General News.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19466, 13 November 1928, Page 10

General News.

Work was commenced yesterday at Lyttelton on the unloading of three of the electric locomotives for the Christ-chureh-Lyttelton line. In accordance with statutory requirements shops will be closed from 12.30 to-morrow on the occasion of the Parliamentary elections. The us-al half-holiday will be observed on Saturday. The reconstruction, under the City Council's roading scheme, of that part of Lincoln road extending from L>arrington street to the City boundary, will be put in hand to-day if the weather permits. The roading is to be reconstructed in bituminous concrete. At last night's meeting of the Canterbury Cricket Association, a bulky batch of correspondence was received from Christchurch members of Parliament as to their views on Summer Time. "Will you want these read?" asked the secretary. "Oh. yes," said one member, "then we'll know whom to vote for." The collection at the Christchurch Museum has been augmented by several gifts recently. The Natural History Museum of Mexico has forwarded a collection of Mexican birds and a parrot from the same country has been presented by Mrs Pringle. Mr Chas. Walker has given a collection of emeralds from Western Australia and a number of specimens of whitebait have been presented by Mr S. Stokell. The Heathcote County Council intended treating with bitumen that portion of Colombo road from Malcolm avenue to the foot of Dyer's Pass road, bat has had to postpone the work, as the City Council intends shortly to put in hand tho work of laying a 12-inch water-main along that road. The County Council will now start on the treating with bitumen of the road from the foot of Dyer's Pass road towards the entrance to the Consumption Sanatoria.

Infectious and other notifiable diseases reported in the Canterbury and West Coast health districts during the week ended noon yesterday totalled 57, as follows: —Canterbury: Scarlet fever 42 (29 in metropolitan area), tuberculosis 5, pneumonia 1, pneumonic influenza 1, erysipelas 2, food poisoning 1, infantile paralysis 1. West Coast: Scarlet fever 4. There were two deaths in the Canterbury district—one from tuberculosis and one from pneumonia. At last evening's meeting of the Canterbury Aero Club, the offer received from Sir Henry Wigram regarding the sale of Canterbury Park for aerodrome purposes was considered. After discussion in committee, the chairman (Sir Francis Boys) reported that it had been considered advisable to secure a piece of land adjoining the Wigram Aerodrome, and a committee was set up to go into the matter. Tt was resolved to. meet on the first Monday in each month.

"The wilful destruction of buildings appears to have increased in New Zealand," said Mr Justice Smith at the Supreme Court, Auckland, in delivering sentence upon two prisoners who had been found guilty of arson. His Honour added that the crime was a difficult one to detect, and, in the public interests, the Court could not lightly look upon the offence of arson. To bring about a destructive fire *as a crime of a most serious character, and was liable to cause dinger to other property adjacent to that which was immediately involved. There was also the possibility of causing death to members of the community. The Vancouver mail, closing at Christchurch next Saturday, will be the last opportunity to send copies of the Chistmas number of the "Weekly Press" to reach England before Christmas, the mail being due in London on December 19th. The postage by this mail is 4d for each copy. The Christmas number of the "Weekly Press" is an exceptionally interesting issue for New Zealanders to send to friends abroad. This is what a Canterbury lady says of it: —"I have enjoyed thft Christmas number very much. I think it the best I have seen for sending to people in England; the pictures embracing all parts of New Zeabnd will give such a good idea of the country, and ought to be very helpful to anyone thinking of coming out here." The fact that lately two cases of scarlet fever were brought into Sumner for isolation caused some concern in the borough, and the Town Clerk was instructed to write to the Health Officer to ascertain the position. At last evening's meeting of the Council the following reply was received from Dr. Telford:—"l may state that in reference to both of these cases I was duly consulted and arranged for the manner of their removal and subsequent isolation. The manner in which isolation and quarantine are carried out are solely under my direction to see that the spread of anv disease is effectively controlled." "He does not say why the cases are brought to Sumner when" Bottle Lake is nearer," said the Mayor (Mr W. H. Nicholson).