LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 90, Issue 14023, 28 March 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tile more virtuous a man as tho more virtue he sees in others.—Scott. Tho Tasmanian State elections have been fixed for May 31. Several Australian soldiers, just back from the front, are spending their leave in Hamilton.

A Sydney cable message states that cable news is delayed, bu. does not indicate the cause.

Two drafts of returned soldiers ar. rived in Hamilton during the week. Three of the men brought English wives home with them.

The Watamata Racing Club has engaged the IGth (Waikato) Regimental Rand for their race meeting on Thursday next.

His Worship the Mayor of Hamilton desires to acknowledge receipt of £4 5s 6d from the Tamahere Ladies’ Committee for the Epidemic Relief Fund.

On tho 21st inst. the New Zealand Dairy Association, 'Ltd., distributed amongst its suppliers £105,933 0s 4d. This covered of butter-fat supplied during the month of February. The To Aroha Borough Council has received notice from the State Advances Office that the application for a loan of £9500 for the erection of a new ferroconcrete traffic bridge, has been granted. The guessing competitions in connection with the Matamata Show- resulted as follows:—Fat steer (6501117), A. W. Green and E. Bodmin (6501 b), 1) Richard Burke (6521 b), 2; and E. C. Banks (65251 b), 3. The weight of the sheep was OGjlb, the winners being T. A. Mears (961 b), 1; J. P. Harris 2; and G. Bellamy' (97flb), 3. An accident occurred at the junction of Hood and Victoria Streets yesterday afternoon. A youth, a son of Mr Bremner, optician, of Victoria Street, was cycling along Victoria Street, when he was run into by d car turning into Hood Street. Luckily, the impact missed the lad ,but he was thrown heavily to the ground, sustaining injuries to his arm and leg, and ho was also much shaken. The bicycle was wrecked.

We remind the general public of the sale of work and baby show to be held in the T.M.S. Buildings, Victoria Street, Hamilton, to-morrow, under the auspices of the local branch of the Plunket Society. A large array of goods of all descriptions has been do. nated, and it is hoped that the public will show their appreciation of the great work done by the Society on behalf of the babies by liberal patronage at to-morrow’s sale. A baby show, at which the entrants must have been treated on Plunket lines ,will be a feature of the afternoon, and will no doubt attract considerable interest.

A British officer who escaped from Germany tells thc-t a fellow prisoner of hisi had a remarkable experience. After being put into solitary confinement on account of two attempted escapes, he was transferred to another camp. He felt that death was better thaai further tortures, so. eluding his two guards, he jumped from the express train in which he was travelling. He escaped with nothing worse than a broken arm and severe bruises. Travelling chiefly by ni"ht ; he started to walk through Germany, and was well on the way to the frontier when i-e heard bloodhounds on his track. He hid in a swamp, and was presently su rounded by a flock of sheep, who rush up, terrified by the bloodhounds baying behind them. The officer had given up all hope of escape, but, providentially, the scent of the sheep misled the bloodhounds, and they dashed past without discovering his hiding-place. r at r -r he was .able to cross the frontier.

Galvanised wire is in fair demand, and heavy shipments are arriving next week (says the commercial editor of the Christchurch Press). Prices range from £42 to £45. Barbed.wire is short stocked, but ‘shipments are due early. For black wire there is little demand. Wire nails and staples are unchanged, but heavy shipments are due shortly, and weak holders may be inclined to force sales. Black bar iron and sheets are unchanged, the market being very hare of the latter. A fair shipment of corrugated iron is landing at Lyttelton, but as it has all been sold, prices will not be affected to any great extent. For P.G. iron, prices vary, but for basis £BO is a fair average. Prices to arrive are being quoted at a lower rate, but the date of arrival is uncertain.

A Gisborne gentleman, says the Herald, has received a letter from a relative of an officer in an English regiment who underwent two years’ •captivity at the hands of the Huns. He writes: “I am just getting over the shock of being a free man again. You can’t think what it is to have Englishmen all round you, instead of the loathsome Hun. You will .hear much of the had treatment of prisoners of war, and remember nothing can be too strong to describe the horrors and miseries the men went through. Officers , have not only petty annoyances to grouse -about, but the men were starved and kicked and beaten, and put in salt mines, and bayoneted and shot in a manner worthy of the dark ages. Thousands of British soldiers died literally of starvation, and lie in unknown graves in the occupied parts of Belgium and France, and in East Prussia, I hope no Englishman will ever forget or forgive this. I hope never ,to see or speak to a Him again as long as I live. It was no military oligarchy that did this—ij, was the Hun in the street.” The Athenic had an eventful voyage when en route from New Zealand to England with troops and general cargo last year. * She reached Newport safely, and was on her way from there to England when the first incident occurred. She was informed by a passing vessel, which had escaped from a submarine, that the enemy was waiting near the route which the Athenic would follow. Owing to the danger it was thought adivisahte to make for the nearest port, Kingstown, Jamaica, While endeavouring to enter the port at night the Athenic ran on a reef about three miles outside there, and there remained fast for six weeks. The troops on board were transhipped to another steamer and endeavours mad' 1 to float the vessel. A large portion of her bottom was ripped off, hut otherwise she was (Undamaged. Temporary repairs were effected by laying a concrete floor over the tank tops above the damaged bottom. When this was competed she was floated off the reef by the aid of her engines and the use of her bower anchors run out aft. After reshipping her cargo she resumed her voyage. When within 150 miles of England she was attacked by a submarine, which she bent at a distance with the only gun she carried. She eventually escaped and reached England, where four months were spent in repairing the damage done at Jamaica.

We are now showing our first lot of winter costumes, coats, raincoats, etc. The costumes this season are chiefly navy serge and garhardinc, and considering the enormous advance in .the. price, of'serges, they corno out at quite reasonable prices; one can still net a real good costume for £5 ss. Tweed coats this year are showing considerable advance in pricemand to get c*vcr this difficulty we have a Covert coat, which answers the purpose of a raincoat, and is quite as warm as tweed. These useful coats run about 725. Hall’s Drapery Stores. N.B.—Wc, shall close at 5.30 from April Ist, and continue during the winter months.*

Those interested in the “Glaxo” country should peruse Messrs T. Mandeno Jackson’s replace advertisement on the back page.

The Cambridge Borough Council is carrying out a tarring and sanding campaign.

Rev. Dr. Deck, missioner from Solomon Islands, will give an address ; a the Baptist Church to.nighti' '-All' interested are invited to attend.' - ■

Entries are filling rapidly for t'Hel various events in the programme for the athletic sports gathering at Cambridge at Easter time, and given good weather, the meeting should constitute a record.

To-morrow (Saturday) evening, Mr.; Oscar Mcßrine, a prominent member of i the New Zealand Labour party, invites ; workers and sympathisers with the Labour movement to meet him at an open-air meeting in the vicinity of the King’s Theatre, when lie will discuss with them subjects of vital interest to the masses. The induction of Rev. J. Tucker to the Presbyterian charge of Waihi took place last night. There was a large congregation. Rev. Robert Alackie, of Hamilton, presided, and conducted the induction service. Rev'. T. H. llosevear addressed the minister, and Rev. Morgan Richards the congregation. The Trcntham Dominion Scholar, ships art union is now being vigorously pushed throughout’ New Zealand. The fact that one shilling ticket gives the purchaser an equal chance of winning all or any of the £6285 worth of prizes, including the first prize valued, at £IOOO is inducing many people to invest regularly in small batches of tickets. When one considers the splendid purpose of this art union—to provide scholarships for the children of New Zealand’s soldiers and sailors—it is no wonder tha.t the scheme is receiving such willing support. Tickets are on sale throughout New Zealand, at Is each. • The matter of merging the road hoards In the counties was again mentioned at the meeting of the Waikato County Council yesterday. Cr Thomas urged that it should be done. At present, he said, the Council had plenty of money, while the road boards had little and were paying interest on loans. If the boards were merged in 'the county this interest would lie saved and the present duplication of plants and labour would be avoided. Councillors agreed that the reform was advisable, but it was pointed out, by the chairman that the matter rested with the ratepayers. If they desired, they could bring about the change by presenting a petition signed by a hare majority. In connection with the National Efficiency League’s campaign, an active week-end of propaganda is set down for .Hamilton. To-morrow evening, at 7.30, Miss Butler., B.Sc., principal of the Auckland Girls’ Grammar School, will give a short address, for women only, at the Theatre Royal Tea Rooms, while on Sunday afternoon, at 2.30, in the Theatre Royal, Miss Butler will speak on “National 'Efficiency from a Woman’s Standpoint.” In the King’s Theatre on Saturday night, at 8 o’clock, a mass public meeting will be held, when Messrs A. St. Clair Brown, C. F. Bennett, and R. A. Laidlaw will discourse upon the aims and objects of the campaign. Some official films of Red Cross work will be shown during the evening .