Game good for patients, staff

A very pleasant function in the form of a smoke concert was held in the Mental Hospital attendants’ social hall on Wednesday evening to entertain the Porirua football team. About 100 were present. The toast of "The King" and "The Porirua Football Club" was proposed. Replying on the players’ behalf Mr Quill (late of Seacliff) said that the team was very lucky to have beaten Seacliff that day. Mr Quill referred to the good there was derived in sport, and said it was a splendid thing for the mental hospitals to have soccer teams. He had found from experience that both the patients and the staff were far more contented since sport had been a part of the staff’s duties, as it gave them something to discuss during their spare time. Dr Lee said he was very pleased that Porirua had sent down such a good team, as it would stimulate interest in the game. Dr McKillop hoped the Seacliff team would be able to travel to Porirua before long — probably at the end of this season.

Essential to dry out road tar
Up to the present the Dunedin City Council, when using coal tar for road-making purposes, has been content with the crude form of tar as it comes from the gas retorts. The true definition of tar for roadmaking purposes is the product freed from water. The bad state of disrepair of the roadway between the tram tracks in Lower High street is attributed by those in a position to offer an opinion to the use of undistilled tar. It is asserted in some quarters that New Zealand is the only country where crude coal tar is employed in roadmaking; but it is only a matter of time when only the distilled products will be used, as refining works in a fairly comprehensive scale have been established at Sockburn, near Christchurch, and it is understood that the Dunedin City Council has an order from this company a quantity of "stiltar" — namely, tar which has been dehydrated. The bituminous coals from which our gas supply is obtained is singularly high in water content, and the coal tar produced is consequently seriously prejudicially affected. 

Cars versus harnessed animals
A deputation from Kuri Bush, which waited on the Taieri County Council yesterday, brought under the notice of the council the excessive speed at which motors are driven on the Kuri Bush-Brighton road. One of the speakers stated that he lost much time going with teams, as he could not take the risk of sending younger members of his family to drive the teams on account of the likelihood of accidents through motor speeding. Another member of the deputation stated he would not allow his man to take a team on to the road on certain days for the same reason. The deputation urged the council to take some urgent and drastic step to end the nuisance. The council, coming to no definite decision, was sympathetic, and no doubt the necessary 
steps will be taken. — ODT, 28.7.1923

 

Compiled by Peter Dowden