LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19478, 22 December 1925, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A motor-cyclist named John Dennehy crashed into a motor-car near the Town Bridge on Saturday afternoon and sustained head injuries and a broken nose. He received medical attention and was removed to hospital.

According to a report received in Invercargill, the Boss Sea whaling fleet, which this year left Stewart Island for the whaling grounds of thf Antarctic earlier than usual, has beer held up by the pack ice and is at present unable to proceed to the .Ross Sea.

The drawing of the Dunedin Colossal art union, in which many thousands, from all parts of the Dominion participated, has been postponed till Wednesday night. There was an exceptionally heavy mail on Saturday and it was impossible to check the audit returns Sti time.

It may not be generally known that the first New Zealand company was launched in January, 1825, over .100 years ago. It was named the Now Zealand Company. It failed, hut it paved the way for the company with which Edward Gibbon Wakefield was associated.

“It looks to me,” said Mr J. M. Coradino, chairman of the Masterton Technical School Board last week, “as if there is going to be a run on technical education from now on, as there was with the academic. The Minister for Education is preaching it and so did Mr Erank Tate, the Victorian educationist. ’ ’

Many young baby turtles have been killed in Fiji recently a-d the supply of shells is threatened with a decrease. There has been a close, season, but this was fixed at an unsuitable period of the year. The Legislative Council has now adopted a motion that a close season be fixed at a more favourable time when the turtles are laying.

An attempt is to be made shortly to ascertain if the more remote parts of Hawke's Bay are frequented by the famous swordfish and make shark, as well as the kingfish. Specimens of these celebrities are reported to have been observed off Portland Island, and it is thought that good deep sea fishing, of the kind that has made the Auckland coast famous, may be obtainable there.

Are thrushes carnivorous! A Havelock gardener says that he has proof that they do occasionally indulge in meat diet in seasons when fruit is not available (says the “Hawke’s Bay Tribune”). Recently he was surprised to see one rise from the ground carrying in its beak, by the tail, a baby mouse. The thrush settled under a lemon tree, and on the gardener’s approach flew away, leaving its victim behind. The thrush had commenced its meal by scalping the mouse.

A pupil of the Avondale District School, Cecil Wilson, son of Mr T. Wilson, Manukau Road, has established a great record for unbroken attendance at the school. For seven years he has not. missed a single attendance. About two years ago he seriously injured his foot through cutting it with an axe, but even this did not keep him away, a brother wheeling him along daily on a bicycle. The Minister for Education on being acquainted with the meritorious record, sent the lad a congratulatory letter and the School Committee last week made him a presentation.

A citizen who wished to purchase a few stamps yesterday from one of the automatic machines at the Wanganui Post Office had an interesting experience. His first penny drew forth a penny stamp, but the next gave him two stamps of the same denomination. Wondering whether the machine worked on a graduated scale, he inserted another penny, and drew a blank. A fourth penny produced one stamp, and the purchaser left it at. that, satisfied that he received what, he had paid for and had not gone away after the second attempt and left the next comer to draw* the bl<ank.

The Wanganui Automobile Association has been active of late making arrangements for camping sites for travelling motorists in the city and the surrounding district. They have circularised sister bodies throughout the Dominion to the effect that Aramoho Park is now available for use. It is described as a beautiful reserve on the north bank of the Wanganui River, and being four miles from the centre of the city. It is an ideal spot for camping there being tea rooms, shelter sheds for picnickers, a children’s playground, and all conveniences, with a store opposite. Another site is located on the banks of the Okehu stream, about 10 miles from the city, on the Great North Road.

The various branches of the Automobile Association in the Wanganui district recently made representations to the Minister for Public Works in respect to the state of the Waiouru-To-k&anu Road. They pointed out, in basing their claims, that the traffic was growing in volume and the road warranted an expenditure sufficient to make it permanent. The Prime Minister in a communication to the Wanganui Association in regard to the matter stated that arrangements had now been made by the Public Works Department to employ a surfaceman on the road during the coming season. The latter would be placed on the road immediately, and it was hoped that, his activities would make the road reasonably passable for the coming season's traffic.

A few minutes before eight o ’clock on Saturday evening, the Palmerston North Fire Brigade answered a call to a fire in Botanical Road, where a sixroomed house owned by Mrs Gausled and occupied by Mr F. W. Scott, was alight. The outbreak was in a room at the back of the building, and the prompt action of the fire fighters saved a greater loss than was experienced, only the back room and the passage being destroyed, although the remaining portion of the residence was damaged by the smoke and water. It is not known how the fire started, for the occupants were out visiting. Mr Scott, who is an eflgine driver in the railway service, has been transferred from Palmerston North, and he was singularly fortunate in having hit. furniture already packed up in another room, and so little loss in that respect was sustained. The house itself is insured for £9OO. this covering more than the damage dona by the fire, but the insurance on the furniture could not be ascertained.

The first of a series of public dances took place at the Castlecliff Kiosk on Saturday night and proved about a hundred dancers taking part and finding the conditions very pleasant. The late ’bus to the city after the dunce was well patronised, and the retention of this service should add greatly to the popularity of the dances.

The Wanganui Hospital acknowledges the following gifts:—Flowers St. Peter’s Church, Baptist Christian Endeavour. Mrs H. F. Christie, Airs Bowra, Miss Tucker. Magazines and books: Airs Smaler, Pat Chaldecott, Airs. Nettleship, Peter Russell. Gifts for children: Mrs Riddells, Aliss Hylton, Afiss AfcDonogh. Old linen: “Friend”; Girl Guides.

A Harbour Board official who is also well known in cricket circles got something of a shock the other morning. Ha was assisting a small boy in col lecting cigarette cards, those with pic turps of animals being in demand. He communicated his laudable intention to some of his friends, with H parting injunction to save him any cards in the animal line. The instructions were obeyed literally, for when the Harbour Board official got up to bring in the milk in the morning ho found a dead hedgehog tied to his front door handle with a note that read, “This is the only animal we h<ave got so far.” Keeping pace with the march of pt.) gross the coastal steamer Kapiti can now boast its own listening in set, thanks to the enthusiasm of th" mate of the vessel, Mr J. J. Smith, who has had a sot eroded on the ship ai hh own expense. In his cabin Air Smith can listen-in to all the latest communications between ships, as well as communications between vessels and the shore. He can also listen in to Sydney and Alelbourne, besides other long range stations. The Kapiti and the Titoki are the first coastal vessels to enter the port of Wanganui with wireloss equipment. It is a con incidence that a member of the crew of the Kapiti remembers the lime when Marconi was making his first experiments in the realms of wireless in the summer of 1898 from the head of Poole Harbour, in Dorsetshire, England, to the Isle of Wight, a. distance of 15 miles, which was considered a marvellous achievement in those far-off dtays.