IN OTHER CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 155, 25 March 1908, Page 9

IN OTHER CENTRES.

(BT TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS.)

AUCKLAND. March. 24. Controverting the statement reported to ■ havobeen made in -Wellington .by-Mr. Harold • Beauchamp,'general'.manager of-tho Bank of. • New: Zealand,- to-tho; effect that, business in 1 Auckland' Province "was being' depressed, : - not only- by the-fall in tho' price of wool, '■ but'also by the'slump in the value.of lie'mp and kauri gum," the "Herald," in the course of a: lengthy loader,: sayslt- is obviously true that when tho value of any produce' falls tlioso who depend upon it have not as much .money.to spend as they .otherwise, would, but it should, bo. equally obvious that tho prosperity, of a provinco, and of its commercial centre, depends upon its goneral production and tho general prices prevailing.' Wool is still much higher , than ;'it was during tho earlier years of the present period of buoyant prosperity. Kauri gum and flax; like many other- articles, are subject to incessant fluctuation,-in . connection . with which it. may bo noted that', sinco tho criticism in'..question .was made, :.flax has' shown marked signs (of recovery, but whether prices of an article or two are high or low, howeyer this'may affect(:individuals, docs not seriously affect the goneral volumo '-of'.business in 'such a cbmninnity (as that of Auckland, because it does liot seriously affect . the/general production (of "wealth. -There was' -a'time, .of course, when tho business of Auckland; City, 1 (the (commercial barometer, of the provinco,' rose and fell with tho'rise' and declino'of one or two provincial industries, when Queen Street,' depended for its bustle upon the activity, of gold mining or, the. prosperity. :of the timber'trade; but as years went by industry has beeii'added.to industry,'and the slow w;ork; of, exploiting. tho -permanent resources of the 'North has -gone patiently .on. (and Auckland stands to-day-what it .is; , tho greatest- provinco 'and' tlio "most progressive (City in the Dominion, because' it, has; not ono only, 7 . but half a scoro 'of great producing . industries, v/hile permanent , pastoral : and .agricultural; settlement of an intensive. charfactor- is 'working'(steadily to tlio.front. So far from there being any depression deserving the liamb. iii Auckland City. : and' Auckland Province, there never has been a tinio when there (was; more; general prosperity, . or. y/hen prospects liavo been generally better. A Hospital Matter. ■ At., yesterday's;, meeting .of- tho Auckland /Hospital' Board th 6. following resolution passed by the,-Trades and' Labour Council-, regarding.-the. case .of a-young lady who,' it , 'was alleged, had: been .harshly 'treated-;-by the - Auckland -Hospital .authorities came -up for; cpn'sideratioji;— I 'That this Council. de-, ' (plorcs .the condition of affairs and'mismaiir agdraent; at -present> existing at the . Auckland Hospital,;, and; hopes,ithat( the (Board . will' take.; immediate steps ,to.. prevent -'tho ; possib'ility"of -a. similar-casp.-happening again, as it,was.a menaco.and a scandal to the ,a state of things avas ;al- . lowed to. . exist ,in .this ; enlightened (and. de'mocratie . community." .-.A. report, attached alleged--that the, young lady in question, was: : Only: .admitted (to : .tlio, institution .after considerable, trouble, . and - that .after sho had. •been - in bed about fifteen minutes,.the doc- . tor' ordered her to leave the hospital; as. she did ;iiotVbeiong; to (the .' Auckland : District. The girl's father-also wrote complaining -of the treatment meted out to Ins daughter, and at a dato ; tolcgraphed" 3\ty letter has > not - received' fair , treatment. .Do you'intend,to ..receive her? - If-not. I 'niust take probeedings.'' : Mr. Mackay .paid., tho' girl .-had,jsno to her home; and would come under the control,, of the Northern - Wairoa Hospital now. The letter .was rcccircd, ,tho. Trades and Labour Council to be furnished with the facts. , •-.':(: .(■ -. •.

Infant Mortal|ty.,.... u , ... :It-was stated at ; the that the. rate of infant mortality "at tho Auckland Hospital .was high. , ."If wo'can sayo, tho■; children ..we'are, increasing the population,';, said -the.'.chairman- "(Mr. G. : Knight).' Mr. - & ;.Qi Bagiiall . said, he "considered i that statissjes in, regard; to tho mortality' should lib 1 available..•. Ho had heard it stated- that ;tho - death • rate was. too ...high,-. but ,this.; was due _to tho fact that ,so many cases were admitted, in extre : mi3.Ho moved That tho' Hospital Committee 'have ,v record prepared _of."' the' last five, years' cases : to form a basis for !future.,statistics', . each' disease jto v bo' : 'enumerated'••• separately."''''• "This,", said Mr. . Bagriall, . will' enable l the board ; to form: iin - opinion ; whether the'- surgical land medical, work is satisfactory or : not;" .Tho motion), was carried. \

-Drainage. , . v-- I '- . ;. Sonie .of the local bodies show .a dosiro to dally with tho!' important question of 'drainage. , The .City Council has,circularised them :all]■ asking thorn tb: : agreo. to! tho. resolutions passed at;tlio., Drainage Conference on.:tho 11-th. inst,These .;iiivolye,' the acceptance'"of Mr. Midgley'.'Taylor's schemo, assent, to the work being carried out ,by"tho city, and controlled' and -.'.maintained by it, ..willingness oh;■ tho..'part: of. 'the; Newmarket? Councilto] ''Connectwith the main outfall, sowor arid to reticulate the 'district, and consent to bearing ,a proportion .of .the cost,, of, the. scheme; according .to tho allocation niado by. a, judicial tribunal. ; Of •. three suburban Councils

that liad the matter before th'om last niglit, only •Newmarket adopted the proposals.,Parhell'shelved their decision. This Borough is by -no means convinced, that its . drainage could not bp done by, itself, despito tlie ,d,efimto pronouncement of tho Harbour Board recently thai .it will not allow the discharge of sewage into 1 , the harbour except through tho■.city's 'main-outfall, 'once;.that is. estab-

lished.; '.'The:Mayor of Parhell wont so.far as to characterise this decision of .the Board as a bogeyj: and. declared, that under ..tho now. Act the personnel of the Board, would probably be altered)'. implying that if that were the case tho now Board would allow indiscriminate, dischargo of, sewage .harbour. Grey : .Lynn also deferred the matter. It has. transpired that the basis'of amalgamation in a Greater Auckland., scheme agreed. upon by'delegates from. the - Drainage Conference'l3 as; follows The total number of representatives ,011 the Greater, Auckland Council be 30. 15 to bo elceted by the, city, and 15, by the' outside districts. ,Of the latter,; Pnrncll, Groy Lynn, and Mount Eden each to elect two, while the other Boroughs and districts elect one each. It. has been also agreed that the present districts Bhould be. formed into wards) which- system "is to exist:for ten years... \ , Hospital and Charitable Aid Conference. Mossrs. Georgo Ivmglit' (chairman) and L: G. Bagnall have been appointed to represent tho' 1 Auckland Hospital . Board at the' Conference' of Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards.to be .held in Wellington in the first week of Juno next. " ■■ ' <■ Transferred to Burnham. ■ In .connection' with the 'sentences of. imprisonment with liard labour imposed bn two lads at- the last Criminal Sittings of the Auckland Supreme Court, the Minister for Justico has notified the Women's Political League that both accused havb bona transferred to' the Burnham Industrial School. When passing 'sentence, on tho boys Mr. "Justico. Edwards intimated that ho would recommend the Department to adopt this course. ■ ' ,'