ACCORDING to present calculations the naval base at Westernport will be supplied with water by the new year.
While the main efforts of the Water Commission have been concentrated on providing the supply for the naval base, regard has been made for the needs of towns on the route of the service, and it has been found that the whole of the area as far as Mentone at least fall naturally within the scheme.
It has now been agreed to extend the scheme northwards so as to include a supply to the whole of Mordialloc and Mentone.
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WE are compelled to hold over report of the Somerville Branch of the Australian Comforts Fund, and several other interesting items till our next issue.
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TONIGHT a concert for the Frankston Soldiers Repatriation Fund will be given in the Mechanics. There should be a bumper house for such a worthy movement, especially as the money raised will be expended in the district, and on our own boys.
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MR J. C. Murphy, who has seen three and a half years of active service at the front with our troops, has now purchased the dairy business of Mr T. Reeves, in Bay Street, Frankston, and solicits a continuance of the support accorded his predecessor.
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REV O. J. Boyle, Methodist Home Mission Deputation, will preach on Sunday next at Frankston, morning; Langwarrin, afternoon; and Somerville, evening.
He will address a public meeting in the Frankston Methodist Church on Thursday evening next at 8p.m.
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THE president of the Frankston Progress Association acknowledge with thanks, the receipt of the following donations to Madden Memorial Fund. Amount previously acknowledged, £25 17s 6d; Dr Foreman (Sydney), £5 5s; Sir David Hennessy, £2 2s; Miss R. McAlister, £2 2s; Miss M. V. Primrose; £1 1s ; John Jolly esq. £1 1s; Mrs John Jolly, £1 1s ; Mrs Agnes Shidds, 10s ; Total, £38 19s 6d.
Donations acknowledged only up to 25th Oct. 1918.
Th President of the Frankston Progress Association has received a communication from Miss M. V. Primrose, organising secretary of the Australian Visiting Trained Nurses’ Association of which the late Sir John Madden was President.
Miss Primrose anticipates being able to forward a donation of £1 1s for each of the members, by a later mail, for the Madden Memorial Fund.
Miss Primrose also wishes and suggests that a public function to raise funds for the Memorial be inaugurated in Melbourne in which the Australian Trained Nurses Association would assist and take part.
The suggestion will be brought before the next meeting of the Progress Association.
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8th Presentation to Frankston Volunteers. On Thursday evening the Mechanics’ Hall was well filled, at the invitation of the local branch of the Red Cross Society, in order to bid farewell to a few more of our brave lads, who have now reached the age that renders them eligible for enlistment, and who were only too eager for that time to come.
The chair was occupied by Cr Chas. Murray, President of the Shire, in the absence of Mr James Grice, who was unavoidably absent.
A good musical programme was commenced by the singing of the National anthem, Miss O’Grady presiding at the piano, and also playing most of the accompaniments.
The following programme was then gone through: Mr Payne, song and encore; Mrs Boyett, song; Miss E. Murray, song; Mrs Aitken, song and encore.
The chairman then said that the most important part of the programme would now be proceeded with, viz. the presentation of medals to the lads who had enlisted in defence of their King and Country.
He spoke of the deeds done by our Australian lads who had already gone, and felt sure that the lads that evening would emulate those deeds.
These young men, as they come of age, were keeping up the traditions of Frankston, and if the other parts of the State had followed that example there would have been no need for compulsory enlistment.
Dr Plowman said the presentation this evening to volunteers from Frankston was the eighth that had been made since the commencement of war.
There had been 136 presentations made and with the six to be made that evening, made up a total of 142 volunteers who had received presentations.
In the first instance presentations of wristlet watches were made, but it was afterwards thought that medals would be more suitable and last longer as mementoes of the occasion.
The chairman then made the first presentation to Private Allan Tivendale (formerly employed in the local post office) and accompanied the gift with a few words of cheer and encouragement and a wish for his safe return.
Private Eric McComb, whose brother, Private Bert McComb had made the supreme sacrifice, and he was going to fill his place.
Private Reg. Coxall, Private F. Johns, Privates Earps, and Private Evan Jones, were then given their medals by the chairman, who expressed great admiration at the action of the lads and a heartfelt wish for their safe e return.
Private R L. Green, a returned man who his re-enlisted and gone to the front for the second time, and Privates Reginald and Robert Grierson, the two latter being present and are just about leaving for the front, will also receive medals at a later date, their names not having been given to the hon. sec. (Dr Plowman) in time for presentations to be made that evening.
After the presentations, three hearty cheers were given and “ For they are jolly good follows” sang with enthusiasm.
After Mr Payne and Mrs Aitken had favored the company with songs and the Misses Murray with a duet, for which an encore was demanded.
Cr Mason proposed a hearty vote of thanks to all those who had assisted in making the function the undoubted success it had been.
Refreshments were then handed round, and the proceedings termnated in a dance, which was much enjoyed.
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OUR LETTER BOX. THE WATTLE CLUB. TO THE EDITOR.
Sir,—In your last week’s issue of the “Standard “ there appears an article, criticising the Wattle Club, in which you state that the Wattle Club absolutely refused to lend any of its furnishings, or to assist in any way, the welcome to two Anzacs.
Now, Sir, I wish to say that that statement is absolutely inaccurate, as the president gave me full permission to use whatever I required of the club’s crockery, furnishings, etc.
They even left the decorations up in the hall which had been in use the night previous.
Trusting you will do justice to the Wattle Club by inserting this disclaimer.—Yours etc.
ALICE McCOMB.
We quite understand that the Wattle Club material was loaned to Mrs M’Comb personally, and also we have on reliable authority that it was refused the Welcome Home committee as a body. Why ?—ED.
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From the pages of the Mornington Standard, 2 November 1918