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Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 176, 26 March 1878, Page 2

A conference of chairman of County Councils and Mayors was held last Thursday at the City Council Chambers, Christchurch, to consider the question of dealing with hospitals and charitable aid. The following counties and municipalities were represented :—Selwyn. Ashburton, Akaroaj (County), Christchurch, Lyttelton, Kaiapoi, S3'denliam, and Timaru. r J he following resolutions were' agreed to : — " That in the opinion of this conference the proposals of the Government for the management of hospitals and charitable institutions are not calculated to place the management of these institutions upon a fair and satisfactory footing." " That this conference is of opinion that the following would be the basis upon which the hospitals and administration of charitable aid would be best managed, viz: —That it would be best provided for by districts being defined, comprising counties, or groups of counties, with contiguous or included municipalities, which are likely to avail themselves of the same charitable institutions. That within such districts public charitable institutions should bo administrated, and charitable aid distributed by, a Board representing the Government, the several municipal bodies, and County Councils included therein. That such portion of the cost of these institutions, and of charitable aid as is required to be provided l>3 ? local bodies, should be contributed by the several municipalities and counties interested in proportion to their population." " That no endowments having being made for hospitalism Canterbury, the Government be now requested to make suitable-endowments in Canterbury for hospital purposes."

We understand that the Rev. Father Donovan is expected to arrive in Akaroa to-day, by the Wanaka. He will stay here during the remainder of the week, and the usual services will be held in the Catholic Church next Sunday.

There has lately been erected in the Domain a small building- intended to answer the purpose of a summer-house. This little structure might, and indeed, should have "been of a more rural style of architecture, but, as it is, is a very nice addticm to the Domain grounds, and will doubtless, be found of much use in the hot summer weather. The building is perfectly new, and just finished, yet already has it been subjected to the filthy tricks of some of the larrikins who are becoming quite a pest in this place. The contracted, Mr Cullen, informs us that on visiting the summer-house, he found the seat in a condition quite unfit for any lady to sit on without injury to her dress. It appears that some worse than senseless individual must have been there, indulging very probably in a surreptitious cigar, and has amused himself by spitting on the clean new seat, and then rubbed in the cigar ash, thus besmearing, and rendering it in a most filthy condition. This is an act of wanton, dirty, mischief, for which there is no excuse, and, we trust, that our drawing attention to the matter may be the means of putting a stop to such conduct in the future. It is hard that money should be spent with the object of beautifying and increasing the public enjoyment in these grounds, only to be wasted through the disgusting propensities of some ox the youth of this town, whom it would be better if their parents and guardians looked after a little more closely.

At-the Assessment Court held in Okain's Bay yesterday, before J. Aylmer Esq., Judge, there were nofobjections sent in for hearing.

Mr C. W. Bridge held an auction sale of the furniture and effects of Gr. H. Saxton, Esq., (who is proceeding to England) at Robinson's Bay, on Friday last. The weather was fine and the attendance excellent. After refreshing the inner man, the party proceeded to the business of the day. For most of the lots there was a keen competition, and the prices realised may be considered as decidedly satisfactory.

The adjourned meeting of the Akaroa Borough Council, held on Saturday evening last, was further adjourned to Wednesday, the 27th inst, to allow of a full meeting to discuss a question raised by Cr Waeckerle as to the right of the Council to let the Town Reserve at the rear of the Catholic Chapel, which land he claims as his own property.

Wβ understand that some of the old friends and late workmen of Mr G. li. Saxton intend entertaining him at a farewell dinner prior to his departure for Europe. The " spread " will take place to-morrow evening, at Mr Rodrigues' Madeira Hotel.

An operation of rather an interesting nature took place at the Akaroa Hospital on Sundaj , - last. It appears that a man named Peter Hochensen, who works in a saw-mill at Le Bon's Bay, received a poisoned wound in the fore-finger of his left hand some time ago. He was advised at the time to submit to an operation, by which a portion of his finger would have been removed. This, however, he declined to permit, and the consequence was that when, after enduring great suffering, he was compelled to present himself to Dr Guthrie for surgical aid, that gentleman found it necessary to take off the whole finger, including the last joint, and even then it was found that the disease had spread into the hand. The oj>eration was performed by what is known as the antiseptic method, in which the wound is enveloped in a spray of carbolic acid, the instruments, bandages, &c, being saturated in the same fluid. It is claimed for this method of treatment that the living germs of disease are destroyed, and hence suppuration and inflammation are prevented. As this is the first case which Dr Guthrie has treated in this manner in New Zealand the result may be looked for with considerable interest.

His Worship the Mayor is obtaining signatures from owners of property, through which a road to the North Head would pass, to a document stating that they would be willing to give up any land required for its formation without any charge for compensation. Mr Black, who is here for the purpose of inspecting the site of the lighthouse, and the practicability of forming a road to it from the rocks below, gives it as his opinion that it would be impossible to land stores, &c. in southerly weather, and, consequently as considerable and perhaps serious delay might occur, it has been suggested to form a dray rood from Akaroa to the lighthouse. In order to facilitate this, the document alluded to lias been drawn up, and numerously signed. The question of compensation being thus done away with, it is proposed to petition the Akaroa and Wainui Eoad Board, supplemented by a grant from tht* Marine Board, to undertake the work, which it is needless to say would add to the value of the properties through which the road would pass, as well as adding- to the attractions ol; Akaroa by providing another driving road for visitors. We hope the matter will receive due consideration, and not ba allowed to fall through for want of that support which the project merits.

\) T e are informed that the Wainui jetty 13, to all intents and purposes, practicully useless for want of a truck on which to convey cargo of a heavy nature. If the matter were represented to the proper authorities we feel assured thai this necessary appliance would be provided. It is strange that, when erecting works of this nature all the proper adjuncts and fitting's are not then supplied, instead of waiting for time to force the obligation of supplying them, the public suffering tie inconvenience of the incompleteness of the work. We would suggest that the inhabitants of Wainui take immediate steps toward representing the matter through the proper channel, that is the County Council.

We would remind our readers that Assessment Courts for hearing objection to tho valuation lists will be held at Pigeon Bay schoolhntise to-morrow at eleven o'clock, and at Port Levy, at Mr Fleming's house, on Thursday next at nine o'clock in the forenoon.