Town Talk

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 288, 6 December 1933, Page 6

Town Talk

Dairy Farmer’s Returns. The statement that he had reduced his mortgage to his dairy company by £2OO per annum during the past two years was made by a Maori judgment debtor at, the Magistrate’s Court at Wanganui yesterday morning. Despite the fact that a low price had been prevailing for butter fat, he said that his original advance of £B5O had been reduced by nearly half during the past two years. Last Discount Day. | Rate-payers are meeting their obligations to the Wanganui City Council in a fairly prompt manner this year, it is reported, and a steady payment cf rates has been recorded during the past few weeks. It is anticipated that there will be a last-minute rush to-day, for it is the last upon which a discount will be allowed. The council allows a rebate of 2} per cent., which is equivalent to 5| per cent, per annum. Brilliant Lighting. Already several business firms have indicated their willingness to specially festoon their promises with coloured , lighting during carnival week in February. Efforts are being made to secure a sufficient supply of bulbs, and in order to facilitate arrangements the Carnival Executive would be pleased of early applications from those who desire to participate in the most spectacular electrical display ever put on in the Dominion. A Pony Tableau. Everybody loxes a pony and with that certain knowledge in hand the Wanganui Carnival executive is setting out to arrange a pony tableau, which will be displayed on the racecourse. Sergeant-Major Fisher has been appointed honorary instructor and it is hoped that by February an inspiring troop of miniature horsemen (girls, too) will be ready to do their duty for the city. Lieut.-Colonel J. B. Davis, of Messrs Levin and Coy, has the matter in hand and is inviting applications from pony riders to -join his parade of great Title horsemen. It docs not matter what the ago of any pony or rider Dwelling Destroyed. Discovered ablaze shortly before 10 o’clock yesterday morning, a fiveroomed residence at Fox Road, Mosston, was totally' destroyed. The Wanganui Central Fire Brigade attended but were unable to make an attempt to extinguish the flames owing to there being no available supply of water, the building being in the Waitotara area. It appears that the dwelling was owned by Airs. O’Hagan, who was away at the time, and during the temporary absence of one of the occupants the house was found in flames. Though the house was insured there was, it is understood, no insurance on the furniture, and this was a total loss. Helping the Port. Support for Smith Bros., carriers, of Wanganui, was voiced at the meeting of the Wanganui and District Development League at the monthly meeting last evening. The case brought before the No. 5 Licensing Authority last week was referred to, in which the Railways Department laid a complaint against Smith Bros, running extra trips to Ractihi, over and above the number allowed them by their license. Smith Bros., it was stated, were carrying butter, under contract to the Rae tihi factory, from Ractihi to Wanganui by lorry. Otherwise tho produce would be taken by rail to Wellington. The league considered that this was a good thing for the port, and one that should receive support. Sheep Prefer Gorse.

Gorse as feed for stock was a sub ject disem'sed by the Wanganui and District Development League at its monthly ince’ing held last evening. A Utter was received from a gentleman who stated that when cut up as chaff, gorse proved good feed for horses, cattle and sheep. He also stated that throughout one winter 26 shoe]) had been kept on 4 acres, chiefly overgrown by gorse. They had done very well, and were a source of wonderment to the drover when he started on a journey with them. According to the drover’s version, stated the letter, they were the funniest mub of sheep he had ever

seen. They took little interest in a good growth of grass by the roadside, and “all of a sudden the whole mob bolted as if the devil was after them. They pulled up at a gorse bush on the roadside and fought to get to it, some standing on their hind legs to reach over the others.” The writer did not advocate sowing gorse on good land, but considered where it was prolific the stock could be induced to become used to it. A Lesson to Others. The Manutahi public school has set a lead in connection with Boys’ anti Girls’ Calf Clubs that is well worthy of being followed by schools with greater facilities for putting such a scheme into operation. In addition to calf clubs proper the school has introduced a “home industries” class for the girls. This was on show for the first time yesterday, when classes for scones, cut flowers, knitting and fancy work were judged. This so impressed one of the calf judges (Mr. W. I’. Wallace) Waverley, that he donated special prizes as an encouragement. The activity at the Manutahi school on calf-judging day is probably unequalled anywhere in New Zealand. The children themselves run the day, their president, a boy from the standards, acting as spokesman and welcoming the judges and officials. When the calves were judged yesterday a total of nearly 30 animals was paraded, all of them Jerseys. In every way the event was a miniature agricultural and pastoral show.

Seven Fire Calls Yesterday. The Wanganui Central Fire Brigade had a busy time yesterday, answering seven calls in period of less than nine hours. Th e first r.all came at 7.47 a.m. when a grass fire in Guyton Street near Spriggens Park required attention. At 9.48 there was a call to Fox Road, Mosstown, where a residence was destroyed. th’e blaze being outside the city area and beyond reach of any water mains. A blaze at the overhead tram bridge near Guyton Street inquired the services of tho brigade at 11.19 a.m. three or four boards of the decking being destroyed before the flames were controlled. Shortly after noon, at 12.17 a grass fire by the railway line near Glasgow Street Extension had to be put out, and another grass fire, at 1 p.m., occurred at the rear of the Vacuum Oil Company’s store near the tramway sheds, a lead of water having to be played on this. Another call was paid to the Guyton Street crossing at

3.37 p.m.. some more grass being ablaze, and the last of the day was the turnout to a grass fire in a paddock near th e railway line at Glasgow Street Extension. It was certainly one of the busiest davs in tlv* history of the Fire Brigade.