NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, 27 September 1918, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

COST OF LIVING. NEW ZEALAND’S LOW AVERAGE. WELLINGTON, Sept 26. Figures supplied by the Government Statistician show that in New Zealand the Increase in the cost of living during the war is 39 per cent—the lowest in the world except Australia, 31 per cent. The United States comes next at 50 per cent; Great Britain, 108 per cent. The statistician says that from 1914 to February, 1918, in the Dominion average house rents decreased by 1.51 per cent. WELLINGTON TRAM DISPUTE. COUNCIL’S OFFER REJECTED. WELLINGTON, Sept 26. Wellington tramwaymen carried resolutions unanimously at two shift meetings to the effeST' that they still j adhere to their decision to refuse the | City Council’s offer of a 10 per cent j bonus on ordinary time. Wet weather last evening accentuated overcrowd- | ing of the cars. I ■ | “LIVING LIKE A BEAST.” | t , 'AN UNUSUAL CASE. DANNEYIRKE, this day. A somewhat unusual case was heard before Mr. Dyer, S.M., in which Sydney W, Mead was charged with wilfully deceiving the Government Statistician respecting the number of his children. Mead first gave the num- | ber of his children as three and’ subsequently four. Investigations elicited the fact that he had three legitimate and one illegitimate child. The lastnamed ,defendant alleged, had been taken by his wife, to be brought up . a§ the twin 'brother of her last-born child, both legitimate^and illegitimate having arrived about the same time. Defendant, however, was not support ing his wife and three legitimate children, and was now living with another woman. He has now been put into Class A of the Second Division. He contended that he acted in all good faith, being of opinion that the illegitimate child had been legally adopted. He was fined £lO or two months’ imprisonment, the magistrate informing the defendant that he was living like a beast. " - ■ ■■ i TOTALISATOR FRACTIONS DEVOTED TO COPPER TRAIL MARTON, this day The Marion Jockey Club last night voted the totalisator fractions at the recent spring meeting to the Copper Trail at Marton j —: I THE . TROOPSHIP EPIDEMIC.

REPORT OF COURT OF INQUIRY. UNPLEASANT READING. r r WELLINGTON, Sept 26. The Minister of Defence has received the report of the Court of Inquiry which has been held in England regarding the epidemic on the 'troopship on which the 40th Reinforcements were taken to England. The personnel of the Court has hot been communicated to the Minister. The Minister gave to the Press a report as follows, the portions in brackets being merely explanatory, and not part of the report: “The disease was reported to be purulent bronchitis. The infection occurred at Hast port of call, before the ship reached its destination, and a port at which the troops did not land). The high mortality was caused by bad ventilation, through the enforced closing of the ports. The ports are closed by Admiralty order for the sake of safety from submarines (there are differences of opinion in expert evidence as to the effectiveness of the inhalation chamber but the Court considers It should have been used. Steps taken to cope with the epidemic were successful in view of the fact that it was under complete control in ten days. Evidence of experts was given to the effect that all was done that could have been done. The supply of drugs and stimulants was ample for normal conditions, but provision should be made for a greater supply in future, in readiness for, outbreaks of epidemics. Sister Maxfield and the nurses did excellent work, but the medical orderlies were apparently inefficient. The master of the ship Colonel Allen (not the Minister), medical officers, nurses, and men who volunteered as medical orderlies, rendered excellent service. In futW4, hammocks should he 18 inches apart. Vaccination for smallpox should he carried out before embarkation. The Inhalation chamber should be used after leaving every port of call. If mixed catarrhal vaccine inocculation is given before embarkation, the resisting power of the men will be increased. Supplies of ariti-stfep-tococcus serum should be available on board all transports, more than one strain, if possible, and should be

renewed in England and New Zealand. Cases treated here are certified by experts to resemble those affected by the epidemic at Sling Camp early tllsi ye"-’’ J.