LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 26, 25 October 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

It is now only a little over a fortnight awav from the anniversary of the big outbreak of influenza in Wellington, and it is satisfactory to see that the signs and portents do not indicate a serious recurrence of tile complaint in its deadly form. Consulted on the matter tlio medical • superintendent of the Wellington Hospital (Dr. E. Woodliouse) said that the only form of influenza now beiiii' encountered in Wellington was a very mild variety. Only once In ft while was there a ease of pneumonic influenza and the variety which almost forbade hone from the outset was non-exis-lent. He did not'anticipate that Wellington would have another visitation of the malady in its .acute form. The Secretary, General Post Office, lias been advised that legal timo_ was reverted, to in 1) ranee on October o. The outpatients'' department of tlio Wellington Hospital will be closed on Monday ne.\t (Labour Day). Urgent cases will be treated at tlio mam hospital. Dislocation of transport services owing to the war is world-wide. Mr. J. 11. Gunson, Mayor of Auckland,,found that out when he reached San Francisco. lie wanted to be back in Auckland in time for the general election, as he had been asked to stand for' the new. electorate of Roskill, and as soon as ho landed in \merica he set .about making arrangements for his return. Although it was only the middle of July he found that the best the shipping companies could do for him was to give him a berth m the Niagara, leaving at the end of November, and he booked accordingly.

Mr R. A. "Wright (Wellington Suburbs and Country District) has given notice to ask tho Minister of Customs 'Whether a certain article imported from the United States of America and used as a substitute for linoleum is imported into Now Zealand without the imposition of the preferential duty;' and. if so, whether this is fair to British manufacturers who are struggling to regain the trade which was lost during the war."

According to the report of the Health Inspector the return of infectious diseases in Wellington for the month ended October 14 were slightly less than in tlie preceding month, but. a good deal more than in tho corresponding period of- last year. The return of reported fases for the nast month (ended October 14) was as follows Scarlet fever, 3; diphtheria 33: tuberculosis. 14; enteric, 1: influenza, 33: pneumonia, 7; measles, I,' There were no cases of cerebro" sunml meningitis or lethargic encephalitis. Of the diphtheria and influenza eases reported 26 eases in each instance were located iu Wellington City. As tho result : of only a few hours' canvass the sum of ,£SOO was guaranteed towards the expenses of the visit to Christchurch of the New South Wales Orchestra. An oflieial announcement that owing to the races the Railway Department will not carry riflemen to -the I rentham ranges to-day was mentioned by .Mr. .J. P. Luke (Wellington North) m the Hou=e of Representatives yesterday.».llie Prime Minister said he would make inquiries on the point. The War Relief Association is.receiving a very large number of applications for loans against war gratuities, and in view of the recently-published statement to the efleet that tho War Expenses Department will have completed these payments by the end of the year, and as many of the applications lodged are merely.presented with tho object of anticipating payment of the money by War Expenses, the Applications Committee has decided'that, in view of the tremendmis amount of work involved by submission to War Expenses, a duplicate.application from the association, -no further loans be advanced by it "unices the applicant can prove /that exceptional circumstances are attached to his request. At 9.41 o'clock yesterday morning the Fire Brigade received a call to the Caih u oiic Apostolic Church, in Webb Street, where tho paint wns being burned off the weather-boards. The latter.became ignited, but the damage was plight.

Returns prepared by tho Government Statistician, and issued in .the "Gazette," show that the proportion of deaths to the'1(100 ot' population for the quarter ending September 30 in the four metropolitan areas and nine suburban areas of the Dominion was as follows: Auckland, 1.08; Wellington, 0.70; Christehureii, 1.05; Dunedin. _ 1.1.T; Gisborne suburban area, 0.95; Napier suburbia area, 1.12; Now Plymouth suburban area, 0.92; Wnnganui suburban area, (i.72; Palmerston North suburban area, 1.14; "Nelson suburban area; 0.10; Greymouth suburban area, 1.55; Tiuinru suburban area, 0.!>8; Invercargill suburban area. 0.84. The average death-rate for New Zealand during the period was 0.97. Wellington had the least number of deaths in the metropolitan areas, and Dnnedin tho highest, whilst. Nelson subui'ban area was tho lowest, and trtoy 7 mouth the highest. The number of deaths of ina-lcs of. five years and over vras 227, and females 211, tho total deaths being tOG.

The Wellington Hose and Carnation Club's show, "'hii'li has been in abeyance since IOIG, is to be revived this year, tho dato tixed. being AVednesda.y, November 2(i. This is the club's twentieth spring show, and every, effort is being made to make it the most successful. A splendid schedule has been drawn up. and many,handsome'trophies and cash prizes are offered for competition. Classes arc being provided, for novice, amateur, and'trade growers. Especially intei'esring classes are those, for suburban rose growers, the ladies' decorated tables, and the ever-popular class for growers living within five miles of the General Post Office. Schedules may be obtained from the secretary, Mr. W. C. Read ,e/o 106 Cuba Street.

A Press Association message from Hamilton states that 'he borough council has decided to submit tho following' loan proposals to the, ratepapens:—For drainage,' ,E7o,fiflo; for electricity and water supply, J-'jO.UOO; for general works, .£20,001). From 1807 lo Win is a far cry, and the members and e.\-members of i) Battery, sth Wellington Regiment, are desirous of celebrating their jubilee' some lime next month. This gathering should have been held in 1017, but the absence at the war of so many of tho battery members made this impossible. Now that peace ;s declared tho gathering will be held, and will lake the form of a reunion smoke concert and welcome homo to General Richardson Vind iretnrned nvmbirs from overseas. A strong committee has .H'on formed to make tho gathering a succcss, and ex-membcrs aro reouested to vommuniealo with the see-'••■-vv, Mr. B. Pulsford, D.S.M., 98 vers Street, or Box 1109. I the monthly meet inir of the nospi- , Board. Mr. .1. Glover brought up lli:- mailer of the removal of the premises of the Cararra Ceiling Co. from the section in front of the. General llosnilnl, 011 the ground that it was an I eyesore, and completely spoilt the aspect of the grounds from the main thoroughfare. The chairman (Mr. F. Castle) said that the nropertv nroduced jCoCHI a. vcar. Mr. Glover said that gt would be belter removed even if it were replaced with- another building for hos-->ilnl purposes, which would lie the c»so laler 011. The uucslkm of improving the main entrance to the Hospital grounds and the whole of the street frontage is. now under construction.

Tlio Waterside Workers' Band will render various selections at Willon'g Bush to-morrow, commend us at I! p.m. Mr. 0. .T. Dennis. Iho Australian poet ;ind journalist, is raid to liavo been paid l.lio .sum of .1:75(1 for I.lm picture rights of "Tlio Sentimental Bloke." Tlio housing problem at present occupying 1 ho attention uf the Government, local bodies, and all manner of institutions was before I lie conference of tlio Public Service Association yesterday, when, after discussion, it was resolved:— "That the Public Scrviee Association is of tho opinion thai: any housing suliemo for Public Servants can bo permanently elfeetive only if the ownership of land and buildings is retained by tiio Association nf Public. Servants and not by individuals comprising I lie, association. By this means only can values be maintained at a. reasonable level, and a permanent benefit secured.'" Speaking in tho House of Ueprcsenlatives Yesterday, Mr. 11. A. Wright, (Wellington Suburbs) said he noticed (ho l!ailwav Department was going to run a train leaving Lamblor. Station for Hult at 5.45 p.m., for tho convenience of people who left their work at 5.30 p.m. Would' tlio Department make a similar concession (o people who lived on the .Tohnsonville lino? The' Prime Minister replied that he would have tho matter looked into. An interesting event occurred on board tlio Royal Mail, steamer Niagara oil the evening of the day she cleared Suva for Auckland, a third-class , passenger'giving birth to a girl—her seventh child. The mother and her husband are en route to Australia from Scotland.' To mark the event the first saloon passengers collected «£SO, which is to be banked in Sydney for the baby. The second saloon passengers collected £i, which was liaud.cd to the mother. An estate sworn at ,620,338,--mostly in personalty, was left by the late Mr. Edmund Fulton Lilley, a well-known figure in New Zealand business circles, who died in Perth after an operation last February. The late Mr. Lilley, who was born in Belfast about 50 years ago. had made annual trips through New Zealand, from Bluff to Auckland, for the last 37 years or more in connection with his business, the headquarters of which were in Sydney. He was Australasian representative of the Belfast rope works, and his many other agencies included those of ColthWst, Hardy, and Co.. London, and Humphreys and Co., Sheffield.