LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 19327, 13 August 1926, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL

It is reported from Gisborne that the Government has .purchased the To Wera Station, in the Matawai district, of 10,000 acres, at £6 to £7 per acre. A Wellington massage states that amended regulations under the Apprentices Act were gazetted yesterday, and also amendments to the regulations under the Government Act dealing ■with the classifications of the department.

The total births registered in July for the urban areas amounted to 1,086, compared with 1,0-10 in June, being an increase of 56. The deaths in July were 806, an increase of 278 as •compared with the previous month. Or the total deaths, malevs contributed 401 and the females 405. One hundred and six of the deaths were of children under five years of age, being 13.15 per cent, of the whole number; Seventy-two of these were under one year of age. The Auckland Hospital Commission continued its inquiries yesterday. G. W. Allsop, the board’s architect, replying to Mr Johnstone, counsel for the Hospital Board, said he realised now—seeing the .gravity of the mistake —that ho should have reported the error concerning the ordering of alternating current motors for the laundry instead of direct current as soon as it was discovered. At the time, however, lie thought it was only a small electrical matter capable, of adjustment. _Mr Meredith, counsel for H. A. Somerville, secretary of the hoard, opened his case by saying that Allsop’s attitude was not due to bona fide grounds for complaint, hut rather to personal animals towards Somerville. Tho Commission adjourned. A reply to statements made before the Select Committee of tho House of Representatives was made by Mr T. Rloodworth in regard to Auckland’s policy in respect to its trams.- He said that had Mr Gould taken tho trouble to examine the figures in the report from which he quoted, ho would have found the calculation had been based on an average fare of 2.s9d—not 2.9 d, wliich was a typist's error. The passengers carried in Auckland in 192-1 were 55,115,429;. in 1925,. 58,642,816; and in 1926, 62,395,956. Loans amounting to £475,000 had been issued since tho purchase of tho tramways, bringing the present loan debt to £1,725,000. Tho bus proprietors did not pretend to offer cheaper fares, despite tho fact that no provision was made in their revenue to purchase buses for tho people. Their ono object was profits. The hearing was adjourned till Tuesday. The Government’s Town Planning Bill name in for strong censure at the annual conference of the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors. Tt was described variously a.s “ fundamentally wrong in principle,” “childish in conception,” and “impassible of execiir tion.” The speakers stressed the fact that the institute, had been striving for years to secure some measure of town planning, and had been one of tho organisations that had created the town planning sense in the As far back as 1916 tho then president outlined the provisions of a Town Planning Bill, hut his suggestions and the recommendations had been ignored in the present Bill, which had been produced in contravention of all it had striven for. It was decided to invite Messrs Blake and Grierson to place their considered opinions and suggested amendment before the president, the secretary (Mr C. D. Morpeth, of Wellington), and_ Mr Beero for approval and transmission to the Minister in charge of the Bill. It was also decided to ask the branches to convene nieetings of all interested with the object of urging the Government to delay the passage of tho Bill, Tho Otago Soldiers and Dependents’ Welfare Committee will submit the following report to tho meeting of tho Otago Patriotic and General Welfare Association, which is to be hold at tho Town Hall on Monday morning next: — During _ the quarter ended July 31, 1926, nine meetings of tho Claims Committee were held, the total applications dealt with being 263. Thirty-seven applicants were the responsibility of other societies, and particulars of {hose cases wore forwarded to tho responsible body, the applicants being dealt with in accordance with the wishes of the societies concerned. Twenty-three applications were declined, it being apparent, after full inquiries had been made, that the assistance required could not be granted from the patriotic funds. Sixty-three grants were made, totalling £386 6s 4d, and fifty-two weekly allowances authorised for varying periods, at a total expenditure of £546 13s. Two loans were granted to severely disabled soldiers. The amount advanced was £230, adequate security being taken in each case. Payment having been completed on a loan granted in 1920, the discharge of the mortgage was executed, while the conditions of repayment of two loans already granted were varied. Consideration of twenty-throe cases was deferred pending receipt of fuller information, assistance being eventually granted to many of those applicants. Applications received from ex-imperial and other overseas soldiers were referred to the National War Funds Council for consideration, and wore dealt with in accordance with the instructions received from the council, the incidental outlay being refunded in clue course. At tho beginning of the quarter there was a sum of £203 available for assistance in cases where the applicants were not recognised as suffering war disabilities. The expenditure on ,these cases amounted to £2OB, leaving a debit of £5 in this account. The statement of receipts and expenditure, which will lie presented, snows that receipts for the quarter ended Juno 31 totalled £1,151 12s lOd. Payments amounting to £1,699 4s lid were made. The hon. treasurer of the association (Mr G. A. Lewin), in his report, states that the total receipts to July 31 amounted'to £.334,211 i4s 4d, whilst receipts since-the'last meeting totalled £914 7s Id. During the past'quarter £B9O had been paid into the wounded soldiers’ fund. Matured war bonds had been invested as follows :---Deposited with the Dunedin City Council, £1,750; invested in Dunedin City Council debentures, £45,000.