General News

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 47, 25 February 1941, Page 4

General News

Pleasant Swimming Conditions. The spell of vain. weather has had the effect of raising considerably the temperature of the water ir the various swimming baths in Wanganui. In the New Zealand Friends’ School bath at St. John's Hill, the temperature registered was 721 degrees, the highest during the current season. The conditions were keenly enjoyed ; Evening Classes. i Evening classes in many subjects, I including French, Latin, shorthand, I typewriting, plumbing, dressmaking, ; woodwork, workshop practice, and ■ engineering, were resumed at the ■ Wanganui Technical College last ; night. As enrolments were still comi ing in, no figures were available last j night as to the number of students on ■ '.he roll this year. i Air Force Relations. i “This is something which is deservi ing of ah the support this committee eati give it," said Captain H. M. ■ Keesing, M.C., chairman of the Wani ganui City Patriotic Committee, yes- ' terday, when details of Air Force i Relations Week, at the beginning of ! March were being discussed. It was decided to give the Air Force Relations Committee every assistance. Dredge Kaione, The Wanganui Harbour Board’s suction-hopper dredge Kaione, now on the Patent Slip, Evans Zay, is expected to leave Wellington for Castle-cl-ilf about Thursday. The dredge is at present undergoing overhaul. The survey was begun at Castlecliff early in February, when boilers, engines, windlass, aft winch, steering chains, fore peak and two aft peaks, and interior of the vessel’s hull were examined and passed the Board of Trade test. Water for Stock.

At the annual meeting of the Waimarino branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union on Saturday night, a letter from Mr. T. E. McLean was read drawing attention to the necessity of providing water for travelling, stock, etc,, especially in holding paddocks. The Public Works Department, in its road improvement schemes, had cut out old supplies and the highways, as far as stock was concerned, were becoming “dry” routes and stock suffered in consequence, the writer pointed out. It was decided to bring the matter to the notice of the County Councils concerned.

Home Guardsman’s Loss. While the Gonville-Castleciiff Company of the Home Guard was training in the sand hills at Castlecliff on Sunday morning, one of the guardsmen removed his green sports coat and silk shirt while he went scouting, but when he returned the clothing had disappeared. The coat had a Home Guard arm band attached. It was left on the sand hills between Morgan Street and the North Mole, and though members of the company searched the beach for half an hour, no trace of the missing articles was seen. Guard’s Van Full. Even the guard’s van of the special excursion from Palmerston North to Wanganui on Sunday was full, not with people, but with praijs and cycles, The train brought about 900 passengers to Wanganui, and was one of three excursions arranged by the Railways Department that day. The specials from Palmerston North and New Plymouth, however, were so heavy that they had to be split into two sections for the return journeysMany of the visitors solved transport problems in Wanganui by bringing cycles. Makirikiri Sports Profit. Although exact figures could not be ascertained yesterday, it was reported from Makirikiri that as a result of las? Saturdy’s sports meeting a fair sum will be available for patriotic purposes, the whole of the profits being devoted to that fund. Complimentary references were made by all who attended the sports on the smooth way in which the programme was managed. This was due to the experienced hand of Mr. F. H. Jones, who has been sports controller at Makirikiri during the past three years. Surf Rescues. With a large number of surf lifesaving teams competing in the West Coast championships at Castlecliff or. Sunday, there were rescues a-plenty for the large crowd of spectators. Two rescues, however, were in earnest. Suffering from cramp, Mr. 'W. J. Green, Argyle Street, was brought ashore by the Castlecliff Surf Section team. A little later in the afternoon the “beltman'’ in the Wellington ladies' team was “dumped” in the surf, being rendered unconscious. The “patient” swam to her assistance and the beltman was assisted ashore, where she received attention from members of the St. John Ambulance Association.

Busy Sunday For Trams. Tramway receipts for last Sunday, when the West Coast, North Island, surf life-saving championships were held at Castlecliff, totalled £ll7, compared with £69 taken on the day the ; championships were held last year. On that occasion, however, the weather was unpleasant. This year the championships were favoured with perfect weather, and three special trains brought more than 2000 visitors to the city. Tramway services to Castlecliff were expanded, and sometimes as many as four trams were proceeding to the beach at the same time, separated by a few yards. All the cars were loaded to capacity. Sunday tram takings in Wanganui are usually about £3O.

I New Use For Telephone. ; A novel “meeting” was held reicently by members of t{ie Coromandel ! Peninsula Patriotic Committee who i represent the nine communities on ■ the peninsula. As there, was insufficient business to warrant long travelling, arrangements were made whereby each of the nine members took part in the proceedings per medium of their own telephone. The “meeting,” in which the members did not meet, was quite successful, for every member heard clearly despite the fact that all connections except two were through sub-exchanges and some members had long lengths of privately constructed telephone line. In sanctioning the proposal, the Postmaster - General expressed doubt whether conversation could be conducted over such a link-up, but it could be tried. It is understood that this is the first occasion in the history of New Zealand that a meeting has been held by this method.