BIG DISPLAY BY FIREMEN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 51, 2 March 1939, Page 3

BIG DISPLAY BY FIREMEN

EVENTS IN WANGANUI FULL WEEK’S ACTIVITY KEEN PUBLIC SUPPORT BEING SHOWN The largest gathering of firemen in local history will be seen in Wanganui next week, when the New Zealand United Fire Brigades’ demonstration will be held in the city for the first time since 1913. A hearty response has been forthcoming from the Wanganui public in guaranteeing finance, and the support which has been offered in the arranging of entertainment and accommodation promises well for the success of the event. Making a total of more than 600, with their wives, the firemen will assemble in Wanganui on Saturday in readiness for the church parade on Sunday morning. The parade will start at the Central Fire Brigade Station and will march along Wiison Street, Ridgway Street and the Avenue, where it will dismiss and members will move to their respective churches. A concert, at which the Wanganui Garrison Band will assist, will be held on Sunday night in the Opera House. On Monday, the conference starts at 8 o’clock and will finish on Tuesday afternoon. On Tuesday night there will be a “Dark Town” parade of firemen and a sports gathering on Cook’s Gardens, at which there will be a primitive display of fire-fighting. The demonstrations will be held on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, a break being made on Thursday for a picnic at Hipango Park and a grand carnival dance in the Carlton Hall. Programme of Events. The programme of events will be. Wednesday, March 8. Gilbert Memorial: Two men hose and standpipe; five men hose, reel, and ladder (modern); three men hose and standpipe, instantaneous coupling (draw for places); five men disabled hose. Friday, March 10. Unfinished events from Wednesday; four men hose and standpipe; jubilee event, three men, disabled, three men motor, ambulance event. Saturday, March 11. Four men motor, with extension ladder; five men hose, reel and ladder; five men hose and standpipe; two men rescue; four men motor. On Wednesday' the Wanganui

Townswomen’s Guild will entertain visiting wives ot firemen at the Savage Club rooms, and on Thursday arrangements will be made to take them for a drive to various places of interest in the cty and to provide them with afternoon tea.

A smoke concert will be arranged on the night of Saturday, March 11, either at the Central Fire Brigade Station or the Railway Social Hall. It was proposed to organise a trip to Marton, on Sunday, March 12, but this' has been cancelled and instead firemen will be taken to Castlecliff to see the West Coast Surf Club championship events. Competing Brigades.

Brigades engaging in the demontrations include; Birkenhead, Cambridge, Carterton, Dannevirke, Dargaville, Denniston, Devonport, Hamner Springs, Hastings, Hawera, Hokitika, Kaikohe, Kumara, Lyttelton, Manunui, Martinborough, Morrinsville, Marton. Mataura, Matamata, Naseby, New Plymouth, Northcote, Oamaru, Otira Railway, Patea, Petone, Pukekohe, Queenstown, Rotorua, Stratford, Sumner, Takapuna, Taumarunui, Tauranga, Te Aroha, Te Awamutu, Te Kuiti, Upper Hutt, Waihi, Wairoa, Waiuku, Waverley, Whakatane, Whangarei, and Wanganui. Official Visitors.

Officers attending from the N.Z.U.F.B.A. will be: President-Sec-retary, D. Ferguson (Gisborne); immediate past president, Superintendent A. J. Bennett (Nelson); vicepresidents, Superintendent C. H. Carey (Patea); Deputy-Superintend-ent A. White; treasurer-secretary, C. A. Osborne (Onehunga); secretary and advisory superintendent, Captain T. J. Watts (Newmarket), accident society president, superintendent R. Handerson (Hastings); immediate past president, L.c;.uty-Supe’intend-ent A. White (Cobden); vice-presi-dents, Superintends W. H, Stokes (New Brighton), superintendent J. Mortland (Tailiape); treasurer-secre-tary, C. A. Osborne (Onehunga); secretary, Captain T. J. Watts (Newmarket) ; officials of the New Zealand Fire Brigades' Association and members of the Institute (Inc. >; president, Superintendent W. L. Wilson (Auckland); vice-presidents, Superintendent A. Morris (Christchurch), Superintendent R. H. Price (Dunedin), Superintendent A. J. Bennett (Nelson), Superintendent 11. E. Folias (Devonport), Superintendent A. Craig (Hamilton), Superintendent T. Anderson (Rotorua), Superintendent P. Deere (Greymouth), Superintendent J. W. Kane (Gisborne), Superintendent. C. W. Taylor (Raugiora); Deputy-Superintendent H. J. Price (Hastings).