LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15513, 21 January 1914, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

Further evidence that those addicted to the pursuit of kingfish can obtain good sport near Auckland' was obtained last week by a party consisting of Mr. H. E. Partridge and Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Partridge- The spot chosen for fishing was in the vicinity jf Canoe Rock, off Kawau Island, aDd the kingfish were found in very large numbers. "There were literally acres of the fish; I have never seen such droves of fish before," says Mr. H. H. Partridge, in recounting his experiences. "The gulf is teeming with fish'of all kinds at the present time, and fishermen in search of sport need not be in any fear of being disappointed." Two small boys were caught a few days ago stealing money from a penny-in-the-slot machine. They did damage to the extent of 2s 6d to the machine while extracting 10 pennies. When they were brought before the Juvenile Court yesterday, Mr. F. V. Frazer. S.M., severely lectured their father, who was shown to have neglected bis wife and family. While sympathising with the boys' mother, who pleaded hard to be allowed to keep her children, the magistrate pointed out that it would be in the boys' best interests to have them committed to the Weraroa training farm. This was accordingly done, and the father was ordered to pay 3s a week towards the support of each of the two boys.

A . circular referring to the question of a uniform scale of nurses' salaries was received by the Hospital Board last night from the Inspector-General of Hospitals(Dr. T. H. A. Valintine). The circular stated that inquiries having brought to light the diversity of pay for similar positions in hospitals, it had been suggested that the Department should draw up a fixed scale of payment for nurses on hospital staffs, which could -be adopted by hospital boards • and rivalry and unrest among nurses could thereby be avoided. It would no doubt be advisable to have some uniform scales for hospitals of different .sizes, but there were many factors to be taken into consideration besides the number of daily occupied beds. These factors were mentioned in detail, and they. dealt with . the responsibilities of matrons, location of hospitals, and classes of work done in the different hospitals. Dr. Valintine said he did not think that it would be possible to have any uniform system of payment for the nursing staffs of hospitals unless all were under one control, and. promotion could be made from one position to another. Even then when vacancies occurred in the higher position, length of good service would necessitate disorganising the system. Members commented upon the fact that no concrete suggestions were contained in the circular, and it was decided to refer it to the Hospital Committee for consideration.

" There are certain Court fees that Mr. H. G. H. Ralfe, • ex-clerk of the court at Auckland, has had to pay out of his own pocket," remarked Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., yesterday. Mr. • Kettle went on to say that this had been caused by certain solicitors—he believed it was confined to two members of -the profession

to meet their liabilities. '-. He understood that the matter would probably be brought before the Law Society.

The location, of a sanitary depot is still causing much trouble .to the officers of the Public Health Department. Following on the agitation against the «6tablishment. of the depot in the Point Chevalier district, a site was secured at Avondale. This site was considered to be in an-ideal position, for it. is said that there. is not a house within a mile of the depot. The residents, however, were angry when they discovered that deposits had been made on Monday morning, and there are rumours of. indignation meetings and protests to the Government. The public health officers- stated yesterday that the site was the best available. It was only .to be used as a temporary depot, but no idea, could be given regarding the time it would remain open.

People with superstitious leanings concerning, the number 13 would have considered their belief -justified had they listened to a case that came before the magistrate yesterday. The case dealt with a claim for £25 for damages arising from the running over of a dog by a motor-car. The incident occurred on November 13"in the year 1913, the car number was A 1313. the dog's registered number was 13, and the summons was issued on January 13: The magistrate reserved Lis decision, and rthe question that occurred to one of the connsel employed in the case was'whether the judgment would add any further thirteens to the already long.list.

All the members of the Cabinet will be in Wellington to-day, except the Minister for Internal Affairs (Hon. H. D. Bell), who will leave Auckland this morning for Rotorua. Meetings of the Cabinet will be held to-day, and probably to-morrow, to deal with ..a number of important subjects which are awaiting the consideration of the Government It is expected that the appointment of two judges of the Supreme Court will be considered.

The new baths which the City Council is erecting on the foreshore at Parneli will probably be completed some time next month. Work on the construction has been retarded, partly by the recent strike and partly by the comparative infreqnency of spring tides, which are necessary for the carrying out of certain portions of the undertaking. In the meantime the excavation work in connection with the new baths to be erected at the foot of Hobson Street is progressing at a satisfactory rate.

The party of 12 boys from the native j school at Te Kao. who walked a distance '' of over 300 miles to Auckland in order to see the Exhibition and the sighte of the city, returned to their homes in the far away north by the Northern Company's steamer Aupouri yesterday. The boys' master, Mr. Joseph Banks, who accompanied them on their long journey, did ' not go back with them, having left for Wellington on Monday night. The lads arrived in the city on January 3, and have had a very enjoyable hol.'day. They returned in charge of the father of one of the party. The only incident to mar the otherwise pleasant voyage of the passengers who came out from Liverpool by the FederalShire liner Ayrshire, which arrived at Auckland yesterday morning, was the death of the assistant cook, a middle-aged man named Chas. Bristles. The death occurred on January 1, when the vessel was within a few days' steam of Hobart. Bristles had been ailing for some days. He came from Liverpool. The body was buried at sea. Another entry of a house by burglars is wW^ 18 time from Ponsonbv Whilst the occupants of a house near tfie Ponsonby Wharf were absent from home a few days ago, the house was broken into but nothing was taken. The burglars, it is presumed, were in quest of money, but j none had been left on the premises. '

I Probably the most-ta!ked-of subject & ; Auckland at the beginning of the present--'. i week was the first flight of the Dominion' : aeroplane. in New Zealand. The Arcs.''--'. land Weekly News, which is issued this'" morning, contains striking illustrations of) '■ the machine travelling rapidly, and ."Ijgflf pilot, Lieutenant J. J. Hammond, standinV beside it immediately before its successful - trial. Considerable space is devoted to tl|3| entertainments provided by the people of Westland to mark the jubilee of their dis- ; 1 trict. These celebrations attracted visitors ' from all parts of New Zealand, including ~i numbers of the pioneers of Westland. Xhs' I Governor and suite, with a Parliamentary "■ party, were also in attendance. A Yarietv'"-'- , of snapshots taken on several of Auck- 8 lands most favoured beaches depict in --',-] live manner a pastime which is becoaiu, increasingly popular as the hot weather *'■ advances. Other pages of the edition in. - elude pictures of regatta day at Horeke % a settlement in the Far North; New Zea- ''■■ land Presbyterian Bible-classes in confer ence at Wanganui; scenes in Java- V humorous yachting study; timber .and timber-workers; a portion of the PanamaPacific Exposition buildings in San Fran. : cisco; a big bush fire at Piri r i- „ :: destructive fire at Pet one; last Saturday's race to Kawau by yachts of tha % Devonport Club; incidents at the Exhibi- ! tion sports; fireworks at the Exhibition".: ■ portraits and other illustrations of equal: I interest. -it I -*m , As a recognition of the services by the Devonport Fire Brigade on 'the " occasion of the recent fire at Stanley Point Mr. John Alexander, whose housed was destroyed, has forwarded £10 to tie P Borough Council, asking that a bum of" £2 be handed to the horse-reel driver, and i that the remainder of the donation be dis- 1 tributed by the superintendent amongst -v the members of the brigade. Mr. Alexan- \ der, in his letter, referred to the lack of ' adequate fire-fighting appliances, and he ; suggested that the council should obtain; an up-to-date motor engine. It was re-1 solved, on the motion of the Mayor (Mr. W. Handle}'), that Mr. Alexander hi | . thanked, and that the donation be dis--. i tributed in the manner suggested. 9| i M J ' The Devonport electric lighting scheme 1 ! was the subject of some discussion at last 1 night's meeting of the Borough Council '■?. Some time ago the council wrote to ths 1 I Public Works Department asking for a ] copy of a plan of the scheme, but a letter I read from the Department last night 1 i stated that the only plan that it had" re- i I ceived was a blue print of the borough i I showing the streets and routes of the elec-'- p i trie lines, and that it was not in a r-,.. ! tion to supply the council with a copy {jS ; the said plan. Several of the council] | spoke in strong terms regarding tie J absence of a plan. The Mayor (Mr. W. m Handley) said that the fact that a plan had not be placed before the council by ; Mr. Davis (the representative of the ra- ; dicate that has the matter in hand) was .- probably due to an oversight.. He pointed : - | out that Mr. A. Wylie was acting as raffs I council's adviser in the matter, and that 1 : its interests would be safe in his haHe moved that the matter be referred to I the council's solicitors with a request -to . ; expedite matters, and to obtain all news-1 sary information from Mr. Davis. This 1 motion was carried. The. condition of the trout in the lakes I I at Rotorua. and Taupo is a subject that is i engaging the attention of the Eotorua Bvl and Gun' Club. The Minister for Internal; Affairs (the Hon. H. D.. Bell), who leaves j for Eotorua to-day,, will receive a deputa«-J. tion on the matte? from the club, in order;* that they may place suggestions before him. In all prot ability a definite settled ment of the : problem of how'to bring I about an improvement in the condition of : | the fish will he delayed, pending the arrival, early in: the ,winter', of Mr. Prince,l j the Canadian Fisheries,. Commissioner, who, I is coming over to inspect the -New- Zealand i j fisheries, and advise the Government upon-1 them. The method at present in vogue t»;, eradicate or thin out diseased trout is to ? bar the stream, and prevent them'from?, going up to spawn, and also to catch asj many of the diseased fish as possible, ard - destroy them. ? The question for decision! is whether this method can be improved upon, rod whether a better method of; providing the trout with food can be de-1 vised. •, ■. -r / ; -Js|i :'' " ' ' ::3|fil Plans for a ward for delirium tremens cases were placed before the Hospital , Board ' last night. They provided for a ; I building containing four rooms, each 10ft 9in square, in which patients could be • treated. There would also be an attei 1ant's room, and proper sanitary appoint— ments. As the Government has undertaken;-' to defray the cost of the erection ".ofl delirium tremens wards in each of tha-; four centres, the plans*have* to bo warded to Wellington for approval. Mr. J. M. Mennie (chairman of the board) ex-1 plained that the building would be erected in the hospital grounds, but would f|§ detached from the main buildings. The furnishing of the two new operating theatres .at the hospital formed the subjws ■:; of a report presented to the Hospital Board i last night by the medical superintendent I (Dr. Maguire). He suggested that only--one of the new theatres be fitted up frail the present, and he estimated that the cost X would be about £200. This seemed a colli siderable sum. but was accounted for by | the fact that the furniture had to be aseprl j tic, -, and was made of enamelled steel audi j plate glass. Mr. P. J. Nerheny though!* it would be wiser to order the furniture for I both theatres simultaneously, and it was? decided that this course should be foP3 lowed. ■•"■-!§ : - *■" -*iM The students of the Mount Eden Col-1 legiate School have subscribed a sum of I £10 10s for the purpose of providing a coi| m the children's ward at the hospital. Ths ;; cot is to be called the " Mount Eden Cot ' legiate School Cot." A cheque for the amount was received by the Hospital Board last night from Miss Bewes (princi- ' pa of the school), and it was decided to ; extend the hearty thanks, of the board fori , toe donation. •Jf The surface of Parb Road and thl Domain Drive is suffering from the large 1 volume of traffic passing to and from the! Exhibition. Although on the whole the! surface is wearing well, several portions of I the roadway are in need of repairs. There f is a bad patch in Park Road close to 1 Grafton Bridge, nd the heavy 'buses have"! ploughed up quite a furrow in the portTanS of Domain Drive skirting the cricket;! ground. As might be expected, the road-1 1 way outside the main entrance to the! Exhibition shows signs of hard wear, and; several holes are appearing. ■ A letter has been received by the Mavofg . of Auckland (Mr. C. J. arT from "the '" Lord Mayor of Sydney, suggesting that:, the Royal Artillery Band should be serial to Australia to give concerts. Air. Parr ■ » forwarding the letter to Mr. George, Elliot (president of the Exhibition), but? the Exhibition authorities have already decided that the band was sent to Nswf Zealand as a compliment to the people of 1 , this Dominion, and that, they have noS authority to send it to Australia. Thtfl decision cannot now be reconsidered. ' |