LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 261, 29 July 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities have received advice from San Francisco that the R.M.S. Marania sailed for Wellington on July 25. She carries 1797 bags of mails for New Zealand, including 995 from the United Kingdom and 493 parcel receptacles.

"■When the acid test is applied by asking men to work out the amount of the relief they get, it is wonderful how few of them respond,” said Mr. A. M'Curdy yesterday in referring to the increasing number of unemployed who •are seeking aid from the Social Welfare Committee of the Wellington Hospital Board. "That is so,” commented the chairman of the committee (Mr. G. I’etherick). At about seven o’clock last evening eeveral exceptionally brilliant meteors were seen to flash across the sky in a northerly direction. > “Mv client is on the verge of collapse and cannot attend,” explained counsel at a meeting of creditors in a bankrupt estate, yesterday, in accounting for the non-appearance of bankrupt. “Well,” remarked a. creditor, "all I can say is that for a man in his condition ho has pretty strong reives. Only tho other day he was working on a five-story build; ing!” (Laughter.) Sunday play was tho subject of a deal of discussion at the annual meeting of the Hutt Bowling Club last night, when the following motion, notice of which had been given by Mr. O. Heketa, was moved on his behalf by Mr. E. Young:—“That Sunday play be permitted to those who desire to participate, and tihat club games played between members on that day be accepted by the committee as if they were played on a week day.” Mr. W. T. Sliiui seconded the motion. Mr. M. J. Hodgins spoke strongly against the motion. “I consider that film greens should hove a rest on Sunday,” ho said. Mr. A. Macaskill considered that the playing of bowls on Sunday would bo a step in the wrong direction. The club was peculiarly situated in that tho greens were situated in such close proximity to three churches and three Sunday schools. •On a division the motion was decisively defeated.

The Syrian residents of 'Wellington have forwarded a donation of £2l Ids. to the funds of the hospital.

Owing to unforeseen circumstances, the Court of Appeal did not deliver judgments yesterday. The residue of the session judgments will, in all probability, be delivered to-day. The City Council Finance Committee is to visit Roseneath this morning to inspect the site for the elevator which has been suggested as one way of providing a convenience for tho people of that district. An amount for some work of the kind was provided on the loan schedule that was passed by tho ratepayers, and IF is now thought to bo time that some definite more was made in the direction of fixing the site. The Director-General of Hospitals has written to tho Wellington Hospital Board supporting the request of the honorary medical staff for a closer connection with the management of tho hospital. Tie thought that it would be a very great help to tho board to have advice and frank criticism on the medical work done in the hospital from the members of the honorary staff who would have nothing to do with the administrative side of the work, which was in tho hands of the board and the Department. On the recommendation of the Finance Committee, it was agreed that a reply be sent to the Director-Genera of Hospitals informing him that it had already been decided to recommend the board to co-opt a representative of the honorary staff ns a member of the Hospital Committee, and. further, that the honorary staff would be invited to nominate their member in order that notices of meetings might be forwarded to him.

At yesterday’s meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board a special vote of thanks was passed to the commercial (travellers’ male choir for their recent performance at the Ewart Hospital. The hope was expressed that the choir would favour that institution with another visit later.

A special meeting of the City Council will be held this afternoon to discuss the schedule in connection with the proposed loan of £750,000 (part of the big loan authorised last year). This schedule will, it is understood, include amounts that will cover the cost of he Orongorcnco water-works contract, the new power station for Evans Ba), an an amount for tramways work in the citv and suburbs.

Mr Horace George Iremonger, a returned soldier, died at Trcntluiin yesterday. The funeral will leave Messrs. Wilson and Son’s mortuary John Street, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, t ne burial service being timed for 2 p.m.

Already the New Zealand Rugby Union has received applications from country residents for more reserved seats in the grandstand al the Athletic .Park on the dav of the third test match than are actually available. Wanganui residents for instance, asked for one hundred seats, and New Plymouth for a similar number.

As indicating the interest that is being taken in the forthcoming third test hnatch to be played at Wellington against the Springboks, no fewer than five applications were received at last night’s meeting o* the New Zealand Union for special trains to run from provincial centres to the city. The applications wcro Now J?lynioutli, Wancanui. Napier, Palmerston North, and Masterton, and they wero all referred to Mr. S. S. Dean, who undertook io interview the General Manager of Railways on the subject. Lord Clifford of Chudleigh tells ma that he is probably going to Australia via America shortly, with the object of lecturing in those countries upon scientific subjects (writes the London correspondent of. the Melbourne "Argus”). He is an authority on “sun spots,” polities, creeds and the world’s history and mystery’ generally. Evolution is his pet subject, however, and ho is always busy expounding or perfecting the text of his biggest publication, i.e„ "The Portal of Evolution.” This work has recently been printed and translated into German bv the Huns.

“It’s a disgrace to humanity and out civilisation,” tf.ated Mr. J. Pearce at tho annual meeting of the Hutt Bowling and Tennis Club, when tho question of Sunday play was being considered. "t» see tho number of young people who como here to play tennis ou Sundays.'

So used is the public to having meat passed at the Government abattoirs by properly-qualified inspectors that very few meat eaters nowadays realise what thev are missing, states the “Wanganui Herald.” Ona aspect of this was revealed during tho hearing of an action in the S.M. Court concerning the feeding of pigs with uncooked animal matter. The abattoir inspector, Mr. E. C. Howard, said that as many as 25 per cent, of the pigs which camo into the abattoirs wore diseased and suffering from tuberculosis, duo to the manner of feeding. Pigs slaughtered on farms were not inspected when killed by the owners. The Slaughtering Act makes it compulsory that all meat fed to swine shall bo boiled, so as to minimise the spread of tuberculosis nud other diseases. Tho importance of this law cannot bo over-estimated. A farmer who allowed pigs to feed on the carcass of a cow which had died in the field was fined £2. “If an adjournment of a fortnight is granted in this case, it will take us into race week,” said a counsel at the civil sittings of the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court. “That would bo a national calamity,” said Mr. S. E. M’Carthy, S.M., with a smile. "Yes, sir, a Grand National calamity," replied counsel, amid tho broad, smiles of those in Court.

Good progress is being made with tho re-laying of the tramway tracks round tho eastern side of the Basin Reserve. New tracks uro being substituted for the old, and are following lines Which will bring the western track within some 15ft. of the Basin Reserve corners in Dufferin Street, which will mean easier curves for the cars to negotiate, and will leave a clearance of a further ten feet on the eastern side of the tracks along tlipt thoroughfare, and plenty of space at the corners for tho ever-increasing traffic between the city and Wellington South. That lected stretch of wood-blocks in the southern end of Kent Terrace is now in a shocking state. There are ruts four or five inches in depth in places that are positively dangerous to some types of vehicles. An example of the value of superannuation funds was given at the Christchurch Tramway Board’s meeting the other day (states an exchange. An employee of the hoard who was a contributor io its superannuation scheme recently died. He had contributed £3G to the fund. His widow, however, will receive a pension of £122 per annum on behalf of herself and eight children, all under the age of 14 years.