The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, September 26, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1048, 26 September 1911, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, September 26, 1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Si’EAKiNG to a local property owner this morning, we were informed that as a result of the revaluation of the borough and the increase of rates on his properly, he had decided to quit all his house property in Foxlon and reinvest his capital elsewhere. He added : “I am selling my properties at what they cost me, and am not charging any interest on the extended terms of sale. Ail I want is my capital back.” He went on to say that the Council, instead of keeping the total of the general rate the same as ou the old valuation, struck it to apply to the new valuation, and this on top of the gas rate imposed too much of a burden upon ratepayers. With reference to this statement, we were informed by the Town Clerk that the rate struck by the Council, as a result of the new valuationl will increase the general revenue by several hundreds of pounds. It is now too late for the Council to alter matters this year, but there will be a strong agitation iu favour of a reduced rate next year.

It will be uoticed that the electoral commissioners in their amended report refused to accede to the petition of Messrs Field and Duckie and 166 electors who objected to the exclusion of Porirua, Paremata, Plimmertou, and Pahautauui from Otaki electorate and their inclusion in Wellington Suburbs. The commissioners deemed the request impracticable. We think the action of the commissioners will be generally endorsed, as there is more community of interest in the places excluded with Wellington suburbs than the northern part of the Otaki electorate. This electorate, as now defined, should not require any alteration for many years to come.

The Mauawatu electorate has now been absorbed into Rangitikei, and what was know as Rangitikei will become Waimarino. Hence the historic word “ Mauawatu,” so far as electoral purposes are concerned, becomes extinct. The Mauawatu County Council objected to the alteration of the name, but without avail.

We are sorry to lose the name, but the pushing northward of the Manawatu boundaries into the heart of Rangitikei justifies the change. What is really Manawatu is now included in Otaki, and we should like to see “Manawatu ” substituted for Otaki. It would be more in keeping with the geographical position of this electorate. It is now too late to ask for the change, but the suggestion should be kept iu mind.

The official opening ol the Greytown Municipal Gas Works took place last week. The Mayor informed those present that the cost of the installation was first estimated by Mr Blackman at £5,550. The actual net cost after providing | extra expenditure on building a store room, would be, when every liability had been discharged, ,£5,230. In addition to this, there had been used a further £SOO of the loan money for stock lor the showroom, but as the different fittings, stoves, heaters, rings, etc., were sold, this sum would be refunded. The actual cost, therefore, weuld ultimately remain at ,£5,230. The annual expenditure on interest and sinking fund for the term of the loan, viz., years, would be ,£292 10s. The speaker pointed out that for the capital expenditure of .£5.230 on the installation, there was provided a plant that can produce, if required, twice the amount of gas provided for in the original proposal. The gasworks buildings are in brick, with tiled roof, which meant that they will last for many years longer than had they been of wood or iron. The plant can produce from six to nine million feet of gas per annum and it is hoped to have xoo connections during the first six months. Mr Blackman, the engineer, said when only lighting was in use some fifteen years ago or so it was not considered wise to insta! gas in a town of less than from 1000 to 1,500 consumers, but now that cookers, etc., were in use, much smaller installations were possible. It rested, therefore, with consumers themselves whether the installation would pay or not. The Grey town works have seven retorts and the street lighting will be done automatically. These facts should be of interest to local readers. By the way, the Carterton municipal gasworks started with 116 consumers and now has 235, and during the four years the gas has been installed there has been a profit over that period of between £6OO and £7OO. Foxton has been seriously handicapped, through allowing a private syndicate to instal the gas, thereby spending several thousands of pounds more to purchase that it would have cost to have put down the works in the first instance. Taking all things into consideration it was better to pay £9,000 than possibly £15,000 at a later period, and despite the croaking of a few local Jeremiads the time will come when Foxton will realise that it did a wise thing in manipulating the gas works.

Dr. Frank Hay, iu his report ou the mental hospitals of the Dominion, draws attention to the increase iu the number of patients from 3548 last year to 3670 this year. Tables are published showing that there is undoubtedly a tendency towards an increasing ratio, and 1910, with its 72 admissions in excess of the previous year, stands higher for all admissions (7.70 per 10,000) than any previous year since 1900, and shares with 1908 a similar position with respect to first admissions. It will be seen that while in the average of the ten previous years every 1462nd person iu the population contributed an inmate to the mental hospitals, iu the year under review an inmate was contributed by every 1299th, and with regard to persons whose insanity was for the first time brought under the notice of the Department and every 1604 persons in the general population contributed one iu 1910, and every ISO 4 persons one in the average of ten previous years. In regard to the admissions it is noted that about 44 per cent, are classed as curable, and about 26 per centonly are placed iu the more hopeful class. The causes of insanity are summarised as lollosvs :

On this phase of the subject Dr Hay writes: “Popular talk in recent years on the subject of heredity at a time when the phases of opinion held by scientists have been under discussion, and less dogmatic views are expressed by publicists, has left ‘ the man in the street ’ wondering if there is anything in it after all. There being so many ‘ men in the street ’ it is well that they should be told that the leaders of all the schools are agreed that commonly the important factor which makes the difference when one individual does and another does not become insane under alike stress, is a tendency which may be and commonly is transmitted by heredity. In this connection it may not be out of place to express a hope that the community will take full advantage of the Eugenics Education Societies which have been founded.

The matins; of individuals are matters thought to be the outcome of free choice, but to the right and left are artificial barriers which few overleap, such as social position and religion, and the eyes are not turned from the path which leads to limited selection. With the spread of knowledge and higher ideals it is not too much to hope that in time there will arise the eugenic barrier which wi'l as naturally seclude from selection the palpably unfit.

Therm is very little alteration apparent in financial conditions generally, says the Trade Review. Evidence is apparent that there is a good supply of money available for investment where good sound security is offering, and lending rates continue favourable. We are now practically at the end of our produce export year, and the various returns which will be available next month will be looked for with more than passing interest, owing to the movements which have been going on recently in our imports and exports. As far as can be seen at present, our exports will be approximately two millions behind the previous season, while on the other hand, our imports continue to grow steadily. A year ago the excess of exports over imports was close on six millions, while for the year to 30th June last the excess was some two and a-half millions, and the continued decline in exports make it appear that this balance will be reduced at the close of the current quarter. It is impossible to arrive at an exact balance in these things, owing to the effect of loan money coming in in the form of goods, but from the very high total reached by our imports it would appear that a measure of caution is advisable on the part of our importers.

iA QJ (/I n "rt "c3 B O S <u H Heredity 8.65 1242 10.15 Congenital mental 8.63 detect 6.99 II.II Previous attack 7.38 9.24 8.12 Critical periods 19.20 21.66 20.18 Alcohol 16.67 4.14 11.68 Other toxines 7.17 1.60 4-93 Mental stress 4.06 13.06 8.25 Disease of nervous system 4.85 542 4.46 Other bodily disorder 548 542 4.46 Child bearing etc., — 7-97 3.17 Physiological defect 2.28 or error 3.58 c.32 Traumatic 2.32 0.32 ■1.52 Unknown 12.65 742 10-53