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Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 22, 27 January 1922, Page 3

A large number of applications for maintenance were set down for hearing to-day at the Magistrate's Court. Most of the cases presented no features of interest, hut still occupied the time of three magistrates. Peveral orders were, made by consent, and in some cases the wives had apparently changed their minds since the issue of the summons, as they Qither did not appear or withdrew the action. A few orders were made in which imprisonment was thei penally for not paying the contributions previously fixed by the Court. Tn one case a wife, who was earning her own living, asked for a separation order, as her husband was a nuisance when ha got drunk. The separation wae granted, costs being allowed.

The Auckland City Council last evening decided to grant the request of the Auckland Bands Association for financial assistance for the two bands, Auckland City and Artillery, which propose representing this city' at the North Island Hrass Band Contest, which is to bo held in Wellington shortly. leu guineas were donated, and similar! amounts were also donated to the Auckland Anniversary Kegatta, and to tlie Auckland City Council, Harbour Hoard, and Local Bodies' Employees' Picnic. The oysters at the western end of Weeks' Island, just below Onehunga, have been inspected by Mt. Ayson. Director of Fisheries. He told Mr. Davios that they were first-claiss, and at the latler's suggestion he agreed to a-sk the Minister of .Marine to consider the advisability- of extending the grounds by building a wall and planting new oyster beds on it, as was done at Coromandel and other places. The raised platform of the safety zone at the top of Symonds Street was brought further under the notice of the Auckland City Council last evening, when a claim of .iii was received from Mrs. V. C. Bal-ham, who damaged her, dress and wristlet watch by falling over the platform on New Year's Day. Tbe City Engineer reported that in a recent j similar claim the Oity Solicitor had I recommended that liability be declined. Liability was disclaimed. "With regard to tramway concession cards," reported the Mayor to the City Council last night, "these are stamped, in accordance with the council's authority, until February 2S, 1022, and are not good after that date. After Jioiug into the matter with the management, I it Ls desired to recommend the council to allow these card* to run on and henceforth date cards issued 'May 31, 1022' until further notice. This will not involve the calling in of any cards, cards stamped 'February' will be accepted. Tbe position will then be, considered, as the council ig bound to do. with several of the local bodies in March next."' Liabilities in the matter of Unused cards will therefore not 1»" known until after the Local Bodies' Conference in March next. Tn seven years a Xorth Canterbury man gave his wife the magnificent sum of £4 with which to pay household expenses. In the Rangiora Magistrate's Court last week the wife's application to have a prohibition order issued against her husband was granted. The applicant stated that she hiid been married seven years, and during that time her husband hud given her £4. All his earnings—when he worked —went in drink. If it had not been for her father ami broDier keeping her two children she would have- starved. Defendant had been prohibited previously. and convicted for a breach of bis order. Vet another method has been put forward for tbe disposal of the canteen funds. During a discussion on housing in regard to tubercular patients, at a special meeting in Wellington reference was made by different speakers to tho difficult- experienced by tubercular soldiers in getting houses, and keeping in them, mainly because they Were "T. 8." men. One speaker hit upon a bright idea, providing for tho disposal of "the canteen funds," which, he said, were "lying there and not doing much good. and. at the same time, solving the difficulty." He moved "That the cailntccn funds be loaned to discharged soldiers, and £">O,OOO be earmarked for T.B.'s.' at small interest, for housing." The idea was regafded favourably, and the motion carried unanimously. In criticising the lack of business methods of the Railway Department a Wanganui resident stated that they had a fine example of this in the recent washout at Whnnuakura Bridge. The Department instead of getting some motor wagons, and these could bo had in plenty at present, simply inserted a notice in the papers that they would not handle goods beyond Wavorley or Patca. "Would any other firm transact its business in this way?" be asked. He then followed on with another instance at Levin. The Department at one time used to carry the eggs to Wellington for the V.fsjx Circle at fo much j>er crate. Then the Department decided that each crate would have to lie weighed and separately consigned. The result was thnt the Circle bought its own motor, and now sends its eggs to Wellington by road. It also kills two birds with one stone, as it brings back supplies for members of the Circle, and thus tbe Department loses revenue both ways. One primary school in Palmerston Xorth cost more than the whole amount allotted by the Education Department to schools in tlie Wellington district for the ensuing year. This fact was emphasised by Mr. T. Forsyth, chairman of the Wellington Education Board, at its last meeting. "It shows," be said, "what can be done in some quarters by a little peaceful and quiet penetration. (A member: 'Judicious penetration.') It seems to mc that it ought to be mentioned that one district for a single primary school spends over £4-2,000, as against £41,817 6/ for all the schools in the Wellington district for the ensuing year. It is a crying shame," said Mr. Forsyth, "that in these hard times all these commitments on school buildings should be spent since the war finished and during the financial crisis." (Hear, hear.) Mr. C. T. Darkness: "That is not the only school: thorp is a. palatial one at Palmerston North." Mr. (7. T. London: "You will have to alter your policy and attitude towards the Depart- I ment, and see what can be done by way ' of comparison." (Laughter.) ! When the old infirmary men's wards at the Costley Home were erected many j years ago, they were designed with much j care and thought to provide for the comfort of the old people during the coldest periods of the year, and no provision was made for cross ventilation, a stout brick wall in- each instance running right! through with the wards built on each j side. A current of air at present can beJ got lengthways through the wards, but in bad and stormy weather this has to bo curtailed to a very large extent. During j the recent hot weather the need of cross! ventilation has been severely felt, and yesto.rday Mr. Wallace, chairman of tho Hospital Board, with other members of i the Board, spent some time at the insti-1 tution in consultation with Dr. McKelvie.i the medical superintendent of the Home. [ as to what improvements could be made, j A new scheme of ventilation was decided j upon, which should have the effect, of i greatly adding to the comfort of those j who occupy the wards, and this will I*. I submitted to the next regular meeting of j the Board for tlie members' approval. j "The more children you have the more ; pension you get," said a speaker at a soldiers' meeting in Wellington. Ho ■ knew of a returned soldier who was getting £0 a week, but then that man ' hid a family of twelve. Anoth rj sjieakor remembered having lead of ai woman in Italy who had a family of fifty-two. The Italian Government ] gave her a bonus. What was the Xew j Zealand Government doing? . j

I Mr. Wallace, chairman of the Hospit: Board, stated yesterday that telegran tire still coming to hand from all over tl Dominion thanking the Auckland Boai for the firm stand it took in regard i the now famous clause of the Tlospit; Bill, which gave the Minister of the da : power of veto over hospital appointment A copy of the amended bill has been set ,to the Hoard, and Mr. Wallace says tin ;it is not yet quite clear as to what meant in the amended clause, and he hi 'written to Wellington so that the opinio |of the Auckland Board may be full known, and the clause made so clear tin even the lay mind can fully understan its meaning. Every member of tl Auckland Hospital Board is a leve headed business man, with in ever instance a long period of public servic to bin credit, and in democratic days is important that where simple languag can lie used that can be understood b everyone, especially in regard to mattct directly affecting the welfare of th people' it should be done, is how M: Wallace summed up the position. Is" one wanted any camouflaging in a matte of so much importance, for members ha been fighting for a great vital principle. A topic of discussion at a recen meeting of tubercular soldier patient in Wellington was the treatment allege |to be received at the Pukeora Sana I torium. One speaker from Pukeror when asked his opinion aw to how the were treated there, declared that th food, since the sanatorium had bee taken over by the Health Departmeni had decreased in quality and <]uantit; and that the cooking was bad. .Sntn of their privileges had been curtaile: Kor instance, smoking was now proh bitcd in the billiard-room and in th | lounge, and they did not have the sam opportunities of visiting bed-patients a had previously existed. ".No loiterin near bedsteads" was how one order reac The meals wore often allowed to becom cold before they reached some of th patients. Another speaker said tha the sanatorium, which was eonstructe to accommodate forty patients, wa overcrowded, and this led to trouble After a short discussion the followin motion was put. and carried:—" Tha : the Returned Soldiers' Association b asked to communicate with the Healt Department asking the Department t fulfil the written promise that no priv leges or treatment of tubercular re turned men would be curtailed." When the question of Sunday spot was before Ihe Taihape Borough Com cil at its last meeting, the Mayor. M A. J. Joblin, said the protest reminde him of a protest which had once bee lodged by some ladies against bathin on a certain piece of beach. Invcstigi tions were made, and it was found tha the bench which was used for bathin was three miles away, and when th attention of the ladies was drawn to th fact, one of them exclaimed: "Oh, bu we've got a telescope." It was the sam with those who objected to Sunda cricket. If it was offensive to them t see cricket played on Sundays, ther was no need for them to s> ( . it; thcr was no need for them to use th telescope. A proposal of the Calendar Commit tee that the matriculation examinati-oi lie in future called the University Pre liminary Examination was made to th' Senate of the University of New Zea land in session yesterday afternoon. I was explained that the idea was to pre vent confusion between the mere pass ing of the examination and the stppcia punpose of matriculating as meanint becoming a student of University. The proposal was withdrawn after tin Chancellor had mentioned that the ex jiense of altering the calendar woulc not warrant the proposal, in addition t< which it was time students understood the position. "In this hot weather they really ough to be open." So said Mrs. Magtiiri when the matter of the opening of th. public baths was before the City Counci at its meeting last night. Mr. G. Bail don said people, had approached thi Works Committee, of which he wa cliairman,.but it had nothing to do witl them. The Parnell baths were open 01 Sunday afternoons, but the Shell' Beach and the tepid baths were closed This seemed hardly fair. The matte was eventually left to the discretion o the Parks Committee, which has thu: to decide whether the public bath: owned and controlled by tho Council wil be opened throughout every Sunday, o whether they will remain closed as tin Ponsonby and City baths are at present Very lenient treatment was nictet out to a youth at tiisbornc recently who pleaded guilty to boring % holi through a partition to enable him t< peep into the ladies' dressing-room 01 the beach. It is on record that thi original "Peeping Tom" was struck blint as a punishment for his -.utrcptitiou: view of Lady Godiva. His Gisborne dis ciplo was ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, was furi'her ofdercc to pay costs (7/), and the magistral directed that his name be not published as the offence was only one again*! "decency and propriety," rather thai against the law. It is not recorded thai an apology was Kcndered to the delin quent for prosecuting him! The Onehunga Chamber of Commerci at its meeting last night received th< report of the Inland Waterways Commie sion in favour of the Tamaki Canal. Tin president (Mr. 11. J. Davics) took excep tion to the proposal to impound tb< water above the Mangcrc Bridge, a: recommended by tho Commission. It the discussion which followed the mem bcrs found themselves in agreement witl the president's suggestion that tin channel should be cut above the bridge as far as the railway at Otahuhu, ant tho silt deposited on the foreshore. Tbe land thus reclaimed would make valuable sites for factories. It was also thou gill that the material lifted by the dredgi near the Onehunga wharf should also b( put on the foreshore above the bridge instead of being deposited on a mud-ban! lower down the Manukau Harbour. Il was agreed that the president and sccre tary should wait upon the Onelmngr Borough Council to discuss the lattci suggestion, and see if anything can b< done to give effect to it. The altered state of the coal supplj was exemplified when the members of thi Costley Home Committee were holding < meeting at that institution yesterday Two lorry loads of coal arrived, and r was pointed nut that there was now twt months" supply on hand, while it did not scorn very long ago since tjierc was nol two hours' supply on the premises. I>< not bring any more coal out here for twe months, was the instruction given to tin carriers, the opinion being expressed thai if the present conditions cotitinu'd tin price of coal would be still fill the i reduced. A commission to inquire into the re port upon the apportionment of ic*st.~ ?ot the maintenance, repairing, improving and reconstructing of Mangcrc Hrid:*( will commence its sittings at the Magic trate's Courthouse. Auckland, on Tues day, January .11. at 2.3n p.m. Mr. •! w! Poynton will be chairman of the commission.