General News

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 279, 25 November 1943, Page 4

General News

Bengal Relief Fund. With a donation or £1 10s from the Bulls Presbyterian Sunday School, the “Chronicle's” Bengal Relief Fund list now stands at £65 8s 6d. Hawera Show Successes. In good competition at the Hawera Show, Blair and Sons, of Maxwell, won three championships, two reserve championships and several firstprizes for stud Romney sheep. Marching Teams. Wanganui wilt be represented by six marching teams at the championships at Stratford on Saturday. Last year's winners, St. George’s from Wanganui, will not be competing this year. Whitebait Catches. Good catches of whitebait are still being made in the Buller and Orowaiti and Mokihinui Rivers, especially the latter. During last week several large consignments were sent in to the canning factory. The price remains at 2s 6d a pint. The season in Wanganui closed on November 15. Second-hand Goods and Coupons. In connection with coupons for second - hand goods the rationing authorities point out that the regulations governing this matter states: “Second-hand garments are coupon free. Other second-hand articles may be sold on surrender of half the coupons ascribed to the articles in the schedule, provided the price is at least 25 per cent, lower than the corresponding price of new articles ” Tenders To Be Considered. Tenders, to be considered at the next j meeting of the Wanganui Hospital Board, are being callea for necessary alterations to the old Jubilee Home building in Aramoho. it is intended to convert the building into a nurses’ home and to provide for staff accommodation. The kitchen, which will serve for the two new wings, is to be remodelled and equipped with the latest appliances foi cooking. Frost at Wanganui East. Certain places in Wanganui East experienced a frost on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. One amateur gardener, residing in Papatu Street, had the misfortune to have all his pumpkins, cucumbers, beans and dahlias completely blackened. Strange to relate, his potato crop was untouched. A slight frost was also recorded in that area last Thursday, but little damage was done on th<at occasion.

Three Calls to Fires, Thre calls to fires, two of them on railway crossings, were responded to by the Wanganui Central Fire Brigade yesterday. . The first was to the railway crossing in Ingestre Street, where some grass was alight. The second outbreak was to the Guyton Street crossing, where grass was also afire. The third call at 7.45 p.m. was to Harrison Street, where a rubbish fire on the side of the road was out of control.

Taihape-Waiouru Road. About two weeks ago the road between Taihape and Waiouru was in really good order and users of the highway could make good: time over that portion of the highway. On Monday last, due no doubt to the hot sun melting the bitumen and the abnormal military traffic, the road was peppered with potholes. Some of the holes were quite substantial and care had to be taken in negotiating the highway. Official Year Book. The New Zealand Official Year Book which has just been issued makes a belated appearance, and, in keeping with the times, is reduced in size by 150 pages compared with the book for 1942, but it contains, as usual, a wealth of information, not all of it statistical. Though economy of space has beep exercised, the range of subjects is still as widespread as ever, and it is well up to the standard of previous issues.

Few Tennis Balls. Tennis clubs, started the new season with plenty of enthusiasm but with few tennis balls. The official promise to make supplies of New Zealandmanufactured balls available has not yet been fulfilled, and keen disappointment is being expressed, by club officials. Until supplies become available clubs are carrying on in the best way they can by using limited numbers of balls left over from last season or balls that have had considerable usage. New Bus Chassis.

The possibility of the Wanganui City Council obtaining a new bus chassis under Lend-Lease for the St. John’s Hill service was referred to by the chairman of the Tramways Committee, Cr. S. J. Harris, at a meeting of the council. The engineer and manager, Mr. L. F. Row, had consulted with an official of the Ministry of Supply and at present was awaiting further particulars. “If we can’t get the new chassis we shall have to carry on with the existing fleet,” Cr. Harris added.

Illegible Handwriting. Illegibility is a common feature of most signatures, but what may present an imposing if indecipherable flourish in a visitors’ book or hotel register can be a source of embarrassment in business correspondence. One firm which has been long-suffering in its effort to elucidate difficult writing solved the problem by cutting out doubtful signatures and posting them on the envelopes containing the replies. Whether the postal officials were more successful in reading the illegible scrawl is not disclosed. Tribute to Police."

“I must pay a tribute to the police for the work they carried out in searching for the missing man,” said the coroner, Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., when an inquest was held yesterday concerning tne disappearance of a well-known Mangamahu settler, Mr. George Collins, aged 61, whose body was not recovered. The corner said the evidence showed that great care had been taken by the police and other searbhers. “They did everything they possibly could,” the coroner added.

“Wishing Tree” Intact. It was reported in some papers a few weeks back that the famous “wishing tree” on Hongi’s Track, just above Lake Roto-iti, had decayed and blown down. This is not so. According to a party of Wanganui business men who visited the track last Saturday the tree still stands as majestically as ever. In places it is showing signs of decay by internal rotting, but is good for scores of years yet. One of the tourists suggested that the tree could be saved by an “operation” by a tree surgeon, who could cut outft.he infested wood and refill the cavities. Hoses Left Running.

A protest tpat persons who left hoses night were the people responsdff for water being wasted in dry weather was made by Cr. G. I. Jones at a meeting of the Wanganui City Council. He asked if any steps were taken to prevent this waste and prosecute the persons concerned. “I am sure our inspectors understand that they are required to keep the fullest vigilance possible,” said the Mayor, Hon. W. J. Rogers, who added that every summer the inspectors carried out a campaign for the conservation of water. The city engineer, Mr. L. F. Row, said that when water was in short supply lhe inspectors doubled their efforts and worked nigiil and day to locate offenders. It was an offence, the city engineer added, to operate a hose was not held by | the hand. /