CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19835, 26 June 1934, Page 4

CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

ITEMS FROM THE CITY

CHRISTCHURCH, June 25. Personal: Mr S. Ritchie, Conciliation Commissioner, stationed at Christchurch, has been appointed for a further term of six months from July 9. Mr E. J. Howard, M.P., left for Wellington to-night and will attend a meeting of the executive of the Harbours Association to-morrow. He will remain in Wellington for the opening of Parliament and will return to Christchurch on Saturday. The Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.) left for Wellington this evening. He will interview officers of Government departments and Cabinet Ministers tomorrow on business connected with the Avon electorate and the Christchurch City Council, and remain in Wellington for the opening of the session of Parliament on Thursday.

Infectious Diseases: No notifications of infectious disease were received by the health authorities from the West Coast last week, but seven cases were reported from Canterbury. These comprised four of tuberculosis, and one each of scarlet fever, septicaemia and cerebro-spinal meningitis. Three deaths occurred from tuberculosis in Canterbury during the week, and one from cerebrospinal meningitis.

Response to Appeal: A total of £4718/16/1 has now been promised or received in the Canterbury Progress League’s appeal for the Mayor’s Relief of Distress Fund. The amount promised is £2449/6/-, and the amount received is £2269/10/-.

Where the Pilgrims Landed: To mark the place where the passengers landed from the First Four Ships, the Government has made a grant of a piece of land at Lyttelton. This announcement was made at the quarterly meeting of the Canterbury Pilgrims’ and Old Colonists’ Association by Mr E. R. Webb, the president, who said that the association intended to set up a rough boulder, similar to the Plymouth Rock, bearing an inscription stating that near that spot, on December 16. 1850, the first settlers had landed. The date for the unveiling of the stone would be December 16.

Another School Closed: Although there has been a definite waning in the measles epidemic, there are still a good many absentees from school in the city and in the country. Colds and influenza seem to be the chief causes of the diminished attendances now. The Marshland School was closed to-day because of the poor attendance, and the Okains Bay, Hawarden, and Kirwee schools are to remain closed for another week.

Licensing and Licenses: The 10,000-mark has now been passed in motor-vehicle relicensing in Christchurch for the 1934-35 year. When last Saturday morning’s relicensing business finished at the Christchurch Post Office, 10,053 vehicles had been dealt with since the beginning of May. At the corresponding stage last year, 9794 vehicles had been reSo far, the Christchurch City Council has issued just over 8000 driving licenses for the current year.

Heavy Frosts Recorded: Following a cold, foggy night, 9.9 degrees of frost was recorded at the Magnetic Observatory this morning. The frost on Sunday morning was one of 10 degrees. Without the fog it would be hard to estimate just how hard these frosts would have been. Probably the record for the season, 13.2 degrees on June 11, would have been broken. Traffic was slightly disorganised by the fog on Saturday evening, and in the vicinity of Park Terrace it was particularly thick. The same trouble was not experienced last evening, and the fine, sunny days that have followed the frosts have provided ample compensation for the cold mornings.

Need for Caution: The experiment of the Tramway Board in providing a faster and more frequent service on the Papanui-Hills route was the subject of interesting comment by the chairman, the Rev. J. K. Archer, at to-day’s meeting of the board. “We are frequently approached.” said Mr Archer, ‘‘by people who ask for quicker and more ample services. The board would like to oblige them where possible, but we have to be guided by the results of the experiments we carry out. “This experiment was tried on the service from Papanui to the Hills. Perhaps the experiment has not been long enough in operation, but it has been going sufficiently long to provide a warning; for while the innovation has attracted more passengers, it has not yet proved profitable on the figures. I am inclined to think that it will pay eventually, but till the position is definite we should proceed with caution.”

Hare Pest: Twenty men who took part in a hare drive over Westenra’s plantation recently shot 140 hares in a few hours. This information was contained in a report submitted to the Selwyn Plantation Board to-day by the superintendent (Mr R. G. Robinson). The report added that it would now be possible t > proceed with the re-planting work with a reasonable degree of safety. “There is no doubt,” said Mr Robinson, “that during the past few years hares have been becoming more numerous over parts of Canterbury and farmers and country residents generally would be well advised to organise occasional monster drives and thus keep the pest in check. “Wire netting, although effective in checking the ingress of rabbits/ fails as an absolute barrier to hares, and once inside the netted enclosure hares do muca damage and are difficult to remove.” Mr Robinson added that the hares shot on Westenra’s plantation were sent to the Central Relief Depot for distribution. Mr G. Hall: How many cartridges were used per hare? (Laughter). Mr Robinson said that the cost of the drive had been very little.

Minimum Penalties: Complete agreement with the criticism of provisions of the Tobacco Act made by Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., on Friday, during the hearing oi a prosecution under the Act was expressed by a prominent Christchurch lawyer. “Where there is a minimum penalty provided in a statute, it may be taken that the legislature considers the offence a serious one, which should be met by such a minimum penalty in any case,” he said, in commenting upon the difficulties created for the Courts by the fixing of a minimum penalty of £25 in the tobacco case heard on Friday. “There are, however, as the Magistrate says, grave disadvantages in fixing a minimum penalty by statute, because it obviously interferes with the

discretion of the Court as to penalty. The practice of fixing a minimum penalty, on the whole, seems very undesirable, as cases may occur similar to Friday’s, where, although breach has been committeed, the facts do not really warrant the large minimum penalty fixed by the Act. “This seems to be another instance c what’ has been strongly condemned in England and New Zealand—the tendency of the legislature to take away from Courts complete powers to deal with cases between Government departments and individuals.”

Byrd’s Escape from Poisoning: It is very seldom that carbon monoxide is responsible for poisoning, as the average man does not lock himself up with a petrol motor, such as RearAdmiral R. E. Byrd did in his Antarctic hut. Admiral Byrd was very lucky to notice that he was going dizzy and to understand the reason of his dizziness, for carbon-oxide is colourless and odourless, and is a very poisonous gas. Engines and fires, when they are burning low, are the main sources of the gas in ordinary life. The engine or fire must be in an enclosed space to be dangerous. A Christchurch doctor said this morning that the gas was p-evalent in motor-garages, and was sometimes found in ships’ holds, when the fires were low. It was pointed out that motor-cars should not be run for any length of time in a garage with the doors shut. One motorist had avoided all danger by connecting the exhaust pipe with a pipe leading outside. Thus he was able to tinker with his on wet days, without endangering his health.

Restoration of Cut? All employees of the Waimaiti County Council earning less than £2OO a year may benefit by the restoration of the 10 per cent, wages cut. It is understood that provision has been made for this in the estimates which will come up for discussion at a meeting of the council next Wednesday night. The estimates were discussed in committee at a special meeting last week. They will be finally passed at Wednesday’s meeting, and it is thought that there will be no amendments. If the restoration is made about twenty employees will benefit. A slight reduction may be made in the Hospital Board rate, but it is likely that the other rates will be the same as last year. A reduction may also be made in electricity charges, and a recommendation to this effect is to be made in the report of the electricity committee. If this is carried out the charges will be amongst the lowest n the Dominion.