LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 17932, 30 March 1922, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Wellington SPublio Library lias received a gift of a valuable collection of papers from Mr A. R. Atkinson, including some early Maori publications of considerable value to historians. • Mr T. F. Gray, of Auckland, Ims also presented it. with early pamphlets and l other interesting matter.

In the Supreme Court, Mastertnn, the jury returned a verdict-for plaintiff for £BOO in the ca.se in which Eliza Jane Gallagher proceeded against William Waiter Bicknoll, of Greylown, farmer, to recover £7OO special damages for broach of covenants in the lease of a, farm property, possession of posts or £IOO, and £SOO special damages.

The Women’s Christian Temperance Union, sitting in convention- at Hamilton, passed tho following resolution ; —That this convention declares its firm and unalterable conviction that some better method should be found for settling international disputes, and one more in feeling^with the principles of Christianity. With deep gratitude wo note that, by calling a conference of leading statesmen, great nations have declared their belief in world disarmament being within (he region of practical politics, and by pledging themselves to a reduction of armaments leading nations have taken the first step in that direction. We, the members of the convention, pledge ourselves to strive unceasingly for the removal of all causes of war, and to work for tho establishment of a new social order for the common good, and w r e urge members to help to create such public opinion as will lead to setting up international courts of arbitration,.

During the hearing at Wellington yesterday of the waterside dispute evidence was given that travelling time between the suburbs and tho wharves was not fairly used l that the present system of labor caused a good deal of overlapping; and that stop-work meetings should be held ono month in the daytime and the next at night. With regard to the wet weather clause, it was stated that tho men knocked off on the slightest excuse. Regarding tho supervision of ibo men, a good deal depended on how watersiders were handled.- If handled well they would work w.ell. As to personal supervision, Mr Roberts, for the federation, maintained that where they got personal supervision no difficulties arose.

Miss Joan Stevenson, of the Y.W.C.A., was entertained yesterday by members of the Otago Women’s Club. Mrs Oilldson presided, and in, a few words introduced Miss Stevenson, who spoke in a very interesting manner of her work. She expressed the need for help and sympathy in the work of the Y.W.C.A., and pointed out that the organisation could be used by any woman in the community. She dealt‘with the girl of to-day very sympathetically. and said she thought that people would perhaps realise their need more if they understood fully the nature of the work performed by some girls, this being often extremely monotonous. It was this lack of being able to express herself in her work that made it necessary for a girl to have some other outlet, and this was what the Y.W.C.A. was striving to give. Miss Stevenson was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for her address. Tho sale of military stores was continued bv E, L. Macassey and Go. at the Drill Hall yesterday afternoon with happy results. From 700 different lines of goods £I.OOO has been netted. The highest prices'obtained were £25-10s for a truck. £l4 for a “dilly,” £8 5s for lots of rope, £8 for. lots of brass. £5 5s for a chest of engineer’s tools, £7 for a chest of carpenter’s tools, £2 2s 6d for medical chests, £4 for endless chains, £2 17s 5d for other’ chains, £2 2s for baths, £2 4s for bench tops, £6 for hydraulic jacks, £3 5s for grindstones, £5 6s for “skids,” £5 for coils of wire, £5 17s 6d for lots of drugs, etc., £5 15s for eels of operating instruments, and £5 10a for a typewriter.

Tho fact, substantiated by official statistics, that tho rate of infantile mortality in Palestine is as high as one in three'has impressed on Jewish women the necessity for action to stem this appalling waste of life. In Hew Zealand (telegraphs our Christchurch correspondent) the movement has taken tho form of equipping and maintaining three Plunket nurses in the Holy Land. It is estimated that to provide ono Plunket nurse for three yearn will cost £1.500. and in Auckland alone £2.500 has been collected, and two nurses have been sent to Palestine. One is a children’s welfare and maternity nurse, and tho other is a children’s welfare nurse. At present an effort is being made in the Dominion to raise the funds necessary to send tho third nurse. The Hew Zealand Plunket nurse in Palestine will attend to mothers and children of all nationalities, irrespective of creed or religion. The Jewish women of tho Dominion arc to maintain them for throe years, at tho end of which period they will bo taken over by tho head office of the movement in London. In a cable message recently received by Mrs Nathan from Mrs Leslie Harris (of London), it is_stated that no objection has been raised to Jaffa being tho headquarters and training centre of the Plunket nurse system of Palestine. Mrs Harris and Mrs Nathan intend visiting Palestine next year to seo how matters are progressing.

A Napier merchant has informed the ‘Manawatu Daily Times’ that, while blasting a particularly solid block of marine shell lime, 30ft below the surface, at Bluff Hill, the perfectly-preserved body of a frog was found m an airtight cavity. Tho discovery is interesting, as it will decide the question of whether frogs were indigenous to New Zealand.

Says the Manaia ‘Witness’: “Foxton continues to suffer from outbreaks of fire. At the present rate it looks as though the old town must disappear shortly, unless a buildin~ boom sets in.” The Foxton ‘Herald’ furnishes the following _reply, tho sting of which will bo found in tho tail:—“Wo can assure our contemporary that, phoenix-like, from the ashes of the destroyed buildings new and modern structures have arisen,’ which would reflect credit upon any metropolitan centre, beside which Manaia’s business area presents a sorry spectacle.” A somewhat alarming experience befell tho postmaster at Put a mm. Mr H. Pearse, and his family, on Tuesday morning {the 21st inst.), about 7.30 o’clock. A heavy thunderstorm was passing over tho town at tho time, and lightning struck the kitchen chimney of the post office residence, travelling down to tho register grate in tho room below, and bursting through the grate with explosive violence. Tho chimney pot was wrecked, the grate was practically destroyed, the mantelpiece was shifted, and ornaments thereon wore broken. Needless to say,- tho occupants of tho house were considerably alarmed, but, fortunately, no one was hart. Tho telephone wires were also fused in the post office itself.,

Eulogistic reference to the work of Dr M'Kibbin as health officer in Dunedin was made at the City Council meeting last evening by Or Begg, who, in remarking on the cleanliness of Dunedin, said tin's condition reflected credit on the doctor’s work here. Cr Begg said ho viewed with regret the treatment meted out to Dr M’Kibbin in Auckland. (Hear, hear.) He had been closely associated with Dr M'Kibbin during hia term of office as mayor, and knew the value of .the doctors work here. Dr M'Kibbin always had the courage of his convictions, and invariably was right. If it was regarded as a punishment in sending the doctor back to Dunedin, then ho would make bold to say that it would he a gain as far as Dunedin was concerned. As far os the Public Health Department was concerned, we wanted more officers of Dr M'Kibbin’s stamp. Had Dr M'Kibbin’s senior officers taken the same stand regarding the hospital severance—he referred to the South Otago case—then that piece of political jobbery would not have been put upon our shoulders. He made bold enough to say—he was speaking for himself—that he welcomed Dr M'Kibbin back to Dunedin, and expressed the hope that he would long live here as our health officer. (Hear, hear.) Or Hancock also ro. marked that Dr M'Kibbin, would be w, e i[. com© in Dunedin.