NEWS IN BRIEF Town Hall Repairs

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 63, 7 December 1938, Page 13

NEWS IN BRIEF

Town Hall Repairs

Most of the upper sections of the interior walls of the Wellington Town Hail at present, resemble a gigantic map with boundaries outlined in white. These lines serve to show the extent to which the plaster walls were cracked, as Iho ‘'boundaries” show where such cracks have been plastered over. After today's wool sale.. scaffolding will be rigged to do certain repair work to elevated cracks in the structure, mostly, it is - tltoughl, of a superficial character. It is hoped to make a start next week with the painting of the interior of the large bail, a jolt that will occupy a month or six weeks according to the number of painters available.

Final City Council Meeting. Tile lilial meeting of the Wellington City Council for the year will take place on Wednesday night next. Hie final committee meeting will be that of the staff committee, which meets next Tuesday afternoon. There will lie no committee meetings this year after the final meeting of the council.

Tramway Danger Removed. Motormen have in the past had to lake care when two tramcars approach one another at the Hunter Street junction witlt Lambton Quay, Wellington. When this subsidiary line was constructed insufficient space was allowed on the bend, and motormen had to be warned of the danger at that point. The present track renewal work on Lambton Quay has provided Hie occasion to rectify this. The points have been shifted 10ft. further northward, which provides for an Ilin, clearance. When this junction is completed, probably at the end of the week, the trsick work will be discontinued till after the holidays. Better Pavements.

As part of the general overhaul Wellington is being given in -view of the coming year of its centennial, the city engineer’s department is turning its Attention to the rehabilitation of the pavements of the main streets of the city. This work, which has been in hand for the greater part of the year, is well overdue. It is,not generally known that wobbling pavement flags are caused by burrowing rats, who make their homes under the feet of the people. Only recently one of these flags in Cuba Street was lifted. Underneath was a large rat hole, and nesting there were eight baby rodents, which were ultimately destroyed. The new pink flags are a distinct improvement to the western side of Cuba Street. Debt Extinguished.

When the centenary thanksgiving fund campaign of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand opened, St. Andrew’s Church, Wellington, had a debt of £3660, and only £461 iu the debt reduction fund. On Sunday, evening last the fund amounted to £3870, and, to mark the occasion, a service of dedication of the gifts was conducted. On the Communion table there was a casket which contained an illuminated document inscribed as follows: “Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. St. Andrew’s Church. Wellington. 18401940. Centenary Thanksgiving Fund. With gratitude to God for all His mercies and in .memory of the sacrifice and devotion of the pioneers these gifts are offered with the prayer that they be used to the glory of God and the extension of His Kingdom. December 4. .1938.” The casket will remain in the church.

U.S.A, at the Exhibition. One of ihe New Zealand national organizations which has obtained space for a display at the centennial exhibition is the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association. The stand will be conducted in conjunction with the Soldiers’ Civil Re-establishment League, and its- organizers expect to be able to make a display that will surprise people with tlie growth and extent of returned soldiers’ organized activities in the community. Such things as photographs of the work done by unemployed returned soldiers with. Hie funds distributed by the association, and graphic illustrations of tlie growth of the association, will be displayed and the league will be able to show the work of the industries which it fosters. Possibly artificial poppies for sale on Poppy Day will be manufactured at tlie exhibition. Having actively participated in an important development of Ihe Dominion’s 100 years of history, returned soldiers feel that the exhibition would not be complete without, their being represented. Quoits in the Air. Tlie provision of sets of quoits in tlie Empire flying-boats on tlie SydneySingapore service has proved a most popular innovation with passengers, according Io the current issue of the Qantas Empire Airways gazette. Tlie generous proportions of Hie promenu.de cabin allow ample room for quoits Io be played without disturbance to other passengers, and. it is stated, several exciting games have been contested during Hights over the. Netherland Indies and Australia.