LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18300, 17 January 1923, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The necessity for "a "half-way house," where paticntr suffering from delirium tremens and those afflicted, with seniic decay might he accommodated and cared for, is recognised by . the, Director-General of Hospitals. Dr. T. H. A. Valintine. In a letter received by thfc Auckland, Hospital Board last evening, he asked 'for information, as to the number of patients passing through the boards hands who .would bo suitable for such an institution. The chairman, Mr. W. Wallace, said there could be ho doubt there were several cases in the mental hospital which would be better in a "half-way house. Cases also , went to the hospital and to the Costley Home. The board had no power to restrain or control these persons or to prevent them leaving the institutions, but they should be '.under suitable control without being compelled to mix with . patients of unsound mind. It was agreed to ask the superintendents of the* hospital and the Costley Heme to. report jointly upon the matter.

Tlie usefulness of the seaplane was iigairi shown yesterday, when a doctor, •who was urgently required at Waiheke ; Island, travelled there by that means, His | patient was a little child, into whose leg a fish hook had entered. The seaplane left Kohimarama at 1.40 p.m., am' reached Cowtis 8r,7 at 2 p.m., the distance of 23 miles being thus, travelled at the rate of a little over a mile a minute. The return journey was made at about the same speed.

' Civil sittings were resumed at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, after the Christmas and New Year vacation. A heavy list of cases was set down for hearing, and during part of the day four magistrates were engaged.

A special responsibility that is cast upon .teachers mi native schools, but wh.'ch i.-. not.c?.vfavs, fully appreciated, was referred to by the president of '.he .Native School Teachers." 'Association, Mr. O. T. MeFarlane, at the opening of the association's, annual conference- yesterday. Native school teachers, he said, were charged with a duty beyond that of the teacher of the ordinary hoard school. The regulations ynl'rk'g -to native schools contained '■Us hiy>\v/fi£ ". It is not intended that the if-- • >;<•« >v>f ,:(■<; teacher shall .be fired fn»re iv './--utruction oi '-"s Maori childi'v Or- the ;••• •. ill's,ry, it is erfpccl'ftd that. tl. ,?;a hers .dl by their diiigevi ?e, t*'»ir '-kiij. in.'-! ■ at, - their probity exert.-ie {» .i.ienefic' ~! ilfluence ft'n tJi# -.atives living near them. .„nd that i|'.'ey will ondea ••• > uv to give the Maoris of the district such culture as may fit them to become good citiens.'No teacher who neglects this most important, feature of his work wit' be regarded by the department as satinfactoiily fulfilling his duty."

The commission, consisting of Messrs. C. Nees and F. L. Murray, which is investigating soldier settlements and farms in Marlborough, has now been .at work for three weeks or so, and expects to conclude its duties about the .end of next month. The task, said Mr. Murray, had developed into a much more formidable one than anticipated when . the commis-' sioners accepted the appointment. The work was most interesting, and the facts revealed were nothing short of amazing. Naturally, said Mr. Murray, he c&uld giv» no indication as to-the nature of their report, which, by the way. was to be submitted to the authorities by February 28. The commission would have to apply for an extension of tmie, as the farms at Ward, Kaikoura, Waihopai, and the Sounds had yet to be visited.

A Christchurch boy named Hill, aboil--, fourteen years of age, found himself iin a predicament at Browning's Beach, Lyttelton. After climbing for about 20ft. up a steep cliff, he was unable to ascend further; nor could be • get do !. His cries for help attracted t;.e attrition of two fishermen in. a boat, and they lost no time in 'pulling- ashore. They, just managed to reach the hoy in the nick of time, as he had clung on uiitil he was quite- exhausted.

Favoured by the rain expeiv xed throughout the season, feed is very plentiful in the Waipukiis'att district. Not for many year 3 has Users been such an abundance of feed. Ofts are rapidly ripening, and already t!;e mowing machine is in requisition.

The members of the Tararua Tramping Club have a- high opinion of the guides at the Mount. Cook Hermitage. These men arc very fit- arid,can carry heavy weights. In addition to being of great assistance to : the people climbing the mountains, they are called upon to perform many extra duties, from ministering to a climber who lias a touch of the sun, to mending boots or clothes. In fact they are at some time or other called upon to do almost everything that falls to the housewife, nurse, blacksmith, etc. They are able to provide at the distant huts and camps most appetising and varied meals, and perhaps of all their attributes this is the one most appreciated.

With the work of dismantling the Dominion Industrial exhibition at Christchurch, which was vigorously begun on Monday, work started immediately on the preparatory operations relating to the erection of the Bridge of Remembrance, the war memorial, which is to span the Avon at Cashel Street. This work will be pushed on with all possible expedition.

A Gishornc visitor to Palmerston North says the Poverty Bay centre ,is txie most isolated in New Zealand. Access or egress by sea or land is very restricted, consequently local enterprise is apt to bo experimental, and to favour innovation which may or may not sceni successful. 'For instance," ho said, "we were the firs't and so far the only people in this Dominion to use storage batteries in our tramcars, to own an ocean liner for meat export, or to impose an annual . charge upon bicycles."

There is something in the saying, "It's better to be born lucky ■fthanrich," judging from the experiences of a resident, of Brydone, Southland. Some 12 months ago he lost a pocket book at Mat-aura containing over £100, and fortunately for him two ladies picked it up and handed it over to the police. Naturally, the owner of the book was pleased to receive the money, and ho rewarded the ladies for their honesty. The other day the old man lost his book again with a sum of £53 in it, and again another honest individual found it and handed it to the police. The young man who picked up the book was rewarded for his honesty, and it was a pleased old man who received his money again.

At- present many of the rangers of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society are out shooting deer where complaints have been made to the effect that the animals are • trespassing on sumo of the farms and devastating the crops.' Shooting is the only cure for this, though the old way was to frighten them by firing at them with dust shot; but this is not effective when the deer know of some good feed. The work is being confined to the afforestation areas, and the rangers. will be out until the end of January. Among the places that will be visited is the Haurangi range, near Fealherston—-a place very hard to get at.

Sixty-three applications have been received by the Hawke's Bay Education Board for appointments as pupil teachers or probationers in the Hawke's Bay education district. Of this number forty-one were girls, and twenty-two boys. * The proportion of female applications this year is greater than it has been for many years.

A severe lass was suffered by Mr. Charles Palmer, of Longburn, when five .'Jersey heifers died, presumably from the result of lead poisoning. Mr. Palmer valued the animals at over £30 each.