S r l'rlritcd I'rtnted Monday and Thlurday Evenings. TRURSDAY, 'DECEMDER 30, 1915. "'Boxing Day: Sandford Picnic' Meet. Inn,""With Victoria's first V.O. Hero," The Schoolmate,' Hioidlorn' Milk Fund and Belgian Ltolief Fund donations, Market Reports," oto., appear on page tin this issue.'' Stock sales will be resumed at Caster= ton on Thursday. next, January 6th, when Mesera A. If.. Smith and Co. will hold their usuLlmarket sales. SThe rainfall for the current month, which comes-to'a. close to;morrow-5 pta-is the loweet'December falI recorded at Oastarton. .Tiie next lowest Is 0 pts for Deember, 100i' but the lowest record for any monlth is 4 points, that fell during January 1911t A groat fl'? in Melbourne on. Monday afternoonl did' slainge to: estimated. atoentof £50,000 tt stock and epmmises af Maersn Andr?w 4Tk, Dyson- and Oo.. printeri,, andil.the Aberdeen Buldlnga,. Collins and King treets; Watcbnight servica it to be held= at Ohrlat'Church: to.norrow obmmenlnit at 1115: pdm,,.. with ' celebration, of, Holy ComJ piopsu ia t mtnirlnlgist:.

Tihe Roliway Department invites the public to notice that three whistles-one short, one long, and the third shortfrom a passing engine, In to be the rlgnal.-, • of a grass fire having been observed to break out. Attention to.this signal may servo to check spread of fires during the summer. . The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Hagelthorn, states that no strike of wharf. laborers in connection with loading : wheatfor export will be tolerated, and. that, ifnecessary, farmers will be brought to town to iput their wheat for export on board the ships. Messrs A. E. Smithlend Co. hold spec. ial horse sale at Oastorton on Thursdae' next, wheon 140 head of Iherose willbf' offered on accouptof Mr-Rashesd. Thae horseoshave arrived at Casterton and will be Hold without reserve, Now Year's Day (Saturday next) will be observed ns a full holiday, when nil business places will be closed. On Satllrday and Monday next, the Post Office ' will close at noon. but- be open (for do-. livery of mail matter only) after arrival of the Melbourne train, Thorowill be no Iseue of the "News" on Monday next. A child loft by parents sleeping in their . home at Wontliaggi, while they were out, was saved friom being burned to death on Thursdayi night last through the bravery of a boy named George Allop. The lhouso was found to be on fire, 'with the doors locked, when young Allen forced his way in and rescued the child (whose. crying had attracted his attention) fronm the burning building. Eight Longue football players in England have been suspended for life for "squaring" men engaged in a football match played last April between Manchester United and Liverpool. A rich discovery of gold has been re. ported from Upper Clarence, near the Old Cow riine, five miles from Lionville (N.S.W.). Two brother stnruck traces of gold, and in five days dollied about 150Jb of stone, whichi yielded over 2 Ib of gold. Tho shaft was down only 3 feet. The best specimens were kept undollied, and in some csoesone.tlird of the weight of. specimens is gold. Product of 5000 acres has been contributed for war purposes sender the Saskatchewan (Canada) farmers' pat* riotic area scheme, which should repreosent approximately 100,000 bushels of wheat, or 5,000,000 lb of flour. 'The wheat contributed, when turned into flour, Is to be gift from graingrowere of , Sakatcheowan to the Imiperial Government. Throo lengthy films are included in the programme to be presented, by Leltch's for their exhibition at the Mechanics' to. night the principal attraction of all being a World's Players production entitled "Across the Pacific." This is a drama teeming with strong situiations, in which tho-interest of the beholder.is sustained without a moment's dullness from beginning to end.. As the name signifies, it deals with adventure by sea and land, but through it all is a blot of singular suggestion, which will please as much by its novelty ' as by suffieiently. "The Master Key," too, of course, occupies a big place on the list in its tenth instalment, but a third picture, of topical idea, will make an attractive inset into the dramatic portion in an Urban study entitled A War Special, "Chasing a Taubo." Theno are supplemented by, one of the Irresistible L-Ko, comedies, in which Bllie Ritchlo appears, styled "Under the Table." MrA. 8. Rodgers, M.P. tound time be.. lore the holidays to think of the patients in hospital who were unable to enjoy. their Clhrltmnas festivities in their homes, and forwarded to the Secretary (Mr A. J. Fox) of the Casterton Hospital a cheque for -£1/, with reqluest that the money should be used to provide extra for patients in this institution during the Christmas holidays. Mr Fox passed the . donation on.to the Matron, and the good things provided thlrougih .the kindly gift of the Member for Wannon were much appreciated. It will.probably bl well on into next, or possibly the following week before people will got fairly settled down to "business as usual" after the holiday break, but a majority of buhsineso people will start the work of thie New-Year on Monday, when the Casterton shops will be reopened after the Now Vear's Day holiday on Saturday. The Christmas Eve shop displays this year were no less tasteful in decoration. or less varied and extensive in material then in other years. But, except In the few instances where' ncetylene gas was at command, they lost much in nttrac- . tlion to the eye through lack of the electric light, that in recent years has helped so much to exhibit them to advantage. There was no lack of business, however, nor apparently of cash, and It was late on Friday night before tired salesmen and saleswomen had served the last of the numerous customera who thronged the various shops all through the evening. The annual Schools Excursion to Portland represents the most enoeral outing of the year to Uastorton people, antl.' promises this season to prove as popular. as ever. It is fixed to 'take-place on -. Saturday, . January 8. The usual' provision of free tea, sugar and milk for" picnic parties will be nmade, and there is advantnge this year that excturlionista who se-desire may return either on the Saturday night, or on Monday morning by special train leaving Portland at5.30 and arriving at Castorton at 8.30 a.i., or by any ordinary train within one month from date of issue of ticket. Tickets may be obtained from Mr D, V. West, Casterton, or Mesra Coulson Bros Merino, up to 6 p.m. on Th!ursdy next, January 6. A supplementary Roll of Honor, inscribed with names of volunteers from the Presbyterians of this district who have enlisted since the earlier sootllon of the Roll was made cup, Is to be unveiled at Soots Church on. Sunday morning. next. The President (Cr. J. Little) and Cooun-. olllors of Olene g Shire, the Offlcer Cornammending (Lleut. Retchford) and members * of the Home Defence Corps, and other public bodies have accepted invitation to attend. . . .Ladles. We want "you to specially note-that Mrs CLIFFORD; Superintendent of the. "Nature" Health Coy,, will next visit OatDrtoon n Thlreday. 27th January. 1916,. when. she r.may be seen at- _the Oastert on.. otel from. 10 , a.m. :to 7.30 .m..:. , Those ..us.fering from ill.health - are rienomriended .to consult her and learn how good health muay be restored to them. The consultation will cost them nothing, and :may saveIlhom years of unnecssary ml-ry;: All Womeu' allments, :.catarrhb plle, indigestion, etc, are treatied A fell range, of all "Natecra"1 misdl' l wlill on hAand -.

Mrs J. Mclotyre. the oldest member of lie Presbyterian Chiirch in this district, i1 to perform the ceremony 6df unveiling at Boots Church on Sunday morning-the second section of the oll of Honor. which stands in the Church as record of district Presbyterian soldlers. on service, find wtch inoludres the naries of six of her grandsons.. Tihe new sootion includes 24 additional names. tReports of ' Christ; Church _ Slnday School prize distribution, Convent School Entertainment, and otlher matter are on. avoidably held over. Tihe sheep used in connection with the guessing competition at Sandford on okhig Day weighed 371, Ibs. The tel. lowing guessed the correit weight i Messrs D. McCallum and J. IR. Richard. eon, Casterton, A. Allnutt, W.. Cleary and W. H. Murrell, Sandford. Sunday next, the first Sunday of the :New Year, has been appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury' to bq observed by the Church of England as a Day of topdntance,witli spblal services of in. toercesson with Almighty Uod for the natllon and all who are engaged in the war. Spbclal Services of intercession will therefozo bh held morniug and even. ing at Christ Church and in the evening at St. Mary's, Sandford. Conet. Byrne,; son of Mr W. Byrne, Blackwopd Farm; Bella Vista; who was stationed some time ago at Casterton, rind has litterly beeh at Berwick, has been transferred to Balrnadalo. Theo Berwick "Advertiser," in commonding Const Byrno as an L able-.and zealous member of"the force, mentions that at Casierton he was a useful and prominent membemyof the C.Y;M.S., skillful ia doShate anid in the various games. Melbourne produce market quotations tonday are:-Wheat 5s 3!sd (nominally), ".oats s 9d, chaff 77s Gid, lucerne chaff 120s, potatoes 250s, onions 70s: all mar. :kets quiet., , The "Bella Vista" stock sales take place on Tuesday, January 11, when 200 ,- choice .dairy cows and heifers will he o ffered' ,. ' r?N. E. Hamnmett, Strathdownie, is among the" soldiers wounded that are namied kn the 128th, casnalty list issued yesterday. * : It may save trouble to people driving at night if they take note of the fact that under a'new,Act vehicles must carry lamps at all hours from sunrise to sunset. Half an huit'sna grace after sunset was allowed under the old, but is not allowed tinder the oldbAct, so that lamps on t?ivelling .vehicles must he lightqd as soon as the sun diesppeiirs and must be kept alight at all hours until the sun hisb.