LATE DOMINION NEWS.

Mataura Ensign, 30 September 1913, Page 2

LATE DOMINION NEWS.

A REFORM RALLY. ■SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER. PJGR UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. PALMERSTON N., Sept. 29. The Opera House was crowded th;:> evening on the occasion of the Refer.:; Rally. The Prime Minister (Hon. W. F. Massey), Mrs and. Miss Maissey, and ' 17 M.P.'s were present. The audience was a large one and at times was enthusiastic. Several members addressed the meeting. Hon. F. M. B. Fisher contended that the country was never more prosperous than at the present time. He eulogised the Military Pensions Bill, and hoped that the Government would make provision for those unfitted, by natural disadvantages. T'ho country should be thankful" for the Public Service Act, for which his party would enter on a vigorous platform campaign throughout the Dominion. He would like to meet the Opposition in. a straight-out fight. The Prime Minister, who was warmly cheered, said that the session had been marked by a tremendous amount of delay and obstruction', but, it did not affect him. All the delay''would not prevent 'his party from giving effect to its | policy. They were going to settle down to four or five days of Government busi- | ness each week. The Land Bill had been approved of from one end of New Zealand to the other. It would tend to provide security and land for the landless. It would promote land settlement, and would increase the number of producers. The country was never more prosperous than at present. The guarantee of the Government would be placed behind local bodies,, and they would bo able to borrow in the open market. Every pledge his party had madf would be given effect to. It was also his desire to carry out the reform of the Legislative Council. Defence was in a satisfactory position, and was working well. He would have an announcement to make later on regarding naval defence. The Arbitration Bill was a good measure, and an attempt was being made to promote industrial peace, which included the secret ballot. The subdivision of land was going on as quickly as possible. Exports had increased last year, and there was every prospect of a further substantial increase next year. A Bill was before the House to provide for the setting oi an Agricultural Board, and an Agricultural College was in view. The system of workers' homes would be. applied to rural districts as well as to town,*. He proposed to take direct taxation off tht necessities, and put them on to luxuries. The. speeches were followed by a social and dance-

THE WRECKED TYRONE. DUNKDIN, Sept. 29. No alteration has taken place in the position of the wrecked steamer Tyrone, but the prospects for the successful salvage of the vessel are brighter. The weather was good to-day and the sea calm. The vessel's position remained unchanged. During the day a party visited the steamer and Diver Miller, of Port Chalmers, went down ami made a the j ugh inspection, as a result of which hign hopes are entertained of getting the vessel off. The Union Company's tug Terawhiti is being .sent trom Wellington, and pumps are to be rigged on board. Much depends on the weather.

ANOTHER PARK FOR AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, Sept. 29. A gift of £9OOO has been made by Mr A. M. Myers, M.P., to the city for tiie purchase of land between Queen .Street and Grey Street, in die heart of the city for a nubiic paiK. ' The gift was accepted by the City Council to-night, and the action of the Mayor in acquiring nearly eight acres with the money was approved. It was decided that the ;new domain should be. called "Myers' Park." The special meeting of the' Council which accepted the gift was. enthusiastic about the project, cheers being given for Mr Myers. THE SUNNYSIDE INQUIRY.

CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 29. The Commission of Inquiry mto the treatment of certain patients at Sunnyside Mental Hospital resumed its sitting this morning, Mr V. G. Day, the Commissioner, presiding. ' .^ Dr Geo. Ramsbottom, assistant medical officer at Sunuyside, gave lengthy evidence in reply to complaints made. He said that the patient Tribe suffered from delusions of grandeur and of persecution. After a time the patient lost his delusions, but also lost his memory, and became dirty in his habits. He was extremely restless and interfered with other patients whom he held in contempt. It was reported to him that Tribe had received a black eye from a blow by a patient whom he had provoked. It was not possible to segregate Tribe. The injury was inflicted while the patients were in the airing court. Where there were 120 patients together black eyes were bound to occur in every mental hospital. Mrs Tribe approached' witness, and told him that one of her husband's feet was in a very bad condition, being .swollen and painful. The condition of the foot was not at all serious, and did not affect the patient's general health in the slightest. The leg was dressed with carbolic and afterwards boracic acid —the usual treatment in such cases. Mrs Tribe telegraphed an inquiry as to the condition of Tribe's foot on the Friday before Tribe's death, and witness replied that it was improving. On Sunday Tribe's physical condition was very low. Up to that time witness had no reason to suppose that Tribe was near death. In cases of mania there was emaciation and a depreciation of physical condition. On the Monday morning at 10 o'clock witness visited Tribe and; found him in a comatose condition. The modern method was to make mental hospitals more bright and attractive- with carpets in at least some of the rooms. There was carpet on. the floor of Tribe's room when Tribe died. A more comfortable and attractive room would not have done a man in Tribe's mental state the slightest good. There were 700 patients at the hospital, and that number was excessive for one man. The institute could be managed by a superintendent and two assistants. The clothes should fit better than they did, but the institution had to do the best it could with the material it had at hand. If the money were forthcoming the classification of patients could be greatly improved. The cottage system in Germany and America had been successful, and in New Zealand there were detached buildings at Sunnyside. The system was carried on on the female side. It would be-better if there were an artificial heating system at Sunnyside, but, owing to the construction of the buildinc, it was impossible to instal any In Srtnnyside last year 50 per cent, of the patients admitted had recovered. The Commissioner will vis-it Sunnysido to-morrow.

A FAIRLIE TRAGEDY. TIMARU, Sept. 29. A man named William Hall Anderson, who some time ago retired frcm hotel-keeping at Fairlie, and who previously had the Crown Hotel at Tim am, committed suicide at Fairlie on Sunday morning by shooting himself with a lcv'olver while in bwl. The medical evidence given, showed that deceased had been for some two years suffering from gastric and cardiac trouble, with evidence of the commencement of general paralysis and insanity. The jury found that death was due* to a wound selfinflicted while temporarily insane. The deceased was much respected ;n Fairlie.

HOSPITAL TRAININC SCHOOL. AUCKLAND, Sept. 29. I A proposed training school for hos-H pital nurses formed the subject of as special report which was presented by ! i the chairman of the Medical Committee j ■'Br J. C. Pabst) this morning to the; I Hospital Committee. The report especi- ' 1 ally set forth a cour.se of instruction • 1 and dealt with the question of reorgan-j 1 isation. The committee recommended | that permanent lecturers on various ; < subjects be appointed ;'that these be selected from the past and present visit- « ing staff; that a lecturer and another ; appointed by the Board act as examiners in each subject; that nurses for accredited private hospitals be allowed to attend on payment of fees; and that i arrangements be made whereby, for the prescri!)ed fees, nurses possessing the recognised general medical and surgical certificate might enter the hospital and attend special four-year groups, sit for examination, and, if successful, receive. the Board's special certificate. I

TRAM CONDUCTOR'S DEATH

WELLINGTON, Sept. 29

Dr McArthur, S.M., opened an in. quiry to-day into the circumstances of an accident by which Conductor Bree- [ den met his death through falling from j a tramcar on the Oriental Bay line, -j Motorman Hilder, in his evidence, j blamed the faulty construction of the i line at the curve for the accident j through causing the car to iolf or, "kick." | Mr R. W. Holmes (Chief Engineer of j the Public Works Department) said I that he passed the traok. Wlien it was first constructed it was properly laid, I and now appeared to have been well I maintained, sufficient to satisfy huh of- j ficially, and quite safe for a car driven ( at a reasonable speed. The inquiry was adjourned till Monday next.