Useful Information.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 81, 1 April 1880, Page 4

Useful Information.

VACCINATION. By an Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand, it is made compulsory upon every parent to take his child, within six months of its birth, to the Medical Officer appointed by Government for the district, or to some qualified Medical Practitioner, to have the child vaccinated, and on the eighth day following to take the child back again for inspection. For breach of this law a fine not exceeding 40s. may be recovered before any Bench of Magistrates. If the child be properly vaccinated, the Medical Officer 01 Practitioner is to give a certificate of the fact. If the child be not susceptible, or unfit to endure the process, another certificate is to be given, which will clear the parents of the' consequences. Children, although vaccinated, whose vaccination certificates are not forwarded to the Registrar of the district are still liable to a fine of 40s. Innoculation with the virus of small pox is a crime punishable by a penalty of £lO, The word “parent” means father, mother, or other person having the care, nurture, or custody of the child. SLAUGHTER-HOUSE LICENSES. “The Slaughter-House Act, 1877,” provides that “no license shall be issued in respect of any slaughter-house situated within half a mile from the outer boundary of any borough, unless such slaughter-house has been erected, or was in course of erection for that purpose immediately before the Ist December, 1577. If such slaughter-house is within theabovc described limit, application for the license must be made to ibe Council of the nearest Borough. II a slaughter-house is within any County, except as aforesaid, the application must be made to the Council of such county. No license, foot being the renewal of a previously existing license, shall be issued to any person, unless public notice shall have been given by the applicant for the same, once in each week for one month, immediately preceding the time when such application is to be heard.” MOONLIGHT EVENINGS. The Moon at 3 days old shines till about 8 o’clock. The Moon at 6 days old shines till about half-past 10 o’clock. The Moon at 8 days old shines till nearly I o’clock in the morning. The Moon at 12 days old shines from sundown till about 4 in the morning. The Muon at 15 days old is full, and shines all night. The Moon at 18 days old rises about 9 p.m. and shines till morning. The Moon at 21 days old rises about II p.m. and shines till morning. The Moon at 24 days old rises about 2 a. m. and shines till morning. The Moon at 27 days old rises about 4 a.m, and shines till sunrise. THE HOUSEWIFE’S TABLE. The following is a very valuable housewife’s table, by which persons not having scales and weights at hand may readiiy measure the article wanted to form any recipe without the trouble of weighing, allowance to be made for an extraordinary dryness or moisture of the article weighed or measured : Wheat flour, I pound is I quart. Indian meal, 1 pound 2 ounces are I quart. Butter, when soft, 1 pound is I quart. Loaf sugar, broken, I pound is I quart White sugar, powdered, 1 pound 1 unce arc 1 quart. Ten eggs are 1 pound. Flour, 4 pecks are 1 bushel. Sixteen large tablespoonsful are 1 pint. Eight large tcaspoonsful are 1 gill. Four large tcaspoonsful are % gill. Two gills arc pint. Two pints axe I quait. Four quarts are I gallon. A common sized tumbler holds ]£ pint. A common sized wine glass is % a gill. A tcarcup is 1 gill. _ A large wine-glass is I gill. Forty drops arc equal to I teaspoonful. Four teaspoonfuls are equal to I tablespoonful.

REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS. Births. —Parents and ail other persons present at a birth, are liable under the Act for Registration under penalty of ,£lO ; failing, the occupier of house in which inch birth took place is liable. Births are registered free up to sixty-two days, day of birth and of registrati*n, both inclusive; afterwards up to six months, on payment of ss. penalty, and after declaration as to truth of particulars being duly made ; and beyond six months only after conviction before a Magistrate, and on production of certificate of conviction signed by Magistrate or Clerk to Bench, and within one month of such conviction. There are other provisions as to registration of children found exposed, and registration of names within one year of birth. Marriages. —Marriages must be solemnized with open doors, between eight in the morning and four in the afternoon, in the presence of two or more witnesses. Persons objecting to be married by a clergyman, can 1 be married in a Registrar’s office by a Registrar. Persons desirous of being married must give notice to the Registrar of the district, and take out a Marriage Certificate; but before doing so, must have resided in the district three clear days immediately proceeding the application for certificate. The fees are :—for Notice and Certificate, £1 2s 6d ; Marriage by Registrar, £1 ; and 2s 6d for Copyof Marriage Registrar. Pei'sons wishing to be married out of the district in which they live, can only do so by residing in the district in which they wish to be married for three clear days, and obtaining certificate from the Registrar of that district. And persons living in different districts must either both reside for three clear days in the same district, or else obtain two Certificates, viz:—one from the Registrar of each of the districts in which they reside. Any person making false affirmation, declaration, or reptesentation before a Registrar, is guilty of misdemeanour. Deaths. — The occupier of house in which death occurs, and all persons present at a death, are liable for the registration within thirty one days; and failing these, the Undertaker or person so acting, under penalty of £10 ; but any of the pei'sons liable may depute, in writing, some person acquainted with particulars required to attend and register ; and the person registering MhST in all cases take to the Registrar the Doctor’s Certificate of Death. In all cases of burial, the Undertaker or person so acting, must return to the Registrar within seven days, the Burial Certificate, duly signed by Undertaker and officiating Minister, or two householders present at such burial. Undertakers not returning such Burial Certificates within seven days are liable to a penalty of £5 : and Clergymen officiating and not signing Burial Certificates are also liable to a penalty of. £s. Any person not attending to register, alter notice from Registrar is duly given, is liable to a penalty of ,£2O There arc various other provisions defining, powers and duties of Registrar, and imposing penalties for neglect in complying with various' provisions of th<* Act.