LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17125, 29 October 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

e . TJ le offic^l opening of the Raurimu btate School wiU take place on November 13fch.

A meeting of woolgrowers is to be held at Palmerston North on Thursday next (Show day), to elect a representative on the Board,of the Controller, Department of Imperial Government Supplies.

In the case in which five young xvonien were chared with being concerned in a home of ill-fam? at Island Bay, which was often visited by soldiers, Mrs Gertrude McEwan was sentenced to six .months, and the other defendants (Tlielma Collier, Vera Malcolm, Rene Alanley, and Mary Morgan) convicted, find ordered to come up for sentence wh?n called upon.

Kowhai Park presented a busy scene on Saturday afternoon. Just 'on 100 volunteer workers were present, the majority being ladies. Good work was done with the hoes. Afternoon tea was provided at Mrs Willis's beautiful grounds, and the group was photographed by Mr Watkinson. There wm be a working bee at 9.0 each' morning this week, and on Wednesday the Collegiate School hoys will assist. A big and busy bee is being arranged for next Saturday.

Th-5 United States Consul-General is instructed that every alien intending to visit or pass ihrougk the United States must have a passport vised by the Con-sul-General, and must make a declaration ill person at Auckland a fortnight before hie intended departure, "

When the express was on its way from Auckland to Wellington on Thursday night, and approaching Frank ton, several of the carriages were struck by missies, and investigations led to the opinion that it was the work of boys firing small stones by catapults. Several of the windows on the train were perforated.

There is at present visiting the district the Rev. W. Brown-Guymer, an international councillor of the Old Bap-ti.-}t Union ; who is conducting an evau gelistic mission among the Maoris ana •Europeans in ths back-blocks. Part or his mission is to establish Sunday schools. Mr Brown-Guymer set out from Auckland in December last, and has had varied experiences. Fioi-i place to place he has travelled in a., manner of ways, Maori canoe, laun.cn coach, train, horse, bicycle, and A toot, but much of Irs peregrinations have been accomplished by walking.Mr Brown-Guymer has alerady visited two of the native settlements on the Wanganui river.

■n 4/'^ c legal P°int before Mr S. E. McCarthy S.M., in the Magistrate's Court at Wellington on Friday, wiien Albert-li. Durrant, licensee of the New Commercial Hotel, was charged wivu employing an unregistered barmaid. Air ti. h . p Leary appeared for the defendant All the facts in the case were admitted, which Mr O'Leary said was quite unusual in a licensing ease. The whole point turned upon the question of whether a bottle store or licensed premises was a bar within the meaning or the statute. Inspector Marsack stated that the woman in question was temporarily employed in the bottle store, and he relied on the section of the statute which described a bar as any room, passage, or lobby wherein the public might enter and purchase liquor. Mr O'Leary quoted various decisions bearing on the matter, and contended that the bottle store was certainly not a public bar. Was it a' private bar ? The Magistrate reserved his decision.

There was a good attendance at the Sphering of soldiers' mothers .and wives, held under the auspices of the Women's Nation il Reserve, at St. Paul's Schoolroom, on Saturday afternoon. Again th^y were brought together hy a common bond for a quiet little chat on thgir our personal feelings, and to compare news received through letters from the front. These chats undoubtedly produce a brighter aspect of the sufferings of the war. A feature of +.he afternoon was the distribution of badges t~ soldiers' mothers. 'Arternoon tea was in charge of Messrs Handley and Chapman, and was much appreciated. Musical items were given by Miss Handley, and recitations by Miss Brown, the afternoon concluding with the National Anthem. The nexc gathering will be held at Mrs Mackay's residence, and if the weather is fine the event should .be a popular one. Yesterday the Reserve were indebted to the members who contributed to the afternoon tea.