LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 248, 21 October 1942, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

On the recommendation of its Finance Committee the Power Board yesterday afternoon decided to invest a further £500 in the Victory War Loan. "We have only three permanent men left," said the chairman, Mr E. S. Parker, at last night's meeting of the Wairau River Board. "You can't expect a big programme of works with so small a gang." After a trial of new methods of receiving and delivering cargo, with a view to assisting carriers to conserve tyres and petrol, the Nelson Harbour Board has decided to adhere to the old system (reports The Evening Mail), It also resolved that it could not extend the time of storage without charge, owing to a by-law. The issue of a second battledress to members of mobilised Army units in the South • Island is now well advanced. An offlcer at Southern Distrie.t Headnnnrters sairi in Christ-

church this week that almost every man had now received his second uniform. Early crops of hay are being dealt with now, the extended dry spell favouring hay-making operations. At its meeting last night it was reported to the Wairau River Board that its first lucerne cut of the season was being pressed. At Blind River and elsewhere along the railway line south, haymaking operations are now in progress. The senior New Zealand supply officer in Australia, Mr F. R. Picot, returned to the Dominion recently to report to the Government, reports an Auckland message. Mr Picot was accompanied by his wife and daughter. Mr Picot said he was unable to state whether he would remain in the Dominion or return shortly to Australia. A man named William C. Hill, aged about 50 years, whose relatives have been locateld at Dunedin, was found dead in bed yesterday morning at the Delta Station, where he had been en-. gaged in shearing. The coroner (Mr E. J. Hill) yesterday afternoon ordered a post mortem, and, after evidence of identification had been taken, adjourned. the inquest sine die. "Is the Minister aware of the fact that there are approximately 200 acres of potatoes still not dug in the Ohakune district?" was a question to the Minister for Marketing, of which notice was given by Mr Sutherland (Opposition, Hauraki). He said it was alleged that a shortage of labour in that district was the cause, and the Minister was asked if he would take steps to see that these crops were gathered and made available to the consumer. Last week, although not remarkable for the number of notifications of infectious diseases, was one of the worst for a long time for deaths from this cause, there being no fewer than 17 in Canterbury. Tuberculosis accounted for 13 of them (states The Press), and there was one each from erysipelas, infantile paralysis, septic abortion, and cerebro-spinal meningitis. There were five new cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis in Canterbury, but no further notifications of infantile paralysis. Reporting on afforestation operations to the Wairau River Board last evening, the engineer, Mr O. R. Mar- 1 shall, stated that in Morrin's Hollow an eucalyptus test plantation had been sown of 41 plots comprising 35 different varieties. During the month seeds were obtained from Mr A. J. Jones, Pokokini, Pelorus Sound. "The largest pinus insignis tree at Pokokini," said Mr Marshall, "is 159ft 5in high and 4ft 7in in diameter 4ft from the ground. Another pinis insignis is a little higher but of lesser diameter."

"The patient medicine business has degenerated into a proper racket, in which profits exceeding 1000 per cent. are sometimes made," said the Leader of the Legislative Council (the Hon. D. Wilson), when moving the second reading of the Medical Advertisements Bill in the Legislative Council. The Bill was supported by other speakers and passed without amendment. To-day is the 136th anniversary of Nelson 's victory over the comblned French and Spanish fleets off Capo Trafalgai*, a victory made more complete by the unrecognised assist ance of New Zealand which supplied many of the masts and spars of Nelson 's line-of-battleships. A few flags were flown in Blenheim in memory of an occasion which wrecked the hopes of a far greater military genius and statesman than Adolf Hitler. The A. and P. Association, in a letter read to the Wairau River Board last night, disclaimed all liability for rates on the Show Grounds as the property is no longer under its control. The chairman (Mr E. S. Parker) said that the loss of rate revenue in Elenheim due to the war was more serious than in almost all other New Zealand towns. The Government would not pay rates and when it took over a property it fixed a rental free of all rates. When the Rangiora District School reopened on Monday after being closed for ten days, 191 pupils were absent with measles. As a result, it has been decided to close the school again until Tuesday, Oetober 27 (reports The Press). On the previous occasion when it was found necessary to close the school, 134 children were reported to have measles. Only three or four pupils from the Rangiora High School were absent with measles on Monday, although a number of children were away because members of their families had measles. In order to assist in the harvesting of crops in the Nelson district, the Nelson Education Board has agreed to allow selected children from Standards 4, 5 and 6 to be absent from school on up to 15 days during the harvesting season, and decided that the secondary departments of district high schools at Takaka, Motueka, Collingwood and Tapawera would close for the first three weeks in March, that time to replace the usual May term holidays. The decision was made as the result of a request made by a deputation from the Nelson Primary Production Council. On Friday afternoon the Masonic Hail wiil be echoing to the sfcrains of a selection of items varying from "John Brown's Body" to "Annie Lauri.e," from Schubert's "Cradle

Song" to the1 Twenty-third Psalm, and even an early Christmas carol. The girls of the Intermediate Deparr,meiit of Marlborough College have introduced a change from a. completely choral programme this year, and everyone will enjoy their playreading siketch.es — one from Victor Hugo's. "Les Miserables," and the others from "Alice in, Wonderland," including The Mad Tea-party — a joyous affair with no rationing worries. The activities of the Nelson Agricultural and Pastoral Association have been seriously limited, but following the decision not to hold the annual show; many suggestions for alternative ways to maintain the interest of members and to continue the functions of the association have been considcred. It has now been decided by the Association and the Jersey Breeders' Club to^ hold a field day with stock demonstrations at Snowden's Bush on Saturday, November 7 Arrangements are being made for competitive classes foi ponies, pet lambs and calves, and for the attendance of stock demonstrators.

The building of a new tuberculosis hospital in a residential area of Timaru, Otipua road, for which the Borough Council gave a permit, has been causing a great deal of dissension. Recently a protest signed by 733 persons was presented to the Minister for Health, and this week a further petition by 27 residents was submitted to the Borough Council. Councillor M. H. Richards asked if he could move the rescinding of the permit for the building of the new hospital. It was stated that the council could not rescind the permit, as the construction of the hospital had already begun. Mr Richards said that the permit for the hospital should not have been granted, and something would have to be done to alter the decision. He contended that the building of the hospital would prove the "ruination" of Timaru as a tourist resort. The Southland Hospital has a liberal benefactor who has given £200 a year for seven years to the funds of the hospital. He was .a well-known citizen, but such is his desire to preserve strict anonymity that he does not wish even members of the Hospital Board to know his name. These facts were mentioned by Mr W. M. Norman at the meeting of the Southland Hospital Board on Friday. Mr A. M. Williams, the secretary, said that this year this benefactor had sent along a cheque for £200, but did not sign his name to the cheque. It had to be returned to him for signature. One year he brought £200 in notes to the Hospital Board office. He would not allow the receipt to be made out in his name. The receipt was made out to "Stranger." The man said he had never been a patient in a hospital and his £200 a year was his "little insurance against that." ,

Consternation was created among a number of Auckland University College legal students by the results of their terms examination in Latin. Those especially concerned are territorials in their eighteenth year who are about to be called into the armed forces on attainment of their eighteenth birthday, and who find that they have been "plucked" in Latin, a compuLsory subject, which precludes them from sitting for their degree examinations. The particular cause of the concern is the fact that untif a student passes in Latin he cannot become a lawyer. This complaint was published by the yiuckland Star one day last week, and on the following day Professor C. T. Cooper replied: "FOrty-three students sought terms in first-year Latin at the college this year," he said. "Thirty-three of these I recommended for terms. Ten (seven of whom are law students) I excluded from my list, because, in my jud°ment, they had failed beyond all i easonable doubt to make satisfactory progress. There is nothing sensational about these results. If anything, the proportion of casualties is less than it has been in previous years,"