LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Marlborough Express, Volume LXVIII, Issue 149, 26 June 1934, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Citrus fruits which were loaded on the Monterey in California by nonunion labour were declared "black" by the Wellington watersiders. The fruit was brought from Auckland by ra.il, but the South Island portion is heldl up in Wellington. An alteration has been made in regard to the date for the Tamahine's annual survey. Under the new arrangement she is to continue her trans-Strait service until July 28, the Arahura taking up the running from July 30 until August 13, when the Tamahine wi'll once again resume her time-table. Finality in the negotiations between the Minister fcr Health and the Otago Hospital Board was reached when a statement was received from the Minister that he is prepared to reconsider the position in regard to the Obstetric Hospital, on a basis of the Government finding £20,000, including the Unemployment Board's contribution, leaving the Bcard to finance the balance. The Board has accept ed the offer. - Estates of a value of £480,129 were accepted for administration by the Public Trustee last month. On March 31 the total value of the estates under administration by him was £60,760,493, and the new business for the two months ended May 31, 1934, was £937,113. Grants of administration made by the Court in favour of the Public Trustee1 numbered 104 for the month. The total number of wills now held in the Public Trust offlce is 81,753. "I sincerely hope the boards will never be abolished, and I can assure you that they never will be while I ain Minister for Education," said the Hon. R. Masters at the diamond Jubilee celebration of the Taranaki Education Board last week. They had been of material assistanee to him, he added, and if it had not been for their co-operation it would have been impossible to put into effect the economies nece-ssary since he had been Minister. "If you can find a place in your gkrden for natife plants, grow them, because the flora of New Zealand should be taught to the rising generation," said Mr J. A. McPherson, eurator of the-Botanic Gardens, in an address at Christchurch. "Seventyfive per cent. of the .New Zealand flora is unknown in other countries of the world. We with axes have had to defetroy much of the native flora fofr settlement purposls, but much of it has been destroyed for no useful purpOiS.e. Tell the young people that New Zealand has the largest buttercup in the world, the mountain liiy; that it has the biggest forget-me-not, rapidly being destroyed by pigs in the Chatham Islands; that it has the smallest pine, about two inches in height; and that it has the highest timber tree, the kauri."

As the result of a recent donation to its funds, the Rarangi Improvement Association has been enabled to liquidate the debt incurred by the erection of the shelter-shed and other facilities at Rarangi. With this responsibility removed a start has -been made with the construetion of the badly-neeaed track around the cliffs to replace the tortuous "zig-zag" which at present serves as the only means of access to White's Bay. The new track is to commence from the top of the short pathway leading over into Monkey Bay, and the first "shot" of explosive was fired during the week-end by members of the Association, who are carrying out the work voluntarily. As only a small credit balance exists, donations are urgently required in order to push the undertaking along more rapidly. "It will be only a short time until all buildings in your district must be connected up with the sewerage system, so the Oouncil must, therefore, know what ararngements are being made by the pr cperty- o wners in regard to their installation," states a communication that is being sent by the Borough Council to all occupiers of property. The circular ,goes on to state that the cost of fittings, pipes, plumbing, etc., is estimated on the average to be about £25, and no doubt most o wners could arrange the necessary terms with a local plumber to have the work earried out. Ratepayers are strongly urged to use every effort to make their own arrangements as another loan will have to 'be raised to provide financial assistanee. The circular is aceompanied by two forms to be filled in by the property-owner, one indicating that no financial assistanee will be required, and the other being an application for assistanee from the Council to finance the cost of installation,

The prdpriety of a doctor giving as evidence a description of , a patient's physica) condition was raised in the Arbitration Court. at Wellington last week. A doctor, ealled by the defence to g'ive evidence, said he was in an invidious position because plaintiff's solicitors had sent plaintiff to him for examination. Plaintiff's counsel pointed out that the law of evidence absolved a medina 1 witness from telling what a party to an action had oold him, and plaintiff's submission of her person to the doctor came under the same ruie, he claimed. It wds ruled that althought the witness would not be allowed to recount what plaintiff had told him he could not be prevented from describing what he had seen. A progress report on the Bristol Scheme, a campaign launched by the Blenheim Rotary Club to encourage people to put in hand work. during the winter to provide employment at regular rates of pay for tradesmen and others, was submitted by the secretary (Mr F. Mogridge) at yesterda/s club luncheon. Mr Mogridge stated that the campaign was proceeding satisfaotorily, and promises to undertake various classes of work were being sent in steadily. The response had not been > as enthusiastic as in Christchurch, however. The impression formed by the members was that the public generally had not given the scheme quite the amount of consideration it was entitled to. It was also evident that many people who had jobs requiring attention were deferring them for no particular reason. It was hoped that they would apprecia'te the club's object of endeavouring to promote employment when it was most needed — during the winter months.

Honest work in building construetion is of more importance than bylaw regulation, suggested Councillor W. H. Bennett, himself a builder of many years' experience, during a discussion when 'a deputation waited upon the By-laws Committee of the Wellington City Council last week in connection with the stringent new requirements as to brickwork. "Does it matter much if a wall is 11, 15, or 22 inches thick?" he said. "Is it not a question of workmanship rather than of >by-laws? Was it not found that the damage at Napier was largely due to faulty workmanship, rather than to material?" That was undoubtedly so, said Mr J. R. Todd, superintendent of the Amalgamated Brick and Pipe Company. In many cases tlie 'mortar in buildings which failed was found to have no adhesive strength wh'atever. Lime and sand only were used, and it could be crumbled into dust; one might as well have used clay as a tie. _ In answer to a remark from Councillor P. Fraser, M.P., Mr Todd said that such. work was not necessarily dislionest, (but had been permitted because when some of the older buildings were erected there had been no thought. of providing against earthquake. Mr Todd said that he had been connected with the brick industry for 30 years and had seen work that would withstand any earthquake shoek. Tests made at Wellington had surprised everyone, for bricks were actually broken before the ties failed.