The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, November 1, 1910. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 912, 1 November 1910, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, November 1, 1910. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

In the House of Representatives recently, Mr R. A. Wright asked the Minister for Public Health whether he would encourage persons to subscribe funds for the purchase of radium for hospital use by giving the usual Government subsidy of 24s in the pound on such donations in accordance with the Hospital and Charitable Aid Act. The Minister replied that the question of treatment by radium was now engaging the attention ot medical men throughout the Dominion, and radiologists had been appointed at some of our leading hospitals. All donations to hospitals were entitled to a Government subsidy of 245. Mr Wright drew attention to the increase of cancer in New Zealand, During the year 1909 the deaths from phthisis in New Zealand numbered 588, but during the same period the deaths from cancer were 7xl. The Year Book showed that cancer had steadily increased in the Dominion during the last ten years. In 1900 the deaths were 5-63 per 10,000, but in 1909 the percentage had risen to 7.32, a very serious increase. At the present time physicians were experimenting with radium as a remedy. It was satisfactory to know that some cures had been effected by this means. The Waipawa Hospital Board had introduced radium into the Waipukurau institution, by means of which a recurrent epithelioma (cancer) of the lip, and also another form ol skin cancer called rodent ulcer had been cured. These cures were, he believed, permanent. We hope an effort will be made by those directly interested in the local district hospital to organise a fund to procure radium in order to assist the unfortunate sufferers of this fell disease.

We would respectfully suggest to our local “ city fathers ” that they are trenching on very dangerous ground by discussing so much of their business in committee. There are times, we admit, when it is necessary to adopt this safeguard—but of late certain matters connected with the gas works have been discussed in committee which ought to have been debated in open council. It is unnecessary for us to point out that Councillors are the trustees of the ratepayers and, as such, should allow the fullest publicity of their utterances. So far as the gas works are concerned the public should know everything that is transpiring and we hope future discussion on this subject will take in open Council. No Councillor should fear to say anything in open Council that he utters in committee.

Mr W. Herbert Ai.ington, late of Christchurch, is desirous ot initiating the growing of New Zealand flax in Ireland for commercial purposes (writes the Tendon correspondent of the Times). He is firmly convinced of the suitability of the boglands of Ireland for that purpose. There are many places in Ireland, especially in the West, where the plant is thriving luxuriantly. Mr Aliugton is appealing in the Irish papers to all those who have plants to cooperate by saving and sowing all the seed they can this autumn. If each owner would do this, enough seedlings could be raised to plant many hundred acres. A four-year-old plantation, he says, ought to yield green leaf worth at the least ,£4O per acre, and could afterwards be cut every second year with as good, or probably better results, whilst the cost of maintenance would be practically nil. We might add to the above that during Mr Hennessy’s tour to the Old Taud it was his intention to have a uumber of flax seeds planted in Ireland, but the packet of seeds was left at a hotel in another country. Mr Hennessy is firmly of opinion that flax could be grown extensively in Ireland.