PALMERSTON NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1069, 7 March 1911, Page 2

PALMERSTON NOTES.

MIDWIVES' REGISTRATION. RATHER INTERESTING CASE. IBj> Telecranh.—Ssccial Corrcfinondent.l Palmerston, March 6. The committee which has in hand the erection., of. a fourth State school in the town, to servo the populous streets in the vicinity of the south end of the railway station and Foxton line, are steadily completing arrangements. A section of land was available for the building, but it was thought desirable to have a more central position at the corner of Botanical Road and College Street, and to secure an exchange a sum of .£IOO will have to be raised by residents interested. It is anticipated that little difficulty wilfbo experienced in securing this sum. A lecture on "Imperial Federation" is to be given here on 'Thursday evening by Mr. A. S. Malcolm, M.P. for C'lutha. Mr. and Mrs. J. Myers and Miss Myers, of Wellington, were visitors to Palmerston last week. Mr. A. Drew, who has been organist at All Saints Church, Palmorston, for a number of years, has been reluctantly compelled to relinquish that position ■v.'ing to an attack of rheumatics in one of his hands. Mr. Drew, however, will still act as choirmaster. Mr. Ira Dobbie, the. new assistantmaster at the Palmerston High School, look up duty to-day. Mrs. Snelson, a very old identity of Palmerston North, who has been for some time sojourning in Sydney, is expected back in Palmerston this week, where site will again take up residence. The late Mr. Snelson was (in five different year?) Mayor of Palmerston, and was also the first Mayor of the town, when it was incorporated as a borough in 1877. A meeting of the committee of the Men's Free Social Club was held this morning, the Mas-or (Mr. J. A. Nash) presiding. The' business of the meeting was to devise means of raising funds with which to carry on the club. The current suggestion is to secure a number of monthly subscribers at, say, Is. per inor.iTi and, with this object, a, number of canvassers have been appointed. Several members of the Women's Christian, Temperance Union were present by invitation, and discussed the matter with tho committee, but no decision was come to as to whether the union would assist the club, as the representatives of the union present were not agreed as to whether the rules of the club would harmonise with the regulations of the union, and, furthermore, the latter body (if it contributed) would naturally require a voice in the management of the club. At the Police Court to-day, : before Mr. A. D. Thomson, S.M., Emanuel White :vas sentenced to seven days' imprisonment for procuring liquor whilst a prohibition order was in force against him. George South was fined 20s. for a'similar offence. Ernest Umbers was fined £5, or 11 days' imprisonment, for using improper language. It cost a Chinaman, named Sun Wha !l.ce, 17s. for leaving his vegetable cart unattended with tho wheel unchained At the same sitting of the Court a charge of practising as a midwife without being registered was brought against Catherine Wiltshire. Counsel for defendant submitted that defendant was working under the direction of a rncdical man, and it did not followthat she was practising as a midwife. He contended that a woman was not a midwife unless she was absolutely in charge at birth. If his contention were incorrect every probationer, or nurse at a hospital assisting a medical man in any way at a birth, would havo to be registered as a midwife. Sub-Inspector Norwood said that, if counsel's contention wero correct, then the Act was a dead letter. He submitted that tho intention of the Act was that only a qualified person shotild assist at births, and that it was evidently so framed to protect patients against inexperience. The Magistrate pointed out that there was a medical man present and, so far as he could sec, any woman could assist under such circumstances, especially in cases of emergency. Tho Magistrate reserved his decision. W. Pcarce was. charge with allowing a bull to wander on to property at Tiakitnhuna, belonging to A. J. Gallichan, who stated that ho kept a herd of HolsteinFroisian cows, and defendant's Shorthorn bull was likely to cause his cows considerable damage. After hearing evidence, the Bench held that the property was not properly fenced, and dismissed tho case. William Daley was sentenced to two months' imprisonment for being JC-10 in arrears on a maintenance order. He is to be released on the amount being paid.