NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 75, 25 September 1941, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Always "Exceptional." "I understand that the weather you experienced recently was exceptional," remarked Sir Cyril Newall in reference to the triumph of horticulturists over' adverse conditions, when he was opening the flower show in the Town Hall yesterday afternoon. "But then," he added, "wherever I have been in the world I am always told that the weather is exceptional." Exhibition Pavilion That Paid. • Though many difficulties—import restrictions, the outbreak of war, and the consequent necessity t<? make lastminute changes—had to be overcome in arranging the combined power board display at the Centennial Exhibition, it was, stated the president of the association, Mr. J. A. Nash, at the Dominion conference today, an excellent exhibit, visited by tens of thousands of people; moreover, it ended in a credit balance of about £1000, which was distributed among members in proportion to their contribution to the pavilion. Long-lived Cat. Even allowing for the proverbial nine lives, the life span of the domestic cat cannot be very long and for one to reach the age of 18 years must be unusual. A cat of this age died in Auckland a few days ago. The owner, Mrs. R. B. Williamson, of Benson Road, Remuera, was given a 10-day-old kitten exactly 18 years ago, and. after living a vigorous and healthy life, it suddenly became ill and had to be destroyed. Only in the last few weeks did the cat begin to show signs of its age. The Consumer Uses More. "For 20 years the aim of one and ail of us has been to push unit sales. Today it is necessary to conserve units, but with the public rightly educated to utilise electricity, together with the growing scarcity of wood, domestic help problems, new industries, and the like, it is difficult to back-pedal," said the president of the secretaries' branch of the. Power Boards' and Supply Authorities' Association, Mr. G. E. Fowler, at the conference yesterday. "The natural increase in the sale of ! electricity can be gauged from the fact that in 1931 the average units used a consumer were 1800, whereas for the year ending March 31, 1940, the average units sold had risen to 2465 a consumer. The increase which has been experienced year after year makes it hard today to secure the asked-for unit conservation." Coastwise Lights and Illuminations. Appreciation, was expressed by the president of the Power Boards' and ( Supply Authorities' Association, Mr. J. A. Nash, and in formal reports to the Dominion conference, today, at the manner in which boards and supply authorities had been- consulted over the lighting restriction regulations. A considerable number of negotiations, meetings, and discussions took place, and the scheme had evolved into one under which controllers of lighting were set up in all areas which have coastwise lights and illuminations, those controllers being responsible for putting into effect the steps decided upon by the heads of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. "From the information which was given to the committee," stated a report, "your representative is firmly of the opinion that the steps being taken are thoroughly warranted and that action already taken to obscure lights showing to seaward may even, have to be intensified in the near future." Holidays in Hospital. When representatives of contributing local bodies of the Cook hospital district were discussing last week the increasing weight of levies, one speaker said people were going into hospital for holidays and- that some men went on drinking bouts that resulted in their free treatment in hospital, states a Gisborne correspondent. At a meeting of the Hospital Board the medical superintendent, Dr. R. J. B. Hall, was asked whether he had any people coming in. for holidays or to get over drinking bout-s. Dr. Hall divided the patients referred to into two categories— malingerers or holiday-makers. He said they did not last long in hospital if they got in. "It is quite true that we have people in hospital getting over drinking bouts," continued Dr. Hall. "We have to take them in because they are usually very close to delirium tremens. No medical man would re-i fuse admission to this type of case because of their liability to collapse. Another type of case is brought in by the police, perhaps well under the influence of liquor, but also possibly suffering from some internal injuries or other complaint. We have to take in these cases, although they are a terrible nuisance. Cases of the kind when refused admission to hospital have the uncanny habit of dying suddenly and then there is a rumpus. That has not happened here, but it has elsewhere. We cannot take the risk." Safeguarding Steps. One of the matters taken up by the executive of the Power Boards' and Supply Authorities' Association with the Government, stated a report made to the annual conference today, was the possibility of white ants being brought into the country in power poles from Australia. Conferences took place, at which various other local body associations were represented. Suggestions were drafted by the State Advances Corporation, which had the matter in hand owing to its responsibility for Government houses, and the association's secretary, Mr. E. W. Swain, when visiting Australia, took the matter up with the New South Wales and Commonwealth Governments. The Australian authorities consented to take steps in regard to examination and certification of all timbers leaving Australia, if restrictions were placed on the importation of such woods into New Zealand unless they were accompanied by certificates. The details ♦ were, however, very difficult to work out. Often timbers were shipped at night and from small, isolated ports, where it was almost impossible for Government representatives to be in attendance. However, negotiations were continuing and it was understood that every care was being taken in Australia to see that no poles were sent if there was a suspicion of termite infestation in them.