Town Talk

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 39, 16 February 1939, Page 6

Town Talk

Life-saving Demonstration. A demonstration of the use of the C 92 respirator for reviving an apparent!} drowned person will be given this evening under the auspices of the Royal Life-Saving Society. Dr. H. D. Robertson will demonstrate the method in which the machine is to be used. The Castlecliff Surf Section possesses one of these “guns," as they are called.

Rating Preferred to Loan. Instead of raising a loan of £4OOO to provide the council share of financing the reconstruction work on the Palmerston North-Levin (via Shannon) main highway, the Kairanga County Council decided at its meeting on Tuesday to finance the work itself by a slight increase in the general rate over a period of years. It was pointed out that this system would prove‘less costly to the ratepayers than the raising of a loan. Relieving Teachers.

"At present there Is an ample supply of relieving teachers available, due to the transfer of last year's probationary assistants to the relieving staff.” reported the chairman of the Wanganui Education Board to yesterday's meeting. "The relieving teachers who have given an undertaking to accept work wherever offered are guaranteed a full year’s employment and many are at present engaged as supernumerary teachers pending their transfer to relieving positions. ’

Spillane Rugby Cup. A meeting was held last night to begin arrangements for the Spillane Rugby Cup tournament, which is to be played among Marist teams in the North Island at Wanganui at Easter. Teams from Auckland, Gisborne, Hamilton, Napier, Hastings, Palmerston North and Wellington are expected to take part this year and are looking forward to keen games of a high standard. It will be the most important Rugby tournament of the Dominion at Easter and will serve to open a season during which a New Zealand team to tour South Africa will be chosen. Teachers’ Cheques. The Wanganui Education Board yesterday decided not to adopt the practice of making deductions from teachers' cheques to pay monthly instalments to repay loans granted from a Provident Fund. The request was made by the New Zealand Educational Institute. "It would establish a bad precedent," remarked the chairman of the board (Mr. E. F. Hemingway). “As it is, we have to do a great deal of work in the handling c teachers’ salaries and it would not be right to add to the burdens of the staff.” Consolidation of Schools. The progress of consolidation of schools in the Wanganui district has brought in its wake the need for up-to-date accommodation for motor vehicles employed in the conveyance of pupils. Instead of the familiar horse paddock of by-gone days, a

modern school has its well-equipped garage. The Wanganui Education Board was notified yesterday that the Eudcation Department had made a grant to enable the board to build new garages at Upper Tutaenui, Karioi, 01w':une, Mangaonoho and Terrace 1 Schools for buses and additions to the Hunterville and Marton garages.

Many Trucks Required. The .fear that a shortage of trucks might prevent the ready transhipment of sheep from the many ewe fairs to be held during the next two weeas was expressed by a member of the staff of an auctioneering firm yesteroay. It is expected that the number of trucks required at Raetihi to-day will be in the vicinity of 200, as more than 32,000 ewes will be offered. Tomorrow there will be 44,000 ewes at the Feilding fair, and at the same time there will be 5000 at Waverley. The presence of so many special sheep trains on the main lines has already resulted in slight delays in the railway schedule, but the Railway Department is reported to be making every effort to meet the situation.

Supreme Court. Apart from certain matters in divorce there is only one case remaining to be dealt with at the current session of the Supreme Court at. Wanganui. His Honour, Mr. Justice Reed, will hear further petitions in divorce at 10 o’clock this morning and at 10.30 a jury will be empanelled to hear a claim for damages for death arising because of a motor accident. When the Court list was framed originally a matter in divorce was set down for hearing by His Honour and a jury of 12, but it was announced at the opening of the session by Mr. P. L. Dickson (for the petitioner) that the answer to the petition had been withdrawn -and the matter could thus be removed to the list of undefended divorces. Work in Waverley Riding.

"Karahaki Road metalling has been completed as far as the end of the prepared formation,” reported the engineer to the Patea County Council (Mr. J. N. Anderson) to the recent council meeting. "The tracto: shovel is resuming formation work this week, and the remaining section should be completed within the next few weeks. The coarse metal is coming to hand for the shell rock on Kohl highway, and the remaining unmetalled portion of this highway will be formed for metal this week. The offset grader has completed the grading of the Kohl Bush Road, Upper Okotuku Road and Nukuhau Road. The section of Waverley beach highway to be sealed this season is being prepared, and should be ready for the priming coat this week. Part of the sealing is in Waverley Riding and part in Moumahaki Riding. Farmers' Rally.

Arrangements have been made by the Makirikiri branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union to hold a big rally on Tuesday night next. The Dominion president of the union (Mr. W. W. Mulholland, Canterbury) will attend and a comprehensive agenda has been framed with the object of dealing with matters which vitally affect the hill-country farmer, having special reference to deteriorated lands. Speakers have been arranged from the North and South Taranaki, Waimarino, Makara-Hutt, Wellington North (Rangitikei), Wairarapa and Wanganui provinces. It is doubtful whether the Manawatu province, which is not directly interested in hill-country, Will be able to send a delegate, but negotiations are being | entered into with that province.