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Evening Star, Issue 23100, 28 October 1938, Page 8

One of the lightest weeks on record in recent years so far as notifications of infectious diseases in Otago and Southland are concerned is reported by the Department of Health for the week ended to-day. In the last seven days the only case notified has been one of tuberculosis in Otago. On behalf of the committee of the National Relief Fundi for Spanish Refugee Children £2,000 has been remitted by the trustees to the High Commissioner for New Zealand in London, who will distribute it amongst reputable organisations giving relief to children in Spain, irrespective of the political or religious party to which they may belong.—Wellington Press Association. Considerable alterations and renovations are being carried out by tho Public Works Department to the old Lands and Survey buildings in Lower High street. When this work is completed, which probably will not be before Christmas, the building will be occupied by the Government Analyst, the Marine Department, the Department of Mines, the inspector of machinery, and possibly one or two other branches of the Government service. Heavy mortality among cats was caused during the winter months as the result of the worst epidemic of influenza to affect animals in Auckland for many years. The fact that females suffered most from the epidemic lias resulted in an unusual shortage of kittens at present. The Auckland Society for tho I’reventiou of Cruelty to Animals has a list of about 61) persons who have applied for kittens in recent weeks, and the demand is said to ho much in excess of the number of kittens available.

The postal authorities advise that the Monterey, due at Auckland on 1* nday, has 157 bags of American mails and English papers, which should reach Dunedin on Monday morning. r ihe Awatea left Sydney on Wednesday for Wellington with 40 bags of Australian mail and tho Empire air mail of October 10. The mails will reach the local office on Monday morning.

The Postmaster-General advises that his department has arranged to institute continuous _ telegraph attendance (Mondays to Fridays inclusive) at the four main centres as from Monday next. This additional attendance (ho states in a memorandum) is being provided essentially for the reception of cablegrams, and for the handling of correction messages; but, should the necessity arise for a telegram to bo despatched overseas during the early hours of the morning, arrangements lor the acceptance of the message will bo made upon the officer on duty in the telegraph office being communicated with by telephone. The delivery of telegrams received overnight will commence, as usual, at 8 o’clock in the morning.

The announcement that the executive had received an anonymous gift of £SO was greeted with applause at the annual meeting of the Otago Girl Guides Association yesterday afternoon. It was stated that the money would be spent in furthering the work of outdoor Guiding.

Treatment to induce, a broken thigh bone to knit was described by a doctor who gave evidence in the Supreme Court, Wellington. The patient, who was .plaintiff in a claim for damages following a motor accident, had, in addition to a broken left thigh, a broken left arm, broken lower left (eg, a fracture in the left ankle, and severe concussion. The accident seriously displaced the ends of the broken thigh bone, and difficulty was found in bringing them in contact by the usual methods so that they would knit, until an operation was performed, hi the operation the parts were brought together and fixed in position with a stainless steel plate and screws. A plaster of paris case was placed about the thigh and extending from shoulder to toes. Later ’the plaster of paris was removed, and later still a second operation was performed for the removal of the screws and the plate. Work on the improvement of the children’s playground at St. Clair is going ahead as circumstances permit, and the replacing of the amusement devices is a matter that will receive early attention., The scope of the work has been considerably increased on the original proposals, hence the extension of time occupied in the undertaking. Negotiations between the City Council and the Amenities and St. Clair Improvement Societies will shortly be completed, and it is hoped that the work will be finished this summer.

Stripped of everything useful, a shell of what once had been the sleek American four-masted schooner Columbia, on the Honolulu run, then successively a coal hulk in the Auckland Harbour and a floating cabaret, the Showboat, as she became known, was beached at the northern end of Rangitoto Island early on Wednesday morning and destroyed by fire. The Auckland Harbour Board’s tug Te Awhina moved away from the eastern reclamation with the Showboat in tow at 6.30 a.m. When they arrived off Rangitoto the tug transferred the tow to two launches, and at nine o’clock the Showboat was beached and the launch crews scrambled on board to light the highly inflammable materials with which the hull had previously been filled—dozens of worn motor-car tyres, innumerable lengths, of useless timber and kerosene, tar, and similar fuel. Then the men hurriedly left the hullk. A series of small fires quickly spread throughout the ship. Flames swept over the sides and around the two masts that had been left standing. By 11 o’clock the fire had completely gripped the Showboat. Fragments of burning material dropped into the water _ and were quenched, gaps appeared in the hull and over everything hung a heavy volume of smoke. It was not until mid-afternoon that the fire was spent, for the vessel had been stoutly built. All that remained of her was burned debris.

The fate of the Kaikorai cable cars, in the light of the City Council’s recent announcement that its lease could not be renewed on expiry next year, was discussed last night at the monthly meeting of the Rpslyn and Kaikorai Ratepayers’ Association, which passed a resolution reminding the council that at a public meeting called by the association recently the unanimous decision had been emphatically expressed that the retention of the cable cars was essential and that the running of buses would be against the wishes of all concerned. ' The association, the resolution concluded, would therefore respectfully ask the City Council to deal carefully with the problem.

The postal authorities advise that the Arawa, due at Wellington next Friday, from London, has 969 bags of English second class mail for New Zealand. The Dunedin portion should be to hand on Saturday evening of next week.

Nothing is sacred to the metal thief. A few days ago, in the early hours of the morning, two men were observed to be at work attempting to prize from its place the brass tablet on the Cargill Monument, which has been a landmark in the city for so many years. They were disturbed, however, and succeeded in shifting the plate only slightly. Other brass plates in the city have been removed or interfered with, so that it would appear that perpetrators of this class of despicable theft are active at the moment.

The Hon. H. T. Armstrong, who arrived at Auckland last evening on departmental business, when interviewed to-day, said the report published to-day that he had come to Auckland to confer with the executive of the Drivers’ Union was incorrect. He had no knowledge last night that the Drivers’ Union wished to meet him, but had arranged an appointment for them for the late afternoon in response to an application made this morning. At midday he conferred with the representatives of various trade unions to discuss industrial matters. The Minister returns to Wellington this evening.—Press Association.

Eye strain —for eye comfort, for better vision, consult Sturraer and Watson Ltd., opticians. 2 Octagon. Dunedin.—f Advt. | The annual reunion of the passengers and descendants of the ship Auckland on the various voyages from 1874 onwards will be held in the Pioneers’ Hal) on Saturday evening. The chairman (Mr James Torrance), Mr W. J. Strong (president of the Otago Early Settlers’ Association), and the Rev. W. Allen Stevely will give brief addresses. On Sunday evening a church service will be held in First Church, and those wishing to attend are asked to assemble at Burns Hall at 6.20. Attention is drawn to the Railway Department’s advertisement in this issue announcing the running of special train leaving Dunedin for Mosgiel at 2.10 p.m. on Sunday, October 30, returning leaving Mosgiel for Dunedin at 4.45 p.m. Burns Club members and others arc reminded that ‘ Hallowe'en at Gretna Green ’ will he presented in His Majesty’s Theatre to-morrow night.