CHRISTCHURCH NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 228, 19 June 1908, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH NOTES.

(n\* TELEOr.APH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT). June 18. In a letter to tho hon. secretary of tho Society for Promoting the Health of Women and Children, Dr. Finch, tho District Health Officer says: "In January, February, and March, 1907, there were sixty-eight deaths from infantile diarrhoea and gastro onteritis in children under fivo years of ago in Christchurch city and Woolston borough. In January, February, and March, 190S, there wero only fourteen deaths from tho samo causes. In 1908. tho drought was more severe,\ and the temperature was quite as high as in tho corresponding period last year. » Unfortunately, experience shows that one can only draw reliablo inferences from statistics extending oyer a fairly long period so that it would probably bo unsafe for the Society to claim the entire credit 'for the diminished deathrato. I havo no doubt, however, that some lives havo already been saved owing to the efforts of tho Society, and that some of tho diminution in tho number of cases of sickness and of tho death-rate may ,fairly be put down to thoir efforts. Tramway Trouble. The decision of the Tramway Board to ask. the conductors to give the new system in regard to dpficiences r. three months' trial has been communicated to the Union, and will bo considered at a meeting on Sunday. The men decided at their last meeting that, unless the Board reconsidered its decision not to balance surpluses against deficionces, in the future they would enforce the by-laws against overcrowding on tho cars. There seems to be somo difference of opinion amongst the men as to tho advisabloncss. of giving the new system the trial suggestc-d, but jome of the conductors are strongly opposed to any such proposal. "If wo ' put up with' an injustice for three months we will nover get rid of it," said one man. "Will the Board pay us what we havo lost if tho system is found to be wrong at the end of the time? There should be some margin allowed a man, becauso, under the service conditions, with crowded cars, it is impossible for a man to avoid mistakes."' ' Evidence of Credulity. A striking evidenco of the credulous nature of some people was shown to a reporter at Tirnaru. in tho form of a room littered with a couple of hundred photographs of all kinds which had be-en collected with deposits ranging from 2s. Gd., by the members of a syndicato. Five or six weeks wero spent in a profitablo canvass of tho district, people of all classes, and. professions handing over photographs, in many cases valuable from thoir asscciations, and deposits in rotarn .for a-flimsy agreement in which the syndicate promised to return a crayon enlargement. Complaint was made recently that no enlargements had been delivered, and inquiries made, by tho police show that the canvassers havo loft tho country. The police have now undertaken tho task of restoring the photographs to the owners. A Walking Tour. Dr. Mitchell, of the Antarctic exploration ship Nimrod, and Mr. Harbord, second officer of the vessel, with porhaps a Christchurch resident, intend to start, on an extensive walking -.tour. They propose going by train from Christchurch to Broken lliver, whence they will walk to Groymoutli, and then to Nelson, whuro they will take steamer for Wellington. They intond to walk, from that city to. Woodville, to return on foot to Wellington, and proceed by steamer to Picton. From Picton ithey are to walk to Blenheim,' and'thenco by way of Knikoura to Christchurch. A Visitor from tho Country. A station hand from tho Amuri, twentyfive years old, on Saturday last saw a railway'train for the first time, and made his initial journey to Christchurch. Returning on Monday, • lie confided to a companion his delight with what ho had seen. He was amazed at the speed of tho train (this on a lino which is, not locally rcnorfnod for speed), while he thought'Chnst'fch'urch much too extensive for him to inspect in two days. Ho preferred, however, tho quiet of tho country and the unruffled calm of. a sheep station. Constant reading of the newspapers' had failed to conv.ey the idea to. him how largo tho world might be, while tho. modes and' manners of town life struck', him as moro tlian r ' passing strange. The buildings : appeared to his mind as being magnificent,.but ho thought they were too crowded. Salvation Array. After having discharged the duties attached to the position of commander of tho Salvation Army forces in the South Island for two years and a half, Colonel Knight is leaving for tho North Island to take up a similar position'there. During the timo Colonel Knight'has been hero the provincial system has been inaugurated, constituting tho North and South Islands separate pro-' vincinl,districts. " Our work in this island," said Colonel Knight' to a " Press " reporter, " embraces 43 corps, or societies, in as many towns whore Army work is in operation in this island. We have some 150 officers engaged entirely 'in Salvation Army work." Colonel Knight is, an optimist in regard to the future of the Army- " I have nover'been moro impressed than I am at present with the remarkable power of tho,Army for good of ,tho peoplo generally. In this island alone our. attendance of members at openair gatherings is over 10,000 every month. There are thousands of listeners who never frequent any other place of worship. A great deal of the strength of tho Army work will be found in its open-air operations, and I would like to,_ express to the authorities of tho larger cities, especially,. our deep appreciation of thp latitude allowed us to do our work:" Tho speaker had a word to say about the Army , bands. "From a musical point' of ' view, a real advanco has been made," he said. "Wq havo got something liko 300 bandsmen, who devote their week nights and Sundays to preaching tho Gospel and assisting in tho services without pay.

Speaking in St. Andrew's Church on the tho source of sin, Dr. Wcddell (says the "Otago Daily Times") had occasion to show how the Biblical explanation came in conflict with the popular theory that tho root of evil.is in a man's environment. Rosseau, long ago had held that man was inherently good, and if he had only decent circumstances and got fair play evil would disappear. This was a point much pressed by Socialists at the present day, but tho speaker wont on to' quote authorities showing that in Italy and other European countries the poorer classes _ committed fewer crimes, in proportion against property than the well-to-do, and also that Victoria, in spite of its higher conditions of living, had just as high a percentage of crime against personal property as some of the poor and squalid States of Europe. "It is an an-, ciont saying," remarked 1 the doctor, "that 'the love of money is tho root of all kinds of evil.' It has been reserved for this generation to reverse that and to propagate the absurdity that want of money is tho root of all kinds of evil." At the Balclntha Court, says the "Clutha Leader," Mr.'Kendrick laid it down that before a summons could succeed against a person for .1 debt a demand must first of all be made for the money. If ho gave an order for goods, for instance, he must bo furnished with details of what he had bought, and an account or demand for payment. Unless this were dono ■ tho plaintiff could not succeed on a summons. The opinion of the counsel at tho bar was contrary to his Worship's dictum. The generally-accepted law on tho point was that if a person incurred a debt it was bis duty to ascertain what it was and settle it —it was not-incum-bent on a croditor to make any demand before summoning. The fact that 110 had not dono so might be taken into- account iii fixing costs, but it could not in tho loast imporil tho claim. The reading of books and paper work nro being carried further than is good for tho Army, and officers in consequenco aro not paying so much attention to roading tho human document as . they should. Everything depends on knowing human 'nature when it comos to leading m&i'.— I "Artny "and Nayy .Gazette,"