LOCAL AND GENERAL

Timaru Herald, Volume CLI, Issue 22253, 22 April 1942, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Siphoned Petrol “I am not going to grant probation to people who siphon petrol out of other peple’s cars," said Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, sentencing Alexander James Walter Potter to 14 days’ imprisonment with hard labour for the theft of 12 gallons of petrol. Timaru Hospital The number of patients in the Timaru Hospital at the beginning if March was 137. During the month 251 patients were admitted and 249 discharged, leaving 139 in the Institution at the beginning of the present month. The average daily occupied beds v?.s 144.1 as against 157 at the corresponding date last year. Grass Fire Easily Quelled A grass and hedge fire at the residence of Mr F. E. Goodwin, 211 Church Street West, was easily quelled by the Timaru Fire Brigade yesterday morning. The spreading of a rubbish fire was the cause of the summoning of the Brigade, which needed only a few minutes to gain control with hand pumps, buckets and a garden hose. Glenlti School The householders' meeting at Gleniti was held in the Library, Mr W. 3. Curr being voted to the chair. There was an attendance of nearly 50 householders. The report and balance-sheet proved that steady progress was being maintained. The result of the elect!-n was as follows:—Mrs A. Caswell, Messrs D. Morse (chairman and secretary), J. W. Browne (treasurer), W. S. Curr .—id D. Black. True Bowling Spirit “There are perhaps a few members who have a 'grouse,' but that l s prevalent to a certain extent in all sports, bodies,” skid, Mr A. Way, president of the Marton Bowling Club, at the close-of-season ceremony on Saturday. “Grousing should not be in evidence on the bowling green, where the popular song ‘The More We Are Together the,. Happier We Will Be’ should be carried out in the same spirit in which it is sung," he said. Hospital Loans According to a statement presented with the estimates at a special meeting of the South Canterbury Hospital Board yesterday; the total loan indebtedness of the Board is £164,000, including the latest loan of £14,000 for alterations and the proposed isolation block. Repayments to March 31 totalled £12,968, and investments £19,175, leaving the net loan indebtedness £131,857. Four loans mature at March 31. 1948, one on March 31, 1952, two in 1956, one in 1957, one in 1958 and one in 1960. Cars Collide Shortly after 7 o'clock last night n car driven by a young man named McPherson collided with a car driven by Mr V. G. Clark, of Timaru, one of the occupants of McPherson's car, Dryden Blackler, being injured. The accident occurred on the Te Ngawai road. Blackler was on his way to a Home Guard partde, while Mr Clark was proceeding to Totara Valley. Blackler, who suffered head injuries, was attended by Dr. A. S. Mclnnes, and was taken to the Timaru Hospital in the St. John Ambulance.

Cost of District Hospitals

The net cost of running the Timaru Hospital last year (after deducting patients’ fees) was £28,428 as against £22.338 in 1940-41. The average number of occupied beds last year was 154.3 as against 150 in th? previous year. The cost of other hospitals in the district was as follows, the figures for 1940-41 being shown in parentheses:—Waimate £7799 (£7165), Fairlie £7lB (£641), Geraldine £639 (£173), Temuka £228 (£2 credit), Old People’s Home £271 (£128), Infirmary £392 (£1512) and Waipiata Sanatorium £1876 (£613). The total cost of all institutions was £40,351 against £32,568 in 1940-41.: “Not a Bad Dream” A contrast between the treatment accorded the wounded by the Germans and the Italians is made in a letter received by a Lower. Hutt resident from her nephew who ,1s serving with the New Zealanders in the Middle List. “I have nothing to growl about.” he says. “Jerry treats the wounded decently, but the damned Italians do not.” In a • phllbsophlcal frame of mind, the soldier adds: “This period of my life will not be a bad dream at all because I think you see the fine'* side of human nature, and you soon forget the w.orst, as life is too short to worry about it.” Good Leadership

The one thing that mattered in a leader was efficiency, said the Chief of the General Staff, Major-General E. Puttick, D. 5.0., N.Z.S.C., when he spoke to a special platoon which demonstrated the new recruit training syllabus at the .Army School of Instruction on Saturday. The standard of Judgment was not whether a leader was a drawing-room artist or spoke nicely to his men. The true test of their reward for a leader was whether they were confident of his ability to lead them well in battle. They would have appreciated from their exercises that day the absolute-importance of good leadership; without it, there was confusion and unnecessary loss. Alleged Intruder Injured Injuries to the head and back were received by a man in a farmhouse at Karaka, near Auckland last Wednesday morning.. It is stated that the man, who is a farm hand, aged 40, received the Injuries when he struggled to resist being detained. He was admitted to the Auckland Hospital and was reported to be suffering from a fracture of the skull. The incident

took place at -the farm of Mr A. F. Jagger, who was absent in Auckland. Seeing a light in the house, the occupants of which he knew to be away, the farm manager, Mr A. Ben, who lives near by, investigated and discovered the man. A St. John ambulance from Auckland was sent to the scene and the man was removed to the Auckland hospital after receiving attention from a doctor.

Billiards on Sunday

An unusual case was heard at Kalkohe, North Auckland, before Mr Raymond Ferner, S.M., when Ronald Joseph Miller, of Okaihau, was charged with opening a billiards saloon on Sunday, when the law required it to be closed. The police found the billiards saloon open, with a large crowd of soldiers playing. Miller stated that he opened the saloon to provide amusement for the soldiers and to keep them from hanging round the street. He had obtained written permission from the military authorities to do so. Few civilians were present, and all were engaged in patriotic work. All the receipts were used by him for. patriotic purposes. The Magistrate did not take a serious view of the case, remarking, however, that the military authorities could no more give permission to open a billiards saloon on a Sunday than he could. Miller was convicted and discharged, as were the civilians found in the saloon.