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Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 110, 9 April 1926, Page 6

An outbreak of lire occurred at 1 p.in. yesterday in tlie Southland Coal Stores buildings at Bluff,, but it was suppressed before much damage was done. The Awapuni farm of the Palmerston North Hospital Board, it was reported to the anual meeting yesterday, showed a substantial prolit on last year’s working. The estimate in respect to its maintenance was £9OO, but actually only £746 4s 8d was required. Evidently the lot of an Auckland Rugby League referee is not always a happy one. “We get hooted, sworn at and cursed, not only by men, lilt by women,” said one of the referees at tho annual meoting of the Auckland Rugby League. The speaker then announced his intention of keeping on in the good work. Amongst the remits carried at tho annual conference of South Island Progress Leagues at Dunedin yesterday was tho following: “That the Government be requested to amend the Highways Act to enable tho Highways Board to take over all declared main highways and treat them as Government roads, raising a comprehensive loan for tho purpose, retaining all motor taxation —whether through Customs, or license fees, or tiro tax—and increasing these if necessary to provide interest and sinking fund for the loan.”

At the Magistrate's Court at Hokitika yesterday Herbert Goodsir, a recent arrival from-Central Otago, on two charges of illegally having possession of a total of 117 opossum skins trapped in the vicinity of Lake Kanieri, was convicted and fined £5 and costs on each charge. At tho annual meeting of tho Wellington Honorary Justices’ Association last night Messrs R. S. Abraham and J. H. Stevens were elected local deputies at Palmerston North, and Mr E. Goodbehere was appointed to a similar office at Feilding. Voluntary contributions to tho Palmerston North Hospital last year, it was reported at tlie annual meeting yesterday, amounted to £3lB 14s 6d (the estimate was £200). These receipts included donations from district nursing committees. Practically the whole of the Hospital Day Fund was expended for capital purposes. Tho esmate for patients’ fees last year was £6,500 and the amount actually collected was £7,404 19s sd. The estimate for the current financial year is £BOOO.

The following notice of motion by the Palmerston North branch was considered at tho annual meeting last night of the Wellington Honorary Justices’ Association: “That in the opinion of this meeting it is advisable that all justices’ associations, including the Federation of the Honorary Justices’ Association of Now Zealand, should bo incorporated under the Incorporated Societies’ Act, 1908.” It was resolved that tho matter should be held over until the next annual meeting. A Christchurch telegram states that Samuel Garrett, a fireman on tho steamer Crossbill, while stepping from the pier to tho vessel lost liis balance and fell into tho harbour, where lie floated face downwards until a seaman from H.M.S. Dunedin and another rescued him. Ho was then unconscious. He was resuscitated after spme time, removed to tho Dunedin’s sick bay, and later sent to hospital. In an appeal to sportsmen to make every, endeavour during tho coming shooting season to destroy hawks, tho Auckland Acclimatisation Society points out that one successful method employed of late is to kill a rabbit and. then place strychnine in cuts made on the body of the animal. The careaso should then be placed on a high post or treo trunk, and wlieif a hawk arrives on the scene tho banquet proves disastrous. A Dunedin Press Association message states that tho British Empire debaters, Messrs Molson, Nunn-May and Reed, took part last evening with three representatives of Otago University in debating tlie interesting subject, *Tliat woman has more than come into her own.” No judging was done or vote taken, hut tho visitors made a very favourable impression on the largo audience with their choice of diction and polished wit. Consequent upon the visit to Palmerston North of Dr. MacEachern, of America, stated the chairman of the Palmerston North Hos«Kal Board (Sir James Wilson) at the annual meeting yesterday, it was probable that many people who hitherto had taken little interest in tho public hospital, and who had hoped that they would never have to go there, would now be the more ready to use it and would evince a livelier interest in tho institution. Provision was being made for extended accommodation, for at times during tlie past year the whole of that available had been requisitioned.

Tho heavy traffic motor fees received in Wellington for tho year ended March 31 amounted to £13,290 15s. When tho amount received in Hutt road fees for the year (£10,761 19s 4d) is added to tlie above it will be seen that the amount subscribed by the motor-owning community of Wellington and suburbs amounts to at least £24,052 14s 4d. When the suburbs are taken into consideration the amount will be considerably in excess of that sum as Petoue, Hutt, Upper Hutt, Jolinsonville and Eastbourne “local bodies are registering authorities for the purpose of collecting fees on heavy traffic vehicles. “One of the most highly-valued of the resolutions of appreciation of my work as Minister of .education is that which I have received from the New Zealand Institute of Teachers,” said Sir James Parr this week at a valedictory function and presentation at New Lynn public school, Auckland. The speaker expressed pleasure that the status and salaries of teachers had been been considerably improved during liis term at the head of the Education Department. Salaries, he said, had improved by about 70 per cent. “The charitable aid expenditure has been heavy during the past year and the present indications are that employment is going to bo scarce this winter,” stated a clause of tho annual report of tho secretary of the Palmerston North Hospital Board presented at the meeting yesterday. The estimate for outdoor eharitablo aid last year, the report Hated, was £2500, while actual payments totalled £2623 2s 7d. The estimate for 1926-27 is £2600.

A charge of negligently driving a motor car in Remuera road on . tho evening of April 1, and thereby causing the death of Robert Thomas Dagg, was made against Andrew Donald in the Magistrate’s Court at Auckland yesterday. The accused was also charged with driving at an exccssivo speed. One witness estimated the speed of tho car at not less than 35 miles per hour, while tho estimate of another witness was 30 miles per hour. The hearing was adjourned until Wednesday next. A unique exhibit which will shortly appear among tho curios of the Wanganui Museum (states the Chronicle) is an enormous eel, which was recently captured up the Wanganui river by a Maori. The tuna is sft Sin in length. When taken from the water the) fish weighed just on 221 b. To capture it the Maoris enticed tho monster with a piece of meat and drove a crowbar home when near the bank. Although eels of greater length have been captured in New Zealand, this latest local product is outstanding on account of its unusual type and measurements. A substantial increase in its contributions towards district musing was a matter disclosed in the secretary’s report placed before the annual meeting of the Palmerston North Hospital Board yesterday afternoon. The estimate under this heading last year was £4OO, while actual payments totalled £555 15s 3d. A sum of £OOO has been placed on this year’s estimates, providing I'or three district nurses—one each at Palmerston North, Feilding and Mangaliao. There are, however, certain donations and isubhcripitions which offset the greater part of expenditure on this item. There are simple methods of sight testing commonly used* and ina-do use of by men otherwise unqualified to test the sight; but a proper test of tho sight involves severul scientific tests that can only bo made by one well qualified to do it and experienced in the work. Samuel Barry, of Auckland, the leading optical specialist of New Zealand, will be in Palmerston North from April 13th to 16th and may be consulted at the rooms of Barry and Freeman, Lld._ tho Square. Phono 6044. Advt.