LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 225, 21 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The contractors for the earthwork on the new hospital site .have progressed as well as the weather would, allow, and the work is now near completion. On the motion of Mr. Roy (Roy and Nicholson), His Honor Mr. Justice Sim has granted letters of administration of the estate of Hannah Green, of Koru, Jeceafsed, and prolate of the will of George Tunnecliffe, late of Kent road, deceased. Extract from the report of the inspector to the Taranaki Hospital Board: "I have weighed bread at several of the bakers' premises visited in t!he places (Opunake, Rahotu, Inglewood, Waitara. and Moturoa), and found the weight generally satisfactory." Cases of infectious diseases have been fairly prevalent in Jfew' Plymouth of Reporting to the Hospital Board yesterday, Dr. Walker noted that owing to further cases of scarlet fever and mumps being admitted, the isolation block was now full, and it was impossible to receive any further cases of infectious disease. According .to the, report of the matron (Mrs. Annie Bayly} there are at present living i(i the Old People's Home 24 males and 9 females. One death had occurred in the. institution during the last four weeks, and there were two departures and three admissions. Everything, reported the matron, had been satisfactory, and the discipline was very good. Reporting to the Hospital Board yesterday, the' inspector (Mr. A. H. Kendall) stated that he had investigated a case of pvercrowding l)v Maoris at Waitara and secured the immediate removal of the tenants, five of whom were living in one small room without any proper convenience or sufficient ventilation. He had also had occasion to condemn as unfit for human food a quantity of. evaporated fruit at one of the auction marts. • La view of the extraordinafy expenditure, some of which will be eventually recouped,, the Hospital Board proposes increasing its rate from 8d to lOd in the £ on the annual rateable value of land in the Taranaki hospital district A notice of motion of intention to strike the rate was formally carried at yesterday's meeting of the Board. The chairman (Mr. p. C. J. Bellringer) explained that the expenditure had been incurred in the shape of the earth contract on the site of the proposed new buildings renovating buildings, and other works! The Board has been paying for the earthwork contract out of the general account. This has beeii' done with the object of getting a subsidy of 23s in the £ on the money spent instead of 20s, as would be the case if the money came out of the building fund. The increased rate would, added the chairman, be as broad as it was long, as it meant that there would be so much less to come from the local bodies later on. _ What's in a name? The Hospital Board yesterday debated the question of re-naming the Old People's Home. The desire for something more euphonius and symbolic prompted a member (Mr. J. R. Hill) to move that the institution should be graced with the Maori name, "Rangiatea." Its meaning was, he explained, free from care," to which another member rejoined that the inmates might be, but the management was certainly not—(laughter)—while Or. Tate pertinently enquired how many of the old people would be able to write the name. Mr. J. Brown thought the place was very well known as the Old People's Home. The chairman (Mr. Bellringer) ventured the opinion that Rangiatea was "too much of a mouthful," and Mr. McDonald went as far as to state that it was a "jaw-breaker." Mr. Maxwell supported Mr. Hill, while Mr. McDonald also delved into the Maori lingo, suggesting Tukapa as an alternative, and he found a seconder in Mr. Mcßeynolds. The conservative clement, however, was too strong, members deciding by six votes to three that there was no need for the home to masquerade under any new name. Busraee* bihj< warding billheads, letterheads, or any other description of print ing, cannon be beiteT :.arved, in price, quality or despatch, than by the Dsib ?Tews Printery. Try ui "*ll. nag up, or m-it*.

1 The Acting-Chief Postmaster advises j I that the Auckland-Vancouver mail, dei spatched on February 16, arrived in, ! London on the 18th inst. ' j The Taranaki Garrison Band will play' I in procession from the Red House corner to the Theatre Eoyal to-night in connection with the Irish National concert. "It is hoped that ere long a universal half-holiday will be observed in Taranaki, and that all the competitions will be played 'on one day"—runs a passage the annual report of the Taranaki Rugby Union.

It may not be generally known that according to a revised Act it is the duty of any member of a school committee or teacher to report any case of a pupil being mentally defective. A heavy penalty can be imposed if this matter is neglected. Should prices of butter go down during the next month or two on account of the strike at home, the factories that have sent their butter to Vancouver should reap the benefit, a fact which proves the wisdom of establishing side markets whenever the opportunity arises. The scarcity of farm labor is exercising the minds of farmers in Feilding district, and the chairman of the Farmers' Union is to draft a resolution asking that the Government will bring out a batch of farm laborers on conditions similar to those on which domestics were brought out from the Old Country to Gisborne. Football should be interesting from a spectator's point of view in Taranaki this season, as visits are expected from no less than six unions, viz., Southland, Otago, Canterbury, Wellington, Manawatu, and Wanganui. It is also probable that teams representing the South Auckland and Nelson unions will visit Taranaki. Visits will be made by the Taranaki reps, to Wanganui and Auckland. In noting that the Alf. Bayly Me-5 m'orial Seholarhip was won this year by Master Charles Crone, of New Plymouth High School, the committee of the Taranaki Union deplores, in its annual report, The fact that in South Taranaki very little interest is taken in thjcj scholarship. At present the larger number 'of the competitors come from Stratford and New Plymouth, other schools competing in addition to the two already' named being Tariki and Ngaere. I Details have been received by mail I from Australia of the murder at Cor-| unna Downs, Western' Australia, of an aboriginal Lothario by jealous natives. Jimmy was a good-looking black, and he assumed such airs that three rivals— Sambo, Charlie and Rodger—are stated 'to have, formed ail assassination conspiracy. They sent a lubra to lure Jimmy to a retired spo't, where they awaited him with spears and tomahawks. Sambo opened hostilities with a tomahawk,' and followed up by twisting Jimmy's neck.. The other two then finished him off with shears and stones, after which they dragged the corpse in triumph , to the camp"'by : a strap tied round its neck, and finally, when tired of the exiiibition. buried it. In view of the projected tramway system for New Plymouth borough and the proposal to electrify the Main South road, the following particulars received by the Taranaki County Council relative to the cost of Christchurch electric tramways should make interesting reading:—Capital cost, £543,973 19s Id; number of miles of tramway, 56 miles 48 chains; cost of track only, £204,838 12s sd; cost of overhead equipment, | £76,846 lis 3d; cost of generating station (land and buildings £12,412 2s lid, I plant £42,564 18s lOd), £54,977 is 9d; horse-power required at generating station, 1500 k.w.; cost of maintenance of track and overhead equipment per car mile, ,784 d; guage of track, 4ft BV 3 in; i motive power, steam turbine. "Sir Joseph Ward intends to resign from the leadership of the Liberal party," said Mr. W. D. Mac Donald, member for Bay of Plenty, the other day,"and I greatly regret that he has decided to do that. We all know of the concentrated effort that was made throughout New Zealand agajnst_ one man—Sir Joseph \Vi(vd. After four y ears' experience in Parliament I am certain there is no man in New Zealand to-day—either in the Liberal or Opposition—\vho is as capable an administrator as Sir Joseph Ward. (Applause). I feel confident that although Sir Joseph is retiring, that although people have been crying out that they would vote to .put Ward out—•those same people will be crying out soon that they want Ward back." There was talk of high-handed action on the part of the Education Department at yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki Hospital Board regarding a long-standing grievance on the part of the latter body. It appears that at the last conference of delegates from hospital boards Mr. Bellringer, as representative of the Taranaki Board, asked why the Education Department would not return destitute children who were committed to an industrial school when hospital boards found suitable homes for them, at no expense to the ratepayers. In replying, Mr. Hogben (Inspector-General of Schools) said that if a suitable home was found for a. child it would certainly be returned, but the Department had to consider each case on its merits. It appears from a discussion at yesterday's meeting of the board that," acting on this advice, the Taranaki Board got a family to consent to take a certain child. Much to the chagrin of members, however, an official of the Department visited the proposed future home, of the child, and strongly advised .that body not to agree to the board's wishes in ) the matter. -In the course of a general discussion members expressed great indignation at the Department's attitude, especially when one member alleged that the officer in question had made disparaging remarks—quite untrue—as to the child's character. The officer's duty was, they complained, simply to find 'out whether the home was suitable or .not, and lot to endeavor to collect information relative to the supposed doings of the child. Several members 'stated that from their own personal knowledge the proposed home for the child was in every way suitable. The upshot of the discussion was the passing of the following motion: "That the board take steps that will lead to furtner inquiries as to the circumstances attending the refusal of the Education Department to allow the adoption of the child in question."

■ / The Moa (Inglewood) Dairy Company •J paid out yesterday £4678 for butter-fat, 11 as against £3753 last year. I At its last meeting the Central school (committee decided by resolution that it 1 was of opinion that the growing suburb of Vogeltown needed greater edu#ational , facilities than existed at present, and it recommended the Education Board to . i •onsider the expediency of establishing a side-school as an offshoot from the , Central school, for the accommodation J of pupils up to and including the third standard.

Partial consideration was given at yesterday's meeting of the High School Board of Governors to a draft copy «f the New Plymouth High School Bill. Mr. Dockrill dwelt for some time on the clause relating to the personnel of the board, urging that all reference to members of borough and county council* having representation oil the board should be deleted. Councillors were, he considered, not qualified for the duties attaching to the administration of the school's affairs. In the Opinion of Mr. Fraser, part of the hoard should comprise members elected by parents of children attending the institution. Mr. Eyre-Kenny opposed this latter suggestion, and held that the Education Board should be represented. Discussion on the whole matt' r was deferred till next meeting.

A meeting in connection with the entertaining of the Taranaki Avar veter-1 ans was held in the Town Hall last evening. There was a representative attendance, and His Worship the Mayor (Mr. G. W. Brpwne) presided. Several apologies for non-attendance and promises of support, pecuniary and otherwise, were received. The Empire Picture Company offered to provide a patriotic picture concert, whilst the local papers offered to do the printing and advertising free tof charge. It was decided 1 to; hold a dinner at the Brougham Street Hall at 6.30 on the evening of the 28th met., provide a short musical programme, interspersed by a few toasts, and at 9 o'clock adjourn to the theatre. A committee was set up to carry oat the details, consisting of the Mayor, Messrs. J. E. Wilson. Jas. Morey, Jas. Clarke, C. T. Mills, G. Standish and T. C. List. With an eye to their own welfare and a keen sense of esprit de corps, the boys at the New Plymouth High School are at present hard at it improving the school grounds. Their idea is to convert what is at present a swampy waste into a tennis court, Morris-tube rifle range, and swimming bath. They are at present engaged in excavating the site of the baths. Later on they propose to tackle the site of the tennis court. Before this can be don? the land will have to be drained, and in order to facilitate this the Luard of Governors yesterday voted the sum of £5. The board also decided to order some of the material for the construction of the rifle range. The tennis court will be at the head of the swamp and the baths at the other end, towards the cemetery. The boys, who are being encouraged in their work by the High School masters, deserve every credit for their enterprise. Owing to the prevailing epidemic of | mumps the attendance at the Central School has been sieriously affected for | the last four weeks, the attendance only averaging 519 on a roll of 001. The illness has on the whole been' of a mild nature, but the Health Department is insistent that the regulations must be : strictly obeyed, which means that vic- | time to the disease have to remain at j home for a month, and all others in I affected households for three weeks.