GENERAL NEWS

Wanganui Chronicle, 17 October 1947, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS

Slight Earthquake.

A slight earth tremor was experienced in Wanganui at 11.8 p.m. yesterday. The tremor was not accompanied by any warning noise. Main Body Anniversary. Yesterday was the 33rd. anniversary of the departure of the Main Body of the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force for the Great War. The Main Body consisted of 8499 men and 3945 horses and it was followed in the subsequent years of the war by 43 drafts of reinforcements until a total of 99,950 New Zealanders had gone overseas. Jubileet Home Praised.

Every room at the Jubilee Home, Aramoho, was clean, tidy and nicely furnished, said Mr. A. S. Coleman (Marton) at the monthly meeting yesterday of the Wanganui Hospital Board. He added that, all the patients seemed very satisfied. One elderly man, asked if he was keeping well, replied: "We could not help keeping well the way we are treated here. ’ Mr. Coleman said the matron. Sister E. Willcox, was to be congratulated. Officials for Regattas The following officials to control re-

gattas during the present season were appointed at a special meeting of the executive of the Wanganui Rowing Association last night:—Starter, Mr. P. Benefield; umpires, Messrs F. Wilson, H. Dalzell, F. Laird: judges. Messrs L. Sheppard and J. Ross; call •stewards, Messrs C. A. Healey and R. Boyland; clerk of the scales, Mr. J. Coughlin; announcer. Mr E. J. Crotty. New Fire Engine. A tender for building the body of a new fire engine ordered by the Wanganui Fire Board was accepted at the quaiterly meeting yesterday. The cost of the body, which will be built by a Wanganui firm, will be £445, plus sales tax. The chassis arrived from England at tne end of last month. The new machine will be added to the fleet at Central Station. The total cost of the lire eingine will be £3700. City Fire Calls.

During the quarter ended September 30, last, the Wanganui Fire Brigade attended 30 calls, stated Superintendent N. M. Ross, in his report to tne Wanganui Fire Board, received at the meeting yesterday. The calia were summarised as follows: Actual fires, 6; chimney fires, 12; grass fires, 4; justified false alarms 4; rubbish lire’s, 4; malicious false alarms, 1. None of the fires was of a serious nature. The total value of buildings where the fires occurred was £l3 40b, and contents were valued at £2700. Damage amounted to only £lO for buildings and £B'J for contents. Remits on Rowing

Remits to be presented at the annual conference ot the New' Zealand Rowing Association at Wellington on October 23 were discussed at a special meeting of the executive of the Wanganui Rowing Association last night. The remits were presented at the annual meeting, but the list was so lengthy that discussion was deferred for a week. The Wanganui Rowing Association will be represented at the conference by Messrs R. J. Tregurtha, D. Holmes and E. J. Crotty. Hospital Statistics. The average number of occupied beds in the Wanganui Hospital during September, was 177.9, stated the medical superintendent, Dr. H. L. Widdowson, in his monthly report, adopted at the meeting of the Wangaui Hospital Board yesterday. At the beginning of the month 187 patients were in the institution. 222 were subsequently admitted, 220 were discharged and 17 deaths occurred. At the end of the month 172 patients were in hospital. During September there were 862 cases for X-ray diagnosis, of which 690 were out-patients and the rest inpatients.

Ambulance Service. Reporting on the Wanganui Hospital Board’s ambulance, the transport officer. Mr. W. B. McNaught, stated at the monthly meeting yesterday that during September 146 cases were attended, oi which 11 were due to accidents, the rest being medical and surgical. The Wanganui city area contributed 106 cases, and Marton. Makirikiri Valley and Jerusalem, with four each, had the highest individual numbers for the country districts. During the month, Mr. McNaught’s report added, the ambulance vans travelled 3699 miles. Interest in Swimming Although the weather ha s not beer.

warm enough for most people, the patronage of swimming baths in Wanganui has been satisfactory since they were opened on October 1. Attendances of children have been good and the takings are reported to be slight ly in advance of last year, although the cold days of the past week have given them a setback. Most people, however, will be prepared to wait for at least another month before they are sufficiently brave to start the season unless the weather is exceptionally hot. Early Payment of Rates. "I believe that this is a very good idea because it saves the ratepayers money.” said Mr. A. S. Coleman (Marton), when a letter from the Wanganui City Council, appealing for early payment of rates, was received by the Wanganui Hospital Board at its monthly meeting yesterday. Mr. Coleman added that local bodies which had to work on bank overdrafts till rates were collected, had to nay interest. Over the whole of New Zealand this would amount to a considerable sum. The board agreed to Ihe Citv Cuncil’s request. Tuberculosis Cures.

It was rather difficult, to give any actual percentages of cures, said the tuberculosis officer, Dr. W. A. Priest replying to a question asked by Mr. T E. Barion (Marton) at the monthly meeting yesterday of the Wanganui Hospital Board. Much depended on how far advanced the disease r;ay be before treatment was given, but a Targe majority of tin patients receiving attention did get better. The death rate was the best indication of whether there were apparent cures, to use the term most preferred, or whether the disease was being a/rested. In New Zealand last, year the death rate among Europeans, already low. was even lower.