LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 262, 24 July 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

No additional cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis havo been reported among the troops in camp. Of Hie. two cases recently reported, one is continuing to. progress favourably, and the second and moro serious case has taken a turn for the better. The general Jiealth of the troops, in spite of the severe weather, is excellent.

The rate demands for the first half of the current financial year of the Wellington City Corporation will bo iasueil (hiring the first week in August.

Yesterday Cabinet approved a proposal for the expenditure of .C27G2 on the building and equipment of an artificial limb factory, near,the old To Aro Railway Station.

A Christchurch soldier recently married an English girl. Snow and slush were on the ground. "My dear," said the happy soldier, "you will find no snow in good old Christchureh." Tho lady arrived in tho southern city last week.

Yesterday a man who was once connected with the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, was arrested by Detective Scott on a charge of failure to account for money he received on behalf of the board. The amount involved in the charge already laid is £■> 155., but the police etato that other charges are pending. Tho man will appear before the Court to-day.

Tho octopus of German culturo and the means which must bo taken to prevent I lie materialistic efficiency of which Germany was the avowed exponent from creeping into the life of the nation, were discussed by Professor Maxwell Walker at the Auckland Orphans' Club on Saturday evening. He said it was recognised that German culture could not be expelled wi'.lumt creating a gap, but Ihis gap could be filled by intcr-aclion, ami the inler-influi'iice of the British and French nations. Aβ a result of conditions resulting from the war, it would bo necessary Io develop along scientific lines, lint il must k' made cprtiiin that a innti'rialUii, (ierinan efficiency was not niiid" predominant. To achieve the highest ideal, harmony hehvwvi scientific am! literary culturo must bo sought.

You'll like tho flavour of Doctors' Cream O'Groats-it's delicious. Ideal for children. Ail Grocers,-Advt.

iVfc the invitation of the council of the British and Foreign Bible Society, the ministers of the city met at tea in Hie Wellington Y..U.C.A. rooms, the Rev. A. S. Thompson, of Christchurch, who is shortly Inking up tho duties of colleague to the Rev. I , '. H. Sponcer, the society's agent in New Zealand. Speeches were made by the Hon. J. G. W. Ailkcn (Moderator of the Presbyterian General Assoinbly) and the Rnv. A. SI, .lohnson (St. Paul's Anglican Chinch), welcoming Mr. Thompson to his new sphere of work. In replying, Mr. Thompson thanked those present for their welcomo, and asked for tho co-operation of all tho churches in the society's work. Subsequently the monthly meeting of tho council was licld. Arrangements were mode which it is hoped will result in a generous response to the society's appeal for funds to onaWo it to continue its work. It was reported that H.K.IL the Jluko of Connaiight had accepted the presidciicy of the parent society in Cheat Britain.

When passing through Palmerston North by the New Plymouth mail train on Saturday afternoon ihe Minister of Justice, tho Hon. T. M. Wilford, vii* interviewed by a deputation representing tho local Borough Council .".n<l the Chamber of Commerce, which urged the raisins of f>o status of the Palnierslon North police district. Mr. J. A. Nash, the Mayor, rju.otod statistics to show that there was much more police business done in Palmerslon North than at many other stations which were police district headquarters and which consequently wcro controlled by an inspector of police. Palmerston, he considered, should be the police headquarters for the district, which was a large and important one, and should he controlled by en inspector of police, instead of, as p.t present, by a sub-inspector responsible to the inspector of police at Wnnganui. He suggested that the Palmerston North police district should be made to inclmlo Shannon, Lerin. and Otaki on the south, AVoodvillc, Ekelaluina, mid Palnatua on tho east and should extend as far as Marfon on the north. The Minister replied that ho was prepared to accede to the representations made by tho deputation. It so happened that in a scliemo of general reconstruction which he had authorised (he Commissioner of Police to prepare ft few days ugo v the request tho deputation had made in regard to tho police was included. He teUevod that tho change could be elected iwtli advantage to the police and to the district without irefereifco to any other proposals- "I must admit," added the Minister, "that tho present arrangement is inherently l»d nwd anomalous. An epidemic of diphtheria has caused some alarm in Hawera and tho surrounding districts, nnd, at the last meeting o tho-Hawera Hospital Board there was somo discussion as to ways and mean, of combating live disease. Inspector (!i-av reported that, fifty cases wcro notifiKrU Iho past month from various parts of tho hospital district. In to course oE a. statement in reference to the epidemic, Dr. MacDiarnnd .Ac ing-Mod ical Superintendent, »aid that theio «.is no such thing as spontaneous generation of infectious disease. Every new case must have- pome from a previous case He wished to emphasise that no matter how many cesspits and septic tanks there were about in a district, these could no start an epidemic of diphtheria. E>ou if they wero badly infected they were a very unlikely source of infection, as people preferred to keep clear of them, .Direct spread by personal contact was by far the most, frequent sourco of injection. People must bo warned of the danger of mild cases, and every case ot illness should bo isolated till they wero euro it was not diphtheria. Cleanliness, was a means of prevention; gallons or Jeyes I'luid could not drown dirt, home people seemed to think that if thevo was a saucer full of Jeyes Fluid somewhere in tho scullery all the microbes from all. parts of tho house would tumble over each other in their eagerness to get into it Gargling night and morning was very useful, and might prevent an infection developing'into the disease. People must realise that it was largely duo to the ignoranco and indifference on tho part of tho community that the epidemic continued. After further discussion, tho hoard decided to ask the Taranaki Education Board that all schools in tho hospital district should be' closed for at least two months.