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Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6838, 20 April 1932, Page 6

Ring attractions for the forthcoming Manawatu Winter Show were finalised at yesterday’s meeting of the general committee of tho association. The following programme was decided on: Wednesday, dog trials and Te Aute College-Palmerston North Boys’ High School Rugby match; Thursday, completion of the dog trials and chopping and sawing; Friday, horse events and goat racing; Saturday, North v. South Rugby match.

“Tho West Coast has always been a good gold-producing country, and there is no doubt that gold in largo quantities still awaits the application of more gold to bring it to tho light of day,” said Mr. F. W. Payne, an English mining engineer, in an interview in Christchurch. Mr. Payne has returned to New Zealand on tour after an absence of about thirty years, and ho predicted that large dredging operations predicted that large drdging operations would bo undertaken on the coast in the near future, also making the suggestion that money spent in improving tho harbour at Okarito would bo well repaid in the saving on the transport of mining machinery.

When Wirth’s Circus took its first stroll over Sydney Bridge the other day tho authorities discovered an anomaly in tho toll charges. Seven elephants lumbered over the bridge, and tho ehargo was 2d each. The driver of a baby motor car, whose complete outfit weighed about a quarter of an elephant, paid out 1/3. Each ■ elephant took up as much space as a .motor lorry, but had only four feet, so the officials called a tram official, who examined them at every angle. It ivas decided that the elephants should pay 2d, with a similar charge for their riders. A small pony, capable of running under tho elephants’ legs, paid the same fee.

Comparing statistics of this year with those of last year in his report to the annual meeting of All Saints’ parishioners last evening, Canon G. Y. Woodward mentioned that baptisms totalled 118, as against 115 last year, candidates confirmed 100 (107), weddings 49 (75}, Melanesian Mission offertory £sl 14/2 (£SS 3/7), golden offertory £225 (£200). Remembering the financial depression and heavy taxation, it was curious in the Statistics given that the only appreciable falling off had been in the number of weddings solemnised in 1932. That was only to be expected with so much unemployment and reduction in incomes. Yet in tho face of greater hardship in 1932 the golden offertory and tho contributions to. missions were considerably higher. This spoke volumes for the loyalty of parishioners of the church.