LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18392, 28 July 1931, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Five cases of diphtheria- were admitted to the Palmerston North Hospital during June. There was a total absence of scarlet fever.

Bents to the value of over £BO per week are being paid by the Palmerston North Hospital Board to assist people in distress.

We have been favoured with a copy of the Textile Journal of Australia for July. It contains a full report of the proceedings of the Empire Wool Conference recently held in Melbourne.

Attention is directed to an important notice in connection with the payment of the unemployment levy and the emergency wages tax under the Unemployment Act.

■ -Provisional authority to recommence work on the Nurses’ Home at the Napier Hospital has been given to the 'Hawke’s Bay Hospital Board by the Minister of Health, the lion. A. J. Stallworthy.

Every now and then (says a Taranaki paper) newspapers disappear from the files in the reading room of the Stratford public library despite the vigilance of the librarian.

The queer turns which Nature sometimes takes was illustrated yesterday in a product of Mr A. Jarman’s poultry yard, at Fairfield, two eggs joined together by a narrow tube. The eggs were laid by a Black .Minorca hen, and were soft-shelled, one being larger than the other. Another of Mr Jarman's hens laid an egg weighing 34 ounces.

Charged with having forged banknotes in his possession without lawful authority at Wellington in April, David Collinson, aged 35, salesman, came before the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, and a jury in the Supreme Court at Wellington yesterday, and w-as found not guilty.

The annual meeting of the Te Awamutu Terminating Building Society was held last evening, when there was k a fair attendance. Mr F. W. Luxford was re-elected shareholders’ auditor. At an appro-, priation meeting afterwards two tenders were received. That of Mr C. T. Pcllow, at £GO per £4OO, was successful.

“I believe that in a year or two the present depression will be looked upon as one of the most beneficent things which ever happened to mankind,” said Mr T. M. Burke, a prominent real estate owner and dealer, of Melbourne, who struck an optimistic note in commenting upon conditions in Australia after his arrival at Auckland by the Aorangt yesterday.

An evidence of the severity of the winter in the hills of Otago is the migration of wild pigs to the lower oountry. One party of hunters at Waikouaiti, about 30 miles northwest of Dunedin, recently secured 12 pigs, which were all in good condition, one weighing 1501 b. These pigs were all shot within 20 minutes’ run from the township.

Finality has been reached by the Auckland Power Board in its arrangements with Glen Aflon Collieries, Limited, for supplies of coal for the King’s Wharf power station. The agreement now reached will mean a saving to the board of £2OO a week. The board lias been receiving practically crushed coal, paying 15s Gd a ton," but under the new arrangement It will receive a considerable amount of slack coal at 8s a ton.

“The problem is Ihe protection of the public,” remarked Mr Tate, S.M., in the Stratford Court, in entering a conviction against a defendant fo<driving a car while in a slate of intoxication. “In this case it was a horse only that was killed, but it might very easily have been a man. t am more and more convinced that drink and car-driving must be ruthlessly divorced. People, in liquor must not drive cars, and ii tlicy arc lined it must be not only lo make them sorry for themselves but lo ill as a deterrent for others.”

The recent earthquake has had a singular effect on the swamp areas in Ihe Foxton district. Tile mean level of Hood water on ihe main road has fallen about 2 inches, and it. is estimated that the swamps have risen an equal amount. A number of artesian bores in Hie swamp country which were md flowing freely before Ihe oarliiquakc are now gushing, and others which supplied water in plentiful streams he fore the earthquake have since diminished in flow ur ceased Lo operate.