LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 270, 11 August 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Figures received by tlie Minister of Public Health (the Hon. G. W. Russell) show that, during iho four days ending August 7, 27 cases of influenza were notified, of which fivo were pneumonic, and one was fatal. Tho fatal case was .it To Puke, Bay of Plenty district. The remaining cases were:—North of Auckland district, 3, 1 pnoumonic; Auckland health district, 12, 1 fatal and 1 pneumonic; Wellington liealth district, 11, 1 pnoumonic at Wairoa; Canterbury, 1 mild case; Otago, none. "Tho return appears to show," said Mr. Russell, "that influenza is moro prevalent in the milder districts of the North Island than in the colder climates of the South. No special significance needs to be attached to tho figures; and, beyond the indication that sporadic cases of influenza aro occurring, tho figures do not point to a, recrudescence of the epidemic. Every pneumonic case is being closely watched by the Health Department."

It was announced by the Hon. D. H. Guthrie on Saturday (hat tho Uovernmcnt had acquired tho Orongo Estate of 2100 acres, noar Turua, eight miles south of Thames. A further sum is to be expended upon improvements before the property will be ready for settlement. It will then be cut nn into farms of -10 to 50 acres, upon wliicli -16 returned soldiers will be settled. The Government has been in treaty for this block for a considerable' time, and has now been able to purchase at a prico nt which, no doubt, the settlement of returned soldiers will be made with every prospect of absolute success.

From time to time comment 'has been made in the local Police Court on the number of inebriated mei\ seen in the streets of the city on some Sundays. The trouble is believed to be due to sly grogsellers, against whom an activo campaign is focin:r waged by the police. Yesterday afternoon, Senior-Sergeant Kelly, of Mount Cook, Sergeant Lopdell, of Taranaki Street, and Constables Hedgeman and Siiea, raided premises in three different, parts of To Aro fi.at, and took the names of three men who were alleged to be dispensing liquor without a license at the highly remunerative rate of 2s. Gd. per glass. At one place, 32 bottles of beer were seized, but the stocks commandeered in each of the other two instances were not so large. In one case, a stable at the rear of a wood and coal yard appeared to have been put to tho uses of a "tavern." The three defendants will appear before t'he Magistrate's Court in due course, on informations of having sold liquor without being licensed to do so.

One of tho youngest Neiv Zealand soldiers who sorved during tho war, Gunner H. J. Regan, died recently at his parents' residence, Ellerslie, at the age of 20. Gunner Retail enlisted in the artillery brigade, Ninth Reinforcements, foe* ing then only 155 years of age. He saw considerable service in France, faking part in many of the principal artillery operations. He was invalided home suffering from tuberculosis, and was for some time at tho Featherston Hospital. Although a nlere boy, his work at the front, according to reports from his officers, _ was of, the best, and on several occasions ho displayed commendable courage. Ho several times gained praise for his knowledge of gunnery. He. was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Regan, Ellerslie. A very daring burglary was attempted at tho Christchurch Gas Company's works, Waltham Road, on Wednesday night. It appears that two men forced an entrance into the office, dislodged a small safe and rolled it into the adjoining yard. The men were first 6eon by Mr. It; English, tho company's works manager. Mr. English asked t'hera what they were doing, and one of them replied: "A job wo cannot do in the daytime." Mr, English nt onco communicated with the police. A constable arrived after a while, but it is stated that the burglars had got wind of his arrival and were successful in making their escape. At the rosary in the Zoo Gardens on Saturday afternoon, Mr. T. Wangh, (oget'her with several members of tho Wellington Rose and Carnation Club, gave a demonstration of .rose pruning. There was a very satisfactory attendance of enthusiasts, who availed 1 themselves of the opportunity toobtain cuttings of the many lino roses grown under the auspices of this useful association. 'fho quantity of coal exported from Newcastle to New Zealand ports during the six months ended on June 30 last was 1!15,747 tons, as against 1G5.323 tons for tho same period last year. While the amount exported to Now Zealand shows a sharp increase, the qualities exported tu Victoria and South Australia for the same period show a decrease of roughly 200,000' tons in each case as against the figures for 1918. Tho matter of excessive prices for land was briefly referred to at the meeting of the North Auckland Land Board last week. The commissioner (Mr. R. P. Grevillc) said he noticed that the Canterbury Laud Board had persuaded u property owner to reduce his price by .£350. "Tho other day we got an owner to make a reduction of £22,10," Mr. Grevillc added, "He first a6ked .£7230, but finally accepted -£5000."

The "Taranaki Herald'' says there are farms, in tho Taranaki district valued for • taxation and rating purposes at .from to ,£ls per acre which have changcd hands at two, three, or four times as much. In man.r canes 110 doubt the price given for land is far too high, and is liotjikely to be maintained, but there should be some kind of relation between selling prices and taxable values. A number of lSlli and 19th century watches and watch-movements left by tho late Olr. Evan Roberts, «f Loudon, are to bo presented to ihe Dominion and other leading museums in New Zealand. Mr. Rob.u'ts, who started lite as a working watchmaker, was one of the first to sso the advantages of .1 machine-made watch. He made his fortune through it, and, as a hobby,- devoted himself to collecting old watches and watch-movements. The collection was left to tho Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington, with instructions that such parti as might not be required there were to bB distributed among selected institutions.

Obtaining a permit to travel 011 tho luihrays is a serious business unless the traveller is in a position to prove tho essential nature of his business by backing ii]> his request tor a ticket with the formal certificates and declarations. An amusing instance of this was afforded in Auckland last week (says the "Star"), when a military officer and his wife who had travelled to New Zealand by on meiseos steamer tried, to get railway tickets to complete their journey to the

south. The oflicer had 110 troublo in getting his ticket, his bona-fides evidently being clearly established, but when it came to the lady, the difficulty commenced. How did the railway authorities know she was his wife? This was quito courteously and pleasantly explained to the officer, who was advised to go to tho ship and get a certificate from someone in authority aboard, to say that tho ilndy travelling in his company was his wife. This done, tho demands of tho regulation? would be met, and tho ticket issued. "IPs a bit thick, but. I suppose there's nothing else for it," said the officer as 110 went off, evidently with tho intention of procuring the required document.

There is a certain laud agent in Auckland who is now looking out all his old holdings in the way of farming lands as the result of an application that was made to him this week (says the "Star"). A young man entered his olfico with the usual request for description ami prices of farming lands. "Roads are the difficulties theso days," said the agent. "Oh, but. that, doesn't matter," came tho astonishing reply. "You see, I intend to run an aeroplane just quietly. As long as the old ranch is an hour or so from a village, it'll be all right." "What do you mean by air'hour' from a villnge?" asked tho somewhat dazed agent. "About a hundred miles would .be near enough," answered the futurist farmer.

The Whnngarei Police Court was entertained by nil imaginary game of poker a few days ago, during the hearing of a charge of theft centring round a name of cards. The Magistrate was not at all clear how tlio game was convicted, so he had witnesses, interpreter, clerk, and counsel sit round the table and play <v round. The Bench was thus initiated into the mystery of tho game. A witness, describing a "friendly gartie," said that their party of fivo started to play at 12 o'clock on Sunday, and played till 5 p.m. Three of them resumed at fi p.m. and played till 7.30 a.m. on Monday.

"Bird Lifo in New Zealand" was the subject of a lecture given in tho Alexandra Hall last night, under the Auspices of the Social Democratic Parly, by Mr. C. Pattison. The lecturer made an interesting sunloy of' tho Dominion's native and imported birds, and gave much iniormati'iii regarding their habits. He illustrated his remarks with lantern slides.