his height, weight, complexion/and other characteristics all being faithfully recorded. Ihe only thing he omitted to deseribo was his occupation!

™ - 6 facilities I»r'telegraph* cominuiucation between the North and bouth Islands will be increased shortly the Government being a bout ■■to lav a new cable across Cook Strait from litahi Bay, a short distance north of Wellington, to a bay near the mouth or Queen Charlotte Sound. At present ther e are five cables across the strait, and there also is another cable from .Wangamu to Wakapuaka. The new cable will rest upon a much mere even bed than that of the other Strait cables, and it will be less affected by tidal influences. The cable, which wnl be laid for the Government by t,ie Eastern Extension Company, will' be a portiou of that now leading to Wakapuaka, and which is being taken up \,v tn e company owing to the closing-of the station at the latter place.

A vivid glimpse of the promptitude and enterprise with which the %M.. G.A. secretaries at the front pursue their task of ministering to the com- ? rfc £ f ithe me 3? Arll° ? re apfcually in the thick of it, is contained in a letter lately received from the front. The writer is a relative of Field Secretary Kay Baker, from Wellington, and the reference is to the recent offensive at Messmes, in which the New Zealand, ers so greatly distinguished themselves: "Talking of Ray," he says. "I forgot to mention, that the 'stunt* started in the early morning, and by eleven o'clock that morning the V.M.C.A. had a tea-buffet going in one of the German dug-outs on Messinee. Hill." As the writer comments: "Some affair, our N.Z. V.M.C.A., to follow ths men so closely in such a terrible battle, and to be. in a position to help them in the very .thick of it, is certainly an, achievement of which the Association may well be proud."

. If a burglar was found in the house, the average representative of the feminine ccx would probably qsiickly reacli a Bta.to bordering on hysteria. There are, however, exceptions. Yesterday, at the Magistrate's Court, a lady res* dent of Wanganui explained what she did on finding a nocturnal visitor on the premises. She set out to capture him, but a.badly scared burglar managed to get out into the yard. Tha lady followed hard on his tracks, and had a shot at him with a flower-pot, but the aim, to use the thrower's own expression, was unfortunately not true. The burglar then took a blind leap into the neighbouring yard, and one can scarcely blame him, under the circumstances, for his .quick method of departure. A man named Percy Faulkner was charged with, breaking and enterins the premises in question, and at the conclusion of the case he was committed for trial at the Supreme Court.

■ Referring to the shortage of shipping as discussed by the Dominion Executive Conference of farmers in Wellington, a speaker at the meeting of the Auckland Farmers' Union said it was considered that too many ports were open and visited by oversea boats. If only one port was. visited in these islands, it would result in a saving of many weeks each voyage, and would facilitate the shifting of produce from the country. One reason of the shortage, he aaid, was due to the fact that some time ago there was a very serious shortage of .grain in Britain. To save the situation every boat that could possibly bo commandeered was sent to Canada for a cargo of wheat and other cereals. Regarding the meat question, Mr Ross avsrred that many of the big men in the meat business had also much power in shipping circles. As a consequence the available space was utilised to their benefit, but at the ex* pense of Australasia* «