IN OTHER CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 112, 4 February 1908, Page 9

IN OTHER CENTRES.

(BT lELEQRA.PH—SPECIXI. COKKESrOSDENTS.)

AUCKLAND. ; February. 3. Owing to tho interest being taken ill the question of infant life protection, a representative of the "Herald" asked the District Health Officer to supply some statistics on infantile mortality, and these are very striking. "During the year 1190(3," said the District • Health Officer, "in Auckland and. suburbs 81 hoys and 07 girls died under one year of age. In the yearly report fur. the year ended April I last tho following note is made: 'The waste of infant lifo in Auckland, which; has been commented upon both by my predecessor' and myself, still holds sway." Auckland City last year averaged 9.92 deaths under ono year per 100 births, whereas Wellington was 7.U, Christchurch 7.24, Duncdin 7.70. Auckland shows an improvement as compared with its mean of five years, but its .mean for live years exceeds that o'f-tho other-three centres by 1.65. Tlio births in Auckland *ere _1159 (tho highest in the Dominion),, and 29.0 deaths of Young infants occurred in Auckland in excess 'of what should have been : had those births taken place.under conditions prevailing ill .the,other centres. I he. pushing on with sanitary'measures will probably reduce tho limes, bitt wo cannot expect much improvement until tho milk supply is improved Tlio teaching of tho .mothers and tho giving of. information and instruction by. trained nurses and lady health, . visitors- should do. much to decrcaso the death rate. itH« mistake to think that this ignorance in tho lwthods of infant feeding prevails only amongthe poorer classes.' It is quite as rife among Wl-tcrdo people.' .' . • ... ,'

CHRISTCHURCH

.. . February 3. The first prosecution under tie Gaining •Vet of'last/session that,has taken place, in Canterbury was heard at AVaimato on Friday, when, two young men named ' beor.ee Hcnton ami Robert Smith were charged with having /offered to make, bets at the .laihao District sports at Morve'n on December lt>. Tho programme of the mooting, comprised bicycle iind foot, events, and also horso races, and the main issue to bo dccided was -wuct ther the mooting was a "raco" meeting or a •'..'sports" meeting.under the "generally accepted interpretation of tho term. .• Tho Sub-Inspector said that Renton was: charged with betting at a spirts meeting, which, Milder the definition ot tho Act, was a meeting where bicycles and' 'foot events, feats of strength, and other feats of an athletic nature wero held. Ho'was granted a license by tho club to bet on the horso •events; and did so. The committee, were told before the license was" issued that .they were committing a breach of tho law in permitting'gambling oA'the grounds, but they disregarded' this. ; Ho questioned ' whether they had the power in any caso to license bookmakers.-- '' '. ; ' ■ ,' , . i ■■ Counsel 'for the doferico pointed'out .that the horse races : were, dccided oil a separate track apart' from the general sports, and that tlicro Were two .'sets of officials ' to, man"ago the two sections of the programme. For all the purposes of'■ tlic A.ct the'AVaihao District Club was a racing club-with full power to license bookmaking at 'its meetings. .-.His Worship reserved his decision. ■' Maoris and the Navy. '/ / Sir W. J. Steward is trying'to secure; the ii'dmittanco to; the Navy of .a Maori of good character and physique. Tho carididato, he says, is'a first-class recruit physically and otherwise, twenty-bile years oldj and well .educated, speaking as good English as Mr. '.Ngata or Mr. Carroll. On forwarding tho application to-tho Officer Commanding the Challenger, Sir William ' was - surprised , to learn-, that only British subjects of European extraction • are: eligiblo for. tho Navy, j Tho .jneinbei;. for: Waitaki thinks that, in view-of the loyal-servico'given -to "-.tho flag by so many Maoris, and tho high'status.. of; the Maori, people,'.an effort shoukbbo unatjb to .obtain an .Amendment','of';tho: Naval regular tions.- thereforis broughb'the;mattei-: under ' the notice of/the.'Promier, who has lin turn' reprtsontedl it to the: Governor; asking. him .- to tako stops to ( bring, about an amcndmo'nt 'bf the'fregtilations.' ■ '

What the Rain Means.. •'■'•,, . N The wolcome 'break which took placo. 1 in-the weather on Thursday has very •••materially lossenetl the .gloomy. outlook: which had prevailed: in .respect to'.the ■ -winter " feed for stock. Rain was general throughout the country. It should ensuro the safety of tho turnip and mangold crops, and it' will very materially assist tho many rapecrops 1 which have been fed • olf to start-. into second growth.- Tho burnt-up grass pastures, too, will benefit-to-a' certain extent, though another good rain will bo needed before'much spring in, tho grass can.bo looked fori; , - ,

DUNEDIN

Februarys..., - The twenty-sixth annual report ~of : tho Southland -Frozen Meat Company has boon issued. The net profiteer, the year,, after writing off £3580 for depreciation and.transferring £1000 to accident insuranco restive,;, is : £10,991 :ss. Bd., and this 'sum, with the amount brought.forward from hist year, leaves. £14,760 lis. lOd. to bo dealt, with, ft is proposed to pay a (dividend of- 5 per cent, and a bonus of 1 p.er cqnt. on.A and B shares, which will absorb £'2711; to transfer to reserve account £SOOO; and to. carry forward. £4049. Considerable additions' aro being made to buildings and. plant, both at Mataura and Bluff, to meet the increasing demands of the company's growing business. The properties of the company are valued at £93,980. , ■ .

HASTINGS,

February 3, : .'-At a meeting of tho Chamber of Commerce a committee was sot up to fix a scale of charges ■■ for commission, agents; 'It was decided to instruct the.secretary to write'to the Minister for Railways pointing out that tho land oil. the east side of. Station Street (the sito of the recent fire), between Green Street and Heretaunga Street, is within tho borough brick area, a lid asking that at tho expiration of the -present leases in,about three years the new leases granted t rby' the Government shall provide for tho ererition 6f buildings in brick. The President,was authorised to arrange for a deputation to meet tho Minister for Railways on the occasion of his visit to this district during the Napier Carnival.