Town Talk

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 167, 18 July 1939, Page 6

Town Talk

Optimist Club Speaker. Mr. A. C. Seivewrignt will be the speaker at to-day’s dinner of the Wanganui Optimist Club. His subject will be “Propaganda.” Short Board Meeting. Yesterday's monthly meeting of lhe Wanganui Harbour Board was one of the shortest on record. The business, which was purely of a routine nature, was carried out in 15 minutes. Harbour Improvements. Plans for the proposed improvements to the Wanganui harbour are now being prepared, the engineer (Mr. R. R. Dawson) reported to yesterday’s meeting of the Wanganui Harbour Board. 1 Reconstructing Highway Work is in progress on lhe reconstruction and sealing of a length of three and a-half miles of lhe main highway between Marlon and Curie’s Bridge by the Main Highways Board, under contract. j Wanganui Composer. Four songs composed by Mr. Gordon Mcßeth, of Wanganui, will be ’sung by Mr. Roy Hill from the national broadcasting station at Wellington to-morrow night. A pianoforte suite and an instrumental trio written by Mr. Mcßeth will probably be broadcast later in the year. Night Flying Test. Mr. C. Merrington, a co-pilot with Union Airways, will undergo the night flying test for his B (commercial) pilot’s licence at the Rongotai Aerodrome to-morrow night. Mr. Merrington, who is a son of Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Merrington, of Durie Hill, was trained by the Wanganui Aero Club under the Government's civil reserve scheme two years ago. For some time he has been engaged as a copilot with Union Airways. Harbour Berthing Master. A special committee reported to yesterday’s meeting of the Wanganui Harbour Board that it was unanimously agreed that a permanent berthing master should be appointed for the Town Wharf to replace Mr. J. IL Hayhow, who retires at the end of lhe month.’ As an application for the position had been received from a member of the staff since the report was drawn up, the matter was referred back to the committee for further consideration. N.Z. Ski Championship. Ski competitors in Taranaki are training steadily in preparation for the New Zealand ski-ing championships to be held on Mt. Ruapehu next month. Judging by the high standard of ski-ing displayed on Mt. Egmont at j the week-end, prominent competitors, such as C. Ambury (Taranaki cham- , pion), B. Murphy, P. Schwieters, and j the well known twin competitors, Pal ' and Joan Murphy, of Taranaki, will , provide a strong contingent to compete for lhe New Zealand titles. Mt. Egmont Ski Grounds. Conditions‘on Mt. Egmont on Sunday at the Stratford ski-ing grounds were splendid, reports the Wanganui i branch of the Ruapehu Ski Club. ! Members from Wanganui motored to ' the grounds and found that snow was i lying right down to a level below the hostel. At the end of the day's skiing, at the Maunganui Hut, an excellent run of nearly two miles was made on ski back to the hostel. The weather was beautifully fine and sunny, with occasional patches of fog. Port of Wanganui. Seventy ships, of a total tonnage of 43,412 tons, arrived at. the Port of Wanganui during June, and 71 of a tonnage of 45,119 tons departed, reported the harbourmaster, Captain F. G. Taylor, at yesterday’s meeting of the Wanganui Harbour Board. The steamer Hertford loaded 16 lighter loads of frozen produce and the motor ship Port Chalmers took on heard 26 lighter loads. The Forres-, bank discharged phosphate at Castlecliff and entered the port with a draught of 16 feet. New Plymouth Rugby Team. The New Plymouth Boys’ High School, which is sending its first Rugby , fifteen to Wanganui to play the Col-1 legiate School to-morrow, is one uf i the oustanding Rugby nurseries of the Dominion. The headmaster, Mr. W. IL Moyes, has played a big part, in recent years in moulding Rugby administration in' the Taranaki Union's district. Wanganui, from time to time, has been able to strengthen club team with boys who have learnt their Rugby at the school. One of the most notable in recent years was Ken Gibbons, who joining the Pirates Rugby Club on leaving school, became a senior player within a year and captained the Wanganui representative team against the British side on Cooks Gardens in ’930. Rowing Club’s Lawn A start will be made to-day with lhe turfing of the area on the bank of the Wanganui River reclaimed by members of the Union Boat Club. Formerly a rough, untidy area, the section was cleaned up and a considerable amount of filling work carried out so that an area of approximately 90 feet by 40 feet is available. A protection wall of old rails and steel boiler plating has been erected to prevent the reclaimed land from being washed away. The work was started last winter but was dropped during the rowing season and resumed several weeks ago since when working bees have been engaged every week-end. It is intended to plant a small hedge and a number of shrubs on the lawn after the turfing work has been finished. Military Training. j “The New Zealand Defence Depart- • ment cannot secure sufficient up-to- | date equipment because of the grea' |rush armament factories are expci ij encing in England,’’ said Captain B. ■ Barrington, recruiting officer for the I Central Military Command, when ad■'dressing members of the Wanganui IRotary Club yesterday. Speaking of , the territorial units, Captain Barring j ton asked Rotarians not to judge then, i on their displays at public parades but Ito go to a regimental camp and seethe manoeuvres performed by young men who had been in the service only - a few months. Captain Barrington showed a film of the fast, mobile Bren gun-carriers in action. He appealed to e Rotarians to encourage young men to s enlist in the territorial forces, and e was accorded a hearty vote >»[ thanks • for his address, on the motion of Mr. . (G. N. Boulton.