DOMINION MEWS

Grey River Argus, 20 September 1937, Page 6

DOMINION MEWS

FACTORY FIRE. IPer Press Association]. GISBORNE, September 17. The greater portion of a furniture factory, owned by H. D. Humphrey, was destroyed by lire, which was discovered about midnight. Ihe blaze had a strong hold when the alarm was given, and a large quantity of furniture and other inflammable material was soon consumed by the flames, but the brigade was able to save a machine. At one end of the building the flames rose to a great height, and the sparks were carried over a wide area, but rain reduced the danger to neighbouring houses. The damage was only partly covered by insurance with the South British. MILITARY INSTRUCTORS. CHRISTCHURCH, September 17. The following appointments for the personnel of the staff of the military school of instruction at Burnham were announced at the Headquarters of the Southern Command: Officer commanding the school and chief instructor—Captain S. M. Satterthwaite (New Zealand Staff Corps); Adjutant —Captain A. J. Moore (New Zealand Staff Corps), formerly of Invercargill; Reserve Sergeant-Major — Staff Sergeant-Major D. McCurrie (New Zealand Permanent Staff), formerly of Oamaru; QuartermasterSergeant—Staff Sergeant-Major F. Brown (New Zealand Permanent Staff).

SUDDEN DEATH. WELLINGTON, September 16. Mr George Edmund Robertson, J.P., Consul for Brazil, died at the age of 84. He dropped dead in Molesworth Street. He founded the Garibaldi Club in Wellington, which is still a popular rendezvous of Italian residents and friends. Mr Robertson contributed regular articles to foreign newspapers. He was a prominent freemason. He leaves two sons, Messrs Roland and Cecil Robertson, and a daughter, Mrs Jack Nelson. AERO CLUB’S LOSSES. WELLINGTON, September 17. “The outstanding thing is the loss we have sustained this year of some £1900,” said the president (Mr T. C. A. Hislop) at the annual meeting of the Wellington Aero Club last evening. “Just as our losses in 1936 were, I believe, the lowest on record, this year they are the highest. This is due not to a greater number of crashes, but the greater cost of repairs.” Actually, however, the club had £2617 in cash, he said, but if it continued to lose much more, it would be in the interesting position of having to sell its aeroplanes to get money to fly them. INCREASE IN LUNACY. WELLINGTON, September 16. An increase in the mental hospital population of the Dominion is recorded in the annual report of the Mental Hospitals Department. Patients on the register at December 31 last numbered 7860, or 173 more than at the beginning of 1936. The daily average under treatment in the past year was 7288, or 174 more

than the previous year, while the total under care was 8796. The total number of first admissions, including voluntary boarders, was 1145, as against 1128. GOVERNMENT ROADING PLANS. WELLINGTON, September 17. “The Government expects full cooperation from County Councils in its efforts to improve the lot ol settlers in remote districts,” stated Mr Savage in an interview. “As far as we are concerned, politics do not enter into the matter at all. I notice that a member of one County Council has been accusing us of extravagance, simply because we have given financial assistance. That sort of thing is not going to help anyone.” Through the Public Works Department, the Government, was preparing large-scale plans for improvement of farmers’ access to roads, and for the prevention of river erosion and flooding. At a meeting of the Cabinet only a few minutes previously, tne Minister of Public Works (Mr Semple) had reported on five-year plans for County roading, which were being drawn up by his engineers in cooperation with County Councils. Very shortly, they expected to have a comprehensive picture of roading requirements of rural areas, and everything would be done to see that those requirements were met as soon as possible. “I know that some Counties have their financial troubles,” Mr Savage said, “but we must have the co-op-eration of County Councils. If any backblocks farmer finds himself still in the mud in a few months’ time, and with no prospect of getting out of it, then all I can say is that he will not be able to blame the Government.”

N.Z. POPULATION. WELLINGTON, September 17. Speaking in the Legislative Council Hon. Vincent Ward referred to the international situation, and said he was sure that if the volunteer defence system in New Zealand did not prove adequate the Government would use other means; but he hoped this would not be necessary. New Zealand needed more population, to prevent foreign countries from saying the land was not being occupied, to provide men for defence, to reduce dependence on overseas markets, to encourage manufacturing without upsetting the balance of overseas trade, and to reduce overhead costs per capita. TIMARU, September 16. Under the will of the late Mrs Margaret Dickinson, of Timaru, the following charitable bequests have been made:— £5OO each to the Chalmers Presbyterian Church; Presbyterian Social Service Association in aid of the Children’s Home at Timaru; Presbyterian Church in New Zealand to aid the Maori Mission Fund; the Foreign Mission Fund of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand; and the British and Foreign Bible Society; £2OO to the Salvation Army, Timaru; £250 for the Timaru Branch of the Young Women’s Christian Association; £250 for the Young Men’s Christian Association. After certain bequests, the residue of the estate is to be divided equally between the Young Women’s Christian Association and the Young Men’s Christian Association at Timaru.