LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1536, 7 August 1901, Page 35

LOCAL AND GENERAL

There were 316 cases of cancer in the various hospitals of the colony in the year 1900, and 86 of these proved fatal. The case s of phthisis numbered 317, and the deaths 90.

With regard to the Police Provident Fund, Inspector Gillies, of the Wanganui and West Coast district, in his annual report to the Commissioner, suggests that as the large contribution required presses heavily on the men, each member of the force should be allowed a suit of uniform every year.

The Department of Agriculture ha s received the following telegram from the Secretary of the Western Australian Department of Agriculture:—“After the 4th instant, if any one fruit in a case is found diseased with codlin moth the case and its contents will be destroyed. Pleas© notify exporters, Eind instruct them not to ship any fruit infested with disease. Kindly communicate this to the newspapers throughout the colony.” Mr F. T. Moore writes as follows : The proposed scheme for the organisation of producers is that two organisers be appointed to assist the union’s secretary ,one to work in the North and the other in the South Island. A prominent Pahiatua farmer has offered his services for the North and a Wellington suburbs resident, wiho is a Southern landowner, has offered to organise in the South. A provisional set of rules has been drafted, and it is expected to comprehensively start organising early next week.

The annual report and balance-sheet of the Sun Insurance office comes to hand from the local agents, Messrs J. H. Bethune and Co. The premiums received for the year 1900, less re-insurances, amounted to £1,070,556, being an increase of £42,919, as compared with those of the previous year. The total of the sums insured during the year, after deducting the amounts reinsured, exceeded £450,000,000. The losses paid and outstanding amounted to £630,385, or 58.88 per oent. on the premiums received. The expenses <of management, commission and working charges were £372,212, or 34.77 per cent, of the premiums received. The income from investments was £80,674. After providing for the usual reserve of 40 per cent, of the premiums to cover liabilities under current policies a balance of £131,464 was carried to profit and loss account. Dividends amounting to 8 per cent.