LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20672, 10 March 1937, Page 8

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

A Brief Session With no criminal cases, exactly half an hour sufficed for the transaction of the business at the sessions of the Supreme Court at Blenheim yesterday. Undefended divorce cases were virtually the only matters for the attention of Mr Justice Northcroft. Infantile Paralysis A girl of 14 from the town area was admitted to the Waimate Hospital on Monday evening as a positive case of infantile paralysis. A boy of 11 was admitted to the Wellington Hospital as a suspect on Monday, and his case has since been diagnosed as positive. Marked Progress “So great has been the development of our nation that you may now come to the South Island either by steamer or air liner,” stated the Hon. W. E. Parryto a representative of “The Timaru Herald” yesterday. • Wonderful have been our strides in progress. We might well say, ‘Wait and see us at the Centennial just three years away.’ ” No Parochial Spirit “There is no parochial spirit among the members of the Ministry; they are for New Zealand as a whole,” stated the Hon. W. E. Parry to a representative of “The Timaru Herald” yesterday. “A southern member making a request to the Government has the same chance of getting the merits of it considered as has the northern member handling a request. All have equal opportunities irrespective of districts.” Hospital Contract Let The Grey Hospital Board last night accepted the tender of W. Williamson, of Christchurch, at £35,555. for extensions to the hospital and nurses’ home. The Board’s authority to borrow is limited to £25,000 by the Loans Board, but members decided to go ahead with the project in view of the Prime Ministers assurance that the Government would see that the extra money was available when the building projects of hospital boards were approved by the Department. Naval Contingent for Coronation A detachment of New Zealand naval ratings from H.M.S. Leander, transferred from H.M.S. Dunedin, will take part in the Empire defence procession at the forthcoming Coronation, said the Minister of Defence (Hon. F. Jones) yesterday. The detachment to represent the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy would comprise an officer of the Leander, a sub-lieutenant and four representatives of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve and 44 active service New Zealand ratings, 50 in all. Many Insulators Smashed The construction of the new road through the scenic reserve has provided irresponsibles with an abundant supply of readily available stones—to the detriment of insulators on the South Canterbury Electric Power Board’s poles. At yesterday’s meeting, the engineer (Mr G. W. Morrison) reported that irresponsibles continued to smash insulators on that stretch of line, adding that about 30 or 40 had been damaged recently. A committee was set up to go into the matter. Impression of Timaru An impression of Timaru was given to delegates attending the annual conference of the New Zealand Municipal Association at last night’s opening by the Mayor of Dunedin (the Rev. E. T. Cox), as follows: “We are glad to visit Timaru, the most important town in Canterbury—after Christchurch; your town is prosperous and set in a beautiful countryside; your gardens would do credit to the suburbs of any city in the world; your shops are large and colourful; your beach is renowned throughout the Southern Hemisphere; your hotels are comfortable; your people are cultured and courteous; your women are beautiful and make good wives.” Presentation to Minister A presentation by the authors, Messrs A. Leese, A.R.A., N.Z., of Auckland, and C. L. Bishop, A.R.A., N.Z., of Wellington, of a volume recently published in New Zealand, “Local Authorities’ Finance, Accounts and Administration,” was made to the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. W. E. Parry) at the opening of the annual conference of the Municipal Association of New Zealand in Timaru last night. In acknowledging the gift, Mr Parry said it would occupy an important place in his library as he realised the value of the work. The accountants of this country well justified their existence by creating the machinery that entered into the production of that monumental work—a work that would play a big part in assisting local bodies in efficient administration.