General News

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 245, 16 October 1943, Page 4

General News

Britain's Total War -ffort. Coastal Command aircraft have flown more than 80,000,000 miles, nearly as far as from the eartii to the sun. They have made, up to the end of 1942, 300 attacks on U-boats and 4000 oii enemy shipping. Two Years’ Record. Marton has established a two-year record for National Savings, having accounted for its weekly quota for the 104th. successive week. Rotary Oub Speaker. ,s Mr. H. H. Banks, Auckland, will be the speaker at the weekly luncheon of the Wanganui Rotary Club on Monday. The subject of his address will be “Ideals for Rehabilitation.” Handel’s "Messiah." The combined choirs in Wanganui have begun rehearsal of Handel's “Messiah," which will be given in the Opera House at the end of November. The conductor, Mr. J. Puryer, has arranged practices for every Tuesday, and it is hoped that the choir will total about 100 voices. "House" Booked Out. The New Plymouth Opera House was completely booked out two hours after the plans opened on Thursday morning for the Kiwi Concert Party’s visit next week. Despite the unpleasant weather conditions there was a queue waiting outside the booking office at 6 a.m. Catholic Mission. Rev. Father C. Dennehey and Rev. Father 13. Daly, of the Redemptorist Fathers Mission staff, Wellington, arrive in Wanganui to-day. To-morrow they will begin a mission at St. Joseph's Church, Aramoho, and St. Vincent's, Castleciiff. The Mission at St. Mary's Church (city) wall begin on Sunday, October 24. Christmas Parcels. Foregoing their prizes, the members of a Wanganui Sunday School have donated £3 4s to the honorary secretary ot the Wanganui-Waitotara Patriotic Zone for Christmas parcels for servicemen and women serving overseas. This gesture is much appre. elated and the money will purchase eight parcels. News Broadcasts. Starting to-morrow, the 8.8. C. news broadcast which has hitherto been transmitted from Britain and rebroadcast from all the main stations in New Zealand at 6.15 p.m. dally will be transmitted by the 8.8. C. at 6 p.m., New Zealand time. The National Broadcasting Service will record these broadcasts and rebroadcast them at the same time as hitherto, 6.15 p.m. Second-hand Tractors. The National Council of Primary Production has advised the Wanganui District Council that second-hand tractor purchases are not subject to control, and that a permit to buy them is not necessary. Permit provisions apply only to tractors and other farm machinery which have been imported under Lend-Lease agreement, and for these there is still a waiting list. Fine Weather Returns.

After two days of overcast skies and excessive wind, fine weather returned to Wanganui yesterday. Continued sunshine and a light westerly wind made conditions pleasant out of doors, in contrast to the previous day, when a gale and frequent rain squalls, particularly in the morning, were experienced. There was a moderate swell on the bar at the harbour entrance yesterday, and the sky was clear with the exception of a few light clouds.

Piping For Farms. According to advice received by the Wanganui District Council of Primary Production, black piping is available in limited quantities for farm reticulation purposes. The New Zealand Tube Guild has stated that a quantity of these pipes has arrived in the country from the United Kingdom. Galvanised piping was ordered by New Zealand importers, but because of manufacturing restrictions only black piping, which will be available to approved applicants through their merchants, was forthcoming. Call for Spring Cleaning. “New Zealand needs a very thorough spring cleaning, and the sooner we get on to it the better it will be,” said the Rev. Stuart C. Francis, of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, when speaking at a Citizens' Service, in Christchurch. New Zealanders could not be proud of the fact that there was so much sexual disease, he continued, that they spent £10,000,000 annually on drink, £8,000,000 on gambling, also that 7 per cent, of marriages ended in the divorce court. It was the duty of elder people, said Mr. Francis, to set the Sugar Cargo Delayed. Originally due at Wanganui on Monday with sugar and general cargo, the Northern Company's auxiliary motor-vessel Hauturu has been delayed, and is now expected to reach Wanganui on Wednesday. After discharge at the Town Wharf she will go to Picton. The Canterbury Company’s coastal motor-ship Storm, originally expected at Wanganui next Tuesday, has also been delayed by a day. The vessel has general merchandise from southern ports, and is now expected to discharge at Wanganui next Wednesday.

Tea Rationing. Seeing the shelves of grocery shops well laden with packets of tea, many housewives (states the New Zealand Herald) have been questioning the need for rationing. That there is actually no shortage of tea in the Dominion has been confirmed by wholesalers, and retailers state that if there were no rationing there would, in their opinion, be no hoarding, and a still furthei- easing of the position for those who find their allocation barely sufficient. One wholesaler gave the reason for the restriction. He said the British Ministry of Food had imposed quotas for the supply of tea to various countries. In consequence of this, the New Zealand Government, apparently, felt bound to limit the amount available to consumers.

Dredging in River. After being in the vicinity of the Gas Wharf since last Monday, the Wanganui Harbour Board's suctionhopper dredge Kaione returned to Castlecliff yesterday. Operating on the peak of spring tides, the vessel has been engaged in removing a shoal which banked up near the Gas Works, and in improving the depth of water available in the navigable channel ot the river. Good progress was mane and the depth has been considerably improved. When not working this week the dredge was moored at the Town Wharf. A spart of the Harbour Board’s policy to increase the facilities available at the Port of Wanganui, further extensive dredging is to be carried out at Castlecliff. As a preliminary to this work the Kaione will operate .next week in the vicinity of Mitchell’s Reach, where shoaling and snags have caused difficulties to coastal vessels using the river.