LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 17, 21 January 1924, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In an article published in "The Post" on Saturday, the.low death rate in New Zealand compared with that of other countries was noted, as was also the satisfactory relative position of the Dominion in respect to notifiable infectious diseases. In addition to the general health figures for New Zealand, it is interesting to note the position of the death rate figures for the four chief cities and suburban districts. the' past five years there has been a steady decrease in the number of deaths in the Wellington urban area per 1000 of the population, as will be seen by the following figures:—l9l9, 11.14; 1920, 10.64; 1921, 9.00; 1922, 8.73, and during 1923 the number fell to the low rate of 8.58. The death rate per 1000 of the population for the four chief centres for last year was:—Wellington, 8.58; Auckland, 9.26; Christchurch, 10.21; Dunedin, 11.42. Although there has been a steady drop in the past five years in the death- rate (per 1000 births) of infants in Wellington under one year of age from 59.64 in 1919 to 46.87 last year, Dunedin hjis the lowest infant mortality rate of 43.41, Auckland coming next with 43.99; Christchurch figures being 66.14. The number of births in tha four chief urban areas for last- year, per 1000 of population, were:—Auckland, 19.10; Wellington, 19.23; Christchurch 18.80; Dunedin, 17.80.

Friday was the twelfth anniversary of Captain R. F. Scott's arrival at- the South Pole. The expedition met its final disaster about 29th March, 1912, when Captain Scott, Dr. li. A. Wilson, and Lieutenant Bowers perished from starvation and cold in a blizzard, when they were within 11 miles of a base at One Ton Camp. Another member of the party, Petty Officer E. Evans, died from concussion on 17th February. It was on 17th March that Cnp't-ain L. K. G. Oates met his heroic death, walking into the blizzard in the vain hope that by sacrificing himself the lives of his companions might bel saved. Captain' Scott's body was found by a search party on 12th November,' and the explorer's vuiwbJ I'sueheil Uiuuiuu yu IOUi

The flood in the Kawarau River did some damage to the Cromwell Development Company's works. One of the two wooden gates was torn away, and there was at the time of writing every likelihood that the race is filled witli silt. If that is the measure of the damage— and it cannot very well be greater, says the "Dunedin Star," the loss to the company will be annoying rather than serious. The gates were made locally, and they can be replaced without delay. At least one man in Wellington it seems, finds the skirl of the bagpipes'not always a welcome sound. This was shown in Courtenay place on Saturday evening, when as the kilted pipers marched past in the procession, the many spectators were surprised to witness the flWit through the air of a cabbage which struck the drum major on the'side of the head, and knocked off His busby. The disturber of the peace, however was quickly apprehended, and appeared before air. C. R. Orr-Walker, S.M. at the Magistrate's Court to-day. The offender, a labourer named Patrick HannaD, was fined £5, in default 7 days' imprisonment, for behaving in a disorderly fashion while drank. A conviction also was registered against him on a charge of assaulting Colin Campbell. That the Railway Department is determined to discourage as far as possible the practice of motorists speeding over crossings when a train, is approaching was the point emphasised by Mr. P. S. K. Macassey at the Magistrate's Court to-day._ The case under review was that in which a Johnsonville resident, L. Charles Tolley, was charged that when approaching a railway line, he failed to slacken speed within one hundred yards of the crossing, and passed over the line when it was not clear. Evidence was given to the effect that the fact of a motorist taking a risk on a crossing imposed a severe strain on an engine driver's nerves. In the present case, the defendant had only crossed the line by about a chain when the engine shot past. A fine of £7, with costs, was imposed. "I am inflicting a heavy fine for the protection of the public," remarked the Magistrate. "It may prevent an accident in the future."

Not many persons in the Dominion possess the scholarly knowledge that is necessary to read ecclesiastical Latin written by hand, but there are thousands in every large community who in a general "way love books, and amongst those thousands there must be hundreds who can pay deference to the erudition of the past ages arid appreciate the wonderful -work which the monks and the other pioneer bookmen have left to the world. It may bo taken for granted, therefore,, telegraphs the Dunedin correspondent of "The Post," that many will take the opportunity now presented of looking at the ancient books and manuscripts which have been lent by St. Paul's Chapter from the Selwyn College Library, and which are ready for inspection in the M'Nab Room of the Dunedin Public Library. The collection comprises sixty-seven printed books and twelve manuscripts. Of the books, thirty were printed in the fifteenth century. The manuscripts include-works in Persian, Turkish, and Arabic, and there are also several single sheets on parchment, the ink of which is as clear as when the quill put it on. One of the rarest treasures is a copy of the Breviarum Romanum, on vellum, that has evidently been well used.

Two members of the party that recaptured the escaped prisoners, William J. Davidson and Herbert Helm, in a yacht near Kawau on Wednesday morning— Constables Sutherland; and Petty—had an unpleasant experience in attempting to navigate the yacht back to Auckland (states the "New Zealand Herald"). After the prinsoners had been transferred to the: police launch, Constables Sutherland and Petty took charge of the yacht and headed for Auckland under sail. The little vessel, which is 'not more than 20ft in length, was under repair when taken from her moorings by the fugitives, and was not in the best of condition. A severe squall was encountered with heavy seas running, and notwithstanding all the efforts of the crew the vessel failed to make the Rangitoto Channel. She was driven down the gulf and succeeded in making Hikiroa Bay, on the ocean side of Waiheke Island. A safe anchorage was found and the constables went ashore in the dinghy. They are not familiar with the gulf, and thought they had made the mainland in the vicinity of Buckland's Beach. An inquiry put to a resident as to when they could catch a bus for the city resulted in their being enlightened as to their locality. The two constables were ' accommodated for the night on the island and in the morning were glad to hand over the yacht to the owners, Messrs. Smith and Kennedy, who arrived" by the regular passenger boat to Waiheke. The constables returned in the passenger boat.

Strains of gramophone records were heard in the board-room of the Canterbury Education Board on Friday afternoon. Professor J. Shelley and Mr. R. B. Owen, representing the Music in Schools' Association, gave a demonstration before members of the board of the use of the gramophone in class-room education. Melody lectures by Dr. Walter Davis, Director of Musical Education in Wales, the Harrow School song, "Forty Years On," Falstaff's speech on "Honour " delivered by Beerbohm Tree, and the dance music from "Henry VIII." were reproduced, states the Christchurch "Press." Professor Shelley specially praised the gramophone as a means of teaching children, by example, to speak good English. The deputation submitted the following motion:—"The Music in Schools' Association requests the Education Board to use its influence in securing from the Education Department a subsidy towards the purchase of approved gramophones and records for use in schools, and in securing their admission _ duty free." Mr. H. J. Bignell (chairman) and other members spoke in support of the gramophone in schools, and the board passed a motion heartily approving of the deputation's object, and deciding to make every effort to convince the Department \ that gramophones and records for use in schools for educational purposes should be subsidised.

Interest is always shown by the public in relics of days gone by, and more especially those of the colourful and romantic days of Caesar. Some splendid samples of carved pottery, stone beading mosaics, and antiquities from Rome Troy, and Naples are to be found in the archaeological section, now on view at the Dunedin Museumm (states the "Otago Daily Times"). These exhibits have only been recently placed before the public, and were presented by Mr. I\ E. Theomin. One case is devoted to this section, and the , collection is as varied as it is interesting, and large numbers of people may be seen each day gathered round the case attentively studying the relics.' There is a mosaic from the-Temple of Vesta, a cornice from the Greek Theatre at Syracuse, excavations from Pompeii, quaint pottery. lamps, and cotton plant fruit grown in the fields of Pompeii. This exhibit is must interesting, and Greek scholars may spend their time translating the Greek inscriptions on several pieces of stone taken from the temples. "Mr. Theomin also presented another section of relics taken from Kent's Cavern, situated a short distance from Torquay, South Devon. In tins section, which 'is also a recent addition, there are the vaetli and paws of hyenas, elks, elephants, jusif tigtvK, whidu ljrod wutiw les ago «i ibis wgipg*