Town Talk

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 133, 7 June 1937, Page 6

Town Talk

Rainfall at Okoia. According to records kept by Mr. F. Pratt, rain fell on 18 days at Okoia for a total fall of 4.18 inches. In May of last year, rain fell on 11 days and the total fall for the month was 1.90 inches. Mission Work In India. An illustrated lecture on the educational work of the Presbyterian mission schools in India was delivered in St. Paul’s Hall on Saturday evening by Miss Dorothy Mathew, the Girls’ Auxiliary’s own missionary and principal of the Kharar Girls' School. Rowers for Empire Games. "The impression which has got abroad that the selectors have chosen the eight-oar crew and the twX> emergencies for the British Empire Games is wrong," declared Mr. C. A. Healey, one of the selectors, at the annual dinner of the Wanganui Rowing Club on Saturday evening. Mr. Healey said the selectors had chosen 10 oarsmen, but no decision had been arrived at as to who were to be the emergencies. New Airliner Assembled.

The second of Union Airways’ three Lockheed Electra monoplanes for use on the Auckland-Wellington service was flown to Palmerston North from Hobsonville on Saturday. Piloted by Mr. W. Moye Stephen, an American test pilot, and cruising at 180 miles an hour, the giant monoplane passed over the city shortly after one o’clock. The Lockheed Electras, which have twin rudders, are powered by two radial engines and carry 10 passengers with a crew] of two.

Competitions at Airport. Favoured by good flying conditions, the Wanganui Aero Club’s monthly landing and bombing competitions were held yesterday afternoon at the Wanganui Airport. The landing competition was won by Mr. M. King (who made two landings on the mark), with Mr. A. Tasker (two points) second, and Mr. D. Lethbridge (four points), third. The bombing competition was won by Mr. J. Strachan. Messrs. M. King, J. R. Franklin, and D, Lethbridge were equal for second place.

Winter Sculling. The suggestion that Wanganui rowers might devote some of their spare time during the off season to improving their sculling was advanced by Mr. D. E. Dustin, president of the Union Boat Club, at the annual dinner of the Wanganui Rowing Club on Saturday. Mr. Dustin offered to donate a trophy for a sculling race to be held on the opening day of the season. In thanking Mr. Dustin for his offer, Mr. C. A. Healey (a member of the association) said that the art of sculling was being lost through lack of competition. The clubs had not been offering trophies for sculling events and consequently interest hail dropped. Mr. Healey said that he would place Mr. Dustin’s offer before the Wanganui Rowing Association for consideration. The Last Bearer of “Moko.”

Fifty odd years ago, Tawhiao, the Maori King, visited London, and one place which interested him exceedingly was the big printing establishment of the Illustrated London News." The man who showed him over the works, Mr. H. Wisdom, visited New Zealand this year. When inspecting the Alexander Museum at Wanganui, he was greatly interested in the pictures of celebrated chiefs displayed at the museum, and on Friday a fine reproduction of Tawhiao arrived at the museum from Mr. Wisdom. He had had a fine sketch, done from life ny the News artist in 1884, copied. The picture is of particular interest just now, as the museum is displaying the Napier Carnegie exhibit of ‘‘moko." According to Archdeacon Williams, when Tawhiao passed away in 189-1, the last fine specimen of moko on a licing face was gone, probably never to be seen again, as the art has died out. Football and Snow.

Taihape turned on a definite atmosphere of winter for the Pownall Trophy Rugby match on Saturday between Wanganui and Taihape. Rain, sleet, and finally snow made their appearance. The Wanganui team, despite all criticism to the contrary, went well in the muddy conditions, and proved that the handicap of regularly-dry Spriggens Park can be got oyer if the players sent a mind to it, Taihape’s mantle of snow proved something of a novelty for the "boys in blue,” and after the match a party of them engaged in an invigorating snowballing battle, which got so big that "Gay” Lockett, the Wanganui captain, declared that the visiting team had taken more than three-parts of Taihape. It was hectic while it lasted, Wanganui finally receding to the sanctuary of their hotel and conceding a snow-ball victory to the Main Trunk. The drive home had to be taken, carefully, particularly along those sections of the road which are receiving attention from the PublicWorks Department. The white-tipped hills along the route kept I lie breath of winter true to name. It was a cold arrival back in the city about 4.30 a.m.