LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19827, 29 April 1927, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Speeches were dispensed with at the Wanganui Rotary Club’s luncheon yesterday, but the breach was filled by several musical items by local talent. It is understood that some 45 motorists will be summoned as a result of the activities of the city inspectors and the Waitotara County inspector yesterday. The installation of the new Mayor (Mr W. J. Rogers) will take place at noon on Wednesday next. The councillor come into office immediately on being sworn in, so Mr Hope Gibbons will preside over the new Council at a meeting on Tuesday evening next. In view of the fact that full directions are printed on every ballot paper, it is an index to the average mind that in some booths the number of informal votes cast in one or other of the elections on Wednesday exceeded the number secured by a candidate. The death of an Auckland citizen on Tuesday meant the loss of eight votes at the municipal poll reports the specialcorrespondent of the “Chronicle.” He had one vote in his own right and seven more votes for companies which ho represented. The death is announced from Gisborne of Sarah Anno relict of Edwin Featon, aged 80. Deceased and her husband compiled the well-known publication “Art Album of New Zealand Flora,’ which was issued by the Government. The eleven-roomed wooden, residence of E. C. Firth at Epsom was destroyed by fire yesterday, says an Auckland telegram. The house, which was a very old one, was burned to the ground with the contents including valued oil pictures and papers and jewellery, and a billiard table. It is to be noted that the opening day of the shooting season this year will fall next Monday, May 2. This is duo to the fact that under the Animals Protection and Game Act, 1908, in any year where the Ist of May falls on a Sunday, the season does not commence until the following day. A Chinese named Joe Ah Wing, aged 40, of Haining Street, was yesterday at Wellington fined £25 for being in possession of opium. The police had difficulty in getting into the premises, which were barricaded. Seven or eight Chinese were present at the time of the raid. The school residence at Tataraimaka, which was also used as the district Post Office, was totally destroyed by fire on Tuesday evening All the Post Office material, with the exception of a few official records, was lost. The building was occupied by the postmistress, Miss Sisley, and Miss Linn, teacher at the school. The former suffered a loss of £2OO, but the latter lost practically nothing. The fire severed telephone communication with the coastal district and New Plymouth. A road which takes the motorist well off the beaten track, through scenery of a high order, is that up the Turakina river. This road is not very well known, but a party of motorists who this week returned by it to Wanganui from Tangiwai spoke very favourably of the trip. As yet it is not suitable except for line weather motoring, but a gang of men is at work steadily improving its surface, and on the return of summer it will probably be called upon to carry a greatly increased volume of traffic. Following a run of good business just prior to Easter, motor agents in Wanganui are now experiencing a comparatively slack time, and sales arc harder to make. So far this year, business has been very satisfactory, and dealers are hopeful of establishing good records by the end of 1927, though the total sales will no doubt be fewer than was the case during the recent boom years. Improvements to the Wangaehu Valley road are being carried out steadily, and the surface as far as tho Kokopu stream is in good order for motoring. About two miles have yet to be formed before a good run to Karioi will be possible, providing a short route to the Main Trunk that should be very popular with motorists.