LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 279, 17 April 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The daily average cost per inmate in the Old People's Ilonw at .New Plymouth last year was 2s 2d.

At yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki Hospital Board, the chairman explained that as a result of his interview with the Prime Minister, the warrant for the arrest of the child in charge of the Board, which created considerable stir at the last meeting, had been stayed. Canon Garland, the organising secretary of the Bible-in-State Schools .League, will give an address on the objects of the League at the Good Templar Hall on Monday next. The hall had been previously engaged by the Operatic Society for rehearsal, but they have gracefully waived their claim in Canon Garland's favor.

Mr. John Hislop has just completed, on behalf of the Public Trustee, valuations of 100 leases under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act. The sections revalued are scattered throughout the province,! from Waihi (near Waitara) to Waverley. Mr. Hislop is now engaged on the revaluation of 70 more places, the leases of which will be expiring shortly. s ]n tho 100 completed, onlv twice was 'it found necessary to see kth aid of an umpire to settle the new valuations, \vhich therefore must be given general satisfaction.

The Government Statistician (Mr. W. Oroser) submitted a statement at yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board of the approximate population on April 1 of the boroughs and counties within the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board and district, as follows:—Clifton County 2,301. Taranaki County 7,505. New Plymouth Borough 7,575, Inglewood Borough 1,332, Waitara Borough 1,520, E«mont County 2,007, Opunake Town District 511. and Maori population 1521; total 25,262.

A public demonstration of motor ploughing was recently held on the farm of .Mr. R. McElhinney, Ashbiirton. The j tractor was hitched on to two threej furrow ploughs, set to cut a 12-inch furrow, six inches deep. Owing to the j greasy state of the ground, the driving wheels slipped considerably at first, but when the wind had dried the surface somewhat the two ploughs were hauled with ease. The opinion was expressed that another two furrows might have been attached and still been well within the compass of the motor, Victoria is producing a new type of woman (says the Melbourne correspondent of a Sydney paper). She is to be seen every Saturday afternoon indulging vigorously in men's sports, from football to hockey, and many of her sporting clubs have on their belts the scalps of men's societies. One of tire Amazons has now applied to the Victorian Football Association for a position as field umpire. She says she is of fine physique and possesses a sound knowledge .of the game, and suggests that she has such a command of language that she could hold her own in any football controversy. Undesirable immigrants are referred to as follows in the annual report of the Chairman of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board:—"At the conference of Hospital Boards held atWellington in 1911, I brought under the fiotiee of the Health Department the want of medical inspection of immigrants before leaving the Old Countrv. Thin lack of inspection, however, still continues and the Board has had to d"al with cases during the past year. At the present time there is in the'con- *. s'imptive annexe a patient who has only j been in the Dominion a few weeks, j These cases impose a most unfair charge j upon the community, to say nothing of the danger to the public health." , The Southland Times says:—"lt will J be remembered that at the last council meeting a cable from Sir J. G. Ward was read intimating that, the whole of the loans, amounting to £90,000, had been definitely arranged, with the proviso thnt (he corporation would get a guarantee in not to undertake any further borrowing in London during the next two years. A resolution was adopted suggesting that the time might be rej duced to one year. The Mayor immediately communicated with Sir ,T. G. Ward in terms of the resolution. A reply was received a day or two ago that a satisfactory arrangement had been agreed to, reducing the non-bor-rowing period to one year, and the whole of the money would be available, in London on the first of June next."

The remarkable uctivity that lias prevailed in and around, Auckland during the past two or three years in building new schools and adding to old ones was referred to by the chairman of the Auckland Education Board (.Mr. 0. J. Garland) at the opening of the new Te Papapa School. Mr. Garland said the Board had the large family of 44,120 children. They also had 504 schools and 100 part-time schools. Last year's work, he said, showed an increase of 23 new schools and 2:174 scholars. The expenditure for the year had been £208.200, and Lhe Board had set aside £20,000 to make provision for replacing old schools. Then they had 230 schools giving agricultural instruction. There were 170,000 children receiving a free and secular education in the Dominion, and he claimed that the present system was eminently satisfactory.

The total number of patients under treatment at the New Plymouth Hospital last year was 490 (285 males and 214 females), an increase of 55 on the previous year. The individual average stay of patients was 31.10 days, compared with 20.03 days the previous year, and the daily average of patients was 42.5!), against 35.05. The daily average cost per patient was 7s 4d, as compared with the previous year of 9s 1 <>%(!. Owing to the. large number of patients and the overtaxing of the accommodation, the work of the nursing staff was (remarked the chairman of the Board in his annual report) even greater than that of the- previous year, which up to that time was the heaviest experienced since the institution was first opened. The health of the nursing staff throughout the vear had been generally good, a great improvement on the * previous year. It was with great pleasure that he (Mr. Bellringer) had again to record that the attention of the matron (in charsre for the past lfi years) and staff to their duties had been highly praiseworthy, and their efforts had been much appreciated b v the patients, by the medical staff and by the Board. MEN'S WINTER WEARABLES AT THE MELBOURNE, LTD.

With the passing/ of Enster, one's thoughts naturally turn to consideration of cold weather requirements. Men's clothing winter needs are specially catered for at the Melbourne, as the following items will testify:—Men's merino shirts and pants, 1/11, 2/fi, 2/11; natural shirts and pants, 3/6, 3/11, 4/11; men's fleecy singlets and pants, American make, 2/11; men's knitted pants, colonial make, 4/fl pair (grand value); men's splendid quality all-wool Crimean shirts, 6/11 (special value); men's Mosgiel knitted socks, three pairs for 2/6; men's warm Boslyn all-wool socks, black or plain grey, 1/- pair; men's warm saddletweed suits. 3A/0; men's heavy saddle trousers, 8/fl; famous Oamaru saddle trousers, ] 3/0; new Hydrotite overcoats. 37/6; mens' superior raincoats, 39/6 (very dressy); men's riding oilskins, 12/9; men's new oiled canvas coats, guaranteed waterproof, 37/ G. Hundreds 0 S other good values. I

The capital of the Ngairc Co-operative Dairy Company has been increased by £7OOO, made up of £1 shares.

The dairy factories seem to be doing very well this autumn in making money for the farmer. The Waitara Uoad payout for March reached £lf)f>2 12s 2d, an increase of £.'1(52 compared with March of last rear. At North Taranaki tlm suppliers obtained a total amount of £2205 18s 3d, or an increase of £833 as compared with the amount paid out last March.—Mail.

The s.s. TTawcra which went ashore at Patca on October 20th last, whilst endeavouring to enter the port, resumed "•mining yesterday, the necessary repairs having at length been completed «nd the machinery overhauled and passed. The Hawera will take up the Kiripika's running, and the bitter vessel will probably be laid up for the winter months.—Press.

From any point in the south-west area, the Stratford-Kaponga line would provide the most direct and best graded access to New Plymouth port, and there can be no question but that the Province of Taranaki has declared by word and deed, in spending so much money at Moturoa, that New Plymouth must be our port. Why then, should a railway bo built on a route like Te Itoti. or the Reserve, which would necessitate extra mileage, unneeessarv delay and inconvenience to the people of the south-west, heavier grades and the expense and inconvenience of extra junctions to the railway department, when the StratfordKaponga route avoids all these disabilii ties?— Stratford Post.

A wonderful picture of subaquatic life from the fish's point of view was given by Dr. Farncis Ward at Fishmonger's Hall, London, on February 20, under the auspices of the Salmon and Trout Association. The lecture, "With a Camera under Water," was illustrated by Rlides and cinematograph films, not the least interesting feature of which was the method by which Dr. "Ward obtained them from his observation chamber below the level of the water. Amongst many other interesting things, the lecturer showed the powers of concealment possessed by cormorr-uts, gulls, waterliens and other birds? t the pursuit of fish, largely by reflecting the color of their surroundings. Penguins, kingfishers and herons were shown on the cinematograph, catching and eating fish, and—most fascinating of all, perhaps—the silent and highly successful methods of that nocturnal fisherman, the otter, were depicted.

'm Tuesday the Wnverlev police received certain information, lis the result of which the business people have been warned not to take cheques of a suspicious nature in payment for goods. It appears that on the 20th March last, cheques to the number of 24 were purchased by some individual at the National Bank of New Zealand in New Plymouth. Subsequently, three for small amounts were passed into different accounts, but on investigation the bank officials discovered that the cheques were valueless. The matter was reported to the police. Inquiries were instituted, but nothing was gleaned beyond the intelligence received from three outraged' shopkeepers that the delinquent was a "tall, fair woman." Strange to say, thetall, fair one has already paid Waverley a visit, yet nothing seems to have rewarded lier enterprise. Tt is surmised that she is the Taranaki representative of an organised gang. Business people are therefore to be on their guard against the wiles of a tall fair woman. —Press.

Arrangements have been made for 4,000 Chinese coolies to leave Canton for Samoa. They are intended for work on the plantations in German Samoa—that is, on the islands of Upolu and SavaK. Most of them will, of course, go to Upolu, which is the richest of ths Samoan Islands, and which contains the German capital, Apia. Chinese labour has been used in German Samoa for a 'considerable time, and has been found to give every satisfaction. The coolies are indentured for a fixi'd period, at the end of which time, they can either return to China or further engage themselves. Many of them prefer to remain in the islands. It is well known that the Samoan. like the natives of othej South Sea Islands, is n lazy man in his own countrv. There is no'necessity- for l>im to work, sreiii'.' that nature simplies h'm with all that he requires. Much of the !;.niil is held hv th<> Samoon chiefs, but they do not put it tn tlio best use. The cncoenuls growing on it are ample to provide them with nil the luxuries thev require. But copra is a bi? item with German and other pi -inters and traders in Samoa, and since the introduction of Chinese labour the output has greatlv increased. Besides coconuts, caco is extensively grown, and latterly a ot of the land has been planted with rubber.

Last week the Wiuiganiii press gave prominence to the ease of an old man who. it was stated, had applied for charitable aid at Xew Plymouth only to be refused. What he said wore the real circumstances of the case were outlined by Mr. Lepper. secretary of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, yesterday. The man had been relieved' temporarily, but had been told that before he could be admitted into the Old People's Home he would have to obtain an order for his admission from the authorities at Unworn, to which place he said he belonged. He was, therefore, igiven the amount of his train-faro to | Hawera, and that was the last he (Mr. Upper) had seen of him. Mr. F. C. J. : Bellringer (the chairman) remarked that the man was one of the many of his kind who continually shifted from one district to another for a change of air, and expected to transfer from one old people's home to another. The Board was not there to protect wasters, and should be given power of detention. Mr. E. Maxwell remarked that in this particular case the Board were not responsible either morally or financially. Speaking generally, he thought that'it would be an undesirable course for the Board's institutions to be obliged to take in people without investigation; it would mean that wasters would take advantage of them, leave their homes and other institutions and travel freely all over the country. As a matter of fact the man was assisted by the secretary, but the money had been wasted, 'other members agreed with the previous speakers, although Mr. McAllnm was inclined to bold that as we were a Christian community, those in actual distress should be cared for, even at. the risk of housing a few "wasters."

"Camp" Coffee is scientifically made and blended by experts. It is put in liquid form, not only because it is easier and quicker to make coffee from it this wav, but because it retains its flavor and quality far better. 2 SYKES'S SHOPPING BY „U\ Remember, the malr makes * « all neighbors, and you are no further from us than the nearest letter-box. You can shop with us by letter just as safely and satisfactorily as if you were here im person, for our Mailing Department is thoroughly equipped, an* our facilities for the execution of orders unsurpassed. Send to us for anything a CHEM"IST should keep. SYKES'S MODERN PHARMACY. Devon Street. New Plymouth. Wholesale and Factory, King StreefcNew Plymouth. '' alia; Wbole»»le»350 Susses St-»*i#