NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 104, 3 May 1926, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Lake Coleridge Power Overtaxed,

A Public Works Department announcement states that in tho case of an excessive overload during the next few months, Lake Coleridge electric power may have to be cut off temporarily as a measure of protection, states a Press Association message from Christchurch. The conditions of the overload will become more severe in the next two months of tho winter. The supply to date has been maintained only by the close co-operation of the large consumers, who have, on request, materially reduced their demand during the peak load hours. Until the additional plant at Lake Coleridge is installed, the demand for power will be far in excess of the capacity of the present plant. War Memorial Column. Asked by a "Lyttelton Times" representative if he had 'anything to say in reference to the Memorial Column to be erected in Christchurch, Mr. George Gould said that the fund was earning interest, and if it should amount to £10,000' when the sito became available, so much the better. The committee had not any idea at present of deviating from its original purpose of erecting a cenotaph or column in Cathedral square. If it did so no doubt many of the subscribers woujd ask for ■their money to be returned.- Until the City Council put something else on the sito, as they had talked of doing, he did not think the committee would, consider any other site. . . ■ "Like a Day in the Country." "Travelling on the New Zealand railways if like having a day in the country," said Bishop West-Watson upon his return to Christehurch from, Dunediu. Ho stated that his and Mrs. West-Watson's delight at New Zealand conditions. was increased by their first fairly lengthy trip in this country. They were very much impressed with thp. harbour and scenery of Dunedin, which they thought was like Scotland. The Exhibition, to which the demands of the inter-denominational conference oi Dominion churches had permitted only short visits, was described as wonderful and well arranged. The Bishop said the trip to Dunedin was not his first railway journey in New Zealand, as he had previously visited Timaru and Mount Somers on diocesan business. Bailway travel here was not such an exhausting rush as in England. Frequent stops were made for refreshments, and the arrangements in this direction were adequate.' Taken all round, tho trip was delightful. The hospitality and kindness of tho people of Dunedin was remarked upon by tho Bishop. He said that he and Mrs. WestWatson had not half enough time to see all they would like to have soon of the P hibition. With what they saw, however, they were very favourably impressed. The Deputation Season. With the time for the meeting of Parliament only six weeks or so away, the deputation season will shortly commence at Parliament House. Indeed, there are signs that it has .already opened. Immediately before and during every session, a steadily growing number of people, societies, associations, and leagues find it to be a matter of supreme importance that they should wait upon a Cabinet Minister, preferably the Prime Minister, to call national attention to the imperative necessity of rectifying some grievance, perhaps of general interest, quite possibly of less. Why some Vputations choose to worry the Prime Minister instead of one or more of his colleagues who is likely to be more intima'tcly acquainted with the matter at issue is best known to themselves, but it may bo due to a belief that the Prime Minister has the power to "put tho ' 'fluence' " over other members of the Ministry, and that those interested may, by indirect means, thus gain the object which they are seeking. Mr. Coatcs, however, has already announced that this old-time deputation habit is to be modified to some extent. He has stated that it must not bo understood that the Prime Minister is the only responsible member of the Government, and has pointed out that experience has proved that very often there is a tendency on the part of persons to go over the heads of Ministers of the Crown in bringing various matters to the attention of the Prime Minister, resulting frequently in duplication and unnecessary, delay in dealing with them. Tlie moral would, therefore, appear to bo that, at any rate for this session, which the Prime Minister will probably have to leave about the end of August in order to bo at tho Imperial Conference in tho first week in October, deputations would be well advised not to waste time, but to save it by going to (lie right quarter in the first place. Cleanliness in Tearooms. The regulations in the interests of public health impose upon proprietors and restaurants and tearooms fairly stringent requirements in respect to the freshness of food for human consumption, especially such as is most liable to deterioration. As a rule the Health Department's regulations arc well observed. A. clergyman visitor from England, while commending tilth1 effectiveness so far as they go, coniiiders that at least one further clause of no little importance requires to be added. He refers to the sweeping out or" tearooms in hours of business. More than once during his visit to Now Zealand, ho remarked to a "Post" reporter, ho had noticed in large tearooms the waitresses sweeping the floors while numbers of people were taking their meal. In other respects, ho said, he had no fault, to find, but he regarded this as an unpardonable offence on the part of tho management. He said ho realised the necessity for the floors of a large tearoom through which hundreds and perhaps thousands of people passed every morning and afternoon being swept two or three timc3 a day, but this could be done without causing offence to guests and without raising a dust which settled on the food they were eating. He had observed that in large tearooms in London where it was necessary to sweep out at intervals during the day compartments were temporarily emptied and closed while the operation was performed. In smaller eating-houses the floors were at least lightly sprayed so as to prevent, the dust from rising, while in others the. more modern electrical cleaning devices were used. "Surely," lie added, "one would reasonably object, to the sweeping of one's own dining-room during mealtimes."

A Flourishing Service. '' This department is in a flourishing condition," said the Mayor at a meeting of the Hastings Borough Council commenting on the report of the borough electrical department. "There has never been a penny in rates levied for the department, and some indication of the cheap service which it is giving to tho householders of the town can be gathered from the fact that the average charge per house is £3 65." Preventive Medicine. In the course of an address at the opening of the Nurses' Home at Blenheim, the Minister of Health said the future "would open up very grea1; possibilities for hospital boards. Instead of waiting for the people to become sick. and come to the hospitals, the authorities would, in the cities and towns, more especially, endeavour to prevent ill-health. The time had arrived, he proceeded, when the old idea that one should go to a doctor only when one became sick should go overboard. He believed that all middleagud people should make ' periodical visits to their doctors in order that they could discover and check disease in its incipient stages.. That was the duty of the army medical officer, for men were needed to fight, not to be sick, and that must be the principle to be applied to the great civil army. Not to Become Habitual. "Ho has been bankrupt ior.r times in seven years," admitted, Mr. C. L. L. Treadwell, who appeared on behalf of Basil Kings Blades Vankeerson, a chocolate maker, who sought his discharge from bankruptcy before Mr. Justice Beed to-day. ''Is it not obvious that he is not a fit man to conduct a business?" asked his Honour. "He has a clean discharge in Australia," replied Mr.- Treadwell. "There is no question of dishonesty," adding that the bankrupt's troubles might have been due to inability to adequately express himself, and that the premises had been sold for £300, showing that there was something in the business. The Official Assignee stated thab since his report he had received notice that Vankeerson had made the necessary payments in Australia, and was discharged in Melbourne, Sydney, and Fremantle. His Honour: "If he is prepared to take employment on wagea he cannot do people any harm, but it is not in the interests of the public that ho should start in business again and incur further liabilities." Vankeerson endeavoured to state his own case. Mr. Treadwell said that his client was uivder medical treatment for a nervous complaint. No doubt the publicity he was receiving would prevent people dealing with him in future. His Honour granted the discharge, but emphasised the fact that Vankeerson would meet serious trouble if he became bankrupt again. Care of T.B. Cases. Whilst Great Britain had such fine arrangements for the care of consumptives, remarked the Minister of Health, at the opening of the Nurses' Home at Blenheim, he was glad to be able to say that New Zealand was also doing a great work. With the accommodation provided by the board and the Government sanatoria, New Zealand had a greater number of beds, on a population basis, for this class of case than any other country in the world. From that fact his hearers should not jump to the wrong conclusion that New Zealand had a greater number of consumptives. As a matter of fact, the Dominion had the smallest mortality irate through this disease per 10,000 of population of any country in the world. That was striking testimony to what New Zealand was doing. Court Crier's Perplexity. The interior of the Wanganui Magistrate's Court was given an unusual cos-" mopolitan atmosphere on Tuesday, T-hen Europeans, Maoris, and Indians were present to figure in the civil proceedings. One Indian created quite a stir when he strolled with his white '.urban on, ignorant of the rule about the removal of headgear in tho presence of justices, magistrates, or judges. The Court crier stared perplexedly at' the man who, oblivious of the attention he was attracting, smiled cheerfully and showed a perfect set of teeth. Frequenters of the Courtroom expected at any moment to hear a stentorian voice disturb the silence with a hair-raising: "Take your hat off!" but no such demand was forthcoming. Nor did tho Magistrate make any comment. Apparently, a local paper remarks, a turbau does not come under the definition, of a hat so far as the Courtroom is concerned ! Maori Feeding Funnel. A small but extremely valuable collection of samples of Maori art, a gift from Mr. G. 2?. Webster, oc Puhipuhi, has been received by the Auckland Museum authorities. The history of the articles is not known. Three of the specimens were found in a cave at. Wairere, Hokianga, 86 years ago, by Mr. Webster's brother, Mr. John Webster, a well-known pioneer. They comprise a beautifully carved feeding funnel, a waka huia or feather.box, and a large greenstone heitiki (states the "New Zealand Herald"). The heitiki is of the flat variety and unusually large. It is nearly 6in long and has a concealed hole at the top. The feather box, which ranks high as an example of the Maori carver's art, must have lain in the cave for a considerable time before its discovery, for the wood is somewhat decayed at the bottom of the box. The feeding funnel is described as a wonderful specimen. It has two figures in high relief, the remainder of the surface being delicately carved in scroll work with interlocking spirals, making what must be one of the most beautiful examples of fine carving known. These funnels were used by persons undergoing tattooing. hVicli a person was extremely "tapu," and might not partake of food in the ordinary manncv. It is possible, however, that swollen lips, a result' of the tattooing ordeal, may have given rise to the practice of feeding by means of tho funnel. Completing Queen's Drive. Though the plans first laid provided for the completion of the pavement of Queen's drive between Lyall and Island Buys next season, it lias now been decided to finish off this work this year, and in all probability the pavement will reach tho Parade, Island Bay, within a week, thus making the marine drive from Day's Bay along tho Hutt road, Oriental Day, .Evans Bay, to Lyall and Island Buys smooth going over the full distance, with the exception of two short lengths, the first near the Pipe Bridge over the Hutt Biver, and the second about half way down Evans Bay, whore the pavement must wait upon wall building and road widening now in hand. Both mixing plants atv Rongotai are busy with the Queen's drive job and fast progress is being made. If the weather allows, a strip may be paved along the eastern side of Clyde quay square, to connect tho Oriental Bay pavement with the woodblocks leading to the southern parts of the town. Probably, also, Bunny street will be tiikon in hand in its length between Lambton quay nnd Fenthcrstou street. After Four Years. The memory of the law was indicated at Lower Hutt on Saturday. In 1922 a man named William Albert Smith was convicted of an offence and fined, tho default being seven days imprisonment. He failed to pay the fine, and evaded arrest until Saturday, when he was apprehended by the Lower Hutt Police and sent to Wellington Gaol to serve his term of imprisonment.