General News.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19104, 13 September 1927, Page 8

General News.

The Museum was closed down yesterday, to enable Professor Speight and his staff, to undertake the cleaning of the exhibits and re-arrangement of the displays. It will remain closed until Friday, September 23rd, and reopen on the Saturday. A start has been made by the Highways Committee of the Csmtorbuiy Progress League in the examination and analysis of the traffic tallies recently collected at several points of the City and district. The results of this research will be available, when completed, to any local body requiring them. Twenty-three cases of infectious diseases were reported from Canterbury and the West Coast during the week ended yesterday. This total is ten less than those reported during the previous weeki Pour deaths were reported last week, all in Canterbury, two from tuberculosis, and two from pneumonic influenza. "I have been away on an exceedingly busy busman's holiday." The Federal Customs Minister, Mr H. E. Pratten, made this declaration on arrival in Auckland yesterday by the Niagara. For the past six months Mr Pratten, who is a leading member of the Bruce Government and representative of a Sydney constituency in the Commonwealth Parliament, has been investigating Customs and tariff difficulties between Australia and the Motherland and the United States. The Minister resumes his journey to Sydney to-day by the Niagara.—Pbess Service. In connexion with the impending departure of Mr F. Marrie, manager of the local branch of the Commercial Bank of Australia, who has been promoted to an inspectorship at Melbourne, the headquarters of the bank, a representative meeting of the bank's.clients and others held last week, decided that prior to his departure the opportunity should be taken to offer Mr Marrie congratulations upon his well-earned promotion, and to make a presentation to him. A committee comprising Messrs W. Helliwell (convener), J. Mawson Stewart, H. R. Best, and B. Browning (honorary secretary) was set up to arrange the details. Should any of the bank's clients or others desire to be associated with this movement, they arc asked to' get into communication with a member, of the above committee, on or before Thursday next.

An Indian hawker, Fher Mahomet, was admitted to the Christchurch Hospital 'at 11 a.m. yesterday, suffering from head injuries. He had been driving a horse and' cart along Ferry road, when the horse slipped and threw him out on his head. His condition is not serious. "I understand that the Council has a standing resolution prohibiting a charge beinginade at Sunday concerts," said Cr. GlycTe Carr at last night's City Council meeting. "What action would be needed to have the matter reviewed?" he asked. "Simply a notice of motion," replied the Mayor. At last night's meeting of the City Council, a letter was received from the Department of Industries and Commerce forwarding a diploma issued by the authorities of the Cr.nadian National Exhibition to the Christchurch City Council for an exhibit of ,civic photographs, and stating that the silver medal referred to in the diploma had not yet been issued. The City Council last night received a letter from the Sealed Bottle Milk Vendors' Association, asking the Council to receive a deputation, consisting of Messrs Sansom, Werner, Taylor and Vinicombe, who desired on behalf of the Association to appeal for a subsidy towards the cost of maintaining the dairymen's laboratory. It was decided that the deputation be received by the Milk Supply Committee. The Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer) remarked in his opening statement to last night's meeting of the City Council that the' New Zealand Gazette of September Bth gave notice of the allocation of the cost of maintenance of Page's road as follows:—Christchurch City Council 25 per cent., New Brighton Borough Council 42i per cent., an-1 the Heathcotc County Council 22J per cent. At a meeting of the Joint Health and By-laws Committee of the Canterbury Progress League, held on Friday, a copy of the proposed by-laws, submitted by Dr. T. F. Telfi rd, Medical Officer of Health for Canterbury and Westland, was discussed. Those are subject to amendment and revision, and the League hopes next month to be in a position to submit them to the local bodies for their consideration. "That where pavilions are erected and are used exclusively by specific clubs, the Council bear no share of the cost of erection, but that in cases where pavilions are erected in parks for general use. the Council bear the cost of erection and charge sports clubs who use such parks a rent for the use of the navilion." On the recommendation of the Reserves Committee, tho City Council decided last night that the foregoing should be its policy. At question time at last night's meeting of the City Council, Cr. A. W, Beaven asked what the estimated increase of pay would be if applied to the whole of the Council staff on the scale agreed to for certain sections at that meeting; also, what the amount would be for the whole staff for the seven days' extra holidays. The Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer) replied that the figures would bo given at the next meeting. Liberated in the Wellington district about 20 years ago, some Japanese deer, which belong to the Sika family, seem to have thrived. During the Easter holidays, according to the annual.report of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, seven fine heads were got by stalkers on the Kiamanawa Ranges, five being eightpointers and two seven-pointers. The Japanese deer are smaller than the average red deer, and New Zealand is the only country besides Japan where they are found. The Heathcotc County Council has advised the City Council that it cannot contribute its share (£1250) towards the cost of the work proposed to be carried out in Canal reserve, as it considers that the amount is out of proportion to the benefits to be received by it as a result of the improvements. The County Council suggests that a conference be held to discuss the matter, and Crs. G. R. Hunter andlß. H. Andrews have been appointed the Uty Council's representatives at the conference. "The committee recently drew 1 the attention of the Department of Agriculture to the fact that some of the meat exposed for sale in the butchers shops in the City did not bear the necessary stamp indicating that it naa been approved by the meat inspectors" (stated the Abattoir Committee in its report to the City Council ast night). "The Department has replied stating that the attention of all meat export companies has been drawn to the requirements of the regulations m regard to the stamping of meat for local consumption, and that in most cases where the regulations had not been carried out, the companies concerned acted in ignorance of what was necessary." Tho report was adopted. "Before commencing the business, 1 des?re to apologise to Cr. Beaven for my action at the last meeting in which I ruled him out of order." said the Mayor (Mi J. K Archer) at last night's City Council meeting. ' Cr. Beaven replied, thanking the Mayor for his explanation and apology. "May I now say what I was going to say tften?" he asked. (Laughter.) "Yes, I suppose you can," said the Mayor. The matter referred to concerned the insurance of the Council buildings when Crs Sullivan and Armstrong twitted Or. Beaven with the statement that the old Council did not have the interests of the people at heart. Cr. Beaven said that at that time there was no 40 per cent, discount as there was now. Some amusement was afforded the male members of the crowd at the Traffic Court yesterday morning, when the Chief Traffic Inspector (Mr H. Macintosh) read the explanation of a woman motorist charged with leaving a motor-car unattended in Cashel street over the time limit. The explanation read as ' follows: —"Ke sticker left on my car which was left in Cashel street from 11.10 a.m. to midday. I understood that cars left in Cashel Btreet that being a street without any tram line'?, my car should be left at an angle of 45 degrees. As to the other offence, taking into consideration the intellectual inferiority of the average female, and bearing in mind the fact that I, being one of these, requested another of my kind to fiddle with the car in the required manner, and that she neglected to perform this office, I beg, dear sir, that you will tempornrilv close your all-see-ing eye, and accept my assurance that T will not offend again." The fine was 10s, The only memorial in the Dominion to Samuel Marsden, writes a correspondent to an Auckland paper, is a very simple small tablet of black and white marble in the Pakaraka Church, Bay of Islands. In urging that a Btatue to Marsden and one to Hobson should be erected in Auckland, he writes: "All know that Captain Hobson wisely chose the site of our city, and that he did so after consultation with Archdeacon Henry Williams. Williams gained much of his information undoubtedly from Marsden, who was the first white man known definitely to have explored both the Waitemata and the Manukau. It was in July, 1820, while helping, through his knowledge of the Maoris, to secure kauri spars for the Navy that he made this momentous trip. Leaving H.M.S. Coromandel at Waiau (since called Coromandel after the ship) he, accompanied by a Mr Anderson and Mr gwels, Government timber purveyor, jSnrneyed in launch and canoe to the upper reaches of the harbour, being desirous of seeing tho west coast and Kaipara, of which he had heard through the natives. His records show that he accomplished his purpose and was away 24 days, sleeping in boat and canoe, often without shelter, in very cold and stormy weather. Ho was 57 years of age when he faced these hardships.'*