DOMINION NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 96, 30 April 1913, Page 5

DOMINION NEWS.

THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT’S SUGGESTION. [Per Press Association.] Wellington, April 29. At a special meeting of the Wei lington Hospital, and, .Charitable Aid Board, called by the Inspector-General of Hospitals (Dr. Valintine) to-day, an important proposal was made by the Health Department in regard to the decision of the Board to engage a bacteriologist for the hospital. Dr. Valintine said that the matter pro posed to put before the Board was an important one. He believed that th medical superintendent (Dr > Hardwick Smith) had been instructed to engage a bacteriologist in London. The proposal which he had to make was that Dr. Hurley (Government Bacteriologist at Wellington) should be appointed bacteriologist to the Hospital Board, together with his staff. The total salaries of the bacteriological staff would amount to £llsO per annum, half of which would be paid Ip the Government and half by the Hos-

pital Board. The Board would re tain all fees, which would amount ti about £2OO. The Department would hand over its present equipment, sc that instead of having two laboratories there would be one, thoroughly up to date in.every respect. If this arrangement* was agreed to, a similm arrangement would be made with othe; centres. The Department would have the use of the pathological block at the hospital, and the Board would be able to call on the services of Dr. Makgill (Government Pathologist) The Government would require to oc cupy only about two days per month for the manufacture of vaccines.' A BANKRUPT SOLICITOR. Timaru, April 29. Details of the bankruptcy case which created a sensation throughout the district became public to-day through the first meeting of creditors The insolvent is Walter Shaw, a so licitor who has been indulging largely

in land speculation, on his own be half, and financing another . specula tion with other people’s money, am according to the statement made bj his solicitors and the Deputy Assignee, ho has muddled the business badly The unsecured creditors are estimated by the bankrupt as between 50 and 60 in number, and the total ol unsecured debts at £30,603. The as sets are estimated at £24,041. One large transaction in which the bankrupt was concerned with one Trevurz; appears to have been a sale of pro parties, supposed to lie worth £13,335 for £7500, but the purchasing com pany offers to cancel the bargain, or being repaid the deposit, with interest and costs. About 100 creditors were present and six solicitors, representing differ ent parties. To-day’s proceedings were practically all concerning this transaction and the meeting adjourned for a fortnight. It was stated that there are other creditors and other assets. The claims include sums of £3OOO, £2BOO, £2200, £2OOO, £1960, £llOO, and nine others over £SOO. The bankrupt asserts that ii the assets are properly realised, he will pay 20s in the £. WEBB “DOING IT HARD.” Christchurch, April 29. P. C. Webb (President of the Federation of Labour, E. J. Howard (secretary of the Canterbury General Labourers’ Union), and F. Cooke (a prominent Socialist and a candidate for the City Council), who some weks ago were each fined £2 and costs for having caused an obstruction of traffic by addressing a public meeting at the clock tower, and who failed to pay their fines, were arrested to-day. Webb gave himself up, and was taken to the Lytetlton Gaol to serve a month’s imprisonment. IMPORTANT LAW APPEAL. Invercargill, April 29.

The notice of appeal has been filed by Mr W. A. Stout against tlio judgment of Sir Joshua Williams in the case of Gavin Brighton v. The Minister of Lands and the Commisioner of Lands for Southland, which was heard at the March sittings of the Supreme Court in Invercargill. The circumstances of the case are briefly that the appellant purchased the fee simple of a lease-in-perpetuity and considered he was entitled to the coal measures, besides the surface rights, but His Honor found that the former remained the property of the Crown*