LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 November 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

One of the tragedies of the epidemic at I clone is the death of both the father and mother of a family of nine children. Thei new season's wool ia now reaching Hie stores and passing through thl hands of the valuers. TJ* wool from the Hawke a Bay and Poverty Bay districts js reported to be of excellent quality and in good condition. A man named Henry J. Penman, aged about 40 years, who had been auffcviE.* from influenza, cut his throat at Hawera on Sunday. Deceased was a widower, and was staying at the Buipire Hotel. He wag a bridge carpenter, employed by the Hawera County Coun-

.. Th ® of success attained l>y , Woll'ugton Central Committcs in combating the effects of the epidemic can be put down to tlas wlhole-hcarted efforts oi the willing band of volunteer* and doctors, who have never stinted themselves eithor in work or hours. Th* came may be said of the workers at New Plymouth.

It is of the utmost importance that convalescents shall not attempt, to get about -before they Imve completely recovered Dr. Walker says a man sltbuld not go back to work until his temperature has been normal for ten days, aad only then if he is feeling lit and strong and can walk uphill without his breathing being seriously affected. In ease of &e& & medical mstb

In order' to cope with the epidemic in the country districts, it is imperative that townspeople who have 110 further use for their thermometers should place same at the disposal of the Public Health Committee. This is an urgent matter, and it is to he hoped that a prompt response will be made to this appeal. It is impossible to get thermometers from any of the larger centres, ""It is really astonishing, and one would not believe Ihow filthy some motheva allow their children to become. I would not have credited that such s, state of things existed if it had been directly brought under my notice," a voluntary nurse at Wciington. "Children have been brougiht to the institution where I am working witn their clothing eo stuck together with filth that tlhe garments have had had to be cut off the bodies"

The Maoris who have been under the care of the Citizens' Health Committee are very grateful for the assistance given them, and at Mr. Tito's hospital at the Egmont Road the other evening expression was given to their gratitude by Rewi, who, addressing the patients and attendants, said, on behalf of his people;—''We tEank all the pakelia who came to our help when we vere very bad. Three died, although you did everything possible for them, ff you did not come to us when you did, I think we all would have died; you have been very 'kind, so we thank you once more again. Kia Ora."

Two clergymen recently met with an experience in the Waitara district that they are not likely to forget. Like good Samaritans they had been visiting the houses of the settlers and the Maoris. In one Maori house they found two people who had been dead for some days, and the other nine inmates were all down, serious!/ ill. They had had no attention at all for some days, and the state of the house may be imagined. The clergymen at once got to work, arranged for the burial of the bodies, cleaned up the place, attended to the patients, and otherwise arranged for them. One oE the clergymen is now down with tho disease.

"Welly hot! Welly hotl' J was tta salutation given to one of the medical assistants who was dispatched by the Health lommittee to the residence of a subject of flbe Celestial Empire who had telephoned for assistance. The assistant took the Chinaman's temperature, which revealed no very serious symptoms, but was amazed to find the amount of clothing the patient was wearing, the surprise being that 'he was not "Welly much hotter." The Chinaman was sitting up in bed in a small room, with the window closed, and had -on nine garments, all of a heavy woollen character, topped off witibi a thick overcoat

The results of the past year's operations of the Stato Fire Insurance Office are very satisfactory, reports the Minister for Finance. The increase of business. is the greatest attained in any year since the establishment of the office, and the underwriting surplus the largest yet recorded. The increase in the suin underwritten amounted to £2,700,000, bringing the total for the year of renewals and new business to nearly £22,000.000. The gross surplus for the year 1917 amounts to £40,610. The total income for 1917 amounted to £01.381, as against £82,693 for 1016. The total accumulated hinds of the office at t»ie close of the year 1917 amounted to £182,645, as against £155,059 for the previous year. Tlio total assets of the office rose from £166,880 in 1916 to £208220 in 1917.

In the Magistrate's Court at New Plymouth yesterday, before Mr A. Crooke, I S.M., judgment was given for plaintiff by default in the following undefended cases:—George Gibson (Mr P. E. Wilson for Mr G. Grey) v. P. A. Hadley, £5 17s (costs £1 3s 6d); L. E. Hoffmann (Mr D. Hutchen) v. A. H. Goss, 13s 4d (coats £1 10s) j Newton King (Mr Hutchen) v, G. Beere, £4O 16s (costs £2 7s); Taranaki Picture Framing Co (Mr P. B. Fitzlierbert) v. F Carrington, £3 (costs 7s). P. Carr was ordered to pay to Alfred Wooller the sum of £4 14s 3d on or before November 30, in. default 5 days' imprisonment, and Joseph Rognoki was ordered to pay to J. B. McEwan and Co. (Mr A. 0. Lawrey) the sum of £0 12s 6d on or before November 30, in default seven days' imprisonment. An application by Mr Lawrey for a change of venue to Hawera, in the case of J. S. S. Medley and others (Mr Fitzherbert) v. A. P. Cole, was refused and the case was adjourned for a fortnight,

An old and respected resident of Lower Hutt, Mr John Lynch, died on Tuesday, after a long illnes3. The deceased was born in County Cork, Ireland, and arrived in New Zealand some 50 years ago, when he took up farming in tine Hutt district, which occupation he followed until about fourteen years ago, when he retired. Mr Lynch leaves a widow, two eons, and four daughters to mourn their loss.