WHAREKOPAE NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3989, 23 July 1915, Page 6

WHAREKOPAE NEWS.

WOUNDED SpLDIERS’ FUND

VERY SUCCESSFUL BASKET SOCIAL.

(From Hurt,Own Correspondent.) long tinyr ago a team of cricketers from thereabouts went to Gisborne, and having the good fortune to gain a vjftory over a toxvn team, a good mt»!y town .people began to ask the qjfestion, Where’s Wharekopae ? Jvcll, it’s still in the same old place, and! be it known that on the evening of the 17th a basket social xvas held there in aid; of the New Zealand Wounded Soldiers’ Fund, and the amount raised thereby towards this xvortliy object reflects credit on the district and its residents. Too much praise cannot be given the ladies who supplied baskets, no fewer than sixteen being provided. J.n addition to baskets, Mrs. Cyril White presented an Egyptian table centre, to be sold, which xvas sent to her by Mr. Herbert White from Egypt. A ham xvas presented by Mr. S. G. Glennie, and a. flag by Mr. P. J. Parker. At 11 o’clock Mr. D. G. McMillan, acting as auctioneer, and assisted by Mr. Glennie xvith. the pencil, submitted tii© baskets to the highest bidder, which wore disposed of as follows:

No. 1, to Mr. J. Blight, for £4 10s; No. 2, Mr. D. G. McMillan, £4 ss; No. 3, Mr. P. J. Parker, £4 10s; No. 4, Mr. B. Parker, £5 ss; No. 5, Mr. E. Iveson, £4 ; No. 6, Mr. 11. Stevens, £5 10s; No. 7, Mr. Alf. Harris, £6; No. 8, Mr. A. C. Steele, £6 os; No. 9, Mr. 0. White, £5; No. 10, Mr. E. Richardson, £5; No. 11, Mr. A. E. Harris, £5 ss; No. 12, Mr. C. H. .Morris, £5; No. 13, Mr. G. Burgess, £3 10s; No. 14, Mr. J. Perry, £5; No. 15, Mr. P. J. Roberts, £10; No. 16, Mr. C. Hayston, £5. Total £B4. 'idie bam was next offered, and was quickly run lip to £ls 10s, Mr. P. Parker being the purchaser, resold to Mr. Hayston for £5 10s, again to Mr. Stevens for £4, to Mr. White for £5, and lastly to Mr. A. E. Harris for £4 15s. The next item to be put up xvias the Egyptian table centre, and the sales wore: To Mr. Hayston for £7, Mr. P. J. Parker £7. Mr. A. E. Harris £7 15s, Mr. A. C. Steele £7 10s, and finally to Mr. J. Perry for £6 ss, who very thoughtfully returned it to Mrs. White. ' At this stage the auctioneer pleaded: hunger, but | your correspondent thinks he was j anxious to find out whose basket he | had himself purchased. Anyhow, an i adjournment xvas made to sample the ; baskets, and I am certain all were delighted xvith their purchases. The auctioneer’s basket must have been extra good, for when the sale ot the Flag started he called l it a “basket” at least three times. Hoxvever. the good old Flag xvas knocked down again and again, until it had produced the grand sum of £ 1 (58 ; 15s 6d, contributed by the following buyers:— Mr. H. Morico £ls, Mr. P. Parker £7 10s, Mr. Stevens £7, Mr. Hayston £B, Mr. T. Kiernan £7. Mr. A. E. Harris £6, Mr. Blight £O, Mr. J. Pony £6, Mr. E. Iveson £O, Mr. A. Little £6, Mr. E. Richardson £5 10s, Mr. Tom Blight £5 10s, Mr. P. Parker £O, Mr. Bernard Harris £5 ss, Mr. W. Judd £5 10s, Mr. P. J. Roberts £5, Mr. S. Glennie £2 10s, Mr. W Dver £2 10s, Mr. A. McMillan £3, Mr. J. Drake £2 10s, Mr. T. Kiernan £2, Mr W. Hamilton. £1 10s, Mr. A. McMillan £1 10s. Mr. C. Scott £1 10s. Mr. J. Hamilton £1 10s, Mr. E. R. Renner £5, Mr. E. J. Williams £5, Mr. J. Blight £1 2s Od, Mrs. Glennie £3, Mrs. Stevens £1 10s, Mr. Dodds £l, Mr. Stevens £l, collection £3 ss; Mr. 11. Lehmann £3 3s. Mr. T. Jones £3, Mr. J. O’Brien £l, Mr. G. Matthews £5. Mr. Mitford £5, Air. C. White £5. _ ' Mr. G. White being the last purchaser of the Flag, kindly presented ?t to the Rere Hall, as a memento of the occasion. I forgot to say that, prior to offering the baskets for sale, Mr. McMillan, in a very appropriate and able speech, appealed, to those present for assistance to the worthy cause, and so well did he do it that the grand total of £326 Is 6d resulted, xvhich must be regarded as magnificent, and Mr. McMillan is to be congratulated on the success achieved, be being the chief organiser. : Of the toilers xvho contributed hard l cash, Messrs. J. Perry. J. Blight; and T. -Kiernan deserve special mention. The singing of the ••National Anthem” terminated a. successful event. Total sales: Door £3 Is, baskets £B-4, ham £34 15s, table centre £35 10s, flag £l6B lo.s 6d. Total, £326 Is Od.

but the Indian troops on this side eventually penetrated through the opening made by the left centre and soon began to outflank and break down the defences in front of the original left on our attack. As the morning daxvned a severe fire xvas opened from the supporting positions in the rear of the German lines, and against these our heavy guns opened, greatly aiding our ndx'Hiice. The xvork of our artillery xvas admirable throughout. Its effect was better than a. week ago. At 3 a.m. a fresh formidable line of British infantry advanced from points of assembly on our right against the German trenches in the Festubert direction.

Our troops, well and vigorously led, stormed the German lines with utmost gallantry and soon made themselves masters of a front of 1400 yards They overwhelmed the. second lines, then penetrated into tho German reserve trenches, causing heavy loss. By 11 a.m. this attack had penetrated for a mile into the German lines and promised to extend around the Germans, who still held on to their front trenches. Between our right and our centre attacks wo had, in short, by noon overthrown almost completely the Gormans on our front. As a firm hold had been obtained upon tho German position, there seemed good hope when the writer left the front that the German counter-attacks would prove costly and ineffective. An operation of this nature takes several days to work itself out, and we must be patient until the final result is ascertained.