LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17012, 20 November 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Advertisers are requested, during the period of the prevailing epidemic, to send in advertisement copy for the Hebald m early as possible, preferably before noon each day: To minimise telephone call*, the copy should be delivered in writing to the office. :.

The epidemic is causing a marked diminution in the. volume of passenger traffic on the railways. Few people travelled by last night's Main Trunk express, and there were over 60 seats vacant in the first-class section alone. The only car well filled was that reserved for ladies.

Testimony to the attentive treatment of soldiers sick in the Featherston camp is borne by an Auckland lady who has just returned from a visit to her son, who is among the afflicted men. The visitor, who has had considerable nursing experience, states that there are only about half a dozen nurses at the camp, but that the patients are receiving satisfactory attention from the male orderlies, who discharge their duties with commendable skill and zeal. The patients, it also is stated, are provided with all necessary comforts and delicacies.

Approximately 10,000 reservists' appeals and rehearings have been dealt with by the First Auckland Military Service Board during its term of office. About 6000 cases have been heard by the Secpnd Military Service Board.

The shortage of shearere in some of the Auckland country district* has given rise to concern, especially in view of the dry weather, which has a tendency to increase tha proportion of seedy wool. Information accordingly has been sought regarding the rolease of shearers now in camp. The Minister for Defence has replied that shearers and other men required for country work will be released from camp, subject to physical fitness, on applications being made by nominal employers, who must specify by name each man required. Owing to the epidemio only men with a clean bill of health will be released.

The cases of infectious diseases occurring in the Auckland health district during October, which were notified to the district health officer, Dr. T. J. Hughes, include 42 cases of diphtheria, of which 10 were in the .city, and the remainder in the suburbs'and country. There were 28 cases of tuberculosis, of which six were in the city, 10 in the suburbs, and 12 in the country. Enteric fever patients numbered 12, the country being responsible for eight, and the city and suburbs for two each. There were nine cases of scarlet fever, one being in the city, four in the suburbs, and four in the country- Six cases of cerebro-epinal-moningitis were reported, two being in the city and four in the country. The city and country districts each supplied one case of puerperal septicaemia and one of erysipelas. There was one country case of trachoma. Since the end of October influenza has been made a notifiable disease.

A married native woman. Elizabeth Povey, also known as Ritihil Tiatia Poata Uruaroo, of Parkhurst, near Helensville, has been adjudicated a bankrupt. Tho epoch-marking events on land and sea of the great war are fittingly illustrated in to-day's special issue o| the Auckland Weekly News, which is . a valuable historical souvenir of the most colossal conflict the world has witnessed. The frontispiece of the Issue is devoted to portraits of the King and the duel rulers and political leaders of tie Allies, ■while other special pages of portrait* are those of the army leaders of the Allies and Britain's naval leaders. The place of honour among the army leaders is occupied by a fine picture of Marshal Foch, while a characteristic portrait of Admiral Sir David Beatty is the central one among the naval leaders. Historic events commemorated by striking pictures include the official ontry of German troops Into Brussels, the destruction of Louvain. the sinking of the Lusitania the British entry into Jerusalem, the departure of 1 New Zealand's first contingent from Wellington, the' British victory on the Sons me, and a specially appropriate naval i cartoon on the Battle of Jutland. Other pictures dealing with leading features of the great war include the German fleet at Kiel, Taubes and Zeppelins over England, and a portrait of Nurse Cavell. New Zealand s part in the war will be dealt with in a second war number'to be issued next week, when the effort of the Dominion in the cause of Freedom will be specially illustrated by a fine collection of historical war pictures of unique and abiding interest to all New Zealanders.

The employment of returned soldiers in the Civil Service is mentioned in the annual report of the Public Service Commissioners. The commissioners decided early in 1915 that preferential consideration should be given to returned soldiers for any vacancies in the service for which they were considered suitable, The Discharged Soldiers' and Information Department is working in close 00-operation with the commissioners, and oven effort is being made to carry out the decision. The report says that in order to facilitate the employment of discharged soldiers the commissioner has* been empowered by regulation to dispense with the former conditions in regard to age, etc.

The question of superannuation in respect to the employment of returned soldiers is referred to in the annual report of the Civil Service Commissioners. The report states that difficulty still exists about the permanent employment of returned soldiers, As stated in the previous annual report, the commissioners, while not desiring to insist on too strict a medical certificate, cannot make any regulation in view of possible unforeseen changes in the Superannuation Fund. If the matter could be settled by subsidising the fund many of the temporary employees could be placed on a permanent footing. A consignment of blue cod from the Chatham Islands has been requisitioned at Wellington by the Government. The fish will be disposed of to the public without the intervention of the middleman.

An anomaly in the Hospitals Act has been revealed. A young woman, 19 years of age, recently became a patient of a Wairarapa hospital. The charge for her maintenance amounted to £59 7s. She was without funds, but a claim was made against her father. .The father has repudiated all liability, and the board, having consulted its solicitor, has discovered that under the Destitute Persons Act a demand can only be made upon the parent of a child under 16 years of age. Representations are to be made on the matter to the Minister for Public Health.

The season has been a record one for the hauls of crayfish made at Opunake. It is stated that "the crayfish climbed the piers of the jetty, and were knocked by sticks into boats.

Referring to the impossibility of securing girls in sufficient numbers to meet the demands for domestic workers, the annual report of the Labour Department state*: "The war has, of course, accentuated the difficulty, but the problem is sure to remain after the war is over. A suggestion by way of solution is the establishment of communal kitchens in some of the chief centres of the Dominion, which would, if some enterprising people would take the matter up, certainly prove advantageous to many classes of the community, as lias been recently. shown by the institution of communal kitchens in England, as well as in other countries. The total cost of a general servant, which is £1 10s a week, or more, including her board and lodging, would pay 8 per cent, on £1000, so that if a number of householders residing in one neighbourhood were to combine in such an undertaking by taking up a few shares each the, expenditure of the few pounds involved would soon repay the outlay. In these kitchens, too, a proper training in the art of cooking could be acquired."

The prevailing epidemic is responsible fi'i- ; the death?,- within n few days, of a member of the AJauukau County Council and two employees of the council:.: The member is Mr. A. Muir, of Papakura, and the employees Mr, C. Dickson, the county engineer, and Mr.' E. Marshall, the foreman of works at Mangere.