AUCKLAND.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 54, 27 November 1907, Page 5

AUCKLAND.

■ ' November 26. The increased valuations put by the Auckland City Valuer.on the supplementary list for the three mouths ending November 30, amount to £5000, representing buildings which have been completed during that period. The larger buildings havo taken more than three months to construct, hut, on tho other hand, a great number are now in course ;of construction. The £5000 extra rateable value represents a capital outlay on buildings completed during three months of close upon £100,000.

Auckland Hospitals,

The recent allegations of extravagance made against the Auckland Hospital Board, and especially in so far as. tho new Infirmary ward at Costley Home is concerned, aro by no means upheld by Dr. A. H. Bennett, a prominont medical man of Adolaide, .who lately visited the Infirmary promises. Dr. Bennett, prior to his departure for Sydney yesterday, stated that he had heard a good deal of tho discussions about extravagance and had expected to see it evidenced at the new Infirmary. He, however, had been unable to discern a ha'porth of waste thoro. The tiling, about which so muclu had said, was going to save enormous expense' in upkeop, as it could always bo easily kopt clean and ,was infinitely superior to paint. He considered tho new Infirmary ward to be in every respect just what it should bo.' Dr. ', Bennett wished they had buildings of a similar pattern in South Australia.

Holidays.

At a meeting of tho Council of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon a letter was received from the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Warehousemen's Association, forwarding a resolution -by the Christchurch branch in favour of tho observance bf May 24, instead of June 3. The Auckland branch approved of this resolution, and solicited the co-operation of the Chamber in :giving effect to it. In the discussion thatensued it was pointed out by Messrs. S. J. Nathan and I. Evans that in the course of tinie'June 3 would be observed as tho King's Birthday, and whilst May 24 might ho suitable at present, , the later date was moro likely to become a permanent fixture. Mr. G. L. Peacock, on the other hand, took the view that as May 24; had' been observed for so many years, and as it had now been declared Empire Day, it was the more likely to become a permanent institution. "What about Dominion ,, Day ?"! was' the query of a inembp;, to which tho Chairman replied by snyingrthat as yet no permanent holiday had been declared in connection with that anniversary. : It was decided to defer consideration of tho letter)-and to make inquiries as to the course proposed to be followed by the Government in respect to the public offices.

Health of School Children,

Interviewed •on his arrival in Auckland to-day, Dr. Mason,, Chief . Health Officer, said that the local education board had taken a very liberal attitude towards the question of the inspection of school children. Pending the adoption of some general scheme, the Board had undertaken to allow examinations to be made by medical men willing to carry them out. He understood that some medical men had offered to do so. A meeting had, therefore, been arranged for to-morrow night between the doctors and teachers interested at the Parneli lioroiigh Council chambers. Dr. Maeon remarked that- the value of the medical inspection of.school children, did not lie in the detection or in the immediate correction of illness on the part of'the children! If the Health Department's scheme was earned out, it would enable an estimate to be mado of their physical condition, and they would have most valuable data bjr which rhey could measure the effect of this condition on the race — the condition of economic ease existing here, and as to the climate. The influence of living in a one-roomed house was quite different from that of living in two rooms. The more room people-..had to live m the better th 6 physical condition of their children. This had been demonstrated at home. This being so, wo were ■ entitled to assume that en a young country like /this we should be able to collect data thafc'wpuld be of the greatest vaiue to : those coming after us. Dr. Mason has arranged a mcetiiig for Thursday night with the people engaged in the milk trade in the" city, and-hopes by. talking the ..matter over to bring about some reforms.