ELTHAM.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 April 1918, Page 3

ELTHAM.

(from Our Own Correspondent) Eltham, April 21. Ihe Eltham branch of the New Zealand farmers' Union is a very live body, and the annual meeting drew a very fair attendance, presided over by Mr. B. Dawes (Rawhitiroa). The balancesheet showed a small credit on the right side, the receipts being £3O and expenditure £25. The election of officers resulted return of Mr. Dawes as president, whilst other positions are to be filled by Mr. T- W. Owen, vice-presi-dent; G. H. Buckeridgc, secretary and treasurer: delegates to conference, Messrs. Dawes and Owen; executive, Messrs. ,T. Swindlehurst, W. E. Carter, IT. Wood, I. Sanderson, C.' E. Gane, F. Silver, P. Henry, J. Robinson, and C. (Startup. The membership was in-j creased by the election of H. Shaw, R. Best, J. A. Bootten, C. E. Gane, and Alex. Boddie. Efforts will be made to obtain a visit from Sir James Wilson, Dominion President, to address the Eltham branch. This morning I accepted an invitation to visit the Eltham District High School, where the several classes were undergoing treatment iby the Health Inspector, Mr. A. Gray. Diphtheria outbreaks had necessitated closing the school for a time, but now an apparatus, largely used in Trentham to combat meningitis, is in use- It is a simple little machine, in reality something like a copper cylinder, which is heated by a primus stove. The, steam acts on a liquid which beI comes vaporised and issued in a tiny stream, like smoke, into the room. The scholars rather enjoyed the novelty, and for 10 minutes wero closeted with the machine,' and although there were 50 in the room not & cough or sniff was to be heard. Beyond the room being a trifle too warm to be pleasant, the effect was scarcely noticeable, and although the inspector says the formaline is sudden death to diphtheria microbes it had no injurious effecfe on tbo pupils. A few mothers and also infants were in the room being "gassed." Mr. Gray informs me Eltham is the first school to be heated by this method, and later on Hawera and others places will be visited with his little plant. Good reports come from Hawke's Bay about the same treatment, and this should lessen any alarm or anxiety on the part of parents as to the danger of contagion through what has proved a fatal complaint in the past.