General News

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24745, 10 December 1945, Page 4

General News

Record Tonnage Friday, the day after the clearance of the slips and washouts on the Midland line, was a new one-day record m the haulage of goods through the Otira tunnel from the west to the east since it was opened in 1923. The total was 4700 tons —(F.0.0.R.) Incidence of Mental Disease There was an idea fairly commonly held m New Zealand that there was a higher incidence of mental disease in the country than in other countries, said the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, Min-| ister of Health, in a broadcast address last evening. This was not so, he said. Comparisons carefully made showed that New Zealand was no worse than other countries—the figures were all nearly identical. “This should not make j om Pl ace nt, ” Mr Nordmeyer said. Indeed, with all our natural advantages, we should lead the world in having a low incidence of mental disorder. South Island Wether Schedule/ From to-day the South Island wether schedule *)vill be increased by one-eighth of a penny a pound, states a telegram recently received by Mr G. B. Baker, South Canterbury representative on the electoral college of the Meat Board.—(O.R.) Slips in Otira Gorge Continued fine weather since last week’s slips on the Otira.Gorge route; in the vicinity of Aickens has enabled readier clearance of the highway than was anticipated. A temporary road has been formed across the slips, and a large number of motorists used the route during the week-end. Meanwhile motorists are advised'to use only highpowered cars, as the road surface remains exceedingly rough,—(O.R.) Factories in Smaller Centres “It is the general policy of the Government, indeed of both parties in the House, to foster decentralisation of industry as far as possible,” stated the Factory Controller (Mr J. A. Pascoe) in reply to a letter forwarded by the Temuka Progress League setting out why the league considered that additional factories could be established at Temuka without detriment to existing industries. “I agree that it is desirable to have more than one type of factory work offering in a centre, and I will do what I can to foster this general aim.” Revenue from Opossums The council of the Grey District Acclimatisation Society has received advice that the Internal Affairs Department had decided to make a contribution of £2OOO- out of the gross opossum revenue of £16,425 7s 9d for the 1944 season to acclimatisation societies and other bodies. The amount allocated to the Grey society was £7O 16s 7d, while ' £IBB 18s 8d had been allocated to the Westland society, it was stated.

Air Force Band The Royal New Zealand Air Force Band has now been wound up, and the director and bandmaster. Flight Lieutenant Gladstone Hill, has been posted to the reserve with the rank of squadron leader. Since its reorganisation under Flight Lieutenant Hill in 1940 the band raised over £170,000 for patriotic purposes.—(P.A.) Mental Cases in New Zealand In a broadcast address last evening asking for volunteers to ease the staff shortages in mental hospitals, the Minister of Health, the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, said that very few people realised the number of patients being cared for in the various mental institutions of the Dominion. .There were 8287 of them. Many of them had been born that way and would never recover; but last year, on the other hand, no fewer than 546 persons had been discharged, many of them completely recovered. North Island Sheep Price The New_ Zealand Meat Producers’ Board advises that the wether and ewe schedule in the North Island will be increased by one-eighth of a penny per lb commencing December 10, This increase is accounted for by wool growth and low average carcase weights.—(P.A.) ' Fleet Air Arm Display ■ Public interest in the Fleet Air Arm and the Royal New Zealand Air Force was demonstrated on Saturday afternoon, when a crowd of Aucklanders estimated to exceed 6000 assembled at the Air Force station at Ardmore to see the visiting aircraft from H.M.S. Indefatigable and also Corsairs with which the New Zealand fighter squadrons in the Pacific were equipped. Both flying services put on an excellent show and the large crowd, including many children, saw two contrasting types of flying, crisp formation work by the Corsairs, and a thorough demonstration of the capabilities of Seafires by two naval pilots.— (P.A.) Mental Hospitals “I want to say quite frankly that I am not at all happy about the environment in which it is necessary to care for some of our patients,” said the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, in a broadcast appeal last evening for more volunteers to staff mental hospitals. “Our mental hospitals vary considerably in age and suitability,” he said. “Some are excellent, modern, and bright, possessing all those features which tend to assist the patient towards recovery. There are others' which are gaol-like and old. and which are relics of the time when it was regarded as impossible to do much for the’ patients except to make sure that they did not escape.” ’Tiese older institutions were being displaced, and as soon as materials and manpower could be made available they would be replaced by modem villas and by other buildings where the conditions of treatment were much better. A start had already been made on a new institution near Marton, and, in the South Island, a start would soon be made on a new institution at Cherry Farm, to take the place of the main Seacliff, hospital. When -these works had been completed. the other older institutions would be replaced.