LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 18259, 26 April 1923, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

There are 500 men -wanted in Christchurch for wife desertion,” said Mrs A. E. Herbert at a meeting of Hospital Board candidates. ” Women whoso husbands have left them are continually coming before the benevolent committee. It is very pitiful to see soma of them. They are stranded and left quite destitute, often with little children. When the defaulting husbands are arrested nmo out of ten go to gaol and maintenance orders are not complied with. It is a big problem and it is hard on the They have to bear the burden.

“ One blot on the administration of hospitals is tho pay of the nurses, said Mr J. W. M'Millan (Mayor of Stratford) at tho ceremony of laying the foundation stono of the maternity hospital at otiatford. The amount of responsibility was considered in other walks ot life, continued Mr M'Millan, but a nurse’s responsibility was that of human lives. The care ot tho greatest doctor in the world was of no avail if ho did not have the nurses to follow it up. He hoped something would bo done to increase the wages of nurses, and that tho Stratford board would give a lead and take the matter up. The Medical Association should have the nurses' inadequate wages increased. Referring to the mortality rate amongst mothers in New Zealand, Mr R. Masters M.P., speaking at Stratford, said R might bo tho lowest in tho world, but it was still too high. Last year 194 mothers died at childbirth, and this was an indication that it was time they had mstitutions such as tho Stratford public maternity hospital. Last year, 922 children died before reaching the age oi one month, 223 be,fore reaching thiee. months, 161 before six months, and 20f before twelve months, A total ot l,ouu died before the age of twelve months. Mr Macpherson addressed a large and enthusiastic meeting at Hampden on Monday night. Ho dealt chiefly with the electoral petition. Tho speaker produced tho actual petition signed by Mr Leo and handed to Ins lawyer. This was challenged by Mr J. Rodman, who compared it with documents m his possession, but was nob prepared to say it was not Mr Lee’s signature. Mr Macpherson asked that an independent committee from tho meeting bo appointed to adjudicate, but Mr Rodman declined to tako advantage ot tho olfcr. In view of -Mr Leo’s insinuations that tho Macpherson copies of the votes and statement wero not correct, Mr Macpherson has sent a letter to Mr Loos committee inviting it to send a representative to all his mootings, and offering tho means ot

conveyance. , . t> H.M. sloop Veronica (Commander R. M. Cardwell) sailed from Auckland at 8.30 a.m. on Saturday last for Tonga in commencement of a two months cruise of tho Pacific, during which she will pay official visits to tho islands under the Imperial administration. Tho sloop is du£ in tho Tongan. Group to-day. She will remain thero until May 6, when she will proceed to Suva, arriving at the Fijian port on May 8. On May 14 she will sail for Ocean Island, where she is due on May 21. After a stay of two days she will leave for Gilbert Group, lying to the east, and will make her first stop in the group on May 25. She _ will be there until June 4, when she will set a course for the Ellice Islands, en route to (Suva. A stop will be made at Sumasuti on Juno 7 for four days, and it is expected that the Veronica will) arrive at Rocumah a day after leaving Sumasuti. Three days later she will sail for Suva, where she is duo on June 16, and after staying there for another nine days she will make her return trip to Auckland, 1 arriving on July 2. Tho next cruise of ■ tho Veronica will commenco on July 23.

The quarterly attendance r« turns for the period ended March 31, 1923, compiled by tho Otago Education Board, show that there wero 257 schools in operation in the district. Tho average weekly number of pupils on. tho roll during tho quarter was 21,570, comprising 11,194 boys and 10,576 girls. The average attendance was 10,524 boys and 9,700 girls, making a total of 20,224, or 286 leas than tho previous quarter and 16 less than for tho March quarter of 1922. The av«4age attendances for tho city and suburban schools wero; Forbury 711, North-east Valley 641, Caversham 631, Musselburgh 575, Mornington 563, Macandrow Road 558, Kaikorai 551, Normal 533, Albany Street 533, High Street 503, St. Clair 472, George Street 468, Arthur Street 430, Kensington 344, .Maori Hill 327, Green Island 307, Moray Place 291, Anderson Bay 276, Ravensbourne 212, Wakari 150, Concord 108, and Leith Valley 40. The averages for the Oamaru schools were:—South School SCB, North School 474, Middle School 122. Tho averages for the district high schools wereßaiclutha 459, Port Chalmers 459, Tokomaririro 317, Palmerston 251, Alexandra 201, Lawrence 175, Tapaiui 155, and Owaka 144. During tho quarter the Glenkenich, Pounawea, Tahora, mid Wharekuri Schools wore closed. A now school at Maungawera was 1 opened, and the Tautuku School was reopened. Tho Otago A. .and P. Society’s appeal for funds stands now at £B,IOO. A meeting of tho Appeal Committee was held on Tuesday afternoon, and was attended by Sir Qeorgo Fenwick (in tho chair) and Messsr J. Begg, J. Sutherland Ross, lidgar C. Hazlctt, W. O. Burt, G. Crow, and 1). Andrew. Tho secretary reported v.hat had been done in connectlcni with obtaining further subscriptions to the fund. 'Ho said that there wero stilt a large number of firms to bo approached. The chairman said that when members of f; e committee had finally reported on their activities it might bo as well to engage a man to systematically canvass tho town. It was decided to adopt the suggestion, and to Lake steps at once to appoint a paid canvasser.