LOCAL AND GENERAL

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 23013, 3 October 1944, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Guide Movement.— ln an address on the occasion of the twenty-first anniversary of the foundation of the Girl Guides’ Association, the GovernorGeneral recalled the aim of the movement as stated by its founder, Lord Baden-Powell: “Character development toward happy citizenship througn natural rather than artificial means. Guiding, said his Excellency, was an education for life, for an attitude of mind which could not be learned from books alone. It was generally concened that the young were the nations greatest asset, and he urged parents to give their daughters every encouragement to take up Guiding.

Status of Engineer,— The appointment of a resident engineer in place of a district engineer of railways in Invercargill was regarded as a retrograde step by the Council of the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce at its meeting last week. Mr H. L. Mair, the chairman, said it was a loss of status to the Invercargill railways that a resident engineer should be appointed The opinion seemed to be held that Invercargill was the Cinderella of New Zealand. It was decided to seek the aid of the City Council and the Southland Progress League in making representations to have the position altered. A letter is also to be sent to Mr W. M. C. Denham, M.P., advising him of the representations made to the local bodies.

Attempted Theft.—Two youths, brothers, were severely reprimanded by Mr H. Morgan, S.M., when they appeared in the Timaru Children’s Court yesterday charged with attempting to steal a pigeon valued at 7/6. Senior-Sergeant S. King said that the younger boy was surprised in the pigeon house of an acquaintance late on the night of September 2, and he offered as an excuse the explanation that he was securing the bird to give to another boy. His brother was standing on the street holding their bicycles. Mr W. A. Cumming, Child Welfare Officer, said that the boys came from good homes and had not been to trouble before. Tire Magistrate warned them against any further transgressions. remarking that it was disturbing to find boys in their position resorting to an attempt to steal what they could have bought with their earnings. Mr W. Thomas, J.P., was associated with Mr Morgan.

Women’s Patriotic Committee.—At the monthly meeting of the Women’s Patriotic Committee there were present Mesdames Hanan (in the chair), Hawkes, Wiberg, Dellow, Cumberbeach, McKay, McAlister, Hart, McLeod. Barker, Bentley, Ayling, Stout and Misses Mills and Hunter. The patriotic shop sub-committee reported that £1373/11/- had been taken during the year. The Wool Depot reported having sent to Air Force Relations, Christchurch, 78 pullovers, 42 cranwell jerseys, 60 scarves, 114 balaclavas, 48 pairs mittens and two pairs of gloves. The quarterly packing of patriotib unaddressed parcels will take place on Tuesday, October 10, at the Assembly Hall, Church Street, and the public is invited to view this interesting procedure. A donation of 10/- entitles the donor to enclose in one of these parcels his or her name and address, along with a short note of greeting.

English is Best.— “l think the name used is an absurdity in an Englishspeaking country,” said the Hon. J. K. Archer in the Legislative Council when referring to “psychiatric” nurses, mentioned in the Nurses and Midwives Registration Amendment Bill. He could never understand, he said, why many people, doctors and lawyers included, never used an English word when they could get a foreign word to take its place. His view might be oldfashioned, but he thought the best word was a word people understood, and “mental hospital” was free from the objections of the older names, such as “lunatic asylum.” There was a time in British history when diseases of the mind were not considered misfortunes, but crimes. The Leader of the Council (the Hon. A. McLagan) said in reply that “psychiatry” was a word that accurately described the treatment and investigations of mental diseases, and because an unspoken stigma had become associated with “mental” the Government felt that a different term should be given.