LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14015, 24 June 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Health Department is taking active and practical steps to present the spread of consumption and notice boards, containing usef il information on the subject, have Been placed at various point: cf vantage in the town. A successful experiment in the production of paper pulp from Tasmania hardwood sawdust, which compares favourably with high-grade material, produced in Sw'eden, uas been made cy Mr C. H. Slaytor, a chemist associated with the Launceston Technical School. The raw' material and small plant wore provided by the Sawmillers’ Association, w'ho, .with Mr. Slaytor, will endeavour to prove wdiethei the pulp is sufficiently long in fibre to reader it commercially as valuable as they anticipate. Mr Slaytor says the value of the pulp he obtained w'ould be £l2 to £ls per ton. The cost of treatment of 100 tons of sawdust in chemicals would be .£32, and this raw material w'ould produce 55 tons of pulp. It is likely the Government will lend assistance in tuo experimental work. “The school does much,” said the Now South Wales Minister of Education (Mr. Carmichael) last week, “but its work is small in comparison with the work that remains for the parent to do when our best has been done." lu replAto questions concerning religious instruction ir. schools, the Minister went on to say that there could hardly be two opinions that the foundations of any lasting national existence must bo built deep and solid on these great ethical doctrines that underlie all religions with any claim to great ness, and especially* the Christian faith. This could never be successfully delegated Dy parents, altogether to any body ol professionals, whether teachers or cicrgy it lie were a pressman no womd hamme? this into the people. A parent’s duties were not completed , by bringing a child into the world, feeding and clothing it, and handing the rest over to the State. Evidences w'ore very apparent of want of control. The day wheff the child had to have it “bolted into him” had fortunately gone, but unfortunately the!pendulum bad swung right to the opposite extreme.

A medical examination of the children attending one of the Adelaide suburban schools has just beeu carried out by Dr. Gertrude Halley, under the auspices a, the South Australian Government. It wm an individual and a thorough medical’ inspection,' and, at its conclusion, notices Were sent’ to ■ the parents of those children in whom some defect was discovered, inviting them "to attend a meeting at the school. The result was a gathering o. some 160 mothers, to whom Dr Halley delivered an address on the care of children.-, She, urged an adequate realisation of the fact that children who are in any way defective' are excluded from many important avenues of employment, and emphasised the importance of the early detection of physical defects. On the whole, she said, the health of the children at the school examined was excellent;' in fact, the standard was higher than at any other school she had visited. .This she, attributed to the careful teaching of singing, and to breathing exercises, and she urged parents to teach their children to breathe properly. The care of fhe teeth was most important, because bad teeth were a frequent cause of indigestion and other aliments. Speaking o! tl’.e_spread of infectious disease amongst children, she said it was often wrongly attributed to schools, whereas it was rao < often duo to the children’s contact in miblic p aces of amusement. She declarer that it was highly important That children should have adequate sleep. In many cases they did rot get sufficient rest, and this was often due to their being out late at entertainments. ''' • '

The new Radical Government in Denmark refuses to wear uniforms or to accept the title of Excellency. The wife of Premier Zalile, who is the official Parliamentary shorthand earning .£165 annually, continues bar work. Strange flotsam occasionally comes into the hands of the authorities, and among the latest is a package found floating in the harbour at Wellington, near the wool wharf. This ; contained one hundred small bottles of extracts, whisky, brandy, rum, etc., and is in the hands of the Collector of Customs awaiting an owner.

in his inaugural address to the Anglican Synod in Brisbane last week. Archbishop Donaldson said that the year had seen the development of the Government scheme for universal military training. With all his heart ho rejoiced in this movement, and he believed that it could bring to the nation nothing but good. One feature of military training, however, needed reconsideration in the new 'circumstances, and lie pleaded for tho dissociation of the camps from Easter.

An analysis of the revenue and expenditure returns in West Australia for the past IX months shows that tho revenue from the State hotels was £30,465, and expenditure £28,518. Tiro expenditure on the State steamers was £62,020, and the revenue £48,082. It appears from the returns that the only new State trading enterprise of the Labour Government which yields a profit is that of the State hotels, wldoh show a surplus of nearly £2OOO on the current expenditure. The expenditure on State steamers for the 11 months shows a deficit of £12,294, inclu sive of interest on tho sinking fund.

An electric automobile service has been established across tho Alps at a cost of approximately .£IOO,OOO. The line, which is about 25 miles in length, extends from Airolo, Switzerland, through tho Bcdretto Valiev and the Nufenen Pass and ends at Ulrichcu in the Valais region, on the Italian side of the Alps. The automobiles have a capacity for 22 passengers and make the trip in one and three-quar-ter hours on express service, running at the rate of 12 to 22 miles an hour. The company has 10 stations along the- route, and throe trips are made daily in -each direction, when there is no snow on the road to interfere with the passage of the vehicles. Tho Bavarian Government has found a new use for the many automobiles employed by the Poet Office Department, by means of which tho danger of great conflagrations in the rural districts is minimised. If a big fire breaks out in any of the villages farther than 10 miles from a city, the five engines of the nearest city are attached to the postal automobiles and hauled at high speed to the point of damger. As only the larger Gorman cities have motor fire departments, the assistance of tho postal motor cars ‘is invaluable to the surrounding villages. Tho first practical best of tho plan was made last month in Bamberg. The village Walsdoff asked the' city for help and a small fire-engine was fastened ,to the rear axle of the automobile; the run was made in 34 minutes, and the assistance rendered by this engine was of groat value in extinguishing the fire. On Friday evening, says the Waverloy Tribune, Mrs E. Burke very narrowly escaped having reached the end of her days. She was being driven home, from Wavcrley, by her son Thomas, and had Just reached about opposite tho residence of Mr Nicholls, dairy factory manager, when tho horse stumbled, fell, and almost came to grief. Mrs,. Burke and her son were thrown out. The young man escaped lightly, but his mother was rendered insensible. She was carried into the factory residence by her son and Mr Nicholls. She continued in an unconscious state for a couple of hours, but recovered 1 about 8 o’clock, and was well, enough on Saturday afternoon to proceed home. In addition to a very severe shaking, and the concussion implied in the foregoing, Mrs Burke was cut about the face a good bit, necessitating seven stitches being put in. Dr. Grinling’s services were obtained Slid he rendered skilful aid. It is assumed that the horse, in crossing the railway line, picked up a stone which became fast in tho frog of one of the fore-hoofs, and so caused it to stumble.

As a sequel to the disturbance which occurred at the Russell Street Police Barracks in Melbourne on Sunday evening, June 8, George Lewis’ Calwell, formerly police constable, was charged at the City Court next day with having feloniously shot at Constable Edward Giddeus. with intent to murder him. Sergeant Stapleton said: “It is alleged that, at 30 minutes past 8 o’clock on Sunday evening, Calwell and several constables were in room No. 9 at the Russell Street barracks. A man came into the room, and, being in art intoxicated state,- was told by the constable in charge to go out. He refused to do so, and the constable in charge caught hold of the intoxicated man, and Calwell went to the latter's assistance. Giddens caught hold of Calwell, to assist the constable in charge, and Calwell threatened to shoot him."’ Giddens closed with him again, and called upon Constable McGann to help him. McGann seized bold of Calwell's arm, and a shot was fired as he pulled it down, the bullet hitting an iron post on the .floor. In cross-examina-tion, witness said his statement was based onlv on what ho had heard. Calwell, who pleaded, not guilty, was remanded on bail for one Week.

There is no more dangerous habit (savs the “Daily Telegraph”) than that of selfdrugging " for the purpose of inducing sleep, and it is not,a little amazing that the tragedies that are reported from time to time do not awaken the public generally to the danger of taking narcotic drugs without expert advice. Sleeplessness like pain, must be considered as one of Nature's danger-signals, and when anyone finds sleep broken night after night, it is time for them to seek the guidance of their medical adviser, and not to repair to the nearest chemist’s shop for a sedative. People seem to be unaware of the fact that doctors only give slcepprpducing drugs as a temporary measure, or as a hist resource, and invariably endeavour to remove insomnia by attacking its causes,-which may be numerous. Over work,' brain-strain, indigestion, heart-dis-ease. gout, and a hundred and one of’er conditions of ill-health may lead to broken sleep. On the other hand, irregularity as to hours of going to bed or rising in the. morning, overdoing the social, round, and other errors of living arc unnuestionably responsible for a very great amonut of. sleeplessness. Under any of these circumstances, it is clearly foolish to resort to strong drugs, in the hope of remedying one particular expression of the general disturbance, when expert guidance is really needed, PaHicnlarly to bo deprecated is the habit of taking veronal, a-custom which has come mw 1, into practice of recent years, and which no doubt, doctors are accustomed to use with great benefit in certain eases. But at the same time it is one of those drugs which doctors themselves, use yp.it.h- the greatest carei and yet; one is Constantly hearing of nereons who have taken ah' overdose, withot.it any apparent intention, of doing so. ’ Truly,; in ’ regard to the habit of taking, veronal, the time-honour-ed saying of fools and angels well applies.

The financial, position of the Waverlfy - A. and: P, Association, as, indicated !>y 4 its last barance-sheet, is a wry good one. ' i The principal receipts for the, last year ” wore—members subs., £7O 10s, entrance fees £55 10s 2d, gate £4O 7a 3d, other receipts brought up’the total to. £343 7s M; the expenditure,' which totalled £3],j 8s 9d, included £143 17s 6d, as prize money. There is a credit of ,2150 14s 6d, ivliikj the liabilities stand at £6 Os 9d.

White pearlers are not a success, according to Captain Parkes, master pearler, who gave evidence' before the Dominions' Commission in Australia. The good men retired as soon os’ they made money, and the bad ones remained, ■ho said. Their pay was £l6 a month, against £2 5s for indentured Asiatics. At present the industry was a monopoly. No new jioar.er was allowed to get coloured labour. If tho latter were piohibited the pearlers must abandon the industry. Advices have, been received in Sydney that the .'Dr Wollaston expedition in Now Guinea, sent out by the British Museum and other bodies, succeeded iu scaling the great snow-clad mountains in Dutch Portland Island, which have previously been ungurmounted. They climbed Mt. Carstenz, 13,000 ft., the highest point twine’ pioneered by a friendly tribe hitherto unknown of little hillmen. They underwent many privations, but secured an excellent collection of ornithological and other specimens and scientific data.

Wanganui East enthusiasts, to tho number of about fifty, turned up on Saturday afternoon to effect ’ some improvements to the W anganui East Esplanade,'the chief work being to erect a wire fence to train oack some creepers planted two years' ago, funds for which came from tho profits of an entertainment held the evening before. Should funds permit, it is inte kied to effect great improvements in this oeautiful reserve, ihciudmg tue erection of another pergola for cheepers, and planting another approach to the new bridge. A co.lection ot plants and shrubs raised by Mr F. Walker is to be planted immeaialsiv.

A table has been issued by tho New Zealand Alliance, gives tho "number of licenses for tho Dominion, and they are—hotel licenses 10513, accommodation licenses 188, wholesale licenses 150, as well as 39 packet licensee, and five wine licenses. Westland heads tho list for the greatest number of licenses for one district in New Zealand, the figures being 82 hotel licenses, 17 accommodation licenses, and four wholesale, licenses, a total of 103. Tiie jigurcs lor oth.er. licensing districts are os follows:—Auckland- 69, .Wellington 71, Christchurch 57, and Duijedm 51. Other West Coast districts appear to bo fully ptovided lor, Bailor having 65 and Grey 58. Auckland has's3 hotel licenses, Thames 35, Wellington 47, Duller 45, Grey 45, Westland 82,-Christchurch 46, Otagq Central 33, Dunedin 34, and Wakatipu 36. Avon has one and W'ellington two. Tho dark cloud which has been hanging over trade on tho West Coast for some months—namely, the aftermath of - labour troubles last year—is gradually passing away, says the Greymouth correspondent of the Christchurch Press. A noticeable improvement in the general'condition is being felt ail round. The steady’ development and employment afforded at Eeefton, Biackwatcr, and the various coal mines sinco February is surely making itself feit, and although there is room for several hundred more men at the mines, the active operations now boing conducted should, .before the year is out, bring the district back .to its former prosperous,oohditibn. Thb splendid results now: being obtained at the Biackwatcr mines,: together with Hhe opening of the Millerton Company's mine in the same locality; the development .of the locality of the Hockstetter auriferous field at Ahaura, in virgin country, * for sluicing, with the employment lor a considerable number of men, the sure and steady work being done at Blackball, Paparoa, and the new State mine—all these portend for the advancement of the district.

A few days ago, at Wool Boy, situated about nine miles from- YorketoH-n, South Australia, Mr Archie Anderson, a retired farmer, who has passed the allotted spaa of three score years and ten, had a severe tussle with an octupus. Mr Andersoh, who is an enthusiastic fisherman, made att early start before sunrise for the sclinappor grounds, situated about fifty yards from the shore. His linn had been down on.y a few minutes when ho fo.t a curious' tugging. Thinkiug .it was a ,cuttle-fish, be hauled it after a deal of trouble nearer tiro boat, and’ was surprised to 'find a large octopus on Uio hook. The fish, when near- the surface, planted one of its long fec.ers on the gunwale of the boat, Anderson immediate, y put his hand on this to retain it until he could get his knifo to work to cut it oif for bait. The monster from below, however, was the quicker of the two, for it-.brought another feeler into play and secured Mr Anderson’s wrist as though in a vice. He said he felt his arm become powerless, the pressure of the feeler was so powerful. Fortunately, his knife was ready to hand, and with lightning-like strokes he cut away the offender. It was a fortunate escape for Mr Anderson. At the same spot a few years ago another fisherman, while rowing, had one of his oars pulled out of his hand. The paddle disappeared under the surface, and was not seen again. It was surmised at the time that an octopus was responsible for this. A Comment was made by Mr Justice Hey- . don in the Industrial Court in Sydney the other week on the opposition offered by several Unions to the constitution of a separate Board for employees of the Sulphide Corporation at Cockle Creek; "I feel,” he said, “that at the bottom of a craft the ideal of a perfect Union is one which includes every workman of all trades in the States, which has them all under one award, under the eye of one secretary, paying their contributions to one fund, working the fame hours, receiving from top to bottom the earn? wages and overtime, and looking for direction and support to the same body. That groups of men here and there should leave a Union of their trade and join themselves with men of other trades on some other principle of association seems to me most deplorable. But Unions, hava never been able to achieve for themselves this rigorous centralisation, this hard and fast uniformity. Natural conditions have been too many for them. I cannot seq a word in the Act to suggest that the Coart should favour one principle of Union organisation more than another. Tlic Act leaves them free to join any Union they please, and the way in which in the long run they are found to have distributed themselves has a strong presumption in its favour. They know their own wants and wishes best, and their freedom should not he interfered with beyondi what the Act prescribes.” He recommended for the Sulphide Corporation a cottiprchcmlvo Board. „nj JJ” 1 V 9

■ ■■■■■■ A amber of juveniles will be brought before the Magistrate next week on various charges. It is reported that Dr. Sharman, the Auckland Fori Health Officer for many jean, ka«t been advised that the Department intends to have the duties undertaken by the local office of the Health Department staff, consisting of Drs. MacGiil aad Monk. Giving an instance of cruelty practised almost nncbeekrd in Bengal, Captain Hurray, M.P., introducing to tho Under-Sec-letsiy lor India in London recently a deputation from the Indus Committer of the Bovai Society for the Prewntion of Cruelty to Animal*, cited the custom prevalent of flaying goats alive. This was done, he explained, to obtain longer measurement*. In the trade these skins were called "k»ng-nrck»”, and commaiidVd a higher price in the market on account of the extra length.

Mr T. D. Cummins, chairman of the Vopni River' Tn»t, and Mr K. Pliil-lipt-luraer, Inspector of Scenic Reserves, MW just returned down-stream from Tanmanunl. We understand the object of ttdr vmt to the upper reagbes of the rrver was with noting the portions of tne River Trust Domain lands that are not of mine for scenic purposes, 'out which canid be leased for settlement. Several anon have been voted as being eminently adapted for Uia purpose indicated, being matiy old Maori luingas that have bees prerionsiy cultivated. Where the areas are large enough for farms they will no doubt be eagerly sought after as the land is of the best quality. In several cans the areas are too small for a holding, but will be most valuable adjuncts to the holdings of Crown tenants adjoining, being most-y plongbahle land. An eflort will be made to have the surveys undertaken at «n ea:~y date. Sitting in bis civil Jurisdiction at the Magistrate’s Court this morning. Mr Kerr B.M. gave judgment for the plaintiff in each of the following undefended cases:— F. W. Anderson v B. Scaliv, -f» 3s; J. Crichton v H. Scally 1C»; If. A. Mainwncing r Tni Keokeo'jflO Is 3d; W. B. Mete Kingi v R. Hannan MS 3s; Watt aad Cohen ▼ Aokebn Paki £1 11s 2d; B. A. Main waring r Warron Talma jt‘2 4a; Wanganui Carrying Co., r J. E. Marshall 15a 9d; J. Hutchinson v T. Sexton fl 7s; Kernoban aad Co. v W. Payne M 3 1& 4d; Southern Crass Co. v E. K. Collins AlO 2b 9d; S. E. Cooper and Co. v T. C. White M2 6s 4d; A. Doig v W. Walker 8s 6d; Wanganni Meat Freezing Co. vT. Sexton MS 9s Id; same v W. R. Fitten M2 17s 3d: Waitotara Connty conn- { ril v W. Jones MS Ss Id; Watt and Cohen v J, Granville A3 3s; same v C. Demp- **.’ M sa; D. B. W'alker v J. Granville At 10s.