LOCAL AND GENERAL

Grey River Argus, 17 April 1947, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Arahura dredge in the first half of this month won 276 ounces of gold for 211 hours from 81,000 yards, and Kanieri dredge 2130zs for 206 hours from 102,000 yards.

The child missing at Christchurch, Patrick Anthony Fraher, aged 18 months, proved to have been drowned. His body was found near his home in a creek.

H.M.N.Z.S. Bellona, which has been taking part in exercises with units of the Royal Australian Navy, was scheduled to berth at Lyttelton on Saturday, but advice was received in Christchurch yesterday morning that the ship has been diverted and will proceed direct to Auckland.

Mass will be celebrated on next Sunday, April 20, at Te Kinga, 8 a.m., and Kokiri, 10.15 a.m. —Advt.

The directors of Mikonui Gold Dredging (N.Z.) Ltd., have advised shareholders that arrangements have been made for the sale to overseas interests of all the shares, ordinary and deferred, for all of which a flat rate of not less than 2s a share will be paid, provided that check drilling confirms the bore values set out in the company’s prospectus. The purchaser has insisted that the shares should be placed under option for 12 months. The company was unable to proceed with its plans to erect a huge new gold dredge on Mikonui Flat, near Ross.

After a fall of £15,339,740 the previous week (mostly caused by payment of the gift to Britain), New Zealand sterling funds rose £1,751,081 at London for the week ended April 2. Other movements shown in the Reserve Bank return are a fall from £3,053,445 to nil in advances to State marketing organisations and a rise of £8,000,000 in other advances; and an increase of £4,796,986 in demand liabilities to the State.

The Westport Competitions Society's annual festival will be held from May 19 to May 24. Vocal, dancing, instrumental and elocution. Syllabus available on application to Robt. Francis, Greymouth and Hokitika.—Advt.

The Greymouth Townswomen’s Guild held their monthly meeting yesterday afternoon at Harker’s Lounge, the chair being occupied, in the absence at Timaru of the president (Mrs M. J. Fogarty) by Mrs Walters. There was an attendance of nineteen members. Arrangements were made to hold next month the guild’s birthday meeting. Mrs Walters spoke of the Red Cross appeal to be held on May 3, commending it to the members. The garden circle held a competition, the best bowl of flowers, which resulted: Mrs Boucher 1, Mrs Jones 2. A talk, “The New Order,” was given by Mr M. Daly, at the conclusion of the meeting. .

The fact that an outpatient of the Grey Hospital was instructed to report for medical attention at a certain hour on a given day, and after travelling from a country district, and waiting in the out-patients room for an hour was told that it was the doctor’s 1 “day off” and he would have to come back on another day, resulted in the Grey River Hospital Board deciding to inquire into the matter of the treatment of out-patients at Friday night’s meeting of the board. Dr. Otley, who was in attendance, detailed the procedure adopted with out-patients, and stated that on the day of the case in question, one of the house surgeons was occupied with laboratory work “It is a case for some investigation, and one that should be followed up,” said Mr A. Mosely. It was deckled that the matter be brought to the attention of those responsible.

Patients’ fees at the Grey River Hospital for the year ended March 31, 1937, totalled £28,771 13s 9d, as compared with estimated fees of £28,700 for the current financial year. These figures (with estimates for 1947-48 in parenthesis) are as follows.—Hospital in-patients (other than Social Security benefits), £472 (£500); hospital in-patients (Social Security benefits) £19,436 (£19,400); out-patieants Social Security benefits £1,104 (£1,100); maternity Social Security benefits, £4,919 (£4,900); X-ray diagnostic £B5l £850); pathological diagnostic £443 (£450); outpatients’ benefits £551 (£500); other hospital boards £1,102 (£1,100); surgery and dispensary costs £4,670 (£4,750); salaries and wages £29,79-1 (£30,C00)-; Meßrearty Ward provisions £1,370 (£1.400); Meßrearty . ■»» cd surgery and dispensary £517 (£550); domestic salaries and wages £3,008 (£4,000), bringing the total expenditure to £61,433 as compared with an estimated expenditure for 1947-48 of £63,000.