The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1902.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 11978, 28 May 1902, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1902.

♦ At the last meeting of the Hawera County Council the question of Hawera's contribution for hospital and charitable aid purposes was brought up by Mr Maunder, one of the county representatives on the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. In the course of his remarks Mr Maunder said he was not at all satisfied with the state of affairs. Hawera County this year was called upon to pay £1335, and Hawera borough £91. The Government subsidy would bring the total up to £2,000, roughly, and the expenses as regards Hawera were about £2,000, from which he argued that if r they had a separate district they could save £900. He had not, he said, any great fault to find with his colleagues on the Board, but it seemed to him mat New Plymouth members were very keen on spending as much money as possible on that side of the district. An Old People's Refuge far beyond the necessary requirements of the district had been erected,, with accommodation for 18 women and 40 men, while there were at present only 25 j men and one woman in the institution. He further stated that Hawera County was not properly represented in proportion to its contributions, while the -towns were over represented. JJe- therefore' moved "• that the Hawertf^tuid Eltham Borough Councils, anttHhe Normanby and l^anaia Town Boards be- invited to a conference with delegates from tins Council,- with the view to separation from the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid district, and the formation of a new district." Mr Boddie, who seconded the motion, maintained that in the face of other excessive taxation the Hawera district was giving the New Plymouth end £1,000 for nothing, and other speakers seemed to agree "that they vere not getting an adequate return for their contribution. Now, with all due deference to these gentlemen, we do not. % think they quite understand the position, and before they make any statement on the subject to the conference we would suggest that they take steps to thoroughly acquaint themselves with the reasons for the admttedly heavy levy. For the rate certainly is high, especially in the face of the increase in values, and Hawera County perhaps feels the increase more in proportion than other contributing bodies. It should, however, be clearly understood that the levy for the current year is an extraordinary one, is, in fact, a special rate to provide in round figures the sum of £3,000, the amount required to pay off the Board's debit balance. The pplicy of doing tins in a single year, instead of spreading it over two or three years, may be questioned, seeing that the exceptionally heavy expenditure of the last two years was due to the erection of a new Refuse at a cost of about £4,uuU (with furnishing), and that this will not recur. Anyhow, the

Board, consisting of representatives from three boroughs and four counties, decided upon this course, and also upon providing out of the year's revenue for the cost of a new home for the nurses and a new laundry^ both of them necessaries, 'inese will not recur, and the laundry will effect a saving, for the washing will be done for much less than £14 a month, the cost last year. In a word, the contributing bodies have, during the current year and its innmediate predecessor, been called on by the Board to pay about £2,000 (making with the Government subsidy the £4,000 odd required for the Refuge, the Nurses' Home, and the laundry) of what is really capital outlay, over and above the annual cost of hospital and charitable aid maintenance. That is why the levy for the current year is £3,489 and for 1901-1902 £2,628, as against £2,208 in 18991900 and 191)0-1901. In considering the question of separation the ratepayers of the southern end of the district must remember that they will have to provide accommodation for their aged destitute, entailing a further capital outlay. The .time is singularly inopportune for a separation movement* for the ratepayers have just built a Home which will suffice for some years. When the time comes, as it will, that the Home at Newi Plymouth is not large : enough to accommodate all those eligible and desirous oPentering it, then it will be time to erect another Home in part of the district. Tfie cost of charitable aid is- naturally increasing annually, because the population keeps on increasing rapidly, but at the present time we cannot see that a subdivision of the district will tend to reduce the cost, but rather to increase it.

A question of more than local interest was discussed at a meeting- of the Pharmaceutical Association of Canterbury last week, when a member moved that the Association disapproves of the giving of secret commissions to doctors in any form whatever. The mover described how the evil had grown from the practice of paying small sums by some firms as commissions to doctors who sent their prescriptions to them. The evil had grown at. a rapid rate, and now, he said, there was one firm in Christchurch which was paying a commission amounting to as much as 50 per cent, on the retail price. The result was that nine out of ten prescriptions written by -some medical men would contain the name of the firm referred to. One of the worst features of the practice was the tact that frequently the .druggists who paid the 50 per cent, commission were obliged to use inferior "drugs" in order to make a profit for themselves. Thus the unforfoinate patient suffers both through having to pay an excessive price and in having an inferior medicine supplied The .Association is to be commend id for having thus drawn attention the practice, which, it is to be assumed, is not confined to Christchurch. though it may be more pronounced in the cities, where competition is keen, both between doctors and chemists. It is in the hands of the chemists to discontinue the giving of commissions, which the more honourable among both doctors and chemists must surely recognise as an imposition on their patients.

Ia this issue fhe Crown Dairy Co. invite tenders for additions to their Toko factory.'; .. The programme for an entertainment in St. Mary's Hall on Thursday night is published in this issue. Quite a profusion of beautiful wreaths covered the coffin of the late Mr J. J. Russell on Tuesday. The Grand Hotel, Auckland, which was gutted by fire a year ago, has been reopened. Building operations have now commenced in the Ahuroa township on the South Road, and before long it is likelj that there will be several houses iv tho new sub.urb. We have received from Messrs J Meyers & Co., Wellington, wholesale agents, samples of Salmon & Gluckstein's gold flake cigarettes. The prisoner, John Rex, who pleadod guilty last week to three charges of breaking and entering in tow*, and was remanded to the Supreme Court for sen teuce, was taken north on Tuesday uight to appear at the Supremo Court, Auckland, to receive sentence. Mr Ale,c. Anderson, the advance manager for the splendid entertainment, " Our Navy," arrived on Tuesday to mako arrangements for a short season here. Mr Anderson has engaged the Drill Hall, and is erecting a stage and also fixing up first-class seating accommodation. "-Oar Navy" will open next Wednesday, 4tb June, for three nights. " Our Navy" has jnst. concluded a record Reason of teu nights at the Wellington' Opera House. The press are unanimous in their verdict of the excellence of this magnificent show. A it an who appeared at the Dunedin Police Court the other day to consent to a prohibition- order Against himself asked the • magistrate (Mr C. C. Graham) to request the newspapers to keep his name out of the reports of the Court proceedings. The magistrate said that the object of publication of the' names of prohibited persons was that it prevented so-called friends, who would not know of the prohibition otherwise, tempting prohibited person* to drink. On the other hand, he knew that tbe fact of publication prevented many making applications who might otherwise apply to the Court. In this instance, however, he would re guest the reporters not to publish the name of the applicant. [To our nrnd reason against publication of names will generally outweigh those for. The intimate 3of a prohibited man .are certain to know of the prohibition, whether his name is paraded in the press or n.ot, while, on the other hand, the man's relatives will often shrink from trying a prohibition order because they fear publicity.—Ed. T.H.] Just now, says Truth, people are receiving a circular and coupon entitling them to a fine life-size crayon portrait — valued at £4— from one Tanquerey, 22, Rue de Turin, Paris, for nothing. One has but to send a photograph of oneself and tbe rest is as stated. The circular is specially \vorded r and saj'S :—": — " In order tn introduce our wcuk io Australia we hate decided to make a limited numbar of our portraits for some prominent people, absolutely free of charge, bnIjeving that to he the best aud cheapest method of advertising our work amongst ihe English speaking peos.le." The average lroK-cilp. who loves " something for nothing " will not be likely to smell a rat, rather ihs contrary, ou being thus informed that his farue as a " prominent" j person h--s reached Paris. Accompanying the circular and coupon, aro some alleged commeidatory extracts from Tjondon Truth, which io anyone who knows Mr Labouchere's keen delight in unmasking' villainy, will sound very funny indeed. Dr. Anderson, head of tbe Criminal Investigation Department of New Scotland l&rd has frequently exposed this latest swindle. The modus operand! is said to consist in a demand for payment for a frame fer the 'fine crayon portrait," which is often" [.aid. When not paid, blackmailing legal ; letters are the result, and some stupid ' people are frightened into handing over their mon*y- We wish to warn the . "prominent" persons iv-ho get these cir- ; culare to invest their £4 in something other than I'anquerey's pictures. < WILTON'S BOVO-FERRUM makes the weg,k strong^ 2jb 6dj

There was a clean charge- sheefc in the. Police Court yeskrday and to-day. ' Tfl3 Guards will parade at the Drill Hall at 2.15 to morrow, and will proceed to the Waiwakaiho for field fir.ng. The -^teiost incessant rain of the last three weeks has retarded the improvement work being carried out in the local racecourse. The first instalment of a specially written article, " Inland Taracaki —A. Land of Promise," appears on the front page of this usue. Captain Edwin wired at 11.32 a.m. today :— Glass further rise ; sea tnoderats ; poor tides ; moderate southerly wiuda ; f rest to-night. The Nelson Harbour Board has accepted a tender for a new dredge, the con-, tract price being £13,285, and the dredge is to be completed in nine months. The s.s. Takapuna lajs up in Wellington this week for overhaul. Her running will be taken up by the Mapourika, leaving Wellington on Thursday nest. Tuesday next, Prince of Wales Birthday, is to be a holiday for the Government offices and for the banks, and we understand there is a general intention among tbe tradespeople to observe it also. ■ Owing to the extremely heavy gule at Manakau, the s.s. Ngapuhi. is barbouod. and leaves Onehunga to morrow morning! sailing again to-morrow night as advertised. In this issue Messrs Callaghan and Co have an inset, giving particulars of a trip to the Fitzroy and Henui townships yto»morrowj This is an excellent opportuni(y for investors to insjtect these prVX perties. * ' On May Bth heavy rain set in all over the district, and since that date there has been almost continuous bad weather. There has certainly been a little five weather during the period, but very little. The fine, clear state of the atmosphere to-day was a welcome relief from the monotonous rainfall, and it is to be hoped that it will continue for a few days. Declaration of Peace.— At a.meetiog of the British Cabinet, held yesterday, very many complications cropped up. and it seemed at times as if all chance of peace being declared was- gone for ever, but after Mr ChainberJaiu had handed round his packet of Salmon & Gluckstein's gold flake cigarettes it was marvellous to" notice how quickly everything was arranged to the satisfaction of all parties concerned. 0 A grimly humorous incident occurred just prior to the hearing of a case at the Melbourne tfupreme Court. When the name of an absent juror was called, a peraon iv Court handed the Chief Justier a newspaper containing a notice of the death of the juror in question. The Chief Justice- said something about the possibility of the advertisement being a practical joke, and mentioned that there was nothing to show that the notice referred to the same person. He accordingly fiued the .dead juror L 2 2s for cion attendance. The various football matches to be held lo morrow afternoon are, weathtr p«.Tmilting, likely to attract one of the largest <Towds that has been seen on the ground for a considerable timo past. To the many devotees of the game, if wo may offer a little bit of advice, it i^ tlrs, do not forget jour packet of Salmon and Gluckstfii's Gold Flake Cigarettes, then you Mill find that football has very msny tr.ore attractions for you than you fever thought povsible.* The contractors for the alterations to the Theatre Royal are making good pro grf ss with the work. An idea of the height of the new stage can now be obtained, as the skeleton of that part of the Theatre now rears itself much higher, than the roof of tbe aaditorinm The dress circle, which runs up ta the stage i on each side, ib now well in hand. Mr James Jones, the proprietor, is superintending the work, and, taking into account the delay caused by the recent bad weather, he is satisfied with the progress of the work. Mr Butterworth has purchased Mr G. L. yheppee's fine collection of Maori curios, which will be on view at Mr Sheppee's residence for the Btxt fortnight, aud then be removed to tbe Old Curiosity Shop. Those who have setn the collection will agree with us that it ia, in many respects unique, consisting, as it does, of some exceedingly fins specimens, which are the result of come eighteen years' s arch. Mr Shrppee has never •old a single article, so Ih*t Mr Butter worth may be congratulated on his pur cbase. Persons wishing to see the articles may do so by first applying to Mr Butterworth. A new Uh phone and telegraph company iv Chicago, which h '.s had it* men at work, unknown to the general public, since last September, has dug a marvellous sjstem of underground taonals below the principal streets in the business district. Thepe tunnels are 40ft below the surface of the ground, and the main trunk lines are 12ft by 14ft in size, and the branch lines 6ft by Bft. Fully eight miles of tunnelling has already been done, and the work progresses at the jate of 200 lineal foet per week. Each tunnel is lined with a solid wall of concrete 12in thick, and is supplied with a car track, electric lights, arid telephone service. These tunnels wore built for the purpose of carrying the wires of a new automatic telephone exchange for the citj', which will do away with *' central " employees, insure instantaneous connections, and absolute privacy. Besides this, the new company will leass space in the tunnels for all firo-and police patrol wiree of the. city, will carry the heavy mails to and | from the depots, and may possibly arrange I ta relieve the congestion of the streets by carrying freight for the large private i concerns. When completed the tunnels will form one of the most marvellous systems in existence The new company will instal telephones free wherever telephones arts already in use, with the provision that the subscriber need pay only in proportion to his actual tfse *of tbffe 'phone. This is done to secure enough subscribers to enable the new company to compete with the established telephone company. Three million dollars have already been expended by the company, and seven million dollars more will be spent in completing the system.