30,000 CASES of fruit has been despatched from the Somerville station during the month of March this season.
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THE “Wattles” Club will hold one of their popular socials in the Mechanics Hall on Saturday (22nd inst) in aid of Australia’s Sick and Wounded soldiers.
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AT St Paul’s Church, Frankston there will be services on Good Friday and Easter Day, when the annual Easter Offering will be made. For times see our advertising columns.
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THERE will be no meeting of the Frankston Progress Association on Wednesday next, owing to the Easter Holidays. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 17th May.
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MR H. Anderson notifies by advertisement that he has commenced the practise of his profession as a dentist, at “Elgin”, Melbourne Road, Frankston, two doors from Beach Street.
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ON Monday evening the Frankston Mechanics’ Hall will be occupied by an up-to-date picture show, the proceeds of which will be devoted to the funds of St Francis Xavier’s Roman Catholic Church.
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A MEETING of members of the Frankston Football Club will be held on Saturday evening, at 8 o’clock, in the Mechanics’ Institute, to consider the advisability or otherwise, of forming an association this year.
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MR Lester, shire secretary at Mornington, has been appointed town clerk to the Borough of Geelong West during the absence on leave of Mr H. G. Gibbs, who enters upon military training in the Geelong Camp immediately after the Easter holidays.
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MR E. McComb of Frankston, had a welcome Easter gift last Friday in the shape of one of the largest hauls of fish that has been caught by one man for the last 15 or 20 years, getting no less than 300 baskets of fine salmon, which he soon disposed of most profitably.
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TUESDAY next, Anzac Day, will be marked by special services at St Paul’s Church Frankston. The Holy Communion will be celebrated at 7.45 a.m in memory of those who lost their lives and in honor of all soldiers. At 11 o’clock there will be special intercessions and a short address. There will be no evening service, on account of the public meeting.
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THE Rev G. A. Kitchen who, for five years past, has been Vicar of St Paul’s Church Frankston, has announced his appointment by the Bishop of Riverina to the important position of Vicar of Hay, N. S. W. The Church at Hay is the Pro-Cathedral of the Diocese of Riverina and this appointment is a considerable promotion. Mr Kitchen intends to leave Frankston during the second week of May.
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WE would draw the attention of our readers to T. R. B. Morton and Son’s advertisement in another column of an important auction sale of rich farm and orchard areas seaside blocks, etc in and around Red Hill, Shoreham and Flinders, on Westernport Bay, to take place at their rooms (72 Swanston St. Melbourne) on Friday 28th April, in the estate of the late Mr John Bayne. The terms are easy, being one-fifth deposit, one-fifth in two years, balance in five years, with 5 per cent interest. The sale will commence at 3 o’clock.
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THE residents of Somerville are reminded of the Jumble Fair to be held in the Horticultural Hall on Easter Saturday and Monday, in aid of the improvement fund of the Mechanics’ Hall. During the last year the committee have gone to a big expense in making additions and improvements to the old building, and the residents have now got a hall which is an ornament to the town, and it is up to them to show their appreciation of the efforts of the committee to unite and make the Fair next week a huge success, by giving their presence and patronage. The function opens at 8 o’clock on Saturday afternoon and at 7 on Monday evening.
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PENINSULA Football Association. The annual meeting of the above association was held at Somerville on Friday evening, 14th inst. the following delegates being present :—Messrs M’Arthur, W’estley, Peters, Vansuylen, Thorne 1, White, Palmer, Young, and secretary, also Mr Marthur President.
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PARLIAMENT is to say whether Australia shall have conscription. Theoretically that is a mere matter of course, but till the other day it seemed more than possible that the issue would be practically determined by the Caucus. Now, however, we have the assurance of Senator Pearce that Parliament is to deal with the matter, that it is not be a mere party issue.
Senator Pearce said a few words to an A.N.A. deputation which should be carefully considered. He remarked “A Ministry is always in a stronger position, no matter what action it takes, if the question has been thrashed out in the public mind.”
The Minister for Defence had in view the frantic opposition of a noisy wing of his own party to conscription. When Melbourne celebrated its eight hours day, the chairman of the committee which entertained Senator Pearce indulged in a fierce attack on compulsory service, “which”, he said, “would reduce the masses to serfdom”.
On the same day in Bendigo, Mr Jensen, Minister for the Navy, attending another eight hours demonstration, had to reply to another fierce attack on conscription, an attack made by the president of the local Labor League. About the same time certain Militant Laborites were meeting in Melbourne, and were boasting that they would redeem Mr Fisher’s famous pledge of support the Allies by being the last man to enlist.
Two or three papers which voice the opinions of the extremists have praised the Hun, have sneered at our soldiers, have declared that to the worker it matters comparatively little whether Germany does or does not annex Australia. It may be said in airy way “These people are as few as they are noisy.” It has to be borne in mind, however, that they are enthusiasts, and that machine politics give enthusiasts power out of all proportion to their number.
On the need for conscription Senator Pearce threw a new light when he declared that 120,000 single men had set themselves down in black and white as unwilling to enlist. Of these no doubt many are unwilling only because they object to a profoundly unjust system of enlistment, which sends the best and the boldest to the front, and keeps the worst and most timid at home. When parliament deals with the matter, the battle will rage largely about conscription of wealth.
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From the pages of the Mornington Standard, 22 April, 1916
First published in the Mornington News – 19 April 2016
