General News

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 299, 19 December 1945, Page 4

General News

Donation Acknowledged. The Wanganui Red Cross Centre acknowledges a cheque of £6 6s from residents of Pipiriki for the Greek Relief Fund. The centre also acknowledges an anonymous cheque of £5 Wanganui Boxer. E. Coughlin (Wanganui) fought in one of the preliminary bouts at the Murphy—Clark professional contest in Wellington on Monday night. Coughlin beat J. McKenna on a points decision. Church Parade

Members of the Independent Order of Oddfellows attended a church parade in Trinity Methodist Church last Sunday night. The preacher was the Rev. Frederick J. Parker. Members of the lodge also took part in the service, which was largely attended. Gratuity Application Forms The Minister of Defence, Mr. Jones, announced last night that forms of application for the payment of the war gratuity will be available as from to-morrow (Thursday). The Wanganui R.S.A. will advise any of its members as to completion of the forms, should they so desire. Intermediate School

To enable parents to see the variety of work being done by pupils of the Intermediate School, an pen night was held at the school last night. Variety was the keynote of the exhibition, and on all sides could be heard commendation of the work and appreciation of the staff responsible for these branches of the school activities. During the evening items were given by the school choir, verse speaking choir, folk dancing and gymnastic club.

Plants Stolen from Graves. Advice that it had been impossible to establish the identity of persons responsible for thefts of plants from graves at the Aramoho Cemetery was received from the Police Department at the monthly meeting last night of the Wanganui City Council. The fact that the sexton was now residing in the house adjoining the cemetery, and would be able to give it more supervision, may help to obviate further thefts, the letter added.

City Transport System. A comprehensive report by the engineer and manager, Mr. L. F. Row, on the city’s transport system will be considered at a special meeting of the Tramways Committee, to which all councillors will be invited, it was stated at the monthly meeting last night of the Wanganui City Council. This was in reply to a letter from the Wanganui Electors’ Association suggesting a gradual replacement of the tramway system by trolley or Diesel buses. Use of Pinus Radiata.

A request from the Department of Housing Construction for approval to use pinus radiata in State dwellings erected in Wanganui came before the Works Committee of the City Council at a recent meeting. “After a lengthy discussion on the subject it has been held over for further consideration when a representative of the department will be invited to attend,” the committee stated in a report adopted by the council last night.

National Savings Last week 250 National Savings weekly quota successes were recorded throughout the Dominion, an increase of two over the previous week. In addition seven places, including Wanganui city, reached their annual quotas for the current financial year, making 110 such successes since April 1 last. The number of accounts opened since the scheme was launched in October, 1940, exceeds 477,000, and new accounts still average about 200 weekly. Musical Scores Astray “Will anybody who has musical scores of “Our Miss Gibbs” please make a point of returning them?” said the secretary of the Wanganui Musical Society ’(Mr. E. Lind) at a meeting of the society last night. The president (Dr. G. ’J. Adams) also added his voice to the request that the scores be returned. He said that these scores had been flown over specially from Australia by J. C. Williamson Ltd. and had to be returned. If they were not returned that would prejudice Wanganui’s chances of obtaining scores for future productions.

Dublin Street Bridge. A start has been made with repainting the understructure of the Dublin Street Bridge, and according to a report from the Works Committee, adopted by the Wanganui City Council last night, this work is long overdue as labour was unobtainable during the war. “The current estimates provide for £5OO as a start with the more urgent portions of the work.” the report added. “It has been found that corrosion was even more extensive than was anticipated, and it seemed desirable, now that a start has been made to carry on and paint the whole of the understructure. This will involve a total expenditure of approximately £lBOO and at the present rate of progress will require £llOO in this financial year.” Grave Disadvantage. British motor-car manufacturers are gravely perturbed over the theat of American competition in export markets. British cars are three or four times as dear as American cars due to the smallness of the British domestic market and 1 the imposition by the British Government of a big purchase tax. The new V 8 Ford 30 h.p. coupe costs £209. and a Studebaker coupe £220. By comparison, the new British 27 h.p. Humber saloon costs £B9O, and for export purposes, where purchase tax does not operate, £695. The Wolseley 18 h.p. saloon costs £678 with purchase tax, and £530 without tax. The Austin 16 h.p. salobn costs £569 with tax, and £445 without tax. Sir Miles Thomas, vicechairman of Morris Motors, Ltd., said: “I am told it will be many months before American factories can think about exports, but after that they will be in a strong position to swamp Europe and the British Empire markets.”