LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 276, 16 August 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

An Eastern and Australian mail is duo here by tho Uhmaroa from Sydney this ffvenni?. It consists of 89 bags of mail and. /8 parcol-posfc package.

In affirming liia belief in vaccination as a pwontive against American- smallpox, the district health officer at Dunwlin. Dr. Jialconer, remarked in an interview last week: "There is plenty of evidence for the conversion of those Who entertain any doubt on the subject here is one significant fact: that of all tho smallpox patients we have hod in tke fever hospital at Dunedin during the present epidemic only two were vaccinated in infanoy, and there is one who had an unsuccessful - vaccination our and a half years ago. -Let me, also tell you that in Australia in 1913, when there was a similar outbroak there, out of a thousand paticnt6 not ono had-been vaccinnted within 15 years. The risk is of unrecognised carriers in unvnociimted mens. If vaccination became general «•(> oould soon stamp out this trouble as •■vi! hnvo it."

A eonfcrerico of South Canterbury members of the Protestant Political Association (states a Press Association message) endorsed the action of tho Council nf Churches in Christchurch in drawing the attention of the Prime Minister to the policy of the "New Zealand Tablot."

For some time i>ast the credits havo been receding in the electric lighting department', owing to the heavy increases In working expense.-, notably in coal, for which the department has had to pay as Mgh as i! 3 13s. per ton (as compared with 18s. before the war). That factor alone has meant a heavy drain on the finances. At the rate these uncontrollable expenses arc mounting up It is quite on the cards that an increased price for current will be asked for in Ui« not-far-distant future.

A "demonstration" arranged by the Wellington Waterside ' Workers' Union was set down to take place yesterday afternoon in. Oriental Bay. The general public was asked by advertisement to follow the Union Band from Boulcott Street to the "bay, but the invitation was not accepted by many, and at the bay the number of people who listened to the band and the speeches was never more than about 200, owing, perhaps, to the very bleak and showery weather. -The band,. under Mr. J. J. Drew, is always worth listening to, but even good music cannot bold its own in the open air against the Antarctic conditions which ruled.

The National War Memorial Committee, presided over by the Minister of Defence (Sir I?. Heaton Rhodes) has held a meeting and considered the three schemes proposed by the Site Committee, and also one other sclieme submitted to the Parliamentary Committee. The meeting was adjourned for a week in ordei to obtain further particulars. Inquiries are being made through tlie High Commissioner for certain information relating to New Zealand's battlefield memorials. Already some sites in Flanders have been acquired. When the iuformatton now awaited comes to hand the committee will be called together to consider further proposals.

The Public Health Service of the United States has issued an encouraging report with reference to the treatment of leprosy by a preparation of ehaulmugra, oil. Mr. A. Moritzson, who i 6 residing at the present time at Honolulu, writes: "Wonderful results from this treatment by injection have been obtained by President Arthur L. Dean, of the Hawaii University, and Dr. J. T. M'Donald, who have isolated the curative element or property in chaulmugra oil, the tree of which' is grown in British India. At Kalihi receiving station, where 85 patients are treated at present, SO have been sent homo perfectly cured, and only two cases are pronounced as serious out of the 85. No patients have been sent this year to Kaulapag'ra Settlement at IMoloikai, the leper station. In less than 12 months 58 lepers so treated have been .released, and as it costs 500 dollars a year to keep a patient at Kalihi receiving station, this means a saving to the territory of 29,000 dollars. At present the only drawback is that sufficient chaulmugra oil cannot bo obtained. It is proposal, therefore, to plant and acclimatise this tree into the Hawaiian Islands. Dr. Trotter and Dr. M'Donald, in oharge of Kalihi receiving station, Bav the oure is perfect and lasting."

"At Petaluma, forty miles out from San Francisco, I saw the largest eggproducing district in the world," said Mr. J. B. Merrett, of Christchurch, in an interview covering his impressions of California. "On tin area twenty-five miles square, they produce moro eggs than we do in the whole of New Zealand. There was not a great deal 'to leam in the selection and breeding of stock. There was a great deal to learn in tho way of extensive plant and the application of labour-saving devices to the poultry industry. On one farm which we visited there were 35,000 layers, all run bv six men. In tho mornings, l>y up-to-date methods, they can feed the whole flock in one hour and ten minutes. A great industry is the 'boiler,' or poul-try-fattening industry. The young male birds are taken when ten weeks old, placed in batteries and fed on fattening food for twelve days, and then killed for the market. In one shed there were 40,000 of these birds being fattened, tho daily kill being between three and four thousand. The killed birds are neatly dressed, packed in parchment paper, and sent to New York, where fancy prices are obtained. In regard to egg-laying competitions, the Californians have not njado the progress we have made in New Zealand. The production of eggs is their chief business, and it's a high-class one. Every poultry farmer is well off, with n motor-car, a. beautiful home, and men working for him "

Interesting to th'ose not doing business with America, but distasteful to those who are, is the experience of Mr. J. .1. Boyd, of Onelnuiga, in respect to the rate of excliango in the United Stales. 'Mr. and Mrs. BoytT says an Auckland paper, returned from an extended business and pleasure trip on Monday last. Through the excessive rale of exchange (.£25 in the ,£100), Mr. Boyd decided not to transact business in the land of Staru and Stripes, and brought, back with him to the Dominion a bulky bagof gsld that ran into hundred? of sovereigns. While in tlTe States 'ho turned his attention to "placing" a number of the lions at tho Onehunga Zoo, with the result that era long 12 will he.shipped from these sliores. America, lie said, was living on the fat of the land, i.e., the war debt, that was being paid in gold by the Allies. Despite this, however, there were thousands of workers out of employment, the cause being attributed to the reluctance of The colonies and Great Britain to do business under existing conditions with America.

Among the latest English actors to tako up motion picture work with the American companies is Captain TemplerPowell, a son of Mr. W. H. Cheesman, of the firm of Ifaye and Carter, Christchurch. Captain Templar-Powell, though bom in England, spent his boyhood in Now Zealand, returning later to an English university. After serving in the South African War, ho went on the stage, playing with Edward Terry and H. B. Irving, He rejoined the Army in August, 1914, and won a commission in the Lancashire Fusiliers. Captain Temp-ler-Powell was discharged from tho Army a cripple, bait this did not prevent him undertakes a lecturing tour of America on behalf of the Ministry of Information. When tfiis task was completed, and hi 6 health having returned, he went out to America early thin year to take up kineraa acting, and received several important engagements with the Famous Players and Haworth companies. A petition is being circulated in • tho Lower Valley (Wairarapa 1 ) calling on tho Government to make a start with flhe extension of the railway line from Featherston to Martinborough.

An undefended divorce case,, Taylor v. Taylor, was heard by' the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) on Saturdav morning. Samuel Taylor, for whom Mr. Tripe appeared, was the petitioner and Harriet Taylor the respondent. The ground of tho petition was desertion. Only the petitioner was called, and His Honour granted a deoreo nisi, to lie moved absolute after three months.

Some time ago the committee of tho Boys' Institute and S. A. Ehotles Home for Boys resolved to iucrea6e the boarding accommodation for boys, and applications are now being received. Preference is given to sons of fallen soldiers, orphans, and boys from fthe -country who are apprentices to trades and who are unable to earn sufficient to pay tho ruling rates for board. In addition to board, free medical attention is provided, and every care is taken to safeguard the health of the boys. Opportunity is afforded boarders to enter the many classes connected with tho institute, and free" tuition is given in boot repairing, gymnastics, and shorthand. The boardin" establishment is under the supervision of tho matron (Mrs. Wills), who is assisted by a competent staff. As only a limited number of boys can be accommodated at present, early application should he made to the director, at, the institute in Tasman Street, from whom all particulars may be obtained.

A lecture on Broken Hill with soma reference to tho present! and other Industrial disputes in tho mining industry there was delivered in tho Paramount, Theatre last night by Mr. H. E. Holland, M.P. Mr. Arthur Cook presided. Tho purposo of the lecture was to make an appeal for assistance for the miners now on strike for many months, for this has been a long battle, judged oven by Rnrrier standards - . Air. Holland also told tho story of the discovery of tho Barrier ore deposits, the formation of the big company, and something about tho profits it. has made. There was a good deal, too, all from the union's point of view, about tho industrial battles on the Barrier in 1892 and 1908-9, the police action in llksb fvffain.

fho Wellington Prices Investigation Tribunal has returned from Taranaki, and have resumed sittings at Wellington.

Word has been received of a sad drowning accident at Hinakura, North Island. Jt appears that two brothers, Edward and Michael Hyan, wore attempting to ford the Parnu Rivor oil horseback late on Monday night. Rece it heavy rains had evidently washed the ford out, and they were soon both in difficulties. M, Ryan managed to get ashore, he having a miraculous escape, but his brother Edward was washed away and drowned. The late Mr,, Ryan was well known throughout the Otago Central district, and was the eldest son of the late Mr. Edward Ryan, of Ro*lyn, Dunedin.

An appreciation of the work of the Base Records Office comes all the way from Motherwell, jn Scotland, from a Scottish lady whose son lost his lifo on active servio# with the Now Zealand Expeditionary Force. Writing to Mr. S. Gibson, of Pongaroa, who interested himself in the matter, the lady in question, Mrs. Isabel Hollingsworth, says:—"l cannot speak too highly of the way that your military authorities have attended to all my queries and settlement of accounts, ctc., and would liko to express my gratitude to them for these kindnesses and all their attention."

A development plan of the city is proposed by the Tfiwn Planning Association, and the secretary of the association points out that in a recent report to the Housing and Town Planning Committee of tho Dundee Town Council the engineer of that city urged the immediate preparation of a comprehensive plan of city development. "Omission to adopt tho right course now," he says, "would be disastrous and unpardonable," and elsewhere he illustrates what is possible without the "simple precaution" of providing such a plan. Mri Hill says if this i 6 true of Dundee it is equally true of Wellington, and the Town Planning Association will never rest until a Dlan as suggested is prepared.

The Imperial Government has decided to relieve certain exceptional cases of hardship among pre-war pensioners (ex-Civil Servants and policemen among others). Mr. Honar Law announced in Parliament. The relief will apply to pensioners aged sixty or more, or retired for disability, whose total means (earned' or unearned) inclusive of pensions, do not exceed JI3OO a year in the case of a married, and .£l5O 'in tho case of a 6inele pensioner. For this purpose, a widower with children under the age of sixteen dependent on him will be treated as married. Widows in receipt of pensions granted in respect of service rendered by their former husbands will bo granted increase at the age of forty. Subject to these over-rid-ing conditions, a pensioner (married or single) with a pension of iSO a year, or less, will liave _ his pension increased by half. A pensioner with a pension of <£51 to _,£IOO single, or isl to ,£l3O married, will have his pension increased by two-fifths, and a pensioner with a pension of .£IOO to ,£l5O single, or ,£l3l to .£3OO married, will have his pension increased by about one-third.

The London meat journal "Cold Storage," has the following on refrigerating stores in Prance, which should go to show that there is a possibility of developing a trade for our meat in that country"Tho rapid advancement of the cold storage industry in Prance may be gauged by particulars published in 'La. Revue Generale du Froid.' Details are given of twenty-one new companies whose aggregate capital at 25 francs to the £ amounts to iC,273,000. The larg"f these concerns, the Compagnie d Alikentation et d'lnstallalions Frigorifiques, with a,capital of (0,000,000 francs, has been formed by the Banque de 1 Union Parisienne and important French Colonial interests."

Great difficulty is still king experienced by New Zealandersin England in obtaining passages for the return'trip i ii Advices received in Auckland last week are to the effect that somo of the travellers are glad to book by steamers that sail direct from British ports to Sydney, as this is the more speedy way of getting home. The ?.?• S aTll '> and Albion Company has notified Auckland clients that all its vessels bound for New Zealand are booked up to the end of November,— Herald."

A central pay office for waterside workers, controlled by the Auckland Shipping and Stovcdores* Association was opened 'on Friday. The office is Situated in Quay Street, and adjoins tho waterside workers' waiting-room. A lone counter with pay-boxes at intervals has been erected. The men assemble in alphabetical queues and recoive their pay through tho various pigeon holes. In the past jt lias been tho practice in Auckland for the men to draw their wages from the wharf office of tho shipping company employing them. This caused a great loss of time to the men, who had to wait about at the various pay-windows to collect their wages in small sums. Under the new system all the money earned by the men during the week is paid into the central office, where it is quickly distributed. A sum of about ,£SOOO was paid out in wages to waterside workers on Friday — "Herald."

At the hearing of tho male boot operatives dispute, before the Arbitration Urorfc the union asked for an alteration in the basic wage. In its award, filed on Saturday, the Court referred to tho application in tho following terms:— "This, however, meant a new classification of the workers, and although it was admitted iby the employers that many of tho workers were highly skilled, and that a now classification was desirable the Court did not have sufficient data before it to do so. In so highly a technical a trade as the boot manufacturing industry undoubtedly is, the Court is of opinion that the classification of the skill of tbe workers can best be done by a conference of experts, who are only to be found araongbt 'the parties themselves. In view of the early expiration of the award the Court recommends that this course bo adopted."