WANGANUI NOTES

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 92, 12 January 1929, Page 6

WANGANUI NOTES

NEW ZEALAND BAND CONTEST.

Wanganui, January 11. Entries for the New Zealand band contest, to be held at Wanganui from February 25 to March 2 are gratifying to the committee, There are 13 A grade and 15 B grade, and it is expected that at least 11 of the A grade bands will compete. There are 24 entries for both grades ip the hymn test, and 494 solo entries. On the Saturday of the arrival of the visiting band? in Wanganui a civic welcome will be extended, and in the evening a reception will be held.

The Wanganui Hospital Board is still waiting for Ministerial approval of the plans of the proposed isolation block, although the matter was submitted to the Department on November 5. The Direc-tor-General of Health was of the opinion that the building should be built in wood, but board members strongly favour brick. Th cost wifi be in the vicinity of £6OOO. The matter will probably be discussed when, the Minister of Health (Hon. A. J. Stallworthy) and Dr. T. H. A. Valin? tine visit Wanganui next week.

At to-day’s meeting of the Wanganui County Council feeling reference to the death of the late Mr. A. Robinson was made by the chairman (Mr. A. D. Mackintosh). The chairman said Ml’, Robinson had done excellent work on the Council while he had been a member, and did not spare in tl;e country’s interest. _ A motion of sympathy with the relatives was carried, members standing. Considerable activity in road construction is being shown by the Wanganui County Council. Another portion of number one line from the city boundary to Marybauk is to be tar-sealed, and tenders for the work will be dealt with by the Council today. Two miles of number two line from the city boundary are to be remetalled preparatory to tar-sealing, and a further two miles of the Wangaehu Valley Road, between Ngamatea and Mt. View will be remetalled and widened. Since this latter road was gazetted as a main highway, it has been greatly improved. The past year was a very busy one for the Wanganui Fire Brigade, which from January 1 to December 31 last, attended in all to 250 calls. Of these, however, no fewer than 147 were due to grass fires, which were events of practically daily occurrance at the beginning of the year. Incidentally, this summer is not proving a.s dry as the previous one, and a considerable decrease is therefore shown in the number of fires from this cause. The nature and the respective number of the other calls were as follow; —Actual fires, 54; chimney fires, 19 ; rubbish fires, 12; justified false alarms. 9; malicious false alums, 4; out of the district, 4. By far the greater number of calls were received by telephone, 168 being through this medium- Street alarms were responsible for 68 calls, and messengers for 14, The Arvnolio Boating Club will hold an “at home” at their club house tomorrow afternoon. A series of sprint fours will be held during t]ie afternoon, and the Regimental Band will be in attendance. ■

The Wanganui representative lit the inspectors’ refresher course in Wellington on January 29 will be Mr, G. Fear.

“Since the Main Highways Board came info existence marked progress has been made to Pnrapnra Road,” said Councillor A. D. Mackintosh at to-day’s meeting of the Wanganui County Council. “If it were not for .the Highways Board the road would be in a much worse condition to-day.”