LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 1, 26 September 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

With Its issue to-day The Dominion begins the fifteenth year of publication.

With reference to the cable message from Ottawa, which appeared in Satins day’s issue that the Grand Lodge of Oddfellows sitting at Toronto had rejected tho motion of Mr. Lucas, of' Austro’.a, to permit the admission of Maoris, Mr. J. Kershaw, Grand Secretary of tho New Zealand Branch of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity, writes to say that this docs not apply to the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows, which has never exempted Maoris from membership li they are eligible in accordance with the rules.

“Now Zealand is supporting as many people .as it can as a slieep farm " remarked Mr. D. S. Smith, when dealing with the question of immigration at a meeting of tho executive of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association yesterday. He contended that-if ten millton people were required, then New Zealand would have to become a manufacturing country. He produced a chart obtained from the Government Statistician showing tho rise and fall in the population since 18G5. The immigrants increased in times of prosperity and decreased during periods of depression He was of opinion that artificial stimulation of immigration was not going to be any use to’ the country, and that therefore it was a mistake io bring more people into the country than could bo accommodated. Tt was decided by the meeting that -the Government ’be asked to limit immigrants to tho number for whom employment and accommodation wore available.

A statement of tho position of the district, fund account presented at Friday’s meeting of the Eastbourne Borough 'Council, showed that the estimated receipts from rates were £2669, col ected .£976 63. lid., sanitation collected .£2Bl 6*. Cd., sundries and Government subsidy, <£37B, received £232 17e. The amount' outstanding was .£1465 9s. id. On the expenditure side £1271 13s. 10d. hnd been spent on administration and various works of the borough, and tho balance available was £l6BO Os. lOd. The position was considered by tho committee to be satisfactory.

A motor-car caught fire on the Hutt Road between Nffahaiiranga and Kaiwarra yesterday afternoon. The cause of the fire is not known, but the effect was such as to necessitate the abandonment of tho i/cliiclß by iho occupants. Tt was in some manner moved io the side of the road out of iho-way of tho traffic. Tho fire was put out by a chemical extinguisher carried in the car.

A report laid' before ’the executive of. the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association on Saturday showed that on December 31 last there were 3425 Chinese and 726 Hindus in the Dominion. Since the restrictions were put into force on November 20 there had been a.'considerable decrease in this class of immigrant/

The members* art union in connection with iho annual exhibition of tho Academy of Fine Arts was drawn on Saturday evening in the presence of n. large number of visitors to the gallery, the results are published in another column.

The matter of securing a resident medical practitioner for the eastern bays was discussed at a. meeting of tho Eastbourne Borough Council last week. Iho Mayor (Mr. C. H. Mather) eaid it appeared' that tlie borough wds so healthy that the doctor who was resident at. Eastbourne had io leave because he wits unable (o make a living. It was high1v desirable that the services of a doctor should ho available, and the suggestion was that ho should, be subsidised. Tho question was only formally discussed, and no definite decision was arrived at in regard to it. Tlie Mayor also said that" Dr. Truby King was anxious that a committee bo set up in the borough in tlie interests of tho Plunket Society, and that Dr. King intended to visit tlie borough and give a lecture in furtherance of the society’s efforis to raise funds to secure a permanent home. Councillor Marquis said that he was not in favour of a committee being set up in tho borough, as most of the residents went to tho city daily, and had subscribed to the fund there. The Mayor was given power to make any arrangement ho thought advisable v. ith Dr. Truby King.

A strange event happened at 'WhtikarowaTewa on Tuesday, ono that has "been very seldom if ever noticed before. It appears that tire Cauldron alongside Pohv.tu emptied itself in some mysterious manner, so that tlie bottom disclosed a comparatively small aperture. Tlie next morning there wav a .violent eruption, water being sent 20 feet into tlie tir. Tho settlement of returned soldiers on gum lands was the subject of n memorandum presented to tho executive of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association yesterday by the chairman (Sir Andrew Russell. He said that these lands, of which there was a considerable area, were for the greater part fit for settlement.. However, j’arylMg as they did in quality within wido extremes, and the methods of treating them successfully not being fully understood. it would lx> useless to settle returned soldiers on them without expert supervision. It would appear necessary for the Government to find the capital and supervision, the soldier finding the labour and gaining the experience necessary to successful fanning during tho year of breaking in. It was suggested that two or. at most, three blocks of from 5090 to 20,000 acres each, should bo put in hand nt the start. Returned soldiers, (preferably unmarried, shquld be engaged for tho necessary labour, Aind in the meantime they should l receive tho current rate of wages, and should have priority in tho ballot when the development w'-ork was completed. They should be physically fit. apt for work, and of sober 'habits" When cut up. the land would be handed over at cost price. Tt was decided that Sir Andrew Russell should confer with tho 1 ' Minister of Lands on the matter.

"Considering that Christchurch possesses such an admirable facility in its Tepid Baths for currying on the work, it is regrettable that life-saving is so neglected by swimmers,’’ states the annual report’of iho Canterbury Centro of tho Royal Life-Raving Society. "We must not in our enthusiasm lose sight of the fact that swimming ability alono is not sufficient to enable a person to effect a re-iuio under the many and varied conditions that occur from time to time Swimmers must realise thq fact that it is their Iwundcn duty not only to tr.-ioli others to swim, but also to gain Hull practical knowledge of life- ” in „ mrilmds which is essential to tho would-be rescuer. In order to minimise tiho 'possibilities of such numbers o drowning accidents that aro recorded from, time to time, we must appeal fo> a far greater co-ordination in tho work of swimming assoc in]ions, cluhs, P c ’:. Of 'lie Poval Life-Saving boeiclj s instructors ’ 'The ability to effect a rescue is equally as important as speed swimming.”

The hospital authorities reported last •night that nine cases of influenza wore receiving treatment.

A word of advics to ‘'those about to marry’’ after having appeared in Una Divorce Court was given by His Honour Mr. Justice Adams at the Auckland Supreme Court last week. “I have recently learned,” said His Honour, “that petitioners in divorce are sometimes unaware of tho fact that alter a decree nisi is pronounced they are not at liberty to marry until the decree has been made absolute. I think it is desirable that this should ho thoroughly well understood.”

The compilation of a manufacturers* directory by tho Department of Industries and Commerce is being retarded by tho failure of many concerns which received schedules to return thorn to the Department. In tho Auckland district about 1.500 schedules were distributed, and only half 'that number have been returned An officer of the Department stated recently that the work of compiling tho directory lias been undertaken entirely in the interest,s of New Zealand manufacturers, and it is hoped that lor their own advantage no firms will neglect to contribute the details.

The qualities of meat flour, a new food that is being made in New Zealand, were described by Mr. M. to a meeting of farrner.3 and other held in Hamilton. Mr. Abbot said that recently at a dinner at Ohakune IS persons sat down to a meal composed entirely of meat flour dishes, and only a little over half-a-poiind of meat flour was used in its preparation. It was excellent for invalids and boro ru high food value. It could be exported easily and compactly, and would kcem, so far as present tests went, for tho year, without the slightest sign of deterioration At present it was being manufactured, including all overhead charges, at Is. 9d. pci* ]l -'- an(l co . n ! tl 1)e manufactured in larger quantities for very much less. It took 31b. of meat to produce Ufi. of the flour, which was at present being readily sold nt ss. per lb , and was found exccediijglr in the household at price. Tn concluding an interesting lecture before the newly-formed Auckland lorestry League (states the “Stpr ), tin* Rev - . J. H. Simmonds, who was described as one of Australasia’s foremast authorities on the subject, said: “The worst, of all enemies to the tree wealth pt a country is fire. Tn Australia tire losses canted by forest fires are almost beyond estimate.' The 1921 forestry report for Victoria, after praising' the largely successful efforts of foresters to prevent or extinguish fires, contains these words: “Even so, however, the year’s fire figures present an appalling total, some 120.090 acres of forest being ravaged to a greater or less extent.” “The cruel truth about these losses,” said Mr. Simmonds, “is that thev ore due generally to carelessness, and in some cases, to wilful incendiarism. Tlie persistent appeal on behalf of the forests of Australia is for public pjpprociation and’ pujblic protection. u> it must be in New Zealand. References to the uses io which the Maoris put some of the tree® found growing in the Riccartnn Bush, Christchurch, were made by Miss F. B. Muiray in the course of a lecture at Canter•’bury College last week, on the “Botany of Riccarton Bush.” By rubbing a sharpened piece of the kaikomako against a flattened piece of mahoe. the Maoris made fire. From the bark of tho h>nau they obtained aldye which, was used for dvbre their flax mats. With the ln ncr bark”of the ribbonwood, which came off in strips rope, twine,/and fishing nets were ma'de. Miss Murray showed a small basket of delicate workmanship made from ribbonwood bark. Another tree exmlod a milky fluid, which was used as milk by the early .settlers.

A girl about IS years"of age. residing in Ponsonby, Auckland, haxt a narrow escape frpm asphyxiation on Tuesday night (states the “Star”). It appears that when she retired to bed, rather eorlier than usual, she left her bedroom li-lit burning. The friends with whom she was residing shortly afterwards found tho gas supply in the house cut off, a defect which was remedied by attention to the slot meter. When the fresh supply camo on the occupants of various rooms relit, their gas-jets, but the girl ip question had fallen asleep and "knew nothing of the impending danger. Nearly two hours-later the Indy of the house had occasion to bo near the girl’s bedroom, when she detected the. escape of gas. On opening the door she roused the inmate, who was assisted out of bed coughing and choking. Fortunately tho window had been open, and although the atmosphere was verr poisonous by the time the girl was rescued she suffered nothing' worse than a severe headache in consequence of the mishap.

“If vou ' have a credit balance we would like, to assist you to spend some of it," W. E. Leadley when waiting upon the Springs County Council last Thursday ns a member of a deputation from tlie North Canterbury Unemployment Committee. “We have waited upon quite a number of county councils lately, and they all seemed to be short of money,” he added, Tt transpired subsequently that the council did have a credit balance, though the accounts passed for payment at the meeting would absorb nearly the whole of it.

The executive! of the Wellington Returned Soldiers’ Association calls on all members to ho present at the meeting to he held ill tlie Concert Chamber, Town Hall, to-morrow, at 7.30 p.m. Tho ljusiHess io ko discussed is of vital. importanco io the association, and it is necessary therefore, that the attendance ehc’uld he as representative as possible.. Only financial members will bo admitted.