TELEGRAMS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 February 1922, Page 4

TELEGRAMS

[by TELEGRAPH—FRR TRESS ASSOCIATION]

FIRE INSURANCE' COMPANIES

AUCKLAND), Feb. 8

The proposal announced on August 3rd that th e New Zealand Insurance Company and the South British Company should enter into partnership has been abandoned. Circulars have been issued to shareholders, announcing the directors’ decision not to proceed. The circulars state that during the negotiations it became apparent that the-partnership contemplated would involve greater capital adjustments by both companies than were originally contemplated, The directors of both companies reluctantly came to the conclusion that having regard to the present financial outlook, they would not be justified in recommending a partnership at the present juncture.

pUague mMaCe. Wellington, Feb. 7. !' The Minister of Health has issued the following circular letter to the Mayor of even 7 city and borough and the chairman of every Town (Board and County Council regarding anti-plague precautions:—

Plague is a dirt disease. Wherever there are dirty premises, dirty kitchens, dirty shops ,dirty houses ,or wherever there is no adequate provision of ratproof receptacles for foodstuffs, there will be found rats in numbers, and tlie rat is th'e medium of the plague. Unfortunately, in the last few weeks, there seems to lie a marked slackening off in effort in the war to exterminate the rat. Many householders are doing , nothing. T desire to warn you that ; apathy now will be disastrous. This j month, more than any other, your i efforts must be redoubled ,for with next | month begins th 0 plague season. The { Director of Health in Sydney last week, iin announcing another ease in which'a | human being bad contracted plague, stated that a large visitation of the dread disease might be predicted almost with certainty next month. The danger in Sydney is almost equally ou r danger. I would ask, therefore, that j your Board (or Council) shall renew its efforts to poison and trap rats and to clean up your districts during th ( , next four weeks. Only in'this way can New Zealand be assured of comparative immunity.

FORGERV OF CHEQUE. AUCKLAND, At the Supreme Court F. L. H. Taylor was sentenced to twelve months’ reformative treatment for forgery of a cheque. Prisoner was a clerk in a bank aiM forged the name of a Chinaman fo r £250. The Judge said that in th e interests of the public such acts should not be passed over on account of youth and previous record.

AUCKLAND TOWN CLERK AUCKLAND, Feb. 9. -Mr J. J. Walklate lias resigned the Town Clerkship on account of ill-health and Mr J. S. Brigham, City Treasurer, has been appointed to the vacancy.

A FATAL OPERATION. TIMARU, Fob. 9 At the hospital to-day, Thomas Ilalkett, carrier, of Timarii, aged 47, died while under an anaesthetic for an operation to the knee. TTwo surgeons ■uni a fourth-year medical student were in attendance. At the inquest the medical evidence showed that the anaesthetic- had been carefully administered and deceased showed no ill effects till the operation was nearly completed, when bis breathing became slow and tlie anaesthetic was stopped. Stimulants were administered, but ten mini utes later the deceased ceased to breathe. A post mortem examination , showed that every organ was infiltrated i with an enormous quantity of fat, which would render breathing difficult! The Coroner found that death was due .to heart failure, due to the enormous quantity of fat in the body.