In Town and Out

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 222, 19 September 1928, Page 6

In Town and Out

The objections to valuations in Gonville, which were set down for hearing at thc Assessment Court today will now be '-card on Friday. Tomorrow the Court will be occupied with objections in thc Castlecliff area. Swimming Season. ‘‘l think that the chairman of the works committee should make the first dive,” said a councillor at last evening’s meeting of the City Council, when October 6 was fixed as the date for thc official opening of the Gonville swimming baths, recently extended. Thc swimming season actually opens on October L Gorse Fire. Clouds of smoke coming from a patch of gorse in Burton Avenue, Wanganui East, at 4.2 p.m. yesterday afternoon attracted the attention of a passer-by, who gave the alarm. Thc fire brigade attended promptly and no damage was done. It is thought that the lire was lit by some children on their way home from school. A Racehorse Train.

When assisting to load a refractory racehorse on to the special train that left Wanganui on Monday for Avondale, a bystander had a hand trodden on by thc horse, a painful wound beinginflicted. The sufferer had the injury attended to by a member of thc station staff. Happily this was the only mischance that attended the loading of nearly 30 high-strung animals.

Rotary Club. Interesting accounts of their tour of the South Pacific Islands were given by Messrs C. Poynter, G. Gordon, J. B. Jack and G. Murch, at thc weekly luncheon of the Rotary Club yesterday. At the conclusion of the addresses it was decided to write to the Suva Lunch Club thanking them for the manner in which they had entertained the Wanganui visitors.

Fewer Bankruptcies. v . The total number of bankruptcies in the Wanganui district has shown a steady decrease at thc end of each succeeding quarter of the present year. For the quarter ended March 31, there were eleven, while for the next period, ended June 30 there were eight. Thc September quarter is nearing conclusion and to date there have only been four petitions. As an indication of the financial situation, Wanganui’s figures, arc distinctly encouraging. Durie Hill School Enlarged

Thc new class room which has been built to accommodate the largely increased attendance at the Durie Hill School is to be officially opened on Monday afternoon next. The Mayor (Mr W. J. Rogers). Messrs W. Glenn. M.P., W. A. Veitch, M.P... Mr W. A. Collins (chairman of the Education Board), and other public men have been invited, as well as the parents of pupils attending the school, and the function should be of much local interest. Frightened by ’Planes.

The visit of the Tasman fliers over Wanganui yesterday did not find favour in one quarter at least. The whirring of the engines of the aeroplanes frightened a horse in one of the paddocks near the city. Thc r.nimal galloped, in its terror, through a barbed, wire fence, cutting itself rather badly in consequence. The owner says he docs not know whether to proceed against the fliers for being the cause of the horse’s fright or the Mayor for being instrumental in getting the aviators to fly over thc city.

Wanganui as an Airport. That Wanganui must look to the future in regard to equipping itself with an air port, was the opinion expressed at the meeting of thc City Council last evening by the Mayor (Mr W. J. Rogers). The Mayor also referred to his meeting with the crew of the Southern Cross, describing the airmen as “unassuming, business-like fellows who are modest in their achievements.” Councillors thanked the Mayor for his activity in endeavouring to persuade the fliers to land in Wanganui. It was all “keeping the city on the map,” they said. Tramways Material.

Although it is said that Wanganui missed a good opportunity when the. Dunedin City Council purchased certain trams which the Takapuna Tram.way Company was offering for sale, it is stated that there is still other tramways material available in thc same market. The Council decided last evening that thc matter of making a further offer be left to thc chairman of the tramways committee (Cr. A. E. Halligan) and thc engineer (Mr A. E. Cbeal) with power to act within a limit fixed by the tramways committee and not exceeding the limit fixed by the council.

Power Of Imagination. The extent to which imagination can play tricks with the mind was amply demonstrated by the numbers-of people who asserted that they had sighted the aeroplanes yesterday long before their actual arrival over the city. An observer at thc top of the Memorial Tower declared he saw the fliers as early as 11.5 and signalled the news of their supposed arrival to someone below who promptly telephoned thc fire brigade. The result was that the old firebell commenced to ring long before the ’planes appeared. A lady was also emphatic in stating that she saw the aeroplanes, and endeavoured to indicate them in a quarter a good many points to the west from whence they might be expected to appear. It was not until some twenty minutes after these false, alarms that three tiny dots were unmistakably seen by the eager watchers. Errors in Charts.

With regard to errors in charts as reported in recent telegrams, thc Customs Department in Wanganui, which attends to lu-nl marine business, states that errors are constantly being reported on this coast. For instance a rock or clay bank outside Patea Harbour was found to be several miles from its charted position. On the old charts many shoals and banks arc marked “approximate position,” and it is only from reports of captains of coastal boats that the maps can be amended. Whenever notification is received of a necessary - rrection it is dispatched to the Marine Department in Wellington and is published in the Gazette. At the end of each year all thc corrections are collected and printed- in the Nautical Almanac. There is a movement on foot at present to have thc whole of the coast-line of New Zealand, and especially thc South Island, recharted.