LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18520, 3 October 1923, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

' "Some time ago a movement was on foot; to raise £10,000 for the purchase of radium' for the Auckland Hospital," said Dr. Neil McDpugall at' his lecture last evening. i ;"' The Oommceroial Travellers' Association ; intend to carry ■ this out and I sincerely hope, that you will give it all the support you can. Dr. McDoagiil added that the::: hospital could keep ;in operation all the ' radium New Zea'and was likely over to get. .-;'-,y:'

One of the outstanding features" of • the voluntary work which is being done ; in connection with the 'Hickson ; Mission is the capable manner in which the Girls' Diocesan Association is ministering ■to patients in need of rest ; and refreshment after i ; leaving St. Matthew's 'Church. They are welcomed on the steps of; the, Sunday-school adjoining the church, and gently led to '\ comfortable chairs,; or to quiet rooms, where they may rest in privacy for a while. Hot soup, milk, and tea are provided, together with light refreshments and a libera! supply of very excellent sweets for the little ones. This is the first public effort made by mem-, bers of the "association, and many who have taken advantage of the rest-room during tho last few days will remember with gratitude the kindly attention received there. ■

As was the case on Monday the "keep to the left " rule was yesterday meeting with the greatest observance in Queen Street, where the white ending lines down the centre of the footpaths served as, an over-present reminder of the exactions of the new regulations, but in other' thoroughfares, notably in Svmonds Street, the public were to be observed passing along in two perfectly formed columns — to the right. It was also noticeable that numbers of pedestrians who had- the right idea about keeping to the left nevertheless went to the trouble to pass to the right of persons coming from the opposite direction. It has to be remembered that the new .by-law. means not only keep to the left, but also pass to the left However, Queen Street will for some time be the training ground for inculcating the "keep to the left " idea, and when this becomes the recognised practice in the thoroughfaro where , the reformation is most required, the enforcement will be extended to other streets. ."•;'. „

The international character of the medical profession was. referred to last evening by Dr. Neil McDougall in his lecture on radium and X-rays. He emphasised the debt which the world owed to the initial work of Rontgen, a German, while it was due to the Germans that a great improvement in X-ray treatment had taken place. Owing to this great advance, the treatment of diseases was now showing a much higher percentage of cures. The doctor quoted from a speech by the president of the British Medical Association at Portsmouth, who, after mentioning the great work of foreigners, referred to the fact that a medical league of nations really existed. For them there was only one race, the human race, and one nation, that of men and women.' - ,

An outbreak of fire occurred at Newton shortly after 7.30 o'clock last evening .in some gorse growing 'at the back of -the reservoir. The City Fire Brigade promptly suppressed the flames* and no damage was done' to any of the buildings on the property. The cause of the outbreak is not known. ■'/, ';.' •

The members of the British ■■; Overseas Settlement Delegation will bo welcomed by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce at a meeting: to be held to-morrow afternoon. The chairman of -the j delegation, Sir William Windham, will address v tho meeting and detail the objects of the. mission. \'.■>-' ;. " .

A start has been made with the erection of the . six additional • class rooms at the Kowhai: Junior High School, :■;■ the framework being already advanced ', an appreciable stage. The new. rooms are being built on the boundary below the lower school. -It is expected that the erection of the metal/shop/will shortly be : begun. This fact was announced : yesterday by the principal, Mr. R. E. Rudman, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the; opening of the school. - V

Dunedin detectives have'recently visited Balclutha in connection with two, thefts, the mystery : surrounding which :is so ' far unsolved. The first related! to .a % gold wristlet watch belonging to a lady teacher at the District High 'School: She had left it on a table in the school, and some time during the afternoon it was stolen. Suspects among the pupils were interrogated,", and quite an imposing investigation was conducted by the ylice, but without result. In the second case a- young man employed by a local carter lost £50 in notes from his bedroom in his employer's house. Neither police nor .'v detectives, however, could trace the missing money. f'.

It will no doubt be gratifying to ,many to know that the person responsible for a large-number of . false fire alarms lately has at last been apprehended, says a Dunedin paper. A call was transmitted one recent evening from an alarm-box at the, corner of Macandrew road and King Ed- - ward Street, and a few 'minutes later Constable Williamson, who was on patrol 1 duty, noticed a ■ man : hurrying up the street. Ho apppeared to be greatly excited, and blood was [ dripping , from one hand. The constable detained the man? and escorted him to' the police station, where ;he admitted having. broken the alarm.' He also confessed to having given false alarms on several other occasions. ■ It is understood - that the man, ; who is about 20 years of age, was an % inmate of Seacliff up till six mouths ago. : .'•; ■■.: '■:■'. The metallic circuit from Greymouth to Christchurch, through the Otira tunnel, will be completed in about a: fortnight's time, and telephonic communication" between 'Christchurch v a.nd the West Coast will be possible at any ■hour of i the day instead of 'at certain intervals in the night, as at present. : The work, which will be a great asset to the .commercial relations of both provinces, .was a big undertaking, and the cost when completed will £12,000.

" The Province of ; Canterbury : must retain a very active interest -'in the tunnel, and keep a sharp eye on the business end of it," states a Christchurch paper. ' It is strange, but true, that in certain instances it is cheaper to-rail from Christch urch to ttoltoh. and then ship to Greymouth ; than it -is 'to rail " from Christchurch to Greymouth direct. A case in point has just been brought under . pur ; notice, : ~ and the! lesson it teaches needs no elaboration. A Christchurch consignee. wanted to send a number of packages,; weighing 3J ' tons, to Greymouth. ';. The railage, freight, wharfage,; and ' insurance cost him £7 12 2d, ; the goods; : being landed on : the Greymouth wharf. i. The direct -railage by the tunnel route would have cost him £10 15s . Id, .or £3 2s lid' more than by sea .carriage. -The lesson , is so plainly writ that he that ; runs' may read. ■•>•:'.

"When , a pair of- blankets ; are produced at the mills for; 355, and ; those blankets cost £3 :1.7s 6d : in, the shops, 'somebody is making a nice little profit," siid a speaker at: a meeting in Masterton. ; '

■ The reduction ■in -the wholesale price of sugar, had; the effect, stated the Minister for .: Industries • and Commerce, Sin Wellington, of revealing the • fact, previously suspected, that dealers had been hoarding sugar. It also, proved the Government's contention that ample slocks were made available: in the six months prior -to the removal of the' control, these supplies, being in excess of the usual'; demand for. the'. half-year '•,;■ The Minister's' reading, of events is,- however, questioned by Dunedin merchants, : who deny "■that-, hoarding 'haa'talwn': place. : '4 : '-: ■.."'';