Town Talk

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 10, 13 January 1936, Page 6

Town Talk

Small Grass Fire. At 2.59 p.m. ou Saturday the Wanganui Central Fire Brigade and a machine from the Castlecliif Station received a call to a small grass fire at the corner of Cornfoot Street, Castlecliff. The outbreak was suppressed before any damage was done. Toi-toi in Bloom. Motorists on the Napier-Taupo roaa have commented upon the beauty ana multitude of the toi-toi bushes which fill the valleys at the beginning of the plains. Every bush is in full bloom at present, and the sweeping heads of this New Zealand r.ative plant are to be seecn near many creeks and ravines. Boy’s Condition Improving. Wairi Bailey, the Maori boy who was admitted to the Wanganui Public Hospital on Friday suffering from a bullet wound in the head, is reported to be making improved progress. Ho was X-rayed this morning. It is understood, however, that his eyesight has been severely affected, and that he may become totally blind.

Shooting at Airport. Complaints have been received that the regulations which, prohibit the use of firearms at the Wanganui Airport are still being disregarded. It has previously been pointed out that the practice is dangerous not only to those who have legitimate business at the aerodrome, but also to picnickers and others. There is always the possibility, especially among sand dunes, of bullets ricochetting and causing danger to people in the vicinity. Wool Buyers Arrive. About 40 wool buyers arrived, at Wanganui late last night by special train, in conjunction with the week-end excursion, from Napier. They will remain in the city until after the wool sale on Thursday, the first to be held in Wanganui this season, and will depart that night by special train for Auckland. Most of the buyers are from overseas. Wanganui stores will be particularly busy thin week preparing for the sale. Wanganui Final Port. Three overseas steamers will make Wanganui their final port of call on the New Zealand coast at the end of this mouth and early in February. The Federal freighter Huntingdon, now loading at New Plymouth, is expected in the roadstead on January 29. She is to sail on February 4 for London, Avoiimouth, Cardiff, Liverpool and Glasgow. The Cornwallis, which is expected at Dunedin on Thursday, from Montreal, via Sydney, is also due in the Wanganui roadstead on .January 29. She sails on the following day for New York. One freighter, the Port Denison, will proceed to London, via the Cape Horn route. This vessel is due at Wanganui on February 5 and is to sail on February 8. All three steamers will load frozen meat, wool and dairy produce. Road. Improvement. The improvement of a portion of the main north highway between four and five miles from Wanganui has been commenced by the contractors, Messrs. K. Tomsett and J. Moye, the work in question involving the expenditure of a sum running well into four figures. Between the Blueskin Road corner, past the Westmere Dairy Factory, and the crossroads at the Westmere Church, about three-quarters of a mile of the highway is to undergo reconstruction on a new level and with a much improved alignment. By lowering the level of the road and filling in two sharp declivities, those using the road will have improved visibility on a straighter and more level route. While the contractors are working motorists would be well advised to exercise caution in negotiating the one-day traffic portion. Week-end Rail Excursions. Over lout) excursionists arrived at Opunake yesterday by special trains from Wanganui and New Plymouth. A further excursion from Tauinarunui to New Plymouth was also well patronised, a special train, which made the journey in one day, arriving at New Plymouth with 412 passengers. The Wanganui to Napier excursion, which left on Saturday afternoon and returned late last night, was not up to expectations so far as the bookings were concerned, only 100 people travelling from the Wanganui district. This was probably due to the Opunake trip being organised for the same weekend. The Wanganui special to Opunake had 126 passengers leaving here and 490 when it reached Opunake. The New Plymouth train left with .148 passengers and arrived at Opunake with 531. The Wanganui excursion left the city at 8.5 a.m. yesterday and arrived back at 9.15 p.m. A “Fair Wind.’’ A “fair wind” is an apt nautical way of describing a good, strong wind which is favourable for vessels depending upon sails for their motive power. .Sometimes this “fair wind” assuiv.es the velocity of half a gale, but the sailorman, always modest with his adjectives when speaking about the weather, slid regards it as fair. The same may be said of the Wanganui •Sailing Club. On Saturday a strong i westerly wind was disturbing the | lower reaches of the Wanganui River land those yachtsmen who took part in I the first of a scries ot races for the | Studholnic Cup did so under conditions 1 which called for a great deal of skill. I Nine boats faced the star.er and made i a pretty picture as they lacked and : beat down the river amidst showers of i spray. Crews w ere wet to the skin in J no time, but at the conclusion of the race, which was won by the Comet, were unanimously of the opinion that it was a “fair wind Overseas Mails Am ring. xY quantity of inaii doji: Australia and countries beyond the Uummoiiwealth arrived at Aucklaaa on Saturday mo’-idng by the Raison liner Mariposa. The* Wanganui portion of this mail will probabxy be delivered in the city and suburbs this morning. Owing to the shipping strike in .Sydney the ; Huddart parker iiuer Wanganella has been further delayed and her date of departure for New Zealand is still indefinite. This means that the mail service between Australia and New Zealand is st 11 irregular, the next Sydney mail not being due before January 20, when the Makura is scheduled to arrive at Wellington, there is a possibility, however, of a mail arriving by cargo vessel before that date. English mails are due to arrive at Auckland to-day, by the lonic, and at Wellington next Saturday when the Rcmuera arrives from London. The lonic has only six letter bags for New Zealand, but is bringing 371 parcel receptacles.