LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 16988, 10 March 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho announcement has already b®eij made that the influenza epidemic caused approximately six thousand deaths ftMew Zealand. Ihe returns now gazetted (says’the■* Dominion ’) show that the total number of deaths during 1918 was 16,364. Tho highest number previously recorder was 10,696, in 1916, so that the figure for the last year was over 60 per cent, higher than the previous highest. The*death-rate in 1916 was 9.6, per 1,000 of mean population, whereas in 1913 the rate reached 14.84, an increase of 53.94 per cent. Lust year’s rate was the highest in the history of New Zealand since 1875, when the rata was 15.9 per 1,000 of the population. Twice in the sixties tee death-rate exceeded 17 per 1,000, but those were tha days before tho organisation for the protection of the public health had attained any high degree of efficiency. As a matter of fact, since 1894 the death-rate has risen above 10 per 1,000 only on live occasions—j in 1899, m 1902 and 1903, in 1907, and again last year. The year 1907,. it may be remarked, brought severe epidemics of measles and whooping cough, and influenza was particularly active. Indeed, in all *4* years indicated as having a dea f exceeding 10 per 1,000, measles, cough, influenza, and diarrhmal were very prevalent. In 1903, was a marked epidemic of scarlet There has been an agitation local potato-growers against the upon tbe export of potatoes to (wires oar Christchurch would now appear, however, that I moval of the embargo would not Australian market available at the ruling here. The Sydney market has to £l2 to £l3 per ton, and the renm^B of the restriction upon the potatoes from* Victoria to Sydney since the influenza has d abated is expected to lower the market prices in Sydney. Local merchants they could not do business at tea rate price asked by growers. A deputation waited on Sir Jame? JflH at Milton on Friday, and asked ti (SHH proposed repairs to the Post Office not bo proceeded with, but teat building should bo erected. The one was quite inadequate. Tho in his reply, said that he had cated with tha Minister in Charge ( Offices, whose reply was as follows building is a brick one, and with posed alterations it is estimated will adequately serve departmental ments for another 10 or 12 years, andiMßV| <e lapse of that period the department 1 will be better able to determine what class of a new building, if any, should be erected. Tiie.ro is ample space in tha present building, but the internal arrangements are wasteful, and the proposed alterations will ensure a better allocation of the space, and meet all departmental requirements. It is considered unnecessary nt the present time, when many other towns which urgently require permanent buildings have to be supplied, to erect a new office instead of tee present building at Milton.” Sir James said he kneJtoL places which were in a position worse than Milton. The Minister in fI|HH of post offices was looking at the mi a general point of view, an spending the money available to > most urgent w-ork first. That must policy or tho Government if they v do justice to the community genera regretted teat ho could not give a favorable answer, but there were urgent works in New Zealand to be crflH On his return north he would place matter before the Minister concerned. With a view to getting ready for peace celebrations, the Mosjjjel Brass Band havs been resuscitated. At ft meeting held on Wednesday arrangements were made for a practice. The Mayor has been elected president, and a committee to control affairs along with the vice-presidents (Messrs A. Cheyne and J. Lusk) have been elected, consisting of sis band members and six citizens. At Groymouth on Friday a, large deputation, representing returned soldiers, ,-upported by the Labor party, waited on the , Hon. T, M. Wilford, Minister of Justice, 4 and asked for the release of P. C. Webb. 1 Mr Holland, M.P., introduced a deputa- j tiou representing tee Labor party, seamen, ‘ and other, asking for tho release of conscientious objectors, also T. Cummins, ; editor of the ‘Green Ray,’ and th© publisher (O’Ryan), also Alice Parkinson. They also urged the Minister to opposi? * the proposal of the Defence Minister regarding four months’ compulsory military service for 18-year-old youths, a.nd to take action to secure for seam™ the right to vote at the liquor referendum on Anril 10. Replying, tee Hon. Mr Wilford said tho question of th© release of conscientious objectors and military offenders was one of policy, and was for the Cabinet’s decision. “ Personally,” said Mr Wilford, “ I will not help any conscientious objector or military prisoner to snap tho positions required by returning soldiers; their needs came first in my opinion.” Regarding the ‘ Green Ray ’ prisoners, Cabinet has already decided to take no action. Regarding Alice Parkihsou, ho would look into the facts of the case, and make a pronouncement later. Concerning _tha Minister of Defence’s proposal for four months’ training at camps, he would defer reply until ho ascertained the actual valua of the proposal. With regard to the seamen’s vote', lie would, as Minister of Mar j rine, see they got a vote. 1 Forecasting the results of tho financial J year ending"” March. 31, the ‘Mercantile! 'Gazette ’ anticipates a surplus of about £3,750,000. Added to tho war surpluses realised during the three previous years, this should give the Minister of Finance over £15,000,000. Commenting on this,_ the ‘ Gazette ’ says; “The Finance Minister should at tho close of tha present financial year have a very substantial nest-egg to meet the extraordinary expenditure that may be found necessary during the next and succeeding financial year, which may j prove to be the worst periods of the trap- | sition from war conditions to peace conditions. In public finance it is a fundamental error to extract from the pockets of tile people more than is actually neoessarv to meet tee charges, a.nd therefore J a anTpl-te of any dimensions snows faulty jB estimating. During in© war the Mimat-etji deliberately set out to build up a reserve* out of revenue, and ho has succeeded vor ■ well. The people have paid in taxation more than was needed by the Govemme) fl to properly administer the affairs of tlfl ptate, but the people acquiesced in th extortion, believing it was tec right cour£« to pursue in abnormal times. But cai (■ must be token that this policy is not con-J tinned when normal conditions again pre-! vail, otherwise th© temptation to squander 1 ■ in political adventures will be ’ more ‘than tho average politician could resiit. ” Two residents of Mungindi (New South Wales) crossed the border into Queensland in search of their horses. They were arrested by the Queensland police for a broach of the quarantine regulations Inwueht into force oafainst New South Wales tiv guard against pneumonic, influenza. Thirteen Queensland residents who bad been stranded on the New South Wales side of the border for three weeks crossed into Queensland. They were detained by the Queensland jxdice. Wlren recent rains brought the Goodradighee river (New South Wales) down in flood at Wee Jasper, it was noticed that thousands of fish, from three inches long to 201b in weight, were killed. It is thought that the fish were suffocated hr the charcoal water off country that was burned by bush fires. Registration is being sought in Melbourne for a company to cam* out an extensive scheme _ni commercial aviation in Australia. Is is proposed to establish commercial air sendees between the various -States for passengers, mails, and cargo, with supplementary services where they are considered possible. The schema is distinct, from the- proposal of Major Lee Murray, of the A.F.C., who is endeavoring to' form a- company under the title of ‘‘ Tho Commonwealth Aerial Services, Ltd." Some agreement will probably be arrived at between the two organisations.