Town Talk

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 145, 22 June 1931, Page 6

Town Talk

Joy Night Profit. That the Welcome Week Committee expected to clear at least £6O from Joy Night was an announcement made during that evening by Mr D. Dustin, chairinn n of the commit tee. Power board Loan Last week's New Zealand Gazette publishes an Order-in-Council permitting the Wanganui Rangitikei Electric Power Board to raise its 1931 supple mentary loan of £14,000 .for 10 years a* £5 15s per cent, interest and £2 per cent, sinking fund. Kicked by Racehorse. When riding a racehorse on Saturday afternoon, a painful accident was sustained by Air George Laing, a trainer, who was bucked off and kick ed on the head. The horse took fright at a cow with its head under a wire fence. Air Laing was progressing satisfactorily last night. North Island Buck-Jumping. The Wanganui Winter Show executive has been fortunate in securing the Ni-th Island buck-jumping contest for decision here next Saturday. Riders from all over the Diominion have entered and outlaw horses from as far off as Tauranga will test their capabilities in the saddle. Two really wild uni mals are being roped in from Alount View Station, Alangamahu. Napier’s Pupils. Napier’s disastrous earthquake, which caused such widespread havoc, is fast becoming but a memory. The last of the refugee pupils, five in number, will return to that city from Wanganui Technical College to-day where they have been for the past four months. At present there is only one school in Napier, which ’s called the Napier Combined Secondary and Technical School. To a Footballer’s Memory. Black arm bands on the Alarist Rugby football teams on Saturday were worn in memory of the late Afr Frank Crotty, who was a prominent player for the club two or three seasons back. Prior to the kick-off in the senior match on Spriggens Park between Marist and Pirates, the two teams observed a moment’s silence in tribute to a player whoso part in the great game stamped him as a sportsman true to the ideals of Rugby. Flags were flown at half-mast. Mid-Winter.

Although yesterday was the shortest day of the year and the day marking mid-winter in this part of the world, the 4 ‘flowers that bloom in the spring” would seem to deny that fact. ►Snowdrops* and jonquils, which are essentially spring flowers, are already blooming in Wanganv’. which is unique at this time of the year. Yesterday the sun rose at 7.16 a.m., and set at 4.28 p.m., though for tl j next week or so no appreciable difference will be noticed in the length of the Spectators at Ratana. Interested spectators at the Rugby match on Saturday at Ratana, between Technical Old Boys and the Ratana senior fifteen, were three Alaori girls, who, mounted on ponies, cantered up and down outside the bordering fence as play swung from one end of tho field to the other. Naturally they managed to keep up with the game much better than the majority of the older spectators. There appeared to be more Rugby enthusiasts present than there had been at any other match at Ratana this season. St. John Ambulance Cadets. Claimed to be the first of its ki:i I, is the cadet corps of the Wanganui St. John Ambulance Brigade, which took part in the parade yesterday morning. All the boys were clad in a neat black and white uniform, which gave them a smart appearance, while their marching was the subject of several complimentary remarks us they proceeded up Victoria Avenue. Prior to the parade they were presented with a bugle by the Mayor (Mr N. G. Armstrong). Mr J. Alelton presented a suitable engraved st'._-.< for the drum-major. Schools at Rugby. Spriggens Park, is to be the venue of the annual Rugby match between the Collegiate School and Technical College this year, the headmasters agreeing, in honour of “Welcome Week,’’ to depart from the usual practice of staging the contest on lhe school grounds. It is reported that the Technical College side is the strongest fielded for years and a display of the vode in keeping with the highest traditions of school football is likely to result. The match is to be played on Wednesday afternoon. School Rugby has an appeal all its own. Laurels count for little. It is the game and all it implies that is of

Headlight Testing. “Blinding headlights" arc w’cll known to motorists, who often have good cause fur complaint when driving at night. Much of lhe trouble can bo rectified by an adjustion of the hear-lamps, and it is surprising to discover the precentagc of cars which are defective in this respect. Since the Automobile Association commenced headlight testing last year, 600 headlights have been adjusted, and up to the present date no more than seven cars have bad their light correctly set. 'The service officer will be test ing in Wanganui for lhe next thiee days, so that, any motorists who h;:\o defective lights should make lhe most of the opportunity presented io them. • Harriers’ Worries. Everyone has heard of the good old sport of paper chasing and of lhe hounds and hares that career over ’he countryside. While Wanganui possesses few hounds or hares to give an exhibition of the noble art of paper chasing, it does possess a first-cl- s harrier club. 'l’he club runs out weekly and pads the hoof over many a mile, and fur the trail which they follow they employ much the same methods as are employed for paper chasing, save that the paper trail is laid a day or two before the race take splace. Evidently this paper also provides sport for children. On Saturday last the trail was very hard to follow in places, and more than one harrier lost the track for a few yards. Thu reason was explained when it was discovered that Home children had pickc up the paper, quite oblivious of the fact that, they were causing many a panting runner to gnash his teeth in perplexity. On one occasion several children spenA a busy half hour laying a false trail in the hope of causing a parting of the ways.