Town Talk

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 237, 7 October 1936, Page 6

Town Talk

Motor-ear in Hail. In order to prepare the dancing floor for to-night’s military ball, the services of an old motor-car were used at the Drill Hall last night. The work of preparing the floor for the event has been in hand for several days, the whole area first of all being well sandpapered. Last night the motor-car was utilised to draw a large polisher around the hall. Rowing Season to Open. A decision to hold the official opening of the rowing season on Saturday, October 17, was arrived at by the Wanganui Rowing Association at the annual meeting last night. The original intention had been to open the season next Saturday, but delegates considered it inadvisable to clash with the “garden party” which is to be held on behalf of the Carnival Sports Queen on that day. Closer Settlement. Advice has been received by Mr W. J. Gibson Hughes, president of the Wanganui Tourist and Development League, that Mr W. M. C. Denham, M.P. for Invercargill, and Mr A. G. Hultquist, M.P. for Bay of Plenty, will be present at next Monday night’s meeting, at which closer settlement will be discussed. The Mayor of Wanganui, Mr W. J. Rogers, will preside at the meeting, which is to be I held in the City Council Chambers, commencing at 7.30 p.m. Camp for Officers. Officers and non-commissioned offi- j cers of the Wellington-Wset Coast Regiment will go into camp at the Wanganui racecourse during Labour Day week-end. The camp will open on Saturday afternoon and will be brought to a conclusion on Monday night. Officers and n.c.o.’s from Wanganui, Taihape, Marton, Turakina and Palmerston North will be present. Lieut.-Colonel W. S. McCrorie will be the officer-commanding, and will be assisted by Captain E. H. Whiting. Military Ball Decorations. As the result of almost a week’s effort, the interior of the Drill Ha'l has undergone a complete transformation lor to-night's military ball, lhe drab ceiling of the hall has been hidden by a canopy of blue streamers which form a skyline background for many twinkling stars. Two sides of the hall have been provided with a number of sitting-out alcoves, the bottom end being decorated with a large poster depicting a tank bogged in a giant shell hole. Last night a number of energetic workers were busily engaged in putting the finishing touches to the decorations. A Copper Trail. Activities in onnection with the i Health Camp Queen Carnival, to be held in Wanganui shortly, have now reached an interesting stage and keen rivalry already exists between the committees working in the interests of the various queens. A novel departure will be witnessed in Victoria Avenue this morning when the Mayoress (Mrs. A. L. Rogers) will start a trail of coppers which, it is hoped, will extend from Maria Place to the Post Office. Weather permitting a start will be made with the copper trail at 11.30 o’clock. The proceeds will go toward the funds of the Citizens' Queen, Miss Merle Spurdie. Insecure Wool Bales. < Not only does the motor lorry de- ’ picted on the half-penny commerce ‘ stamps bear motor-car registration ( plates, but the bales of wool which 1 it is transporting are obviously in- 1 securely tied down. Two ropes are * clearly shown on the stamp, but the ' manner in which they are used is ! something out of the ordinary. The ' centre section of the bales is not roped down at all while the sections on each side are only lightly roped. ' "If any driver of mine roped down a c load of wool in such a manner he 1 would be sacked immediately,” was 5 the comment of the manager of a 1 transport company after viewing one 1 of the stamps. * The Sailing Season. v Although strong winds prevailed t during the week-end, one or two a units attached to the Wanganui Sailing Club were seen on the river, pre- e paring for Labour Day, when the d 1936-37 season will be officially open- a ed. Considerable activity is already t taking place among boat owners and 1 supporters. Providing favourable 0 weather obtains, some good racing F should be witnessed this year. Several s new boats will make their appearance r and indications point toward keen c competition between the rival crews, t So far the weather has not, permitted many boats taking to the water be- r fore the opening day, but the first; £ fine week-end should see a fleet of ' the little white-winged craft setting s out from the club’s slipway at 1 Putiki for practice cruises. I c H.M.S. Wakak.ira. r On her first visit to Wanganui the c Imperial minesweeper H.M.S. Waka- a kura is expected to berth at the s Castlecliff Wharf early this afternoon. With a party of Royal Naval Volun- s teer reserves on board, the vessel was t to have cleared New Plymouth at 1 midnight last night, en route from s Wellington to Wanganui on a week’s d training cruise. The Mayor of Wan- I ganui (Mr. W. J. Rogers), the town i clerk (Mr. G. Murch), and the man- I aging-secretary of the Wanganui f Harbour Board (Mr. W. J. Gardner), r will pay official calls on the officers A this afternoon. The officers and other I ranks will be the guests of the First S Battalion, Wellington-West Coast Re- f giment, at the military ball to-night. S H.M.S. Wakakura has the distinction J of being the smallest ship in full commission in the Royal Navy. She car- a ries two officers and 16 active ser- g vice ratings, in addition to which, on s her present trip, she has 10 R.N.V.R. 1 ratings from Wellington. Except for 1 breaks for overhaul and leave her f duties comprise the training of re- £ servists at the four depots, Auckland, c Wellington, Lyttelton, and Port Chai- i mers. Every batch of reservists is A given one week's training at sea each 1 year. The present cruise out of v Wellington to New Plymouth and Wanganui is a new departure and t should greatly stimulate interest. In i the past Wellington reservists have c proceeded as far as Picton only. The c minesweeper will continue her cruise g to-morrow, her stay in Wanganui bo- :c ing of shc-t duration.