TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 68, 13 December 1939, Page 5

TOWN AND COUNTRY

Items Of Interest From The Provinces

POWER OF LIGHTNING

Holes Through Porcelain Insulation

The electrical potential of a Hash of lightning was vividly illustrated m the Manawatu - Orona Electrical lower Board's system lust month. Reporting to a meeting of the board, the engineer, Mr. W A Waters, said an interruption on the Ilalcombe feeder line bad been traced to a punctured insulation on the new 11,000-volt Arapatn line after a lightning storm. Three holes had been drilled clean through the porcelain which the puncture rating was liu.uiai volts. Books for the Troops.

As a result of an appeal by Miss A. M. Blackett, Wanganui city librarian, three cases of reading matter have been dispatched for the troops in camp. lhe cases contained 277 books comprising an excellent variety in first-class condition, 21S books in what was described as fair condition, and .a number of periodicals. Gorse in Fitzherbert Riding.

The rapid spread of gorse in 1< itzherbert riding has been brought under the notice of the Kairanga County Council by Cr. W. G. Shannon, who said that it was beginning to cover a large acreage. The council decided to ask the Department of Agriculture to take immediate action for the enforcement of the Noxious ■Weeds Act. It was pointed out that a 75 per cent, labour subsidy was made available by the Government for labour engaged in the clearance of noxious weeds. To Visit Exhibition.

A party of 24 boys from Wanganui Technical College, under the charge of one of the masters, Mr. A. D. Anderson, will leave next Monday on a visit to the Centennial Exhibition. The boys will have bed and breakfast at Scots College and their other meals elsewhere, and will return to their homes on December 22.

I’etone Memorial Funds. “No other result than a shortage in the funds could be expected when local body quotas were fixed without their being consulted,” said Cr. F. J. Russell at a meeting of the Kairanga County Council, when advice was received from the ■Wellington Provincial Council of the centennial organization that, because of some local bodies defaulting in the allocation, the funds for the provincial memorial at I’etone were about £866 short. The letter asked that the zone committees undertake to make up their respective shortages, otherwise it would appear that. the onlv other method of raising the required funds would be by an additional pro. rata levy, which would be rather unfair to those zones which had met their responsibilities. 'Tlie council, which had previously decided not. to meet its assessment of £36 on the ground that the Mt. Stewart memorial should have preference, decided to take no action.

The World’s Problems. “The whole problem may be solved by co-operation ; this will only spring from doing good without' expecting anything in return, and that must begin with the individual,” said. Mr.'R. R. Rayner in an address to members of the Wanganui Rotary Club on “The Greatest Problem in the World Today and the Solution.” Neither the military nor the economic situation was the greatest problem, be said; the greatest problem was spiritual, and he claimed that the world could only' be saved through Christianity.

Manawatu A.A. Membership. A membership of 3G23 was reported at a meeting of the Automobile Association (Manawatu). During November 53 new members were enrolled and there were eight resignations.

Band Display Takings. Tlie gate takings at the band display at Cook’s Gardens, Wanganui, pu Sunday, totalled £2'7B. This suqj indicates au attendance of aibout 5400. Mealrooms for Watersidcrs.

The Wanganui Harbour Board has agreed to provide additional equipment iu the kitchen and mealrooms for.waterside workers at Castlecliff. Lack of equipment and cooking facilities, it was reported, had resulted in extra expense to-the shipping companies, and on occasion an overflow of men had to be taken to the city by bus for a meal. The additional equipment the board has agreed to install will help considerably in the economical working of the port.

Gravel From Wanganui River. Whether the taking of gravel from the bed of the Wanganui River has a detrimental effect on the river is to be the subject of a report by the engineer. The question was raised at a meeting of the Wanganui Harbour Board foliowing receipt of a letter from the Wanganui River Gravel Company thanking the board for the advice given by its engineer and for a copy of the joint report of the board’s engineer and the city engineer regarding (filiation at the company's wharf. Mr. D. Ross said he thought tlie company should be stopped from dredging altogether: lie considered they were doing a lot of harm, and gave notice that he would raise tlie question nt tlie next meeting. Mr. J. J. Scott said that in view of lhe drastic nature of Mr. Ross's suggestion he would move that the engineer report on (lie effects of taking gravel from tlie river; board members would then know where they were. This was agreed to.