LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2832, 25 July 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Upon inquiry being made yesterday it was ascertained that no further eases of infantile paralysis have been reported recently. The disoase eeeins to have practically died out now, as far aa frcsli cases aro conoerned.

'Tho best argument wo < have got with tho Governnient, as far as tho increased price of building material is concerned," said Mr. E. Hunt, chairman of the pro-perty-owners' meeting, "hold last evening, "is tho fact that they are.suspending thowliole of their building proposals owing to tho increased cost of materials and labour."

.Analysis 1 of food in the interests of public health is conducted at tho Slate Laboratory, and in his annnal report the Dominion Analyst says: "Tho 328 samples analysed for the. Public Health Department include baking powder, butter, coffee, cream, cream of tartar, aerated drinks, lime-juice, lemon 6quash, jam, infant and invalid foods, margarine, mince-moat, inilk, tomatoes and tomato sauce, sardines, tea, vinegar, water . for potable purposes. The samples of jam ivero obtained from over twenty manufacturers. Tho majority complied with tho standards,' but some were adulterated with excess of apple pulp. A fow .-contained colouring matter and preservative. Of twelvo samples of butter examined three contained an excess of water. Sovernl coffee samples (lid not comply with the regulations. 'Tho position of infant foods in tho Dominion would seem to requiro careful, attention. Thero aro still sorno in the market'that aro unfit for young children. Many also tend to deteriorate on\long keeping." The annual Dominion Conference of tho Now Zealand Farmers' Union will bo oponed in Wellington this morning. Tho Dominion president (Sir James Wilson) will preside. Recent rains have, says a Press Association telegram from Oiiristchurch, had an extraordinarily good effect upon tho artesian wells in. tho Christchurch district, and several- instances of increased flows, .both from wolls in the first and second strata, have been notifiod. This Is proof that at last tho water has got well down into a soil which has been suffering from a two .years' dry spell. Tho big'produce fair that is being arranged by the schools of the Wellington district in aid of tho Belgian children will tako place on Thursday and Friday ■of this week. His Excellency tho-Gover-nor has consented to open tho fail-. Thero met at' tho Town Hall Recruiting Office lost week two young men, both bearing tho mark of tho English Public School in spcecli and habit. They spoko of their wanderings round tho Empire, and at length became so interested in one another that a bet was made as t<) who had visited more British countries or colonies than the other. Tho Eton man's record was as followsßritish Columbia, Canada, West Indies, NcmZealand,' Australia, South Africa, British West Africa, Gold Coast, St. Helena, Mauritius (only a peep from.soa), India, Ceylon, Malta, Egypt, and Gibraltar. The other's record included Now Zealand, Australia, India, Ceylon, Hong-Kong, Straits Settlements, Malay States, Andaman and Nieobar Islands, South Africa, British East Africa, Malta, Egypt, Gibraltar. Both records were eo good that tho bet was callcd off.

Tho Priirto Minister has received a do- | nation of .-C250 from Mrs. W. R-athbone, sen., .Lower Huti, towards the New Zealand War .Relief Fund for Now Zealand Wounded Soldiers aud their Dependants. Reporting on the health of the troops at Samoa, Colonel Logan says:—"l 9/95 Pto. W. .T. Grant, synovitis kneo; 19/3G2 Pte. D. Gray, tinea cruris; 19/366 Pte. C. Scott, carbuncle. All doing well." The Court of Appeal, which has been; sitting in Wellington, has adjourned till August 2. No Supreme Court cases havo been Bet down for heating this week. In North Canterbury last week, 32 cases of scarlet' fever wero reported to tho Health Department. ' Tho Children's Ward at tho Christchurch Hospital, which was just cleared of scarlatina, has now been closed on account of an outLreak of chiCkonpox.—Press Association. The Auckland wireless station, which has bcqni closed since May, 1913, has, says a Press Association telegram, been reopened. One day last week the Central Recruiting Station in Auckland failed to secure even ono recruit. Tho present month bids fair to be one of the worst on record in Auckland, as will be seen by tho following details of those accepted as fit each day since July l:—10, 5, 7, 7, 7-, G, 7, U, G, 4, 10, +, 20, 5, 8. and none. Tho constant and periodical demand for reinforcements' has been felt by all classes of sport, but it is satisfactory to find tho bodies governing our national games have endeavoured to meet tho extraordinary conditions, and have been able to maintain a healthy, interest in them, particularly amongst tho generation not-arrived at tho recruiting age, states tho annual "report of ' the Sports Protection League. There lias been drawn from tho ranks of the sports bodies a very largo proportion of our best, soldiers, and a number of tho executive officers of the various branchds of tho leaguo are now serving at tho front. As the operations of tho war continue it is being increasingly manifested that those host equipped for tho fighting line aro the men who havo been prominent exponents of what aro recognised as tho beet forms of British sport. In the recent preliminary tactics adopted in tho great Western offensive this has been especially noticeable. The work of the raiding parties has been of a most important character, and -to be -successful in this class of warfare tho soldier needs nil the attributes required'for excellenco on our national playing grounds.

All the single men of military ago, employed in the State Laboratury hnvo onlistc<l for activo service, Three ate now at the front. At tho request of the Minister of Munitions the State Laboratory investigated the possibility of utilising manuka or red birch for tho production of khaki dye. Phis is mentioned in the annual report of the Dominion Analyst, but tho result is not stated. Tho Proprietors of "Desert Gold" Tea do not claim that "Desert Gold" Family Bleiul at Is. 9d. is equal to "Desert Gold" 2s. grade, but gunrantoo it to ho tho Best Value at Is. 9d. in Now Zealand.—Advt. Our,salesmen enjoy selling "No flubbing Laundry Help;'' because it lightens woman's toil by washing all clothes clean without tho aid of a washboard. Price, Is. per carton. .610 guarantee. AVardell Bros, and Co.—Advt. For Winter Weai —Youths' strong boots, toe and heel piatos, at. 13s. fid., from Geo. Fowlds, Ltd., Manners Street. —Advt.

Prospecting receives the following notice in the Dominion Analyst's annual roport:—"The number of prospectors' samples tends to diminish, and the results on tho whole disclose little of valno. Tho search for schcelito would appear, however, to be particularly vigorous. Numerous analyses of mine-airs have Jioen made for the Inspectors of Mines. Tho GcologicahSurvey forwarded a total of 135 speoimons, comprised mainly of coals, rocks, limestones, clays, and quartz for assay. An exceptionally largo number' were examined for phosphate to assist ino director in .his search for further deposits of phosphate rook." At last evening's meeting of tho pro-perty-owners, 1 during a lively discussion oil the interest house property in Wcl'i ng , n Mr. J. J. Boyd said Uiat tile Government valuation of his houses amounted to .£65,000, and they ?? ? returned him .£4500 a year gross— that on tho Government valuation. His valuation was about .£IOO,OOO.

Charged with disobeying the lawful commands of tho captain while at sea, a seanuvn on the American ship Florence Luckenbach, which arrived from t S Tu or ' c . J'fiskrday, was handed over to the police, and will appear in the Magistrate's Court this morning. nT^'^ ro al i e 0110 or two mera T>ors 01 the City Council who aro in favour of building houses for tho Corporation employees/' said Mr. V. Jensen at last fining's meeting of property-owners. Hho is going to pay i lor them? We are! Why, if you were to give mo a section free to build a house for some People I wouldn't do it, because it wouldn't pay to build, it. Yet these councillors have tho audacity to show us how to make houses pay. They've had properties on Adelaide Road that haven't returned a penny in .rent for yeaTS. i . ." "Property-owners in Wellington owe a grudge to tho City Council," said Mr. E. Hunt, chairman of last evening's meeting of_ property-owners. "They paid a lot of inspectors," he said, "to report on leaky taps, and' tenant cleared out ttiey were servsi- with notices to clear away tho rubbish the tenant had ■left behind, and" which cost halT-arSove-reign to have carted to tho tin in John Street. What were tho inspectors doin» to allow that rubbish to accumulate? Tho council also made tho landlords pay Tor rubbish tins that the tenant ought to- provide. The landlord had no say in how thoseutins wero to Uo used, and it was all the same to t.ho tenant if_ they knocked tho bottom out of them. AM mose tins cost from 10s. to 15s. each, according to quality." ;

■Jlr. _ J.' Xangridge, caretaker 'of tho Municipal Zoo, loft for Auckland last evening, in order to bring dotvn six pairs of ostriches from tlio Helvetia Ostrich Farm. Two pairs have been presented to tho Zoo by the Prime Minister, oijo_ pair is being presented by the Zoologiail Society, and tho other pair will be bought by tjio City Council. The ostriches aje to be yarded on the rise just above' tho caretaker's cottage. "Business men aro being allowed a prolit of V.V per cent, and another 2-} per cent, wiero tlio asset is a wasting one," 6aid Mr. E. Hunt, chairman of the meeting of property-owners, held in •. the Chamber of Commerce last evening. "Why can't landlords bo treated as fairly ? Houses are a wasting asset, and ws aro just as mnoli entitled to the extra 2i per cent, as business men are." Tho first New Zealand soldier to win 'the D.C.M. on Gallipoli, Corporal G. A.'Tcinpany, arrived at Auckland by the steamer Eotorua on Friday. Corporal Tcinpany was a private in tho ICth, Waikaljo, Regiment, and aB such took part in tho historic landing at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915, and on that day, during tlio retirement near Gaba Tepe, ho showed conspicuous bravery! Ho advanced under heavy fire to the enemy's line, and carried a wounded comrade back to safety. Ho remained on the peninsula until near tlie end of .Tuly, when lie wa9 invalided to England, and lias since been in the hospitals and camps in Britain. Another Auckland hero, in tho person of Sergt.-Major P. C. Boate, also arrived by the Eotorua. Sergt.-jfajot Boate went out to Gallipoli as a member of tlio Otago Infantry Battalion, and was wounded twice, on Juno 3 and October 12. During the operations on Gallipoli he showed great bravery and resource in holding tho. right flank at a weak/point. For this act, which required vigilance, lie was awarded the D.C.M. and- the French "Medaillo Militairc." He served for 16 years in the Welsh Fusiliers, and displays on liis tunic the SnntV African ribbons as well as tho D.C.M. and French decorations. Messrs. Higgs and O'Donnell, patent attorneys, Wellington, report that they have recently filed the following- applications for patents:—E.- L. Goodwin, Wellington, means for opening and closing curtains; J. Perkins, Somes Island, riflo charger; Mrs. J. C. Webster, Auckland, knife cleaner; E. G. Denton, Wellington, design; C. H. Davis, Wanganni, flushing apparatus; T. Currie, Rnnanga, miners' tokens; R. Westficld and R. W. Jones, Wellington, household indicator; W. Waller, Christchurch, trolley head; W. H. Holden, Auckland, borer destroyer; E. T. Edmonds, Timaru, footwear dryer; 11. S. Woolcott, Wellington, dotcrgerit; C. H. Davis and W. T. Eaton, Wanganni, petrol vapou riser.