GENERAL NEWS

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 January 1948, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS

Auckland Anniversary. Yesterday was the anniversary 1 of the founding of the Auckland province and was observed as a holiday throughout the province. Tram-sheds Worker Injured Slightly injured when a bearing fell on his forearm while he was working at the tram-sheds yesterday afternoon, Mr. King, of Pehi Street, was taken to hospital by ambulance. He was treated as an -outpatient, having suffered a cut below the elbow. Rotary Club After being in recqss since the latter part of December, the Wanganui Rotary Club will resume its 1948 weekly meetings on Tuesday next. The guest speaker will be Mr. C. L. Lovegrove, who will give an address entitled “Places of historic Interest about Wanganui.” Food For Britain.

The Wanganui Rotary Club has been advised that 17 cases of foodstuffs forwarded by the club to the London Rotary Club had arrived in good condition. There were enough parcels for all members of the London, Finsbury, and Peckham clubs. Many letters from the recipients have been received.

Another Solo Flight. Another member of the Wanganui Aero Club, Mr. R. Weston, of Hunterville, made his firht solo flight at the Wanganui Airport yesterday morning. This makes three soloists in three days, the other two being Air Training Corps cadets. Mr. Weston made his solo flight after shrs. 50 min. dual instruction from the club’s instructor, Mr. G. A. Delves. “N” Force Reunion Plans are being made to hold another reunion this year of the 2nd. Battalion, Wellington West Coast Regiment, which did garrison duty on Norfolk Island during the war. The' location of the reunion is to be Palmerston North and a date, the Saturday before King’s Day, in June, has been chosen. There are many members of this unit in the Wanganui district.

Use of TacK “It has been my experience to . date that much good can come out of a policy of contacting the owner of land to be inspected, explaining the object of the inspection, asking his permission to ,enter and discussing the problem with him on the ground, stated a letter from the soil conservator, Mr. A. F. Greenall, received at yesterday’s meeting of the Rangitikei Catchment Board. By this method, he added, that co-operation was obtained which might become antagonism under less open methods. Damage to Protective Works “I think we should point out to the owners of prdperties adjacent to river beds where improvements have been carried out that it is their duty to keep their stock dff the river beds and give the young trees a chance,” said the chairman, Mr. K. A. Williams. at yesterday’s meeting of the "angitikei Catchment Board. The matter was raised when a letter was received citing a case where damage was being done to protective works on the Rangitikei River by stock. New Cadet Uniform

When the new uniform for cadets makes its appearance it will consist of a battledress in place of the present brass-buttoned shirt, with fuller shorts with a lap-over fastening, Stockings will be worn instead of the present hose»>tops, and the present web belt with its brass snake buckle will disappear. Although contracts for the manufacture of the new uniforms have been let, it is not known when they will be issued.

Capacity of Land. “What is the carrying capacity of land in the Waiouru district compared with 20 years ago?” asked Mr. G. W. Sampson at yesterday’s meeting of the Rangitikei Catchment Board. A member: “About 1500 rabbits to the acre.” Mr Sampson said he had been told that there were once 40,000 sheep in the area compared with 5000 to-day. He wanted to know why a lot of this land was going back. Too m|uch land was going back because it was not being worked right.” A farmer in this area whose farm I visited told me that he once drafted great mobs of wethers from the area. To-day they were gone,” said Mr. A. D. Mair. “The position is that the carrying capacity of the land has deteriorated considerably,’ he added, Mr. Sampson was asked .to submit a report on the board’s experimental areas in the Waiouru district, The New Zealand Accent. Commenting on “the New Zealand accent” yesterday, Mr. A. D. Grant, the captain of the visiting Canadian bowling team, stated that the New Zealand accent appeared to differ more between one centre and another than did the Canadian or North American accent throughout the whole of Canada. This he thought was caused by the fact that his own country had been settled by a wave of early pioneers travelling from west to east, taking with them the New England accent, whereas in New Zealand each of the cities, settled by a different band of immigrants, retained the parent accent of their home country. “The Scots of Dunedin have the same accent as those of Glengarry, north of Vancouver,” he said, laughing. Most New Zealand children he had met could not enunciate the broad, throaty "yes” of Canada.