General News

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 229, 29 September 1942, Page 4

General News

Brownout Time. The time for the dri vug of blinds in Wanganui to-d*> is 6. i 5 p.m Rowing Interest A matter that will be discussed at the annual meeting of the Wanganui Rowing Association, to be held on October 12, will be the question of rowing for men in the armed services. Incipient Fire. The call received by Central Fire Station at 4.13 p.m. on Saturday was to an incipient Are at 159 Somme Parade, Aramoho, not a dwelling at 110 Somme Parade, occupied by Mrs. M. Verrail, as published yesterday. No damage occurred. General de Gaulle’s Ancestry. General de Gaulle, who opened a Free French House in Edinburgh, said afterwards that his great-grand-mother was a Scotswoman. Her name was Fleming and her family came from Glasgow. She married an Irishman named McArtan. Anti-Aircraft Gun. United States inventors have provided the U.S. Army with a new antiaircraft gun believed capable of shooting down anything with wings. It pierces the atmosphere far beyond the 30,000 ft. limit of other weapons. It has a 4.7-inch calibre instead of the standard 3-inch shell. Charitable Bequests.

Under the will of Charles Walter Elliott, a former Rangiora business man, £lOOO is bequeathed to St. Saviours Guild for orphanage work and the residue of the estate to the Salvation Army in Christchurch for charitable work among elderlypeople. The value of the estate is about £7OOO, states a Press Association message from Christchurch.

Growing Pumpkins for Seed. A question was placed before the executive of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture by Mr. C. W. Corner, Napier, as to variation when varieties of pumpkins are grown together. A reply from the director of the horticulture division to the executive states that when pumpkin gourds are grown for seed purposes, half a mile or more should intervene between varieties. Production Drive

To give impetus to the present, drive for increased production, Mr. M. J. Scott, Dominion supervisor of primary production councils, is on a tour o£ New Zealand and will visit Wanganui to-day. This morning hq will attend a special meeting of the Wanganui District Primary Production Council, when he will discuss with members various schemes which have been organised in the area under their control.

Shoe Polish Shortage. In commenting on the difficulty the public has had in buying black shoe polish for several weeks past, the manager of a manufacturing firm in Christchurch maintained there was no peal shortage, but that the position had developed from over-buying on a wide scale. His firm was sending out the same quantities to all direct buyers as they had purchased last year and was meeting orders from military canteens. Reserve Bank Notes. “While checking over some back notes I noticed that, printed on the lace of some of them appeared the following, inter alia, ‘Pursuant to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act, 1933,’ Ist August, 1934, and signed by the then governor of the bank, but on a later issue, I notice that this wording is left off the note. 1 can hardly imagine that this is a printer’s error, but feel sure t.’ie: ■ is a season for this

omission. Can anyone tell me what it is?’’ writes a correspondent, “Accountant,” to an Auckland paper. Saving Petrol. A report from the United States mentions that a large saving in the petrol consumption of cars can be effected by immobilising half the cylinders of the motor and making a slight adjustment to the carburetter. The scheme was tried in Great Britain two years ago, half the connecting rods and pistons of tho car being removed. The change has the effect of reducing the power of the engine, but greatly increasing the saving of petrol, the American figure being quoted as high as 40 per cent. The Drinking Habit. “That drinking habit seems to be much too common among young men nowadays,” said Mr. Justice Fair in Auckland last week. It had been pleaded on behalf of a man of 20 who had broken into a shop and stolen that he nad been consuming liquor that afternoon. “There seems an impression abroad,” continued His Honour, “that it is a manly way of spending their time, and a way of showing that they think they are manly. It is a. very foolish and mistaken point of view. There are many better ways in which young men can enjoy themselves than by drinking in hotels and elsewhere.”

Must Carry Number Plates All motor-vehicles must carry number plates in addition to the current year’s registration certificate, said Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Wanganui, yesterday, when George Henry Hartley was charged with using a motor-cycle in Anzac Parade which did not carry number plates. Defendant said he was testing the machine before selling it. He had a registration certificate, but did not think the plates were necessary under the circumstances. The magistrate said number plates were necessary for identification purposes. In addition, vehicles which did not have them were not covered by third-party insurance. As it was a technical offence, defendant would be convicted and ordered to pay costs only, 10s.

National Savings Groups “It would be appreciated if all savings groups in the Wanganui area would assist in boosting the final figures for the Spring Off uisive campaign by lodging their collections for the current week before 4 p.m. tomorrow,” said the National Savings organiser, Mr. J. Gillick, yesterday. “The number of deposits by savings groups materially affects the district totals in transactions upon which the Spring Offensive percentage totals are based. A strong appeal is made to all national savers to make a deposit, however small, to every account opened in the district during the present week in order that the final broadcast for the Spring Offensive campaign will show an appreciable improvement in the district totals,” he concluded. Greek Art.

A talk on “Greek Art” wsfe given to members of the Wanganui RotaryClub yesterday by Mr. F. G. Saunders, M.A., of the teaching staff of the Wanganui Technical College. He said that all artisans (hand workers) in ancient Greece were looked on as artists and that they took a pride in their work. There was nothing shoddy in any task that they undertook. All art to them was applied art. Vases were made to be used and not for decorative purposes. The same applied to pottery, furniture and fabrics. Everything was admirably adapted for the purpose for which it was to be used and was pleasing to the eye. Mr. Saunders gave a detailed description of Greek vases which were famous the world over and illustrated bis remarks by prints of some of the most noted Greek vases in European museums. Depicted on the vases were scenes from actual life in various forms. The vote of thanks was moved by_ Mr. D. G. O’Toole. *