Town Talk

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 108, 9 May 1931, Page 6

Town Talk

j Post Office Steps. i A piece of concrete has broken away from the steps at the Wanganui Chief Post Office leading up to the outward letter boxes. Theer was very nearly an accident there yesterday when an ( old man slipped through missing his footing on the gap on the step edge. Unemployment Levy. Proceedings arc to be taken by the Labour Department against all those who have not paid the unemployment levy or have not registered. and against employers employing such men. Six cases will be brought up in the Wanganui Court on May IS. Official Recount. A stait was made yesterday Io check the municipal rolls prepaartory to the recount of votes cast in the recent election. A full staff is engaged on the 1 work and the returning officer (Mr A. P. London) is doing everything possible to expedite matters and arrive at an early announcement of a definite result. It will be liext week, however, before anything is disclosed. Annual Art Exhibition. Greater interest than ever is exhibition of art at the Sergeant Gallery. I which will be held during next month The exhibition is always popular with the public and as it will be held under the Association of the New Zealand Ari Societies it is confidently expected that it will be even finer than ever this year. The closing date for receiving pictures will be June .14. County Council Thanked. A new bridge has been constructed recently in the Kaukatea Valley to give access to Mr J. G. Caird’s property. At a meeting of the Wanganui County Council yesterday a letter was received from Mr Cai rd thanking the council and complimenting the County Engineer and workmen on the new structure which was described as a •‘bonsnr bridge.” Cr. D. Mackintosh: It is not often that we get letters like that. Activity on Wharves. Four boa’s arrived at Wanganui yesterday with the result that a busy day was spent on the wharf. Th re hundred and forty seven bales of wool were loaded on the Ronaki which sailed yesterday evening for Onehungn, and consequently there was a stream of lorries passing to and fro laden with bales. The Titoki was unloading coal from Westport while the Breeze was unload ing overseas cargo transhipped at Wellington. The Haw era was also in port. Street Skating. Roller skating as a sport is fast gaining ground in the Dominion, but in other countries of the world roller skates are often used by “gamin'’ as a quick means of transport, say instead of a bicycle. A driver on his way home last night was at pains to distinguish an object swerving towards him at dusk on the Somme Parade. As he approached the object he discovered j that it was no less than a boy speeding down the middle of the road on a pair of roller skates. Colder Weather. Winter's hand was very much felt in Wanganui yesterday, and th- bitterness of the weather seemed to be the chief topic of conversation. Shortly after eight o’clock in the morning there was a cold, heavy shower of rain which afterwards gave way to a driving wind with a decided nip. The dicidious trees are now shedding their leaves and their barren limbs bring to mind the pictures of the Old Country in the winter. A certain amount of work is provided each year by the gathering of the leaves and this work has already been commenced on the Somme Parade, where neat heaps are to be seen at intervals along the road. Motor Union Active. Since the inception of the North Island Motor Union, motorists have had a body through which their views might be placed before. members of Parliament with some force. The Prime. Minister recently announced that a Commisiou is to be set up soon to investigate the incidence of local body taxation, and also the possibility of effecting economies in the expenditure of all local bodies, including hospital and charitable aid boards. The North Island Motor Union has asked (hat motors unions be represented «••• the Local Body Taxation Committee. Another announcement made by the Prime Minister was .hat highway finance would be considered by a select committee of (he House next session. The North Island Union has ascked that Mr A. E. Ansell, who is a member of the South Island Motor Union executive, should be a member of that select committee. Headlight Testing. The Wanganui Aulomobi' • Associa tion is again carving out a campaign to insure that all members’ cars are properly focussed. On account of the reports as to the good done by last year’s campaign, a more comprehensive programme is to be carried out this year. Headlight testing commences in Wanganui on Monday. May 1.1, Maria Place. Financial members may have their headlights tested and focussed tree of charge any time after 6.45 p.m. Following the first week in Wanganui, from May II to Ma/ 15, the service officer will visit Marton, Bulls. Waverley, Feilding, Ifunterville, Taihape, Raetihi and Ohaknne, at, dates which will be advertised or notified to members by circular. In addition to the week's testing which commences on Monday, Wanganui will be given another week towards the end of the month and a few days to complete in J uno. ' Ten Per Cent Penalty. ; Home time ago the Wanganui County i Council set up a committee consisting of the chairman (Cr. D. Mackintosh), j Cr. D. McGregor and Cr. W. Craig, to i confer with ratepayers who were not, io a position to meet their obligations in rates. Those affected were circulated and advised of (he council’s willingness to meet them, but out of a total of sixty communicated with only about

12 turned up ami pul 'heir cases before the committee. At yesterday's couuc.il meeting’ the question of what action the council should take with regard to imposition of the ten per cent penalty was discussed and councillors deprecated the apathy of ratepayers in not coming forward to state their cases. It was decided that the council must col- | led the leu per rent after June 30. the I lasi, date on which the Government subsidy is available, but subject to indemnifying action in the House it wan derided to remit the tenuity in respect of rates paid before that date. It ‘was mentioned at the 'ouncil table that while there were many cases of genuine hardship there was a 10l of dodging going on.