Reading Standard Etc 04-1915

PATRIOTIC FAMILIES.
Four Sons and Two Stepsons of Mr. T. Taylor, 48, Briants Avenue, Caversham.
THOMAS TAYLOR, A.B., H.M.S. Swiftsure (in Dardanelles).
Pte. A. HOLMES, 1st Batt. Hants Regt. - Wounded in the hand.
Signalman JOHN TAYLOR, H.M.S. Lance.
G. H. RAYNOR, Royal Flying Corps.
ALBERT TAYLOR, Lincolnshire Regt.
Q.-M.-S. JAS. TAYLOR, Wiltshire Regt.
Brothers CHAMPION, Orchard Cottage, Calcot.
Lance-Corporal MOSES CHAMPION, 3rd Batt. Royal Berks Regiment. - Wounded in the arm and shoulder.
Stoker WILLIAM CHAMPION. - Interned in Holland.
Col.-Sergt.-Major ADOLPHUS S. CHAMPION, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. - Served through the South African War.
Cpl. JAS. CHAMPION, 3rd Batt. Royal Berks Regiment.
Pte. EDWARD CHAMPION, 3rd Batt. Royal Berks Regt. - Wounded in the back and leg.
Sons of Mr. and Mrs. G. BASTON, 17, Dover Street, Reading.
Pte. A. BASTON, Army Service Corps Motor Transport.
Pte. E. J. BASTON, 1st Batt. Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry.
Pte. W. BASTON, Royal Field Artillery.
Driver B. BASTON, Berks Royal Horse Artillery.
The Brothers CRIPPS, Midgham.
Gnr. Sergt. W. CRIPPS, 44th Co. Royal Garrison Artillery.
Bugler Pte. H. G. CRIPPS, Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
Pte. EDWARD CRIPPS, 1st Batt. Royal Berks Regiment.
Corpl. J. CRIPPS, 2nd Batt. Royal Berks Regiment.
Sons of Mr. and Mrs. John SUMNER, 28, George Street, Caversham.
ONE DEAD; TWO WOUNDED.
Lce.Corpl. W. SUMNER, 1st Batt. Royal Berks Regt. - Wounded in the hand.
The late Rfn. A. SUMNER, 3rd Batt. Rifle Brigade. - Died of wounds.
Dvr. FREDK. SUMNER, Royal Field Artillery. - Wounded in the shoulder.
THE REVIVAL OF THE MILKMAID.
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE TRAINS WOMEN FOR FARM WORK.
At the farm of University College, Reading, women and girls are being trained in milking and in other light farm duties, and thus a practical effort is being made to ameliorate the shortage of agricultural labour, now a problem of some magnitude. The scarcity of milkers is no temporary difficulty; it is a permanent problem, as the Agricultural Correspondent of "The Times" wrote on Monday :-
The future of the milk supply is causing greater anxiety in the country than in the city. Consumers look upon the recent increase in price as merely a temporary result of the war, but the farmer and those in close touch with rural affairs take a far more serious view of the outlook. The new milk market being almost the only one that is secure against foreign competition, milk production, next to stock raising, did more than anything else for the industry during the long period of depression, and so the belief has grown that the pursuit had established itself as permanent feature in our farming system.
The war has made the situation acute, and that with restoration of peace things will improve there is no reason to doubt. Feeding stuffs will diminish in price when shipping has resumed normal smoothness, but there remain the equally vital questions of labour and the supply of deep milking cows. The labour difficulty is not of recent origin, although enlistment has increased it. The scarcity of milkers is a permanent problem, and if the supply of new milk is to be maintained the training and provision of milkers to supplement local resources will have to receive serious attention. Hence the importance of the practical scheme inaugurated at the Reading College.
The Berkshire Committee which set itself the task of affording facilities for training women in farm work announce that ilk and dairy workers are chiefly required, but that tuition is given in other of the lighter forms of labour, such as mangel-cleaning, mixing and preparing food for cattle, poultry keeping, hoeing, weeding, etc. Candidates must not be less than 18 years of age and the wives and daughters of rural labourers are preferred. The Board of Agriculture is willing to pay the tuition fees and to make a further grant to cover the entire cost of maintenance for a fortnight's instruction to a limited number of approved candidates. Those who wish to learn further details of the scheme may obtain them on application to the hon. secretary, Miss H. M. Ormerod, St. George's Hostel, reading. The subjects illustrated opposite are :-
(1) Women engaged in mangel-cleaning.
(2) Feeding-time in the chicken run.
(3) Milking.
(4) A group on the farm, showing: (A) Mr. F. H. Wright (Registrar of University College, Reading); (B) Mr. S. Pennington (Lecturer in Agriculture at University College, Reading); (C) Miss M. H. Ormerod (Secretary of the Committee); and (D) Miss Gladys Pott (member of the Committee); also the four first women to be trained and the cowman and foreman of the farm.
(5) Bringing in the cows at milking-time.
(6) Feeding the heifers.
TORPEDOED!
SAILOR'S STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
One of the survivors of the auxiliary cruiser Bayano, torpedoed off the Wigtown coast on March 11th, was Dennis Taylor, son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Taylor, 23, Filey-road, and late of Carey-street, Reading, and his old friends will be glad to learn that he is recovering satisfactorily from the effects of the awful experience. Taylor was in bed at the time of the occurrence, which he describes in the following narrative:-
"On hearing the terrific noise I made a scramble for the deck, and when I reached it I found the vessel settling down. An effort was made to get the boats launched, but there was no time. If the vessel had not gone down so quickly, I believe that all those on board would have been saved.
I was one of the last men to speak to the captain, who was absolutely the finest gentleman I have served under, and I deplore his loss exceedingly. He said to me "Make for the boat, as it is your only chance." At that time the vessel was under water. I was in the about half-an-hour perhaps before I could clutch at something. I had tried to reach a boat which some of the men were trying to get into the water, but I did not succeed. I got hold of a plank, and succeeded in keeping myself afloat in this way for about an hour, when I was pulled up on to one of the two rafts in a very exhausted condition. The scene in the water at break of day was a heart-breaking one, but there was absolutely no panic. It was a scene that made me proud of being a Briton. The men faced death with calmness and fortitude. All the men in the engine-room went down while at work."
DENNIS TAYLOR A. B.
New Town Councillor at Caversham
MR. G. F. COSTON.
UNDER UNCLE SAM'S EYE.
The Prinz Eitel Friederich.
The Prinz Eitel Friederich is in rather a bad way, and it is evident that the Americans intend to keep a close watch on her. In our picture, which shows the vessel at full length, as she lies in Hampton Roads, it is to be observed that she is pretty high out of the water. This is an indication that at the time the photograph was taken she had a short supply of coal, the only ballast she carries.
MORE "FRIGHTFULNESS."
Albert has been frequently mentioned in both French and enemy despatches. It has a magnificent church, which, as our photograph shows, has proved a fine target for the German artillery. They have completely shattered the fabric inside and out. Albert is near Amiens, about midway between that town and Arras.
COMRADES IN ARMS.
Three members of the Royal Berks Regiment invalided home from the Front - Pte. H. Austin, 2nd Batt., of Henley; Pte. W. V. Lambourne, 2nd Batt., of Stanford-in-the-Vale; and Pte. W. Goodman, 1st Batt. of Brimpton. They are undergoing special treatment at Bath.