General News

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 13, 16 January 1946, Page 4

General News

Sheepskin Sale I’he largest appraisement of sheepskins in Wanganui for a long period was held yesterday, when about 12,000 came forward for appraisal. Rifle Shooting Having been successful in obtaining ammunition, the Wanganui Defence Rille Club will hold a practice shoot on the Putiki range on Saturday afternoon.

Grais T-'ires Two calls to grass fires were responded to by the Wanganui Central Fire Brigade yesterday. The first was to Caff ray Avenue, Aramoho, where one lead of hose was used to quell the outbreak. The second was to a large grass fire on Bastia Hijl. This was extinguished with beaters. Road-making Machinery Road-making machinery for the New Zealand Government has been brought to Wellington by two American tank-landing ships which have arrived from Espiritu Santos, New Hebrides. The equipment includes heavy bulldozers and mechanical shovels, which have been purchased out of American surplus mechanical equipment following the visit of works

engineers to American bases in the Pacific.

Croquet Championships. Winning the North Island open croquet championship in Wanganui yesterday, Mr. A. E. Ogier brought further honours to the Durie Hill Croquet Club. Mr. C. La Roche is the present holder of the New Zealand open championship, and Mrs. A. C. Bourgeois is the Wanganui open champion. Because of indisposition Mr. La Roche will not be defending his title this year at the tournament in Timaru. Body Not Recovered

In spite of intensive searches being made of the Castlecliff and South Beaches yesterday, there was still no trace up to last night of the body of Mi. A. R. Lowe, rehabilitation officer at Wanganui, who was drowned in a heavy surf on Sunday. As on the previous day, Constables H. H. Hudson and S. J. Best concentrated on the South Beach yesterday, and Constable J R. Gould was in charge of the search at Castlecliff. The police were again assisted by volunteer workers. Sky master Due Soon. According to a cablegram received in Auckland on Saturday from Mr. Harold Gatty, the Pan American Anways’ Skymaster, which is surveying the new Pacific route between Safi Francisco and Auckland, will arrive at Whenuapai from Tontout a, New Caledonia, about Saturday. The landplane will stay at Auckland for three days before proceeding to Fiji ana Brisbane. Mr. Gatty, who will be regional director at Fiji when the regular service starts, is among the 25 people on board the Skymaster.

Carrier’s Mascot. When the British aircraft-carrier, H.M.S. Indefatigable leaves Australia for England toward the end of this month, one member of the ship’s company will stay behind. She is the monkey mascot, Marine Stupid of India, who for months has served as the only female member of the Royai Marines. The mascot has qualified for the 1939-45 Star and the PacificStar and has flown in action over Tokyo. The monkey is remaining in Australia as it is considered that she would have very little chance of survival in the cold English weather. Manpower Control The National Service Department ruling still stands, that employees held in their jobs on appeal from military service have to remain there and will probably be the last group to be completely exempt from manpower controls, according to the district manpower officer, Mr. G. A. Plummer. He explained this to the No. 2 Wellington Industrial Manpower Appeal Committee at its recent sitting m Wanganui when it was hearing an appeal by a railway employee who desired to work for a private firm.

I The Crematorium By the end of this week all interior ana exterior decorative work on the Wanganui City Council’s crematorium at Aramoho will be finished. All that will remain will be the installation of the crematory, which in itself will be a fairly big job, and the connection of electrical fittings for light and sound. An elaborate speaker system will replace the customary organ. The building firm which has been working on the structure more than 10 months began its final week’s work on Monday. Full Markii for Otranto “You can give the Otranto full marks,” said Colonel H. D. Robertson, N.Z.M.C., Wanganui, referring last night to what he described as a very pleasant passage from the United Kingdom. He said the Otranto was the best ship in which he had travelled. The food was excellent and everybody had loud praise for the Orient Line. “They looked after us very well indeed,” Colonel Robertson added. “Christmas parcels were distributed and there were extra issues of cigarettes then, and again at New Year. The weather was cool and pleasant all the way.’’

Wanganui River I? known A new employee of the Government Tourist Bureau office in Napier who deals with travel arrangements has never heard of the Wanganui River, according to a letter a prospective visitor to Wanganui has sent to a friend here. This visitor, according to the letter, called at the Napier office to arrange a river trip, but the girl behind the counter replied simply that to her knowledge Wanganui did not have a river, or at least she knew nothing about it. “That just bears out the contention that young people to-day do no! know the geography of their own country,” observed the writer. “They don't travel around enough.”

Ship’s Quick Discharge Arriving at Wanganui on the morning tide yesterday, the coastal motorship Holmdale had a quick discharge and was able to sail again last night. She crossed the bar at 7.30 a.m. inward hound with nearly 500 tons of general cargo from Oamaru and Dunedin. via Wellington, and began discharge at the Town Wharf at about 8.30. The vessel had two gangs till 6 p.m., when the Hauturu finished unloading, and carried on with three gangs till 8.30 last night, when all her cargo was discharged. The master, Captain A. Copeland, paid a tribute to the good work done by Wanganui watersiders. Because of the quick discharge the vessel was able to make the night tide and sail on her return to Wellington and Du nodin