NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10287, 23 May 1919, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

“The gridiron plan of laying •• out streets originated in India, not_ ln America,” remarked Mr J. F. Munmngs, in the course of a paper at the Town-planning Conference yesterday.

In tho current “Gazette,’ 1 the Secretary to the Treasury acknowledges the receipt of the sum of £3, forwarded to the Minister for Finance through the Railway Department by a person unknown, as conscience-money.

Tho following vessels will bo within wireless range of Wellington tonight i—Maori, Mararou, Pateena, Port Sydney, Paparoa and Kaikoura. Boats within range of the Chatham Islands to-night will be the Rimutaka and Ivaikoura.

“Congratulations on opening of conference. New Zealand ever in the van of democratic progress. Wish success to the conference.”—This message was received by the Town-plan ning Conference yesterday from Mr W. A. Holman, Prime Minister of New South Wales.

A Press Association message from Christchurch states i Sir James Allen, Defence Minister, states that the soldiers’ gratuity has not been decided on. He denied a' rumour that it would bo a shilling a day. Ho was waiting for further information, partcularly from Canada, before moving in the matter.

A neat reference to the speeches of politicians was made by Mr P. S. McLean at the Town-planning Conference yesterday. “You all know what a peroration is,” said Mr McLean. “It is a flash of light at tho end of a politician’s speech introduced not to assist you, but to blind you to the defects of what has gone before.”

In reply to Mr J. P. Luke, M.P., the Government Geologist (Mr P. J. -Morgan) told the Industries Committee yesterday that he favoured the production of electricity at the pit-mouth in the Waikato district, to supply as far as Auckland on ho one side and Hamilton on the other. He favoured the scheme generally; but if Dir Parry was against it, he could not oppose Mr Parry at all.

In preparation for the forthcoming general election, expected at latest in December next, the Wellington Labour party has commenced active organisation work. A meeting of the Labour Representation Committee, held on Wednesday, decided to call for nominations for all tho Wellington city and suburban scats. The nomination’s will close in about a month’s time, and, where necessary, preliminary ballots in each electorate will follow immediately.

“In Now there seems to be a great lack of civic life,” said Mr J. F. ’ Mannings, at the Town-plan-ning Conference yestcrcjhy, “and the impression forced on one after an absence of ten years from the Dominion, is that the people really do not Rye in the towns, which are places of business merely, and that we have no approach to that fascinating town life one comes into contact with in the Old World, particularly on the Continent.”

“We have large resources, in the shape of different clays in Now Zealand,” stated Mr P. J. Morgan, Director of the Geological Survey, to the Parliamentary industries Committee yesterday., ‘ ‘We have very good firo clay, from which the best firebricks can be made; very large quantities of brick clay t also clay suitable for the manufacture of chinaware. But this is not known to exist in large quantities. There is also .in,. various places clay suitable for fullers’ earth. There are glass sands in the Malvern Hills, .Canterbury, and in tho North Island in largo quantities. But very careful analyses are necessary to determine whether the sands arc suitable for making high-grade glass.”

“There has been much discussion of the reform of the liquor traffic,” said Mr J. F. Muivnings at the Townplanning Conference, “and one feels that there would be less talk of doing away with the thing if some intelligent study were given to means whereby it might be improved, and something done to rid it of its present dangers. The idea of introducing cafes with music and other interests open to tho public gaze may perhaps bo considered fantastic so far as Now Zealand towns are concerned, but it is one worthy of study, and perhaps if State control conies into force cafes as places of amusement, entertainment and recreation would suggest a means of giving material expression thereto.”

Mr P. J. Morgan, Director of the Geological Survey, informed the Industrial Committee of the House of Representatives yesterday that the only place where asbestos was known to exist in quantity in New Zealand was in the serpentine rock found in the Takaka Valley. Nelson. Mr J. T. M. Hornsby, M.P.: “The manager told us that it was there in thousands of tons.” Mr Morgan; “It might well be in thousands of tons, scattered amongst millions of tons of rock.” Mr C. A. Wilkinson, M.P. (chairman of the committee): “It is stated that they could get out 5000 tons of it per annum.” Mr Morgan said that Mr Bishop had made a report on the subject about four years ago. He would ask the Undor-Secre-tary for Mines to let the committee have the report, and if the committee made a request for a further report, the department would favourably consider it.

While it is not possible under existing legislation to make entirely new arrangements to cope with the great increase in land purchase work due to tho demand for land for soldiersettlement, tho Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister for Lands, has decided to add to tho present machinery. The Land Purchase Board at present comprises the Commissioner of Crown Lands for tho district (who is chairman), the Undersecretary of Crown Lands, and tho Surveyor-General—all of whom are departmental officers. The Minister proposes to -appoint an advisory member to the board in each land district, to advise the board in respect to any land offered to the Government in his district, and to act as a kind of intermediary between the board and the vendor. Two of the appointments have already been made. Tho Minister further intends to appoint ' supervisors of soldier-settle-ments. These officers 'will he given seats on tho land boards, but under the present laiw they cannot be given a vote at meetings. They will, however, be ablo to assist tho boards, in their districts especially, in matters concerning lands offered to tho Government for settlement by returned men.

The Hospital Board has recommended that masks be used, subject to the approval 'of the medical superintendent and matron, in the event of a recurrence of the influenza epidemic.

A watersider named John Nolan, residing at 182, Aro street, .while workins on the Kini at the Clyde quay wharf last night, had his left leg severely bruised through a sling of timber falling on it. He was ’admitted to the Hospital at 9.30 p.m.

The thirty-fourth annual general meeting of the Acclimatisation Society will bo held in the Chamber of Commerce at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28th. An advertisement on another page cordially invites all persons interested as well as members to attend.

The Minister for Public Works has suggested to the Hospital Board that requirements, in the event of influenza recurring, be not purchased, but earmarked. The chairman of the board, at the meeting yesterday, said that articles costing i2OOO had been purchased, and it,was decided to ask for a £1 for £1 subsidy on the amount.

James Maxwell, 3t years of age, a married man employed as a railway crpenter in the maintenance department, had his right leg broken and was renderod unconscious through being knocked down by a train at the Petone railway station yesterday morning. Maxwell, who resides at Tama street, Alicetown. was admitted to the Hospital at 9 a.m.. and subsequently regained consciousness.

A special sitting was held by the Town-planning Conference last night to deal with a report from a committee which had been appointed to consider the Town-planning Bill introduced in Parliament in 1917 by the Hon. G. W, .Hussell. The committee regarded the bill as a good one, which should go oh the statute book practically as it stands.. After discussion the report was adopud.

“There are many public bodies that have .power to do tilings and refuse to do them,” tho Hon. G. W. Busssell remarked at the Town-planning Conference last evening, “and the public health of the Dominion suffers in consequence. One of the things that must be put into, our laws is that where any public body refuses (to do its duty there must bo compulsory powers for the General Government to establish machinery under which the work will be done and the entire cost be paid by the local body.”

A branch of the Commercial Bank of Australia, Ltd.,-has been opened at Invercargill. The bank commenced business in New Zealand on October Ist, 1912, and has since established seven branches in tho principal centres of the Dominion, also purchasing freehold property at Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch. It is about to build banking promises in, the latter centre, also to mako extensive alterations and additions to the bank’s, head office in New Zealand, at (Wellington. The bank’s balance-sheet on December 31st last showed a paid-up capital of £l,630,349, deposits £10,934,172, advances £9,285,203, coin, bullion, etc., £3,370,624. Tho branches and receiving offices in New Zealand, Australia, and London total 310.

Tho charitable aid has made the following recommendation to the Hospital vjth, regard to the claims of various undertakers for the cost of interment of certain persons who died from influenza in the November epidemic, the settlement of which has been referred to this hoard by the Public Health Department, the department be advised that as the hoard had no hand in the ordering of these funerals and finds it to be practically impossible to obtain proof of circumstances, it regrets its inability to deal with the matter.” The chairman of the committee {Mr G. F. Petherick) said yesterday that the committee desired to withdraw the_ recommendation for tbe present as it was proposed to meet the undertakers, when it was anticipated that an amicable settlement would be arrived at.

At a meeting of the Federated Town-planning Association of New Zealand held last evening (when delegates from the various town-planning associations throughout New Zealand met in conference) the following resolution was unanimously earned: “That this meeting of the Federated Town-planning Association deplores the erection by the National Government in \Vhitmore street of a wooden building in a brick area, and requests now that the war is over that this outrage on the amenities of the capital city of the Dominion bo promptly removed.” The delegates from Auckland were astounded to think that tho Wellington citizens did not remove by force this building in Whitmore street. One delegate expressed the opinion that in Auckland a gang of men with crowbars would have demolished the building long ago and risked court proceedings. Yesterday in tho Magistrate’s Court Air F. V. Frazer, S.M., heard a case in which William John Spence, labourer, Petone (for whom Air E. P. Bunny appeared) proceeded against Edward Hughes, builder’s foreman, at Dimock’s factory, Ngahanranga, for assault. The plaintiff said that the defendant struck him on the face, knocking him down and causing him to fall and sustain severe injuries. In consequence plaintiff was for some time unable to follow his employment, and incurred medical expense and loss of wages amounting to £8 16s 6d. He also claimed £lO general damages. After hearing tho evidence the magistrate said the assault was a trivial one and only trivial damages_ could bo awarded. Defendant had been considerably provoked, and 99 men out of 100 would have done the same as he under similar circumstances. Judgment was given for plaintiff for 2s 6d with costs 11s.

The health inspectors, in their report to the Hospital Board yesterday, stated that during the month ending May 12th, there were 103 oases of infectious diseases in the district, as compared with 66 for tho corresponding period in 1918. There were 29 cases of diphtheria, -5 of tuberculosis, 29 of influenza, 36 of enteric fever, and i of oorobro-spinal meningitis. Nine of the oases of enteric fever were on board tho transport Northumberland. Of these cases six were among the crow and three wore soldiers. The infection appears to have boon taken aboard at Newport Nows. The oases of enteric occurring in Wellington are, with hut one exception, traceable to one milk supply. The person responsible is now receiving treatment. The other case was a returned soldier, who has been travelling all over the Dominion, and it is impossible to trace any source in this case.