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Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7241, 22 August 1933, Page 6

Mr. E. McGregor, of Ohhigaiti, is the speaker at the Citizens’ Lunch Club today. His subject is, "Has the Empire forgotten how to build?" Mr. W. A. Waters is chairman.

Ten cases of diphtheria were admitted to tlio Palmerston North Hospital during July and at the end of that month there were remaining in isolation 11 cases of diphtheria and one of scarlet fever.

Patients admitted to the Palmerston North Hospital during July numbered 225, while 220 had been discharged and 13 had died. There were 190 beds occupied at the end of tho month. The daily average number of occupied beds was 199.54 for the month.

At the Waitaki hydro works on Sunday a three months’ old child, Ivan Curriu, tho son of Mr. and Mrs. Ivan James Currin, was found dead in'his mother’s bed at 9 a.ra. Death was evidently due to suffocation. Tho child had been taken out of a perambulator and placed in his mother’s bed.

Walter John Basiovillo was sentenced at Auckland yesterday to six months’ hard- labour for stealing £230 17s worth of benzine from tho Public Works Department. "Why you did it 1 do not know, and what you have dono with the proceeds 1 do not know," said Mr. Justice Herdman, who added that, until this offence, prisoner appeared to have had a good record.

Compared with July, 1932, 142 fewer passengers were carried on the Palmerston North Municipal buses last month. The decrease in revenue was £4 Os Sd. Tho chairman of the transit committee of the council (Cr. W. B. Cameron) and the traffic manager (Mr. H. J. Smith) have been asked to report on the different runs which are producing very little revenue, with a view to reducing running costs. Bending down to pick up a string of beads which had fallen on tho bedroom floor, a schoolgirl in an Auckland suburb on Saturday afternoon saw a man’s hand projecting from under the bed. Sho screamed and her brother, after a chase, caught the man and handed him over to a constable. The man said he "wanted a feed.” Yesterday William Joseph Gee, aged 27, a cook, was remanded on two charges.

The report of the social welfare officer (Mr W. H. J. Watson) submitted to the Palmerston North Hospital Board yesterday revealed that 57G rations to 75 cases had been issued in July, as compared with 37(5 rations to G 1 cases in July, 1932. Included in last month’s figures were 345 rations to 43 cases in Palmerston North city. Charitable relief accounts for July totalled £2OB 5s 4d. Mr R. L. C. Aitchison drew tho board’s attention to the increase in the number of cases from Palmerston North city, as well as the large increase over last year’s figures.

The matter of glaring Headlights on motor cars came before the Palmorston North City Council again last night when it was decided that, notwithstanding the evidence placed beforo the council by the deputation representing the Manawatu Automobile Association, the council is still of the opinion that the regulations aro not stringent enough to enable it to succeed in obtaining a conviction, and that the Motor Union should approach the department that framed the regulations requesting that the same should be more clearly defined.

“What is a vitamin?” was a question Professor B. E. Murphy put to a witness who had told the Tariff Commission at Auckland a good deal about the importance of foods and medical preparations containing vitamins A and D (states the New Zealand Herald). The witness admitted ho could not say exactly, but scientists and the medical profession were agreed that vitamins existed and that they wero essential to the welfare of human beings. He had read that an American scientist had produced one of them, synthetically. “I am almost driven to concludo that vitamins are a iigment of the imagination,” rejoined Professor Murphy. “1 put tho same question to a professor of biology as I have to you, and the answer ho gave me was just about as intelligible as yours.” A faithful disciple of chiropractics is Mr P. J. Ryder, of To Horo, a member of the Palmerston North Hospital Board. Over a period of many years he has pleaded with the board the ease of that particular science, urging that tho board should tako the initial steps in getting the necessary legislation passed to enable chiropractors to have access to public hospitals in New Zealand. Yesterday ho renewed his request, again quoting numerous cases of recoveries to health after medical men had tried in vain. Ho said that onco the science was accepted in hospitals, it would swoop the country like a tidal wave—ho had that much confidence in it. The board, however, could not sec that it was its function to move as requested. Mr Ryder’s only avenue would bo through a Bill introduced by a privato member of the House.

Possibly no professional men are concerned with by-laws more than architects, states the Auckland Chamber of Commerce Journal. Within a radius of 14 miles of the Auckland Post Office there are at least 14 separate local bodies with 14 sots of building by-laws, all different. In the city the minimum height of stud in a residence is Bft., which is in accordance with the Health Department's regulations. Across the street in another borough, the minimum height is 9ft.; a short distance away it is 9ft. 6in.; and across tno boundary it is 10ft. Each inch adds additional cost to the building. Plumbing by-laws vary considerably as well as classes of timber permitted to bo used. In addition to local by-laws the Municipal Corporations Act and Town Planning Act have a distinct bearing on buildings; the Labour Department, fire underwriters, Public Works Departments, dangerous goods inspector, scaffolding, plumbing, drainage and power board inspectors all have to bo consulted. In one particular building quoted no fewer than 10 by-laws and regulations had to be reckoned with, and tho approval of 10 inspectors obtained before it was advisable to proceed with working plans.