General News

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 277, 23 November 1943, Page 4

General News

Blind Musician. A member of the Blind Institute, Auckland, Mr. J. H. E. Papesch, who is totally blind, has passed the licentiate examination of the Royal Schools of Music. Mr. Papesch received 176 marks out of a possible 200, a percentage of 88. Summer Weather.

For the past few days Wanganui has enjoyed a welcome spell of summer weather, with refreshing winds from a westerly quarter and mild temperatures. The nights are cool and pleasant. Yesterday was again fine with brilliant sunshine all day and a moderate westerly wind. Rowing Crews Depart. The members of the Christ’s College, Christchurch* first and second rowing fours, who competed against crew’s from the Wanganui Collegiate School yesterday morning, left on their aetum south after the contests, joining the New Plymouth-Wellington express at Aramoho.

Salvage of Wrecked Plane. Usable parts of the aeroplane of Air Travel (N.Z.), Ltd., which was wrecked in a forced landing on Franz Josef Glacier are being brought down from the glacier on sledges, states the Greymouth Evening Star. Most of the engine and equipment have already been brought down and now the fuselage, which had already been transported a couple of miles from the wreck, is to be transported to the foot of the glacier. This will complete the salvage operations.

Gave Wrong Name. “Defendant gave the wrong name, but his correct name has since been ascertained,” said Senior-Sergeant F. Culloty, in the Magistrate’s Court, Wanganui, yesterday, when a you tn, aged 17, Appeared before Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., charged with riding an unlighted cycle on the Aramoho Railway Bridge. Defendant was riding a cycle on the footway at 9.25 p.m. on October 6 when seen by a constable, the senior-sergeant added. A fine of 10s, with costs 12s, was imposed. Seasonal Grass Fires. The warm weather of the past few days has been responsible for the usual series of seasonal grass fires. The most serious occurred on Sunday when 700 feet of hose was used to combat a fire which occurred in the plantation at the rear of the Wanganui Hospital. A further call to a grass fire was received by the Wanganui Fire Brigade at 12.10 p.m. yesterday. Sparks from a passing locomotive are believed to have started a fire near the Guyton Street railway crossing, but no damage to property resulted. Business Records.

A warning to business houses not to include in their waste* paper disposal any records or papers required by regulation to be preserved has been issued by the Price Tribunal. It expresses appreciation of the efforts being made by local committees in reclaiming waste paper and the response by business firms, but draws attention to regulation nine of the. Price Stabilisation Emergency Regulations, 1939. There are occasions where, in the course of an investigation, it is necessary for the tribunal to ha\.e access to old records of costs and selling prices, and care should be taken by firms that these are not destroyed. Coastal Shipping. Only three coastal vessels are scheduled to work the port of Wanganui this week and it is expected lhat the waterfront will be quiet till Thursday, when the Hauturu and Holmdale are due to arrive. The Hauturu, with sugar and general cargo, is expected to leave Onehunga to-day for Wanganui and New Plymouth. The Holmdale has general cargo from Dunedin and way ports, via Picton. Due Friday is the coastal motor-ship Storm, with general cargo frc,m ‘Timaru, Lyttelton, Wellington and Picton. As spring tides are approaching, it is expected that no difliculty will be experienced in bringing the Holmdale and the Storm up to the Town Wharf. Harbour Dredging. Full advantage has been taken of the fine weather to continue dredging operations with the Kaione. At present the vessel is engaged in increasing the depth of water available in the turning basin and at the Castlecliff Wharf, but later in the week further work will be carried out in the navigable channel at Mitchell’s Reach. The spring tides are expected to reach their peak about next Sunday. and in the meantime as much dredging as possible will be carried out. The Kaione is operating in accordance with the Harbour Board’s policy of keeping the river channel open for coastal vessels using the Town Wharf. Every effort is also being made to have sufficient water vailable at Castlecliff for overseas shipping. Burning Ship Saved. How six men saved a ship from being burnt after being bombed is told in the London Daily Telegraph, the ship being one which is well known in New Zealand waters. The six men climbed through a bomb hole to fight the fire, and despite a threat to the ammunition magazine, put out the flames. 'Their conduct is described in a report the master sent to the* owners, the Port Line. The ship was bombed five times on two successive evenings. Chief Officer A. J. Knell, D.S.C., climbed through a bomb hole with a hose, and played on the flames. Because of the terrific heat, it was impossible to stay for more than a few minutes at a time, and he was relieved in turn by other members of the ship’s complement. Eventually the fire was subdued and the ship was saved.

Ambulance. Mileages Up. An indication of the extremely busy year experienced by the St. John Free Ambulance service in Wanganui was given by the. transport officer, Mr. W. B. McNaught, when he said last night that by November 6 the total mileage of last year had been exceeded. By November 11 the mileage for 1937, the busiest year since the inception of the service in 1935, had also been exceeded. By November 11 the mileage for 1937, the busiest year since the inception of the service in 1935, had also been exceeded.* “So far, we have done 500 miles in excess of the 13,018 miles recorded in 1937,” said Mr. McNaught. “To date, the service has covered 13,540 miles for the present, year, .compared with 12,935 last year and an anual average of about 12,000 miles. Since the inception of the service, the ambulances have travelled 107,250 miles.”