LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 14, 17 January 1925, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The revenue for the Port of Wanganui for the past year , was £4154 in excess of the previous year, which was a record, says a Press Association message. During the year six large 'overseas steamers berthed at Castlecliff. As a result of recent harbour improvements, vesaels up to 10,000 tons can now safely berth at the wharf.

" I am only imposing this fine as a warning, because, most ahopkeepers are not aware of the alteration which was made in the Act last session," said Mr. Wyvern. Wilson, S.M., when-a number of shopkeepers were fined 20s for selling sweets and cigarettes on Sunday. A Press Association message from Christchurch states thae tth Magistrate added: :' The penalty has been raised by the amendment from £1 to £5., and if these people come before me again they will render themselves liable to the higher penalty." . ■• .- . ■ f

An enthusiastic cyclist tried to cycle from Glade House to Pompalona Hut on the -Milford track kit week, states the "Southland. News." He managed to go five miles up the track as the road is fairly level and smooth at this part. The strain of watching scenery with one eye and keeping his other eye on the track proved rather strenuous, and after bumping trees and sundry rocks he abandoned the bicycle and continued the journey on foot. However, he is reported' to have been the first to use a cycle on the famous walk, if that is any satisfaction to him.

The proceeds from the last "Poppy Day" appeal iv "Auckland, totalling £56, weresent by the Auckland Eeturned Soldiers' Association to Marshal Foch, for assistance to French war widows and orphans. A letter.has just been received from Alarshal Foch tendering his sincere thanks. Without speaking of the'gratitude of those who were assisted, he said, the association's action would certainly go to the hearts of those old French veterans, who would never forget the good bond of comradeship which bound them always to the brave Anzacs.

Matters in connection with the New Zealand championship band contest to ba held in Auckland in February are well in hand. Very large entries have been received. Sixteen bands have entered jor^the "A" grade, seventeen. for the "B" grade, and nine for the "C" grade. In the various events entries are unusually large, details being as" follow:—B flat baritone 29, E flat cornet 21 trombone trios 21, flugel horn 22, B flat euphonium 41, E flat,tenor horn 44, B flat cornet 66, B flat trombone solo 41, B flat bass 29, G trombone 21, side-drum 16, bass drum '12, B flat comet championship of few Zealand 61 E flat bass 40, quartettes 40; boys' solo event 49 quickstep for "B" and "C" grade bands 20, quickstep for "A" grade 16, hymn selection 39 band's. Arrangements are being made to have the test selections broadcasted, and probably cinematograph films will be taken oi the quickstep. • ■•;■■ The new Publicity Board recently Bet up by the New Zealand Government has started out on a progressive policy, as regards its campaign to make this country better known abroad: : At a meeting heldin 'Wellington recently if was decided, among other , important 1 matters dealt with, to make an immediate start with an advertising campaign dealing with the attractions of the Dominion from the standpoint of the tourist' and the set. tier. This campaign will be world-wide, embracing particularly the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, India, the British communities of the East- generally, Australia, and the United States. The Railway Advertising. Branch is at present engaged preparing a series ol specimen designs for submission to Jiha board., Tourist and. other literature will be printed in largely increased quantities and dispatched regularly through the various channels opened up for its. disposal. A circular is being issued soliciting the close co-operation of the various local authorities and tourist agencies with the board in order that a- certain standard may be attained and adhered to.

"Hay I ask through your columns' if it may not be possible that the plague of house-flies . many people are suffering lrom this hot weather has something to do with the spread of disease?" asks a correspondent "J. 8." The writer adds: If it }s true that Professor Kirk banishec! Hies from Treritham during the war> would it be possible to perßuade the Military Department to broadcast the remedy .1 I hope that the suggestion may meet the eye of somebody in £ af, g<r; r, °? tne- same subject, "The Posts Dunedin correspondent telegraphs that a letter, published in the "Star" •aUeges-that it "has been proved conclusively that infantile paralysis is the direct result of eating fruit .from-trees that have been sprayed during the summer months. Dr. Crawford, Health Officer replies that the cause of infantile paralysis is unknown, but investigations prove that it is probably dne to an organism which is ultra-microscopic, and which ' probably gains entrance to the system by way of the nose and throat. With regard to the spraying of trees, he says that an arsenical spray may cause peripheral neuritis, which in some cases'" may simulate infantile paralysis, but is not infantile paralysis. Flies, are suspected as a means of transmitting the dis-

<W r? y-, hether the Kiwit<* County Gouncil intended to take any action in the direction of following up the findings of the Palmerston North Hospital Commission was made at the meeting of the council on Wednesday by Mr. J. J. Bryce, who waited upon the meeting. Mr. Bryce, who had aslied for the commission, said he considered that the whole community was in accord with the commission's findings, and that if the medical profession could speak its mind freely, fully 90 per cent would also back up the principle laid down. The speaker suggested' that'a special committee be set up in order to prepare and spread propaganda with a view to having the opinion of the commission widely known' and unreservedly adopted Mr Bryce further expressed the opinion that if community/ hospitals, as advocated by the commission, were adopted, many of the present difficulties would disappear, and most of ,the private hospitals with them. Councillor Hair deprecated any haste in the matter, and, while Ireely sympathising' with the request put forward by Mr. Bryce, thought the council would be well advised to take time to consider the matter. He advocated as the first necessary step the\ circularising of all local bodies in the Dominion asking them to express their policy, so that uniform regulations could be brought, down and put in force throughout the whole of New Zealand. After further discussion it was-, decided to leave the matter in the hands of the chairman and Councillor Hair, who will j*prt lit ttj»-iisafe wjscUag et ih» scan.

Daring 1924 1327v«seU were berthed %ao Nel£on wharves, having a total of <M 8,647 tons register, a decrease of 3687 tons compared with 1923, reports "The tt>sta correspondent. The vessels included eleven intercolonial »nd overieai steamers.

Oat harvesting is in full swing in south Otago; and the yields in most cases promise to be good, reports "The .rost s Dunedw correspondent, quoting a Clutha paper. In the Pukewa district are to be' seen fields of oats ruined by black'smut, and it is doubtful if the oats will be worth threshing. Fortunately this is an isolated case. Although yields all round the district promise to be heavy, the quality on the-whole is below the average for many years, and chaff will command a high price in the coming winter. ■ ■■■-."

A proposal, for the construction of apermanent surface on- the Ngahaurangai^aremata road was discussed yesterday at a meeting of the Makara County fXr L S nder the main hiehway* eciieme, the sum . of £24,000 will be required for this purpose of which £12,000, will be the county^s share The meeting in general favoured the tar penetration method for the finishing of the road. The more dirt or dust v the tar, it wm 'stated, the stronger would be the resulting surface. The cost of a t*r penetration system of construction would be £1800 per mil™ The principle of the exemption of the Crown and local bodies from taxation Works (the Hon. J.,G. Coates), in replying to the motor carriers' deputation yesterday As a matter, of policy, he said, he did not think, the Government would agree to allow local bodies to be taxed. _ Nor did he see why, the Government should tax itself; it would lead *o endless confusion. It had been tried In one or two countries, but to the beet of his knowledge no British Government was. paying taxation. "It is quite a mistaken policy for the Government to pay taxation," he' reiterated. .

Several small retailers' appeared at the Magistrate's Court yesterday to answer charges of Sunday trading kid under sub-section (1) of the' Police Offence* Amendment Act; 1924. In regard to Elizabeth Little, who, the police stated, had sold chewing. gum on a Sunday, "*£■ ttl. F-.°?«T contended that no offence had. been committed, 611 the ground that the sale: had not. .taken place m -view of the street. The Magistrate (Mr. E. Page, S.M.)-reserved his decision, and stated that he would view the premises. A similar course was adopted in regard to Frank Clewer, •Who was charged with exposing, gootir! for sale on a Sunday. A number of other cases were adjourned for a fortnight. Referring at Blenheim to immigration matters, and to criticism recently made' of the^ number of immigrants receiving 1 a?- F: B°Uar<1 > Minigter of internal Affairs, said that there was pWy of room m thevDominion for men and women of grit who were prepared t6 work. New Zealand is the homeoMhe"work"?i g ?!?'"' H said.\"and we can place all of the right kind comfortably in the interested themselves and of the country generally. My aim' is to- render every assistance possible to the- people out-back in,the country. I want to see them given some, of the attractions and amusements to be had in metrooolitan areas; that is one way in which we atop the drift to, the citiei:" _ ! :. The steamer Kotare, which arrived at ! Port Chalmers yesterday,: for' docking, was diverted to salvaging, and left for the Bluff. . Mr. R. Miller, the wellknown diver, recently, purchased the ..wicked steamer Konini from the Union Company as she lies on. Ocean beach/ and.. His salvaging, gear and a motor launch are being taken south on the Kotare, states "The Post's" Dunedin correspondent. He intends.to salvage all the available -material from- the Konini. including the anchors and cables, deck and cabm fittings, etc. He inspected the' wreck last week while at Bluff in connecI tion with the stranding of the vessel. She I did not appear, to be greatly damaged, and provided ths weather remains moderate for the next week or two a considerable amount of material should be stripped from the wreck.

The Picton Borough Council has a schema formulated to provide well laid out gardens on the foreshore, which commands an admirable view of the harbour. Some difficulty in- the carrying out of _the proposals has, however, presented itself. . Local enterprise desired in the formation of the gardens to erect a bathhouse and tea rooms, but ( the Railway Department, in handing over the area to the borough when the new-.wharf was erected, placed the reserve under: tHe Domains Act, which prevents the council giving authority lor the erection of the building.* Thuri there ,_ is a halt in the scheme, and the council, very much perturbed, assured the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. R. F. Bollard) during his visit that unless something is done to ease the position its efforts to provide additional comforts for ite visitor* wUI be frustrated. The matter is to be represented to the Minister of Railwaye.

When a man becomes a bowler it is quite fitting that he should become enthusiastic about the. game; -but there are times whan enthusiasm—even in /players who have reached the, goal of being included "in tournament playthreatens the peace of other people. ..At a.quarter past six o'clock one morning this week, while the g'reenkeeper of th« Wellington Bowling Green was preparing it for the dayVplay, a ring came on the telephone'from a zealous bowler inquiring for the secretary of the Dominion tournament. The tournament has been in progress for a week now, but up till- that morning the secretary had not thought it necessary to sleep oil the premises at the tournament headquarters to be in a .position to supply information to inquirers shortly after sunrise. If there are many more enthusiasts like the one who was "on the job" so early on Thursday morning, the secretary may have to consider the advisability of installing a telephone be: side his bath. ' . : :'

The fact that the Public W:Ork» Act Amendment Act !.of W24 had. extended the definition of "heavy traffic" so as to bring within ite scope "the transportation oE any motor vehicle," the weight of which, with its maximum load, exceeds | two tons," was mentioned in a letter received last evening by the North Island (N.Z.) Motor Union from the Auckland Automobile Club. This definition, it was stated;-, would have caused no concern if, as the Legislature evidently intended, it were limited in its application to commercial vehicles. The Auckland City Council had, however, .taken, a wider and rather disconcerting view of the position, and, after passing its new bylaw fixing the license fees that should be paid in respect of heavy traffic, it had announced that payment of the license fees so fixed would be (enforced against all private owners whose cars came within the-de-finition of the heavy traffic.to which reference was made. The Auckland association was stated to be making representations to the City Council ou the matter, and was also communicating its views to the-Minister of Public The union decided to give the Auckland association its wholehearted support on this point. The "Indian Head" Cloth iVideal for summer frocks for both lidies arid .children's wear. The colours are absolutely fast, and it is a beautiful laundering