Town Talk

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 290, 8 December 1939, Page 6

Town Talk

Visit to Churches. Reports regarding the triennial visitation to the St. Paul’s and Turakina Presbyterian churches were read at a meeting of the Wanganui Presbytery at Bulls. The findings were adopted and the Rev. G. W. T. Hercus and Mr. R. Warnock were appointed to read them to the congregations. English Pound Note. Included in the money collected by the St. John Free Ambulance Service in its annual appeal on Wednesday was an English one pound note. When this was changed at a city bank it realised £1 4s Bd. Another feature of the collection was the number of half-pennies donated. Centennial Baby Carnival. The cameras and staff required to lake moving pictures of entrants for the Centennial Baby Carnival, which is to be conducted on behalf of the St. John Ambulance, will arrive in Wanganui next week. The first batch of entrants will be required to attend at the Regent Theatre next Wednesday morning, when the “shooting” of the films will commence. Medals for Proficiency. The gold medal presented by the Cable Makers’ Association to the candidate who secured the highest marks in the written part of the recent wiremen’s examinations was won by G. M, Robertson, of Oamaru, with marks out of 100. The gold medal for the practical part was won by A. L. Jelferes, of Whakatane, with 93 marks out of 100. Excursion to Wellington. At 1.15 a.m. to-morrow a special passenger train will leave Wanganui for Wellington where it will arrive at 6.45 a.m. The return train will leave Wellington at 8.36 p.m. on Sunday' and arrive at Wanganui at 2.11 a.m. on Monday. It is expected that a large number of Wanganui people will travel on the train in order to visit the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition. Building a Sub-Station. An electric sub-station and a number of power-houses are being buill in the near future on a piece of land bought from Mr. 11. Coogan, of Mataroa, by the Public Works Department. Extensive blasting operations are being earned out on the site, and a bulldozer has been engaged in levelling an area of the section. At present 35 men are employed at Tiri- i rukawa on the scheme. Cut by Stockwhip. Painful injuries to his face which required his admission to the Wanganui Public Hospital, were received by Mr. J. McKee, an employee of the Glenn Estate, at Ohingaiti, when his stockwhip rebounded. Mr. McKee was working several miles from the homestead when the accident occurred j and had to ride over very rough country to be driven to Dr. L. M. Burnett, al Hunterville. Mr. McKee is reported to be progressing satisfactorily. Cine Club Entertained. Members of the Wanganui Cine Club were entertained last night by Mr. A. Tasker, who screened some oi the films in natural colour whicn he look on a recent tour or Canada, the United States and Great Britain. Altogether, 6009 feet ol film was used by Mr. i'asker on bis tour, and the only time he lost any was at the Tilbury Docks in Lonaoa. when an official removed the film from his camera because of censorship regulations. Forty-year-old Athlete. Although forty years of age, A. J. (“Mick”) Darby, Wanganui’s veteran all-round athlete, showed that he was still going as strong as ever last evening by coming second in the 120 yards and third in the 440 jurds at tne Wanganui Amateur Atnletic and Cycling Clubs twilight meeting. Darby has represented Wanganui at Rugby, cricket, wrestling, weightlifting and athletics. He is the holder of West Coast hurdles title, and is training hard this season to have another “go” at the record. “Daily Doses.” The mother of two boys who have made application to attend the Y.M.C.A. annual summer camp at Kai Iwi has expressed concern al Ihe prospect of her sons becoming painfully sunburnt during the camping period. However it is reported tint she has solved the problem by making the boys take "daily doses” of sunshine, so that they will be fully prepared and “blister-proof” by the time the camp icmmcir.'o.. jn Boxing Day. To date 33 applications have been received from those intending to enter camp, as against 12 at the corresponding stage last year. Several country members will attend the camp, including three Marton boys. “Serge Me!” Even the commanding officer laughed. He had to. The reply was so apt and so quick. It was the rule in this camp that, the men should change their working denims for serge uniforms when they went into mess. On this evening every man had changed into serge except one. and there he sat somewhat conspicuously. So conspicuous was he when the commanding officer came in for his usual meal-time round, he immediately noticed the one soldier wnu had erred. “Where’s your serge?” he asked. Then it was that the officer and indeed the whole mess laughted, for the soldier as quick as light made his classic reply, “Serge me. sir.” Funds for Mission Work. That retrenchment in the mission field was inevitable unless the deficit in the congregational giving lor mission work was not overtaken this year was reported at the monthly meeting of the Wanganui Presbytery. It was added that the retrenchment would begin with the overseas mission work and would include the home and Maori mission fields. The Presbytery decided to set up three teams, with the Rev. L. H. Ker, E. T. King and A. L. Dixon as conveners, to submit to the next meeting plans for visiting the whole of the Presbytery. The Missions Committee advised that the grant to Wanganui East for the ensuing year would be £7O instead of £75 as recommended by the Presbytery, and that there would be a substantial reduction next year. While accepting the reduction, the Presbytery protested against any substantial reduction in the future in view of the special difficulties which the charge is meeting.