GENERAL NEWS

Wanganui Chronicle, 26 June 1948, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS

United Nations Appeal. The United Nations appeal for children in the Wanganui city now totals £3856. The fund closed on June 20 but donations may still be mane to the Wanganui City Council offices or to the mayor.

Stamps Being Withdrawn.. Remaining stocks of the peace stamps, the 6d express delivery stamp, and the peace issue overprinted for use in Niue, Cook Islands, and Western Samoa, are being withdrawn from sale next Wednesday. The withdrawal of the express delivery stamp, says the post office, is because of the present restricted need for this stamp. Prevalence of Colds. The prevalence of influenza and the common cold during recent we’eks has had an adverse effect on the rolls of schools in the Wanganui district. Rolls have been down by 15 per cent, in the past two weeks, but while this is much higher than normal, it is not. regarded as serious. Colds and influenza have also been responsible for absenteeism in commercial and industrial firms in the city. Visiting Radio “Hanis.” Amateur radio enthusiasts from a wide area are visiting Wanganui today for th’e sale of surplus radio equipment by the War Assets Realisation Board. The Wanganui branch of the New Zealand Amateur Radio Transmitters’ Association is entertaining the visiting “hams” at morning and afternoon tea at its club rooms. Most of the gear offered for sale is of interest to the skilled radio man and the amateur transmitter. Good Shooting. How one sportsman in the Bay of Plenty district had shot 63 ducks more than allowed for the day’s bag was told to members of the Wanganui Acclimatisation Society at their annual meeting. When the sportsman was leaving he met another sportsman to whom he said: “This is the best day’s shooting I have ever had.” “I was was watching and it was the best shooting I have ever seen,” said the stranger. “I am the ranger,” he said, and commandeered the lot. St. John Ambulance Cadets. The Aramoho Cadet Nursing Division and the Wanganui Cadet Ambulance Division received a visit recently from their corps officer, Mr. R. R. Lacy. Both these divisions were taking instruction in bandaging work from their officers, the nurses doing dressings, and the ambulance cadets fractures. Their work was inspected and commended by Mr. Lacy, who told the officers that a panel of examiners in various subjects for the cadets’ proficiency badges had been completed. Subjects covered a wide range to provide some variance irom routine first-aid work. Tokelau Island Stamps. The Director-General of the P. and T. Department has received radio advice from Tokelau Islands that over 100,000 first-day covers from all parts of New Zealand and the world were landed safely at all three islands ol the group by the day of issue, June 22. The covers were put ashore from a small steamer by shooting the encircling reefs with outSgger canoes. Mr. W- J. Taylor, postal official froy. Apia, supervised the landings of the cov’ers. Because of infrequent mail connections with the Islands, covers cannot be expected back in New Zealand till towards the end of July.

Coaching For Amateurs. Wanganui amateur wrestlers are to be given some useful hints on wrestling on Monday night by the American professional heavyweight, Joe Pazandak- He will arrive from Wellington on Monday by bus and will be accompanied by Pat O’Connor, the ex-Wanganui heavyweight, who will work out wjth Pazandak in the association’s gymnasium. He will also act as Pazandak’s second in tVe bout with I’uusisto on Tuesday night. Since his arrival in the Dominion Pazandak has given lessons to amateurs in many parts of the country. “Every good professional was once a good amateur,” he has stated. “It is up to us professionals to help the amateur boys as much* as we can.” Milder Weather.

Mild weather has been experienced in Wanganui this week and temperatures have shown an appreciable increase on the recent cold spell. Yesterday was particularly mild* and was almost a spring day so iar as the temperature was concerned. The sky was overcast most of the day but whenever it broke through its rays had quite a spring feeling. A visiting farmer told a reporter yesterday that pasture conditions in Wanganui were better than in most districts. Grass was still growing , well whereas in some districts its growth had been cur tailed by heavy frosts-

Male Choir Membership. After stressing that only by increased membership could the Wanganui Male Choir be placed on a proper financial footing, Mr. L. E. Bassett, speaking at the reunion of old members, said that a warm tribute should be paid to Mr. H. R. OggWithin recent week’s Mr. Ogg had increased the honorary membership of the choir by 100. “This is a credit to him and the success of the concert in the Opera House on Tuesday night has provided the choir with a glorious opportunity of going out and canvassing for new members,” Mr. Bassett added.

Top-Flight Table Tennis. R. Stewart and O. Weigh, the two top-ranking players on the Wanganui Table Tennis Association’s ladder, have been chosen to meet the former world champion, Hungarian /'wchael Szabados, in special exhibition mr-ichv-in Wanganui on July 1. Stewart has headed the ladder for the last two seasons and this year Welsh has played consistently to move from fourth to second position Szabados is a child prodigy in the table tennis world, being ranked as No. 1 in the world shortly after his 16th birthday. That lear he was nmner-up in the world’s singles. He won the ci-own two years later. Seven times he won the world doubles championship with his countryman, Victor Barna, and he also shared the mixed doubles title three limes. At the age of 25 he had 11 world titles and during nine playing years was always ranked first or second in the world. In 1937 he won the Australian championship, collecting his 77th international title. Tn 1941 he opened a fable tennis academy in Sydney and since then has handled many thousands of players.