GENERAL NEWS

Wanganui Chronicle, 4 August 1948, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS

Call to Fire. A call to a fire on the premises ol Farmers’ Industries Ltd., Taupo Quay, was responded to by the Wanganui Fire Brigade yesterday afternoon. The outbreak, was quelled Only slight damage was done.

No Strikes. “There has not been a strike at Broken Hill for more than 20 years,’’ said Mr. R. J. P. Baker in a talk to the Wanganui Rotary Club yesterday. During the First World War the Broken Hill authorities granted the miners a bonus according to the overseas price for lead. This had advanced considerably, and in some cases miners were making between £4O and £6O a fortnight.

Sculling- Anniversary. It was 41 years ago yesterday since W. Webb, of Wanganui won the world's sculling title from C. Towns on the Paramatta River, Sydney. Before entering the professional ranks, William Webb was a member of the Union Boat Club and had won the amateur New Zealand sculling title twice. He defended his world title successfully against R. Tressider, but lost it to R. Arnst, another New Zealander, who won fame both as a sculler and road cyclist. Football For Shield Match. A football donated bv a city sports goods firm for use by the Wanganui representative Rugby team on its tour of the South Island this month was received by the Wanganui Rugby Union management committee last night. The donors expressed a wish that the ball be used specially in the Ranfurly Shield challenge match with Otago. “Tell them that we will bring the ball back —and something else with it,’’ said one delegate, amidst laughter, when appreciation of the gift was being recorded.

Supreme Court The first of three criminal trials set down for the quarterly sessions of the Supreme Court, Wanganui, which opened before Mr. Justice Hutchison on Monday, is now in its concluding stages ana waiting jurors have been directed to assemble at the Court again at noon today, when it is hoped to begin the second tria.. Other business on the calendar includes a civil action set down for hearing before His Honour and a jury of 12, and two civil cases to be heard by the Judge alone. There are several undefended petitions for divorce and one divorce matter which wih require a jury. The sessions are expected to extend well into next week.

Jury Inspects Locality After hearing evidence in the Supreme Court, Wanganui, in the case where the driver of a truck faced three charges arising out of an accident, the jury was taken to the locality late yesterday afternoon for the purpose of making an inspection. The accident occurred in Mosston Road, near its junction with Puriri and Cross Streets. At the beginning ol the trial on Monday morning Mr. Justice Hutchison agreed that the proper time for the inspection would be at the conclusion of all the evidence. The hearing was adjourned late yesterday afternoon till 10 a.m. today, when counsel will address the jury. His Honour also visited the scene of the accident yesterday. Rainfall at Buis

According to records kept by Mr. K. W. Dalrymple (Parewanui) rainfall in the Bulls district last month amounted to 2.70 in., falling on 18 days, the average for July over the past 50 years being 3.23 in. During the period the July rainfall has ranged from one inch in 1940, when there were only six wet days, to 6.43 in. in 1943, with 19 wet days. During July, 1947, 2.59 in. were recorded. So far, 21.52 in. of rain have been recorded for 1948, compared with an average of 20.94 in. for the first seven months of the year and “1.03 in. last year. The rainfall for this period has ranged from 13.98 in. in 1928 to 26.09 in. in 1936. Last month was remarkably free from frosts, only four being recorded, compared with 20 in 1932, when there was only 1.02 in. of rain in six days. “In the Wash.”

When the Wanganui Rugby representatives take the field in their match against Horowhenua on Spriggens Park next Saturday it will be the last opportunity the public will have of seeing the Ranfurly Shield aspirants in action before they embark on their South Island tour. Concern was expressel by delegates to the union’s management committee last night when it was learned that the two “best" sets of rep. jerseys are “in the wash,” and that only a faded and tattered set of jerseys are available for a match in whisk it is desirable the cream of Wanganui Rugby should make a final good impression, in appearance as well as play. The meeting discussed at some length the possibility of having numbers stencilled on the backs of the jerseys available, to make them reasonably respectable.