Town Talk

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 121, 25 May 1938, Page 6

Town Talk

New Zealand Dog Trials. Preparations have been completed by the Paparangi Sheep Dog Trial Club for the holding of the North Island and Dominion championships at Kai Iwi commencing next Monday. A display of trophies has been made in Messrs. Spillane’s, Limited, window. Some of the best cogs in the Dominion will be competing.

Wanganui Show Buildings. Repairs are being effected to the buildings and stockyards owned bj the Wanganui Agricultural Association on the racecourse. The buildings are being painted and the cattle yards strengthened, and, in some instances, re-roofed. An inspection was made of the work in progress yesterday by the chief cattle steward (Mr. C. C. Baldwin). Police Social Club. Members- of the police force fr Wanganui have formed a social club, and intend to hold their first dance and card party on the night of June 2. This club has been organised as an outcome of the Police and Press organisation, which did useful work ir the interests of charity in Wanganui during the depression, and also catered for the social side between members of the force and staffs of the Wanganui newspapers. Air Mails Arrive. Air mails dispatched from London on May 5 and May 8 were brought to Auckland by the Huddart-Parker motor-liner Wanganella, which arrived at that port yesterday morning. This mail, together with a large Australian mail, is to be delivered in Wanganui this morning. This is the first Australian mail to reach this city in nine days, an unusually long period. Including the air mail this totals 19 bags. Students Use Library. During recent months classes from the Wanganui Technical College have availed themselves of the reference department of the Wanganui Public Library. On several occasions last term chemistry classes under the supervision of a master, visited the library, spending several hours perusing volumes on the subject of chemistry. Miss A. M. Blackett, librarian, commented on the number of boys who had visited the institution as' members of classes who had never been there before. Improvement of Highway. Extensive improvements are being carried out on the Wanganui-New Plymouth highway, especially between Hawera and Patea. A number of dips in the road are being built up, the road widened and sharp bends eliminated. The improvements are particularly noticeable in the vicinity of Mokoia, where a steep hill and a bad railway crossing have been eliminated. Further work is being carried out close to Hawera and entrance is at present gained to the township by a deviation. The reconstruction work is being carried out by the Public Works Department with modern machinery which does the work of many men. Durie Hill School Bath. A start has been made to install a swimming bath at the Durie Hill School, the Government finding financial assistance towards the cost of materials and, in addition, finding the labour. It is anticipated that the bath will be completed before next summer. The committee has been very energetic in the matter of raising funds and is most appreciative of the support being given by the residents of Durie Hill, townspeople geinerally, and the farmers. The fuli amount required to cover the cost, or materials and dressing accommodation has not yet been secured and further functions in aid of the bath fund are being arranged. Kiwis Near Wanganui In the Waitotara bush, near Wanganui, there exist kiwis in considerable numbers. In the evenings when rain is imminent they are commonly heard by settlers in the locality. An indication of the numbers of the birds is given by the fact that although one kiwi will call only once or twice In a night the calls are heard at frequent intervals. A naturalist recently returned from the Waitotara country commented on the numerous indications of the presence of the birds. The kiwi has a long beak, which he thrusts into the ground in search oi insects, and the numerous holes in parts of the hush provided evidence of the number of birds in the locality.

Dates for Wanganui Show. An important meeting takes place at Hawera to-day to discuss the sequence of dates for agricultural shows along this coast. Wanganui has definitely adopted dates in accord with the order pertaining in past years (November 9 and 10). An effort is being made in Hawera to disturb that sequence and allot other days to Wanganui. Mr. W. Craig, president of the Wanganui association, and Mr. C. C. Baldwin will present Wanganui’s case to to-day’s meeting. “We intend to take a firm attitude,” Mr. Baldwin told a “Chronicle” representative. “We have had our dates fixed for these many years, and an old-established society like ours is deserving of consideration. It would be a totally different matter if we were seeking dates to give us another place in the roster for this coast, but we are merely insisting on our rights. Our schedules have gone out and there will be no changing. Wanganui’s dates are definitely fixed.”

Treaty of Waitangi Ninety-eight years have passed since the historic Treaty of Waitangi was signed by Maori chiefs of the Wanganui district, together with those of Wellington, Queen Charlotte Sound, Rangitoto, Kapiti, Otaki, and Waikanae. This was carried out in May, 1840, by the Rev. Henry Williams, who was commissioned by Captain William Hobson, LieutenantGovernor, to visit various parts ot the colony to explain the provisions of the treaty to chiefs, who had not been at Waitangi, and to secure theii signatures to the document. At Wanganui, on May 24, he obtained the signatures of 14 leading chiefs—Te Anaua (Hori Kingi), Tawito (Kawana Paipai), Te Mawae, Rere. Te Tauri (Wiremu Eruara), Rore, Turoa, Taka, Kurawhatiia, Rangiwhakarurua, Uripo, Te Hiko, Takaterangi, and Pakoro. By their signatures the chiefs were held to have ceded rights of sovereignty over their lands to Queen Victoria, and dates on which the treaty was signed in different districts have come to be accepted las marking the entry of those areas 'into the British Empire.