NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10616, 15 June 1920, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Tho shooting matches in connection with the "Weekly Press" ChaJlengo Shield, for competition between senior cadet companies, will be. fired between August Ist and December 31st next. There are thirteen medical men and thirteen hospitals and registered nurses in Palmers-ton North. The numbers are significant, but luck is now regarded more as a matter of skill than chance or numbers.

Tho Wairarapa Hospital and Charitable Aid Board intends converting tho military ward at the Mastertou hospital into a maternity ward as soon aia tho necessary permission can be obtained from the department. \ ' The Empire Theatre, iri Hastings street, Napier, owned for a number of vcars by Mr J. Vigor Brown, M.P., has changed hands, the purchasers being Messrs Frank Lowndes and Son, shipping and general carriers, of Gisborne. Tho purchase price was in the vicinity of £7OOO.

Before the Arbitration Court in Christ-church yesterday (says a Press Association message) Mr C. Ren'n asked the court to fix a date for hearing an application by the Typographical Association for an amendment of its Dominion award. Ho mentioned that tho employers concerned were the newspaper proprietors, the master printers, and the related printing trades. The court agreed to hear tho application on June 21st.

An examination for promotion of officers of tho New Zealand Territorial Force, including Unattached List (b) will bo held at General Headquarters' School, Trentham, commencing Tuesday, August 17th. 1920. Candidates will report to the Examination Board at Treuthnm at 9.30 a.m.. on Tuesday, August irth, 1020. A voluntary course pf instruction of seven days, inclusive of day of arrival and departure, for candidates for the examination, will be held on July 10th, 1920.

Some 101,4-10 acres of land are to be opened for selection this month. An additional area uf -1306 acres will be opened in July. The "Crown Lands Guide" (obtainable at" any Land Office) contains particulars of over 371,000* acres already open for selection. Upwards of twenty-seven million superficial feet of milling timber in the Auckland Land District, and -103,000 liuperficial feet of timber in the North Auckland District arc to bo 'offered for Bale by public auction.

The Wellington Tailors' Assistants' Union is still anticipating an indication from tho Prime Minister as to when the inquiry, promised by him into tho high price of. suitings it; to be held. Some months ago tho union's secretary (Mr Waterworth) forwarded to Mr Massey n resolution pointing out the high price paid by the tailor for his clothing materials, as compared with that paid the farmer for bis wool. The Prime Minister replied that Tie would have the mutter investigated.

A voluntary course of instruction of seven days, for candidates for the first appointment to commissions examination, will be held at Trentham, commencing on July 10th. The examination will take placo at Trentham from Tuesday, August 17th, to Thursday, August 19th, inclusive. Candidates for the examination attending ' tho instructional course will not bo required to attend any of the four compulsory classification courses to be held before December loth. 1920, but will ho classified during the in-rstriv-tfanal «ratw. Entries for the examination must reach Wellington Group Headquarters by to-dav at tho latest.

The following communication has been received by tho secretary of tho Wellington R..S.A. from Mr J. S. Webb, of Wellington: "Over two years ago I dispatched some money (£2 ss) to purchase puddings for tho soldiers in the trenches. By some mischance it failed to reach its destination, and a short time ago it was returned to. me. I now hand it over to you, with tho request that it may bo used to purchase comforts, and thus ameliorate the conditions of tho boys who" from shell-shock and other causes havo lost their reason, and are now located in tho Porirua Mental Hospital. I am sure this suggestion would commend itself to the donors, who are tho patriotic children of the Tokomaru 'School. It is pleasing, sir, to note that you personally take such a kindly interest in these, tho most unfortunately* placed of those men who fought that we might live in security and peace- 1 '

A modern illustration of tho use of wireless- telegraphy, and ouo showing tho result of prompt business methods in given by the promoters of tho Palinerston North 1'.M.0.A. building campaign (says the "Manawatu Daily Times"). Three days after the departure of the Makura for Vancouver, Mr P. McHurdy, the commander-in-chief, sent a radio message to Mr L. T. McLean, a passenger, inviting him to increase his contribution to £SOO, in order to qualify him as one of tho ten required to meet Mr E. Short's reporting offer of - £IOOO. On Saturday Mr McLean wirelessed from about 2000 miles at sea, agreeing, thus : making eight of tho required ton at £SOO. A radio message w*as also received from Mr E. Short, on tho Makura, as follows: "Good wishes, namo tho building Kitima, meaning- tho pivot controlling the compass, whereby tho Maori" put sin away and made God to reign, within. Tour work will help somebody's boy." Kitima is probably n- contraction of Ki to matin,, which is translated as "For the many."

Barry, the KnglWh sculler, states that ho will retire after his race with Kelton (states a Press Association cable).

The plant at the Petono pumping station produced 11,610 electrical units in 2613 hours, the cost per umt being 1.17 pence.

The amount collected in license fees and fines by the Petone Borough Council for the year ending March 31st last totalled £7ll 2s 2d.

During May the minimum pressure In the Petone water-mains was 351 b and tho maximum 851 b. The average weekly consumption of water was 2.512,000 gallons.

The engineer's department at the Petone Council linn issued permits, since April. Ist, for the erection of buildings to a total value of £4440. The fees collected amounted to £l3.

The borough of Petone contains 1696 buildings, of the following descriptions:—Dwellings, 1587; churcheu, i); halls and theatres, 0; schools, 8; hotels, 4; boardinghouses, 2; factories, 26; stores and lock-up shopsj 46; dwellings in courso of erection, 5.

The. number of infectious disease cases reported by the Hospital Board to the Petone Council for tho twelve months was 97. Of this total tliero were 12 cases of diphtheria, 1 of phthisis, 4 of scarlet fever, 3 of pneumonia, 1 of measles, 3 of typhoid fever, and 73 of influenza.

In his annual report to the Petono Council, the borough inspector (Mr W. B. Gough) istated that during tho past year 157 cases were brought before the court for offences against the by-laws; 147 being against motorists for exceeding tho speed-limit. The fines collected amounted to £214 5s 6d.

At the Petouc Council meeting last night mention -was made by Councillor Tovey of the way the footpaths wero being cut up by heavy traffic crossing to and from factories and timberyards. The borough engineer wae given authority to call upon the owners of the businesses referred to woodblock the footpaths leading into theit premises. *

The borough inspector of Petone has complained to the council that ho has experienced difficulty in distinguishing the numbers on some motor-cars and motor-cycles, which were exceeding the speed-limit, ort account-of the figures being of different colours. It is impossible, he said, to distinguish gold figures or letters on a white ground when a vehicle war, travelling at a fast rate.

Messrs Baker and Anyan wrote to the- Lower Hutt Borough Council calling attention to the difficulty experienced in obtaining access to the motor ambulance on Juno oth, and to the unsatisfactory condition in which they found the vehicle. On the motion of Councillor Mitchell, at last night's meeting of the council, the matter was referred to the Mayor and Councillor Knight to inquire into.

Evidently the residents of the Lower Hutt quite fail to realise the usefulness and close proximity of the Hutt river, which flows through the boroough, ae a means of disposing of their superfluous pups and kitten?. Instead thev adopt the easier method of placing them in the sewers and drains,, as tho following extract from the report of the borouqh engineer will c.j 10iv .—-'Four blocked drains have been cleared. In a great many instances thffio blocked drains are caused by the carelessness of the users. Bv the variety of articles that pass tlirou"h the sewere. it is aßtotuplung that the house dra : ns and sewers do not give more trouble. Tupe, kittens, articles of underclothing, and 'tins by tho dozen 'continually pass through. You will notice that a pair of dungarees were pulled out the centrifugal pump on one occasion.