LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17077, 3 September 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The names of the First Division reservists draivn in the current ballot will be publiihed in to-morrow morning's "Chronicle."

The boys taking part in the interprimdry school football tournament at Palmerston North received an official welcome on Saturday.

Whilst on the Whenuakura beach on Wednesday last, Mr H. J. Southcombe picked up a lifebuoy belonging to the ijl-fated lighter Dorset.

As thft result of the entertainnieut last week by the junior pupils of the Wanganiu Girls' College, a sum of .-€34 19s Id was realised for the Church Army hutments fund.

Locknor, formerly manager of Ford's peace agitation, when attempting to organise a mid-Western peace convention at Hudson, Wisconsin, was driven out of the town by the indignant residents. Other cities, including Milwaukee, threaten eimilar action.

At the morning and evening services held in the Ingestre St. Baptist Church yesterday, the 35th anniversary gathering of the Sunday School was announced to take place on Sunday next, the 19th inst. The speaker for the day will be the Rev F. B. Forde-Carlisle, of Palmerston North. Further reference will be found in our advertising columns.

After a long absence, the steamer Baden Powell is to resume running in the Wellington-Wanganui trade.

The New South Wales wool-growers have been notified by the State Wool Committee to hold back all wool until the overseas shipments become normal.

As showing the popularity of the new varieties of wattles growing about Wanganui, a Wairarapa gentleman, a member of the Military Appeal Board, when in Wangah.ui recently was so charmed with them that he has asked that a complete collection be.sent to his place. The public of Palmerston North are taking a deep interest in the.movement ior the establishment of the Y.W.C.A. Hostel, and so much assistance has been promised that, once started, the'Hostel1 should be self-supporting.

The Palmerston Borough Council on Friday night decided to invest £2391 —some of its sinking funds—in the War Loan. The trustees of the Oroua LodgeTof"Druids have decided to put £500 into Post Office 5 per cent war bonds. '

The Westiand "Chjorjcip '■"■ wlir-h is to be published at Hovjtika every Saturday,^ made its appearance on Satiuday last. The paper consists of t four pagrjg of seven columns each, and is published b,y Mr W. E. Richards, late owner of the "Kumara Times," which ceased publication a few weeks ago. On Saturday a patriotic football match was played on Cook's Gardens between Rugby Union ' and hockey teams, but the wretched weather caused a small attendance. The game was of a scrambling nature, owing to the wet ball, and the football reps, won by a dozen points to nil.

Captain Keatley, of the Arapawa, yesterday brought for Mr. Tucker, the Borough. Gardener, a few specimens or the New Zealand bird-catching plant. _xhe captain states that when in New Plymouth a few days ago he saw a plant 12ft high, from which, that very morning, three birds (silver-eyes) had been taken. The seed pods are covered with a gum which holds the birds when they touch it, '

Like many other organisations in Wanganui, the Queen Alexandra Regt mental Band have a very creditable roll of honoui-." Every eligible member enlisted voluntarily and went to the front the names being: C. Farr, J. 'McAllisl ter, G. Simenson, W. Wildbore, A. Bownes, Percy O'Hara (died in I<rance)/A. Martis, C. Mackay N. Eccleston, H. Vaughan, E. Shepherd, A. Bogle, W. Zimmerman, J. Le Bear G. McDonald, W. Blick. The band have raised £566 by recitals, since tiie commencement of the war, on behalf of Red Cross and other1 Patriotic funds.

A marine inquiry was opened on Friday regarding a collision which occurred between the steamer Invercargill anj the tug Terawhiti in the basin between the Queen's wharf (Wellington)" and the Ferry wharf, on Aug. 7. The court comprised Mr.' S. E. McCarthy, S.M., and Captains F. Black and G. Lambert, nautical assessors. Mr V. R. Meredith appeared for the Marine Department, Mr. M. Myers fpr Captain W. E. Wahlstrom, master of the Invercargill, Mr. T. M. Wilford for the Union Steam Ship Co., and Captain R. J- Fowler, master of the Terawhitiv and Mr T. S. Weston for the Harbour Board. The collision, according to the evidence, was but a slight one, the only result being that three plates had to be renewed on the Invercargill. After witnesses had been examined, the inquiry was adjourned until Thursday afternoon.

Perhaps the most unique; strike on record occurred at Runanga in the " we sma' 'oors" this morning (says Saturday's Greymouth Star). A concert had been held, and the inevitable dance followed. All went v^ell until about 2 a.m., when the M.C. announced a "Leap.Year" danca. To his .astonwllment. however, the ladies went, "on strike," and refused to engage partners The orchestra gallantly upheld its part and played the waltz through. Thereafter the M.C. announced another dance, but this time "the boot was on the other foot,'--' and the men retaliated by not participating. Once again the orchestra played the music, but ho dancers were there to trip .the light fantastic to the tuneful melodes. The "double event" was too much for tha M.C, who, in stentorian tones declared the dance at an end, put on hi? coat, and retired to scenes of peaceful recluss. ,

We take tfce following from the '•'Otago Daily Times'": Our genial and loyal. contemporary, the New Zealaud Tablet, it is interesting to observe, has nothing but condemnation for Mr Bali'our and also for M. Viviani, who headed the French Mission which visited the United States just in advance of the British idissiori. For a few issues there has been a strange lapse on the part oL! the Tablet into colourlessness and insipidity, but this week there is a sharp return to the rancorous vein, the 'development of which had been observed by us some weeks past. Our contemporary solemnly discovers a lack of humour in ;the British nation when it points to the omission from the Papal Peace Note of any vigorous denunciation of the German atrocities. "John Bull," it asserts, "does not see how impossible it would be for. a neutral to condemn the Germans for murder and piracy without saying a word to himself about certain little peccadilloes in Dublin, such as the murder of innocent men, the bombing of houses containing terrified women and children, and a very wonderful reluctance to hear any evidence against the perpetrators of these crimes, or to bring them to justice when convicted." In this marvellous manner is the story of the Sinn Fein rebellion of eighteen months ago distorted by people who live under the protection of Great Britain. The Tablet of this week contains also a comment, in its most elegant style, upon the missions of Mr. Balfour—whom it calls the "bloody Balfour of Irish history"—and M. Viviani to the United States. "There is," it remarks, "a special place of torment set aside" by Dante for hypocrites, and could he come back to.earth, how he would delight in picturing the tortures reserved there for Arthur James Balfour and M. Viviani!" But it is doubtful of-Dante's ability to do justice to such a subject. "Coui deven Dante," it asks, "imagine a hell hot and horrible enough for such tw."- hypocrites as these ambassadors of England and France?" Very tasteful, we feel bound to say, and very Christian!