Town Talk

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 109, 9 May 1936, Page 8

Town Talk

Schools Break Up. Primary schools under the control of the Wanganui Education Board broke up yesterday afternoon for the first term’s holidays. With two weeks’ happy hours of play ahead of them, they were joyous children who wended a slow way to their homes. Wanganui Rabbit Board. At a meeting of the Wanganui Rabbit Board held yesterday rates were struck for the current financial year, the fixation being one farthing a head on all sheep and one penny farthing a head on all cattle, the minimum rate in each case to be Jos. Such rates will become due on May 30. The result of the first poisoning of rabbits conducted in the Landguard Bluff area resulted in 52.1 animals being accounted for, indicating that the pest has increased in that locality. A Safe Seat. i Some humour was caused during the ■meeting of dairy farmers at Wangamu i last night, when Mr. Alee Stuart, of j k’angitikei, who was one of many unable to find seating, espied a packing case in the corner of the Jockey Club rooms and hoisted himself on to it. “You’ve got a good safe scat at last, Alec.” yelled a wag from the rear c-f the hall, and Mr. Stuart joined in the iaug’Hc and genially raised a hand in Hockey Reason. Hockey was officially opened in Wanganui last Saturday, when two competition fixtures were played on Gonville Park. Boisterous weather necessitated the postponing of all ladies’ games, but if circumstances are favour,l able these matches will be held to-day. j fn addition several men ’s games will j be played on Gonville Park this afterj noon. These include two contests in I the men’s senior A section, and two in j the junior grade. The hockey grounds | are reported to be in good condition- ! Railway Telephone Exchange. i In order to increase the efficiency of operation, a large new telephone switchboard is being installed at the Auckland railway station, on which both the Railway Department’s private telephone system, which provides connection with stations in all parts of the island, and also the public svstem, will be accommodated. Hitherto, two switchboards have been used in different parts of the building. The new exchange, which, will be attended by several operators if required, will relieve congestion and make for quic ke r conn ec tions. Planet Mercury. The planet Alercurv is now at its greatest elongation east and if cloud conditions are faxourable may be seen shortly after sunset and close to the western horizon. At the present time Mercury sets about an hour after sunset. Consequent upon its being the closest planet to the sun. it is usually seen shortly before sunrise or just after sunset. Alercurv is a [Janet of the first magnitude and is best observed in the daytime, when, of course, a telescope is necessary. Incidentally, all astronomical observations of the heavenly body are made in the davt ime. Eliminating Dangerous Corner. •Stops are now being taken to eliminate the dangerous corner where ihe Airport Road joins No. I I.inc. Air. Duncan .Mackintosh (chairman . said at yesterday s monthly meeting cf the Wanganui County Council that the City Council had taken the matter up and at a recent meeting had referred the matter to its Finance Committee. The Highways Board had instructed ihe Pul lie Works engineer at Wanganui to prepare a plan of the proposed deviation, which would lessen the dangers at the junction of the two roads. “We hope to have these plans at our next meeting.” Mr. -Mackintosh remarked. “The work will cost between five and six hundred pounds, and the biggest expenditure will, of course, be the purchasing of the small area of land necessary. ’ The county engineer (Mr. R. R. Dawson), said that, the Highways Board’s contribution to this cost would be roughly £450, the Wanganui City Council’s share would be about £75 and the Wanganui County would find about County Council Ignored. Strong criticism of settlers who had been requested by the Wanganui County Council to clean out watercourse c-n their property and who had failed to do so, was voiced by the chairman (Air. Duncan Mackintosh) at yesterday’s monthly meeting. It was reported at the meeting that a settler in Long Acre Valley who recently received fim’Jer notlticatioi: had apparently taken no aetiou. Inconvenience had been, caused othsr settlers and flooding Lad occurred. Mr. Mackintosh said that similar matters hud engaged the council’s attention from time to time, but the council had been a bit iax in not forcing matters. He wished it to be clearly understood that when ! action was to.KC’i at the council table their decisions wuu.id Uwe to be carried out. The county clerk (Mr. G. Darbysmre) said .that similar notices had been sent out over various periods , for tue past 20 year?;, but no action taken. It was decided to send a final notice to the settler concerned. Failing the council's wishes being adhered to a pro-er,:: tw.-n wiP be instituted. Richmond ilemoxi-; Celleetion. Art Jcv'-irs y.vre a further opportunity last of viewing the ILchh'.GL.i meiiiciiia collection iu the •Sarjctiut GrJ ciy, and ai?o of hearing Mr. L'.-iy Campbell in another of his instructive talks. JJofore a small, but highly appreMative audience. Air. Lay Caiupij-eii explained iu detail the manner in which I’rofctiscr Lcgros, ot the Slade Schoo’ (L-oudon ~ whuie Alls.-; D. K. RichihGiic aud Air liay Campbell noth stuGic/.i, insisted that bis students s-houid draw their pictures, 'ihe speaker treated the subject of arc generally and gave much informative information concerning colour, light and shade, balance and other salient icathres that go to make up the finished picture. To-morrow afternoon at three o’clock Air. Hay Campbell will deliver his third and last of a series oi picture-talks. An exhibitor in the Royal Academy and a gold medalist at the Slade School, Mr. Hay Campbell is qualified to speak with authority on the works of a famous New Zealand artist, the late Miss D. K. Richmond, whoso collection of 89 paintings is at present on loan to the Wanganui City Council. The exhibition, incidentally, comprises oil and water colours and is on loan from the various galleries in New Zealand *nd rJ-’o from private owners.