OUR AUCKLAND LETTER.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 753, 4 August 1922, Page 4

OUR AUCKLAND LETTER.

A TERRiBl.fi CASE. (From Our Own Correspondent/^ Auckland July 281 * The case of the unfortunate woman who was sent to the Mentftl Hospital at Avondale although per- j| fec.tly sane has been town talk eveir since .the story leaked out. Th&te is no sort of suggestion 'thajt this woman was t'he object •df animus”%r ill-will on the part of anyone concerned. But the fact, remains that she was committed 'to a mad-house and ithere detained ui^:il ; the spec, ial attent ion of the Medical. Superintendent was called to the case, andfl he immediately ordered her to discharged. The Hon. J. C. Minister for Heattih' t said when theM mattejr cropped up in 'the House vhju&fl week that “at the most an error of® judgment! had been made.” But the® Minister made no allusion to the A shock and the mental suffering the d poor woman must hjave experienced as the {result of being packed off toa lunatic asylum and there compelled it'o remain amongsit 'the hopelessly insane. The fact that 3he did! not remain /there long is beside the question. She ought not to havebeen sent there a% all. It appears ithart when any person in this country is suspected to be of unsound mind that person has to go before a Magistrate, who .appoints two doctors Ito report, and 1 if they certify the person to be insane he, or she,*® is 'to an asylulm. Buftf whalt if -.the two doctors do not happen to possess any expert knowledge qualifying them tp judge of Ithe suspect’s staltje of mind ? This is -a question that demands an answer because it affects every member of the community.

INDIGNANT ROTORUA. Hotwait'eropolis is much perturbed lesjf: the fact that it has been included in (the “danger zone”—as the result of the recent earthquakes—• should frighten intending tourists away. As we all know, Rotorua is largely dependent for its bread and butter on holiday-makers and sightseersj, and it is to be feared that the alarmist rumours set flying 'about by persons who are quite incompetent *0 express an authoritative opinion regarding the matter have already do«e a good deal of injury to the place. References to Rotorua as ‘unsafe” hive crept into .some of the Australian papers. while the scaremongers are busy in prophecying disaster. Mr D. j W Miller (who ought to know) has stated that in his opinion Rotorua is perfectly safe , a vflew shared byMr J . F. Stanberg, who says there is .really no cause for alarm. But somehow a mischievous find misleading report attracts far more attention, as a rule than its contadiction_ “EAT MORE BEEF.” We are al'l being urged just now toeast more beef and less mutton and Jamb, with a view tb helping the farmers. Beef,, we are 'tdid, is more palatable than mutton and is at the present time very cheap. Che.p it assuredly is. “Eight pounds of 'iorn-H ed beef for a shiiling”was)the legend I saw displayed one day this week in the windw of a city butchery, and I wondered wdia'tf some of the people in England would say to beef at .three halfpence per pound. That afternoon while journeying by train to Onehunga I entered into casual conversation with a gentleman I had never melt before, .and the beef question cropped up. When I chanced to remark that Auckland m.eat_eaters could now afford if they wished, to eat beef three times a day my vis-a-vis shuddered 1 violently" Observing that I looked somewhat surprised he leant forward, and tin an impressive .undertone, “Sir, lam a vegetarijan.” His accent's were almost ‘tragic, and in spite of all my efforts to the contrary, I am afraid I smiled audibly, THE ZOO, General satisfaction is exprossed that the Zoo proposal has been carried. It may not have had the support of all the ratepayers, but' it certainly has the approval of the general public. Persons of ‘a pessimistic turn of mind, it is true, Auckland can’t afford! a Zoo and predict financial disaster. But given efficient. management, the chances are that the place will pay alright. It will, assuredly swell ouir train revenue enormously, and, while it is in the making, should furnish a good deal of work for ’the unemployed.