General News

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 178, 31 July 1941, Page 4

General News

Twelve Months Ago. It: is twelve months ago to-day since the R.A.F. bombed Italian headquarters at Massawa, East Africa The sinking of the destroyer Delight was also announced. London Distress Fund.

A cheque for £5O from the D.I.C. was received by the Wanganui City Patriotic Committee yesterday for the London Air Raid Distress Fund.

(‘.olloelion for Ambulance. By permission of the headmaster, Mr. F. W. Gilligan, a. collection was made for the .SI. John Ambulance on the Collegiate ground yesterday during lhe interval of the Rugby tooihall match between Collegiate School and Palmerston North High School.

Rep. Rugby Game. Mr. C. Brown# has been appointed manager of the Taranaki representative Rugby loam Io play Wanganui in New Plymouth on August 9. A north-south primary schools match will be played as a curtain-raiser to the representative game, the Taranaki Rugby Union has decided.

Rubbish Fire. Rubbish on fire in Hood Street. Castlecliff, was responsible for the Wanganui Fire Brigade receiving a call at 8.28 o'clock last night. A machine from the Castlecliff substation attended and the tire was extinguished with the aid of a bucket pump. No damage resulted.

Handkerchiefs for Soldiers. Material for 4000 soldiers' handkerchiefs has been supplied to the Hamilton Women's Patriotic Committee by Hamilton primary school children. The material gathered consists of flour and oatmeal bags, which are boiled, dyed and hemmed before being sent overseas. Home Guard Concerts. The social side of Home Guard activities in Wanganui is not being overlooked, and an entertainment committee functions for lhe purpose of arranging social evenings and concerts. The committee now has the assistance of Mr. H. J. Trussell and his orchestra, which is being augmented to 50 players. Women artists also assist. The committee has arranged a concert, which will be held in the Opera House early next month.

Strength of Pipe Band. A healthy position as far as playing members are concerned is disclosed in the report to be presented to-night at the annual meeting of the Wanganui Highland Pipe Band. Four members of the band are serving overseas, and several are either in Territorial camps or waiting to be called up. There are fifteen playing members and upwards of a dozen learners, several of whom are expected to become active members at an early date. Civic Centre Admired.

Wanganui's civic centre was greatly admired by visitors, said the DeputyMayor, Cr. J. J. Scott, who presided at a special meeting of the Wanganui City Council, when a Tourist, Publicity, and Development Committee was formed. Cr. Scott added that a visitor from Wellington stood near Veterans' Steps recently and greatly admired the setting for the Alexander Museum, Library, and Sarjeant Gallery. "He told me," said Cr. Scott, “that there was nothing like it elsewhere in New Zealand. The civic centre js a great asset to the city.” Returned Soldier Seeks Work. Application has been made to the Wanganui City Patriotic Committee by a returned soldier from the present war seeking work. “He is the first applicant from the present war.” said the secretary, Mr. J. P Wells, yesterday, “and the commit'ce would be glad if any person or firm willing to employ him would communicate with the office (3071). He requires work as car or truck driver. He has suffered no war disability, is a qualified Army Service Corps driver, and is available for work immediately.” Commercial Aviation.

In spite of the war and restricted services, due to aircraft: and pilots being taken over for defence purposes, commercial aviation in New Zealand is holding its own. During the year ended June 27, last, Union Airways of New Zealand, Limited, transported 11,572 passengers, ano carried 25,9171bs of freight and 77,782 lbs of mail. Passenger miles flown totalled 2,960,625. Hours flown were 2504, and the actual mileage was 360,024. The services maintained 100 per cent, frequency, all the 996 scheduled trips being made. Of these 991, or 99.48 per cent, were completed.

Converted Minesweepers. Two ot the vessels converted as minesweepers for service with the New Zealand Naval Forces, as announced by the Minister of Defence, Hon. F. Jones, are well known ul Wanganui, and traded here regularly till taken over by the naval authorities. They are the motor-ship Gale ana steamer 1-tat.a. The Gale was built in Scotland in 1935, and subsequently traded between \V anganui, Wellington, and southern polls. The Rata was engaged chiefly as a colliei in the West, Coast, trade, and made many trips to Wanganui with coal for discharge at the Gas Wharf or Castlecliff. Overnight. Tourists. Resentment at the action of the New Zealand Government Tourist and Publicity Department in including Wanganui merely as an ovcrnig.it stopping place in the itinerary of overseas tourists, was expre.ved by Mr. A. R. Donaldson, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, at a special meeting of the Wanganui City Council recently. Mr. Donaldson quoted the case of an Australian visitor who was in poor health, and cn at rival at Wanganui was fatigued after being rushed through the country on one ot the department's tours. He arrived al 6 p.m. and was to have left again at lb o’clock next: morning, but remained in the city for days, during which Mr. Donaldson showed him some places of interest. “When he ultimately left the city ho told me that his visit to Wanganui was the highlight of his New Zealand tour." Mr. Donaldson added. The opinion that Wanganui was side-tracked by the Tourist Department was expressed also by Cr. J. F. Broad, who said that overseas visitors did not: realise what -they were missing. A number of tours did not even include Wanganui.