General News

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 117, 22 May 1946, Page 4

General News

Late School Starting. During the second school term the Feilding School is to commence at 9.30 ■i.m, each day, and the time is to bo made up in the afternoon. Permission toi this was given at yesterday’s meeting of the Wanganui Education Board. I*.T. Refresher Courses.

One day fresher courses in physical education for teachers of country schools not visited by the board's specialist instructors, was approved in principle by the Wanganui Education Board yesterday. Teachers of these schools are to assemble in different centres for the course of instruction. Trice of Gas too Low... Acting on a recommendation from its Gas Committee, the Wanganui City Council, at. the monthly meeting last nignt, decided to approach the Price Tribunal for permission to make an all-round increase in the Gas Department's tariff rates. The council will first of all seek the support of the Stabilisation Committee. Hurt in Cycle Accident.

Slight concussion and abrasions to a hip and forearm were received by Mi. T. A. E. A. Mather when he w as thrown from a cycle in Koromiko Road yesterday morning as a result of tile handle bars twisting. Mr Mather, a visitor from Auckland, was taken by the St. John Free Ambulance to the M anganui Public Hospital. His condition was reported last night to be satisfactory. ’ Appointment of Returned Men. Pleasure that a returned serviceman (Mr. L. S. Barsan ti) had been appointed architect to the Wanganui Education Board was expressed in a letter received by the board yesterday liom the Wanganui R.S.A. “If other l'/cal bodies were to follow your example, we feel that the question of rehabilitation of returned men would be considerably lightened,” the R.S.A. tetter stated.

Soap for C.0.R.5.0. Thirty cases of soap, 25 of which were donated by the manufacturers, were sent from Wanganui recently w tne Red Cross and C.0.R.5.0. Some confusion has arisen lately as to the value of fat used for soap making, the statement having been made that it was worth from 8s to 12s a benzine Im. That is the price per hundredweight, the value of a tin at the works varying from 3s to 4s 6d a tin, according to quality. Keith Street School.

A protest at the long delay in dealing with the building of a new Keith Street School on the present site was “received” by the Wanganui Education Board yesterday. The committee stated that it is now some time since it had had any report on the matter, aiU was of the opinion that the Education Board had overlooked the urgency of the matter. The board reiterated that the time was not opportune for the building of a new school at Keith Street.

Helping Soldier Teachers. “I believe in giving soldier-teachers ail the help we can, particularly those who are prepared to help themselves,” declared the chairman, Mr. E. F. Hemingway, at yesterday’s meeting of the Wanganui Education Board, when a teacher asked the board to supply him with the material to put his newly re-opened schoolhouse in order, and tr.at he would do the work himself. The board expressed appreciation of his spirit, but it considered that it was its duty to do the work, not the teacher’s.

Loneliness of the Earth. In the course of an address on astronomy at the weekly luncheon of the Wanganui Rotary Club yesterday, 1.4 i. W. H. Ward (honorary director of the Wanganui Observatory) demonstrated the loneliness of the earth, ccmpared to the other planets. “If a smiling was placed in the palm of my hand,” he said, “the centre representing the position of the run, and the perimeter the circle taken by the earth around it, on the same scale the nearest star to our planet would be four miles away from my hand.’’

Stamp Issue Change The Post Office advises that the halfpenny Centennial stamp, ordinary and official, and the lid Centennial stamp overprinted “tenpence” are to he withdrawn from sale on May 31. The halfpenny values have been on issue since January 2, 1940, and the 10d overprints since May 1, 1944. Tlie halfpenny Centennial denomination is being replaced by the halfpenny (brown) King George VI issue, both ordinary and official. The lOd stamp is not being replaced at present, there being now little demand or need for this denomination. Extra School Bus.

In order to overcome the present oi assure on accommodation on school b ises bringing children to schools in Wanganui from Turakina, Wangaehu ana Fordell, application was made to the Education Department to run a separate bus to bring in those children living near Fo’ dcll, and this has been acceded to. The extra bus will commence to operate from the beginning oi the second term, next Tuesday. The Turakina bus will now convey school cmldren to Wanganui by way of the Main South Road, while a second bus will start from the P.W.D. eamp, a short distance beyond Fordell. Next Year’s Ba .<1 Contest.

Wanganui’s claims for the 1947 New Zealand Brass Band championships being hold in the city will be advanced a further stage this week when representatives of the New Zealand Brass Bands' Association visit Wanganui to meet, a sub-committee from the City Council and others interested. The chairman of the Tourist Publicity and Development Committee, Cr. W. S. N. Rennie, speaking at the council s meeting las. night, outlined steps already taken to have the contest 4 in Wanganui, and assured councillors that no effort was being spared. Auckland was making a sarong claim, tui Wanganui was wr.te awake to the petition and the question of accommodation was being considered. The council set up a sub-committee consisting of the Mayor, Hon. W. J. Rog. e s. Cr. Rennie and lhe town clerk, Mr C. R. While, to meet the Brass Bands’ As ociation.