GENERAL ITEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 7 June 1938, Page 6

GENERAL ITEMS

Pneumonia Common Though it has not reached at all large proportions a form of pneumonia lias become fairly common in Christchurch in the last few weeks, and several persons have been admitted to hospital (stales “The Press’’). Dr. T. 1- letcher Telford, Medical Officer of Health, raid that the complaint was one popularly known as inflammation or congestion of the lungs. Long Bicycle Hide. in order to attend a reunion of South j African war veterans in Auckland on Saturday' evening. Mr John Holmes, aged 73, arrived in the city after travelling the 100 miles from his home at Cambridge by bicycle, states the "New Zealand Herald.’ Mr Holmes. who has had considerable military experience both in South Africa and in New Zealand is active and well and intends j travelling home by the same means as | he came.

Lucky Dog'. The dogs belonging to farmers and stock agents arc usually perched in lather precarious positions on the run-ning-boards of cars, but some men have gone to considerable trouble to provide suitable accommodation, in the nature of boxes on the sides, to protect the dog from a certain amount of wind. However (says the Christchurch "Star-Sun") one man has decided that his dog deserves as much consideration as his fellow passengers, and has , built a streamlined box. extending up ! the front mudguard of his car. In this ! the dog is provided with a small winj dow in the front, protecting him from j the weather and dust. I Atkinson Observatory. ! The Atkinson Observatory will be | open to the public from 7.30 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday if the sky is reasonably | clear Animal and Bird Pests. ! The action of the Government in removing the statutory protection of stoats, weasels, and ferrets was the subject of comment by the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Kon. W. E. Parry). All three animals, he said, had been imported into New Zealand years ago to check the rabbit menace, but they themselves had developed into pests and were responsible for a heavy toll on the native and game birds of the Dominion. Heavy losses were al.se caused by hawks, and every justification existed for their extermination City Names for Warships. The fact that the Mayor, Sir Ernest Davis, had been instrumental in having one of the new escort vessels named H.M.S. Auckland was mentioned by Rear-Admiral the Hon. E. R. Drummond at the civic farewell tendered tc him in Auckland, states the "New Zealand Herald.” "This new ship will be coming out to the New Zealand Station in due course,” Rear-Admiral Drummond continued, “so that we will have both an Auckland and a Wellington. I feel sure that the spirit of rivalry between the two cities will transmit itself to the two ships.”

Economic Conditions. Referring to economic condition elsewhere in his address last night, th Hon. Adam Hamilton said: —“Mr Sav age. in making his claims that his Gov eminent caused the present prosperity omits to say two things. Firstly, h omits to say that, under an administra tion in Australia which is largely alon the lines of the National Party’s pol icy for New Zealand, there is an eve: better state of prosperity than in Ne\ Zealand, and this is proved by the ab sence of Unemployment there. Second ly, he forgot to tell the people of Ne\ Zealand that in America, where th government has tried to borrow am spend its way back to prosperity, the, are already in a serious slump, wit: hundreds of thousands of men out o work. If we are not careful, that i where New Zealand is heading for. am we should be prepared to learn fror the experiences of other countries, i we are to avoid the pitfalls into whic they have fallen. We have ourselve learned much from the last depressior and we will most certainly apply thos lessons in dealing with any future re cession of world prices and worl trade.” Oil Prospecting. The Taranaki Chamber of Commerc has expressed concern that Gisborn appeared to be obtaining preference i the active steps for oil prospectinj This point was put by the Hon. Jame McLeod and Mr S. G. Smith, M.P to the Minister of Mines, the Hon. I C. Webb (reports the "Herald”). M Webb has given an assurance tha there was no reason for concern, be cause Taranaki, particularly norther Taranaki, will be thoroughly explore by highly qualified experts and a gee logical party is on its way to the Dc minion. "It is true,” added the Minis ter, "that the actual drilling will com mence in te first instance in the Gis borne district. The reason for this i that the investigations in the Gisborn area have been more thorough than i Taranaki. The same type, of invest! gation must be carried out in Taranal) before prospecting companies will ir cur the heavy expense in drilling.” Price or Oranges. “Mr Nash was loud in his complair concerning the price of fruit, and stal ed that he had oranges that cost Is 9 for six, and now they can be bough at eight for Is.” said the leader of th National Party in his broadcast aci dress last night.” Perhaps the Minis ter is unaware that heavy losses hav been made since his own Governmer —his own Department—took over cor trol of Cook Island oranges. Only aboi a month ago. some thousands of case of oranges had to be dumped at se m Auckland. This particular shipmer was packed under Government supei vision; they were taken over by th Government at the Islands, and ther | was no obligation to accept them ur less they were in prime condition, bu on arrival at Auckland, about ever : fourth case of nearly 25,000 cases wa , reported to be unfit for human cor sumption. Packing cases, labour cost freight, lighterage, wharfage* and a handling charges have to be paid, i addition to the value of the rotte : fruit, which the Government has a] i ready paid for at the same price as th i sound fruit. Such a state of affairs i , to be deeply deplored. In addition t , all this, there is grave disconter ’ | amongst the Cook Island natives, wh are extremely dissatisfied over th Government’s policy of socialising th distribution of their fruit, to such a extent that a few weeks ago the struck, and refused to cut fruit be cause of the extremely unsatisfactor prices the Government was offerini Regimentation, socialisation and diets torial methods, have certainly nc . worked in the Cook Islands."