This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
This newspaper page contains 38 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Ashburton Guardian
Location
Ashburton, Canterbury, New Zealand
Date
Jun 12, 1917
Page
5
Heavy rain caused Waihou and Ohiemuri rivers to flood Paeroa area. Low-lying borough and surrounding districts submerged though damage minimal. Separate report from Dunedin notes fire at Defence Office stockroom with khaki overcoats saddlery and uniforms damaged, valued around £1000 with no insurance.
Good turnout at Ashburton stock sale with yarding of 2591 fat sheep, 4864 store sheep, and a small cattle run. Wethers and ewes sold well with top prices to Mr St B Newton for wethers and prime ewes, while lambs and merino lines showed mixed results amid active freezing buyers.
Entry of 2170 sheep 7 cattle and 1 horse at Mayfield saleyards yielded strong demand for fat stock. Prices topped by W Harrison for fat sheep and Sevwell for fat wethers with notable dairy cows and draught geldings also sold well. Summary prices include lambs to 43s 9d and ewes to 27s 6d among diverse lots and farm produce)**
An ad touts Nazol as a cheap, effective cough remedy promising quick relief and long-lasting doses. The copy targets savings on cough and cold medicines with a focus on a bottle offering sixty full doses at a low price.
General Chang Shang, once military governor of Anhwai Province, calls for Parliament to be dissolved within 48 hours as thousands of his troops arrive. The President refuses without constitutional compliance while Parliament urges restraint.
Royal Commission chaired by Mr Hughes backs uniform actions across wheat producing states and calls for silo construction costing several millions. Melbourne reports harvest for 1916-17 exceeded expectations with total deliveries at 135 million bushels. W. H. Lambert elected president of the P.L.L.
Paris reports General Pershing staff officers have arrived as Allied forces detail preparations at Measines Ridge. Six months built saps extend two kilometres with 19 pockets and reinforced wells carrying 25 tons explosives. British and German casualty estimates vary while Haig notes raids near Ypres and Armentieres and minor line advances south of Messines.
Heavy rains drench New South Wales. The Murray River is flooded and rising. Wide areas along the NSW side are underwater, with levee breaches near Curnwal endangering towns. Numurkah reports the greatest local flood in history. Rail services beyond Shepparton are suspended.
A batch of wounded soldiers arrives including seven New Zealanders who are proceeding home after the incident.
The fortnightly UAO D meeting at the Masonic Hall saw a large attendance with correspondence reviewed. Officers installed included Arch Druid G Chambers and other posts. auditors reported order and balance sheet adopted. social events planned with Hakatere Lodge. tributes paid to visiting members and D P Rawlings. evening featured songs recitations and toasts.
Paris dispatch on June 1 notes a French communique confirming substantial reciprocal artillery exchanges north of the Somme and in the vicinity of Cerny.
A June 11 public meeting in Petrograd presided by M. Rodzianko included Sir G W Buchanan, M Thomas, and Belgian and Italian representatives. Buchanan urged warlike actions and warned against hopes of peace via fraternising, stressing no annexations or indemnities as Allies' policy.
Morning Post correspondent reports signs of stronger discipline among Russian soldiers. Distinguished regiments weed out undesirables, led by the Cossacks. Several thousand armed Cossacks paraded Petrograd in orderly array, signaling likely restoration of order.
A commission of American railway experts arrives in Vladivostock to offer services to Russia. The group includes leaders in railway organization traffic control and engineering.
From New York Tribune correspondence in June a report says the Conscription Bill will pass the House though it may take a month for war measures. Large crowds and all members are expected when the House resumes. Sir W Laurier may relinquish Liberal leadership though his followers may oppose retirement. No general election seen. Mr Patenaude resigns as Secretary of State.
Sir RB Borden introduced an Elective Conscription Bill in Ottawa on June 11. The bill proposes ten classes and covers men aged 20 to 45 years.
Ottawa reports the Government has formed a Grain Commission with broad powers to cooperate with the United States in marketing and price setting. The body can seize grain elevators and fix purchase prices and will negotiate with the British Government.
New York reports on June 13 that San Domingo has severed diplomatic relations with Germany, signaling a shift in early 20th century alliances.
Sir Douglas Haig sent a congratulatory telegram praising the New Zealand division for attacking 1500 yards of difficult terrain at Messines and reaching their objectives. He commended their command and gallant conduct, saying their splendid spirit fills him with admiration and confidence.
Twenty nine states report actual registration total of 5,908,955 for conscription against an estimated 6,514,216. The share is 89.1 percent. Other states' figures await completion.
Advices from M Paderewski report Poles resolutely refuse support for Germany. Recruitment for the Huns in Poland has failed, and hostility to German authorities in Warsaw is growing.
Madrid reports Don Dato has accepted the post of Premier. The development comes amid ongoing political shifts in Spain. Meanwhile, financial markets show the German mark and Austrian krona at new lows, signaling regional economic pressures.
Neutral reports from Athens indicate Italian cavalry occupied Janina with no resistance. Greek authorities withdrew. the Greek government protests the move.
Britain endorses no annexation while urging strict enforcement of international agreements. The statement supports liberation of oppressed nations and adherence to existing pacts, signaling a firm stance on post war order.
Lord Northcliffe has arrived in America for a commercial mission. Mr Lansing announces he does not succeed Mr Balfour in charge of the British Mission.
A wireless German official message from London on June 1 describes intense artillery operations in the dunes sector near Nieuport and east of Ypres. It says English night attacks were repulsed west ofFlobbecke Wambeke and against the pottery west of Woarneton, with German fire near Fostubert Loos and Monchy preventing further English assaults.
Amsterdam dispatch reports the Lokal Anzeiger suppressed for publishing news of an Austrian peace delegation arriving at Petrograd. The action highlights wartime censorship and press restrictions in the capital.
Vienna official circles deny reports that an army deputation traveled to Russia to negotiate peace. The denial stresses no government authorization for such talks and points to ongoing diplomatic channels.
Mr H Rands senior science master at Waitaki Boys High School and son of Mr H Rands of Ashburton is on the Owens College chemical lab staff at Victoria University Manchester. He works with Professor H Dixon and research assistants for the Munitions Department and the Admiralty after failing NZ Medical Board. His journey to England took twelve weeks.
Reuters describes the Messines blast cratered ridge turning a vast area into a graveyard. Wrecked hills filled marshes and altered geography for two centuries while aftershocks and digging revealed partially suffocated German troops as soldiers on the ridge listen for cries from the onder world.
In Trafalgar Square a unanimous meeting deplored issuing passports to J Ramsay Macdonald and F W Jowett and repudiated their Labour representation claims. The group urged Lloyd George to cancel passports. A telegram from a Seamen and Firemen's Union branch claimed Macdonald and Jowett are prisoners and seamen refuse to sail with them.George Roberts MP and Mrs Pankhurst are held up with Ramsay Macdonald.
Auckland message reports Colonel Ivan Standish receiving the C M G in the King's Birthday list. Born in Paranki he is the son of Mrs Standish New Plymouth and formerly aided his brother in Tarata before a rapid artillery career. A Presbyterial resolution praises Rev W T Todd for five years at Rakaia and Labour in the Christchurch Presbytery.
The Press Association reports from Wellington on June 12 that Private 8S. G. Duke is bound for wounds and Private F. W. Kemp is officially listed as prisoner of war in Germany. Several others are noted as wounded or slightly wounded, including Private G. E. Bradley, Private J. C. Crawford, Private F. P. Doyle, Private N. Faithful, Private R. Lynch, Private F. Notley, Private M. Rasmussen, Private L. Jd. Cu, Private H. Oxey, while non Second-Lieutenant G. E. Jago remains slightly wounded and with his unit.
The report lists soldiers including Corporal W. J. Dalzelt Rifleman D. B. J. Drewitt Private H. Grace and others as dangerously ill or improving Major F. J. West and Captain A. Kidd among those seriously ill Several personnel are moved off the seriously ill list to healthier status while a large group is noted as not severe cases with numerous names including Eastby Cooper and McCausland among others.
Sydney dispatch reports dawn assault across Messines with gas shells in use. An Australasian division crossed the River Douve, moved from ruined trenches to farmhouses, and pressed a precise advance within 50 to 100 yards of their own shell fire. By hours after dawn the ridge was secured and preparations for further advance began as Germans massed for counter attack.
Sir Dougis Haig reports no further counter-attacks south of Ypres with heavy enemy artillery nearby and around Fontaine-les-Croiselles. A raid south of the Souchez River was successful, nine enemy aircraft were shot down, and three of our planes are missing.
A French communique reports a violent artillery attack on the sector near Nieuport-les-Bains in Belgium, leaving German trenches severely damaged. It notes 21 enemy aircraft and two captive balloons shot down during the week ending June 7.
London reports Mr Philip Gibbs describes Messines ground held, artillery repelling counter attacks though Klein Zillebeke saw a brief German foothold. He notes prisoners, mining work by Australian New Zealand and British tunnellers, danger from counter mining, and the final spring trigger awaiting the moment of completion.
We want people to find what they are looking for at NewspaperArchive. We are confident that we have the newspapers that will increase the value of your family history or other historical research. With our 7-day free trial, you can view the documents you find for free.
People find the most success using advanced search. Try plugging in keywords, names, dates, and locations, and get matched with results from the entire collection of newspapers at NewspaperArchive!
You can also successfully find newspapers by these browse options. Explore our archives on your own!
Browse by location and discover newspapers from all across the world.
Browse by date and find publications for a specific day or era.
Browse old newspaper publications to find specific newspapers.