IN OTHER CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 132, 27 February 1908, Page 5

IN OTHER CENTRES.

(by lELEqnArn—srEOiAii' correspondents.)

, , AUCKLAND. ... ■ February 26. ■ By a'narrow majority yesterday the Auckland ' Hospital Board decided/ to .endeavour to, 1 obtain a portion■: of,'f tho/Domain, for a site for, a home for consumptives. This has roused tho " Herald "to. protest. In the course of a leader on the subject that, journal, says:— \ ' ■' ,

'".Tho fact is that the' Hospital Board is hypnotised by ."the vision 'of public , land across its' fences, and imagines that' it has some .right to .pushj its . fonces . forward, simply because,' .in-.past years, the city has been negligent of civic- possessions. Wo do riot imagine, for "0110 moment- that the city will accept tho-proposition, but wo all know that in any.icaso tjio.- attempt to tamper with tho Domain', is'fiforedoomed; to failure, provided the ■publio,' i 'y/ill • take tho very slight interest jin-'th'e • niattor which.'there is every reason* •tp'yahti'cipate it will do. For tho attackupon I 'the : 'Domain is, as all such attacks •■''aroj-'iquiti!"indefensible, and inexcusable from tho. point of view of thoso who hold "that : rccreation reserves are held in triist'for. the-generations to come as well as for''thoso'. to-day, and that wide streets ai'.d 'tiiriplo breathing spaces arc essential "to: tho; 'health and happiness of city dwellings people.' • Consumptive* should bo prorlerly-att'fcnded to, that goes without say•ing it'-'ls7 riot .in the interest of conVjbut • for the • purpose ■ of unduly .economising; at the expense of the .crowding ; popiila'tiori bf tho inner metropolis, that we 'are-ask'ttT'to lop five breezy acres from what iwill■ bfc. the central jiart of future Auckland." !• The, "Star," commenting upon the proposed exchange of land - for a' consumptive si'to/'talEos the opposite side to the "Herald." It "/says :—" Wo' believe that such' 'an exchange" will bo in every way beneficial and adVaritagcous, not simply ;to the* Hospital nnd 't'f).its/patients, but .to tho City of Auckland and the community taken as a whole. It seems to us that tho objects for which 'our .Hospital has been established are in the highest sciise of, tho .term public purposes.' Anything that can ,bo done to promote', tho-. great-'cause of public health is worth attempting, so long as it in no way interferes with tho people's rights_ and privileges. It is, thoreforo, entirely illogical to speak of. such an cxchango as is proposed as if it'v/ero an unjustifiable: invasion of the public, preserves." ■■ Milk end Butter. Tho long and almost unprecedented spell of dry weather is accountable'.for''much : ofthe- anxiety which is felt among all who arc engaged in- agricultural pursuits,, especially dairy.-:farmers: ■. ■ Butter has reached: a' 'higher price at the' present' time than, ever, before 'experienced 'at thia^time" of" the•' year, arid :milk was only recently raised td':4d., though this price had been paid; in Wellington and elsewhere six weeks previously; A' general hooting of•' the milk dealers of Auckland will be hold under tho auspices of the' Auckland Milk . Vendors' Association ' to-morrow afternoon'to consider the 'serious outlook of tho trado in the .immediate future.. It is understood . that Dr.- Purdy, the District: Health Officer,, will be. present, •.

Museum. -.-i - i "• ; ...;• The, attendance. at. the Auckland ..Museum last year was a record.- In presenting their report, at', the annual meeting' of the Auckland Institute last .evening,, .the Council ,stated. ■ that ;• the register kept:by' the atten-dant-oil- Sunday afternoons showed that on these, occasions ;_no fewer than, 20,119 people entered 'the. Museum, being, an average of 387 for 'each. Sunday, The highest" attcndarico -for arty one' day' .was on September -16,:' when 924 people entered. : The lowest-.was on July 21. when there ;,were only 42, visitors. , ..On the- seven.. principal'''' holidays—New Year's Day,-Anniversary_Day; Good Friday,: Easter Monday, Empire Day, the' King's Birthday, and' Boxing Dav—the number,of visitors was 3836, or,' an' average .'of 433. ' Tho average attendance ,;on week,'days , could ,be . safely given ; at: loO, ; ;whioh ,Sv6uld : make_: a .'total of 45j900 ifor • week days,' or ,63,005; for., tho. whole year!. The attendance ;for .' vious year'was.62,3sl.j

Auckland and Wellington. Speaking yesterday at a dinner -to'-Cardinal.• Moran, Archbishop: Redwood, :of AYellington, referredf.t'o : whafc'ho termed the;,immense progress of Auckland. ■ .Tlien ho' proceeded., to 'say:'-"You aro,a'very good rival for.Welling-, toil.'' Wellington is a; formidable host, ana it' will' bo a,neck,and neck race during ;tho/cn-for-when - tho'"railway ;; is finished about this time,next, year wo will be' able to" sliake' hands with you. IThere will he-great'' progress then,' and 'the two great- cities- of, tho Dominion.will.share in.th©:prosperity;"' -V The Railways. ■ ; . " Jlr. .Samuol Vailo writes to the " Herald"" on the subject of tho 1907 surpluslf somo citizen could extract from tho -Prime Minister ail- .answer tb ; tho . following . question," lio skys,"he .ivould'• render' the country vice. -If' interest' oil the cost, of Qonstruction of 'our 'railways: up' to -March; 31, 1907 (£25,438,568), at 4 per ceiifc. had been paid out;of railway revenue, instead of;out of loan money or taxation, what would liavo been tho surplus on tho date mentioned? This.'-is a ; perfectly straightforward question - which any citizen has a' right to ask, and to, which no' Prime Minister shoul dhesitate to give an answer." . ,' 1 ; ■;

An Assault. , .;: • a : 'The. necessity that .exists .for vigorous supervision of. thb ' Auckland Domain,-, and '.the .clearing, out ofitbe undesirables'who frequent ;this' beautiful-resort; was further .evidenced .'on Saturday, .wlieii a cowardly assault was made -by, one''of tho Domain;loafers on..'a . boy of- five years of age. Tho, boy was sent a' messagb on' Saturday afternoon to a house in Grafton Road,'five minutes! walk from his home, arid 1 on-his way back was intercepted by one of -the l undesirable; characters and taken'into the Domain bush; where a serious assay It- is - , alleged -to' have been' committed. The police' were communicated- with, but by this time the culprit" had made.-good his escape, -'-and, it .was impossible to 'track' I liim in-the.thick .midergrowtbV .. - ;