Town Talk

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 242, 12 October 1937, Page 6

Town Talk

Rotary Church Parade. Next Sunday mehrbers of the Wanganui Rotary Club will hold their annual church parade when a sermon embracing the objects of Rotary International will be delivered by the club’s padre, Archdeacon J. R. Young. Last year no church parade was held. Turakina Tunnel.

Good progress is being made with the tunnels at the railway deviation at Turakina. Work is proceeding on the four ends of two tunnels and three shifts were started at the Matarawa end of the Deniair tunnel yesterday. Work on the portal of the Deniair tunnel is well advanced. Railway Deviation.

Mr. G. H. Mackley, general manager of railways, will arrive in Wanganui to-night, and to-morrow he will inspect the proposed route of the coastal railway, as advocated by the Wanganui Tourist and Development League. He will also confer with the chairman of the Wanganui Harbour Board (Mr. W. J. Rogers) and the managing-secretary (Mr. W. J. Gardner) with reference to control of the town wharf. Castlecliff Beach.

A well known Wanganui resident called at the “Chronicle” yesterday to complain at the fact that no provision was made last Sunday for catering for the crowd which patronised the Castlecliff beach. He said that he did not expect to find the bathing sheds open, but the conveniences were not only locked but nailed up. He stated that an Auckland resident was very definite in his criticism of the matter.

Ambulance Inspection. The combined annual inspection of the East Town Nursing and Cadet Ambulance Divisions was held last week, 50 members attending the parade. The inspection was made by three district officers who commented on the high standard displayed by both divisions. After the inspection, the East Town teams, which won the Porritt Cup for four years in succession and tied with Wellington in the fifth year, demonstrated its work to parents. Practical work was demonstrated by both divisions.

Fordell Swimming Pool. Excavation work in connection with the Fordell swimming pool has been completed and the concrete work will be put in hand almost immediately. The bath will be the regulation length and its depths will be suitable for all classes of swimmers, from tiny tots up to those capable of swimming its whole length. An energetic settlers’ committee has been responsible for the creation of the pool and it is hoped to interest the railway deviation workers in its progress. Their children, who are attending the Fordell school, will greatly benefit as a result of the pool being established. Shortage of Tradesmen. The fact that although there was a shortage of carpenters, 12 journeymen carpenters were working as general labourers on a public works undertaking near Wanganui was mentioned at last night’s meeting of the executive of the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce by the president, Mr. F. H. Bethwaite. Mr. Bethwaite said that the shortage was so acute in Auckland that the question of importing men from Australia had been considered. He had been informed by a reliable authority that 12 carpenters were employed as general labourers near Wanganui, while general labourers were on sustenance in the city.

Transport Ownership. A reply to the chamber's recent representations regarding single ownership of transport services was received from the Associated* Chambers of Commerce at last night’s meeting of the executive of the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce. The reply stated that the whole question of road transport control would be discussed at the annual Dominion conference as the result of a remit from the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce protesting against the Government’s announced policy of single ownership of the transport services of the Dominion.

Visit of Airliner. Yesterday afternoon Union Airways’ De Havilland airliner Kotuku, one of the machines used on the Palmerston North-Dunedin service was flown to the Wanganui Airport from Palmerston North by the company's chief pilot, Mr. B. A. Blythe, with Mr. D. Campbell as co-pilot. Landing practice was carried out by the co-pilot and by Mr. P. Matheson, another of the company’s co-pilots. A number of passengers were carried from Palmerston North by the machine which left Wanganui on the return journey at 5.40 p.m. The Middle District Aero Club’s Moth ZK—ABV also paid a short visit during the afternoon.

Incidence of Accidents. Drivers with 10 years’ experience and more were involved in 42 per cent of the road accidents in the Dominion during the 28 weeks ended September 30, according to figures repeased by the Transport Department. The figures show that during this period there were 1845 accidents, involving 2321 casualties. Six per cent of the drivers involved in accidents had had fewer than six months’ experience and 3 per cent had from six months’ to a year’s experience. Another 6 per cent had been driving from one to two years. Drivers with experience of from two years and onward, therefore, constitute the greater proportion of those who had accidents in the period under review. Trade With West Coast. A suggestion that arrangements might be made for reciprocal trade between Wanganui and the West Coast of the South Island was received at last night’s meeting of the executive of the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce from the Greymouth chamber. The president, Mr. F. H. Bethwaite, said that the Anchor Company’s agent had assured the chamber of an improved service with the West Coast. Mr. W. J. Gilberd said that of recent weeks the service had been very good. The trouble in shipping cargo to the West Coast was that the boats would not berth at the cargo wharves unless the volume of cargo warranted such. On the motion of Mr Bethwaite, the executive decided to convene a conference of manufacturers to consider the question of establishing a trade connection with the West Coast.