LATE LOCALS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1926, Page 3

LATE LOCALS.

Owing to the illness of Mr Wells the pictures will not he held in AVoodstock this evening:, but in the Public Hall, Rimu, to-morrow (Wednesday) evening.

A fire at Alillerton on Friday morning totally destroyed the dwelling of Airs A. Jones. It is understood that the premises were insured for £375.

A meeting of the Kanieri Football Club will he held in the Public Hall, Kanieri on Thursday, the lfitli. inst., with the object of forming a junior team for the knock-out competition. A 1 Itliose interested are invited to attend.—Advb.

The fact that two small boys had effected a service to motorists by detecting a thief who was removing overcoats from a parked car was brought before the council of the Auckland Automobile Association. It was stated the hoys had noticed the suspicious actions of a mail who was prowling near a motorcar. They kept him under observation and immediately he laid hands on the property they summoned a constable. It was resolved to forward donations of £1 to each of the bovs.

In one of the Auckland suburbs, a lady who had been troubled with rats eating her fowl feed sot a trap, and the following morning was surprised to find a different specimen of a rat than she. had ever seen. It was of a blue colour with n white breast and a very fine fur, had a very long black tail, and was of much more attractive appearance than the ordinary rat. The lady was urged to keep the rat to ascertain. its species, hut she cremated it in the wash-house fire. It is thought that the rat may belong to the original New Zealand species, which was an article of food amongst the Maoris, hut which was decimated by the imported rodent. Such animals were supposed' to he extinct, even in the hush districts.

In his talk with the members of the Gisborne Rotary Club recently. Dr Valintine, Director-General of Health, said that New Zealand had nothing to learn from the older countries as regards efficiency in respect of its sanatoria (says the “Gisborne Times”). Tuberculosis, lie said, was an uncertain disease. A patient who had very little the matter with, him might prove i

very awkward proposition, whilst another. who showed the disease in a much more advanced form, might very readily respond to remedial treatment. What was very essential in connection with sanatoria was cleanliness. In that regard, the sanatoria in New Zealand were a long way ahead of most similar institutions on the Continent. He was greatly impressed, however, with the Royal Sanatorium at Midhurst. A tubercular patient, had as great, if not a greater chance of complete recovery in a New Zealand sanatorium, as in a like institution in any other part of the world. (Applause).

Nearly seven hundred people took advantage of the excursion trip from Christchurch to Otira on Sunday organised by the Railway Department. Of that number quite two hundred walked from Arthur's Pass to 0til';l. Whatever pleasurable recollections the remainder have, those who made the walk will long remember it as an outstanding day in their lives'. It was a wonderful experience in Which every charm of Nature seemed to combine to make the day unique. The West Coast has never welcomed wanderers from other parts with more perfect weather. And to embellish the attractions of a flawless sunlit day there was the snow —six inches of it. fine and dry and powdery—lying on the pass. Over this yielding carpet the walkers made their way under file brilliance of a cloudless sky and in surroundings that made every moment a phase from a fairlylaiul story. For the walkers, at all events, tlie whole trip from beginning to end was magnificent. Those who did not walk had all the charms of perfect weather and wonderful scenery, minus the exhilaration of the climb and the pride of achieyment. They had a delightful day. but* for those who walked it was a perfect day.