Local and General News

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21377, 21 June 1939, Page 6

Local and General News

Mayor's Benevolent Fund The Mayor is in receipt of a cheque for £139. being part proceeds of the "You Never Know” Art Union, towards the Mayor's Community Benevolent Fund. Injury While SkatingA fractured right wrist was suffered by Miss Betty Hardingham, Timaru, while roller skating last night. After receiving attention at the Timaru Public Hospital she was able to return home. Hospital Social Service The report of the South Canterbury Hospital Board’s Social Service Committee presented to the Board yesterday revealed that 88 cases throughout the Board’s district had received assistance during May compared with 52 in May, 1938. A sum of £246/19 8 had been expended during the month compared with £164/5/4 in May, 1938. Sterling Not Fixed Standard Ste'rling was not a fixed standard of value, said Mr R. Wilson in an address lo the Timaru Rotary Club yesterday when he described the meanings of the hallmarks on gold and silverware. The quality figure for gold was 22 carat, which was sterling quality and equivalent to 916 parts of pure gold to each 1000 parts of the metal. For silver the sterling value was 925 parts to each 1000, so that the proportion of purity varied, although both were sterling value. Lecture on Health Facts relative to the natural treatment of disease were propounded by Dr. R. E. Hope-Pearson, D. 0., Ph. D.. at Timaru last night, when he gave an address under the auspices of the American Naturopathic Association. In the course of his address, the speaker mentioned that medical men were unwilling to accept the new ideas of natural healing although all their work was aimed at assisting Nature to effect a cure. He stated that the osteopathic practitioner was spreading throughout America but was looked on with disfavour in England. Dr. Hope-Pearson advocated the use of natural means for overcoming illness and disease as being the best method. Train Travellers Witness Smash A shock for passengers on the south express yesterday morning was provided about 11 o’clock when a motor accident occurred on the Hinds Bridge in full view of the train. From accounts it appears that one vehicle was abreast’ of the train when it entered the one car bridge and to the horror of the passengers they saw another vehicle enter the bridge from the south at the same time, a crash being inevitable although in the moving train they did not see the result. The vehicles were a small touring car and a truck, a front wheel of the car being damaged. No one was injured. Traffic was held up until the bridge was cleared. Bad Visibility Last Night Visibility on the main road between Waimate and Timaru was worse last night than during any other night this winter. A motorist who left Waimate at 9.15 took one and a half hours to reach Timaru. Low gear was needed in places, particularly between Makikihi and St. Andrews. The white line in the centre of twisting parts of the road was a great assistance, and often it was a case of “following the white line.” A thick driving drizzle was combined with fog. An interesting point, showing that motorists were not anxious to venture out in the conditions, was that only one car was passed between Waimate and St. Andrews, and when Timaru was reached, the total number of cars passed was only five. Incorrect Diagnosis ■ Incorrect diagnosis by a plumber of the cause of the flooding of a flat on the ground floor of a two storey building caused a certain amount of embarrassment recently. As water was continually flowing from the bathroom shared by the occupants of both flats to the flat on the lower floor the plumber was called in. He diagnosed the trouble as being the result of faulty hot water pipes and announced his intention to mend them. First of all he asked the occupiers of the two flats to drain the hot water system and with baths all round they proceeded to do so, six of them in all having the luxury of a hot bath with no anxiety about the amount of hot water used as the aim was to exhaust the supply. After the bath it was found that the lower flat was even more flooded than usual and on further investigation being made by the plumber it was found that the fault was in the outlet pipe for the community bath and not in the hot water system as had at first been thought. Successful Exhibitors At the Christchurch Canary and Cage Bird Club’s annual show held on Saturday, Timaru fanciers gained the following awards: Budgerigars, novice, N. Martin, special most points, second in sweepstake, three first prizes, two second prizes, one third prize. N. North, special best Budgerigar hen, first in sweepstage, one first prize, one second prize and one third prize. F. Emmerson, one first and two seconds. A. Swain, one first, one second and two thirds. J. Provan, Budgerigar Society Diploma, one first, two seconds. Roller canaries, novice, J. Provan. special best young Roller, two firsts. Norwich canaries, novice, A. C. Johns, special West-Street Challenge Cup, special best Norwich canary, special best Norwich canary hen. special most points. Yorkshire canaries, novice, A. McDonald, special W. N. Shand Challenge Cup, special H. Baker Challenge Cup, special best Yorkshire, special best Yorkshire cock, special best Yorkshire hen, special best Yorkshire cinnamon, special most points, four firsts and three seconds. Hospital Visiting Hours In his report to the meeting of the South Canterbury Hospital Board yesterday, the Superintendent, Dr. J. C. McKenzie, said that there was an increasing tendency on the part of visitors to expect admission to the Timaru Public Hospital at almost any hour, and he suggested a permanent advertisement setting out the hours, which were more liberal than in most places. The chairman (Mr E. Macdonald) remarked that so many visitors were arriving at all hours of the day and night that it was causing considerable inconvenience which involved extra work on the nurses who had to find the patient’s doctor in order to ascertain if the visitors would be permitted admission. On the recommendation of the House Committee it was decided that visiting hours be limited to: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, and that, the hours be periodically advertised.