GENERAL NEWS

Wanganui Chronicle, 3 November 1949, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS

Show Membership. Since the annual meeting of the Wanganui A. and P. Association, held last May, 188 new members have joined. Of this total 22 have become members in the past six days. Sailing Club Regatta. The Wanganui Sailing Club will hold a four-day regatta beginning on Boxing Day. This fixture always attracts good entries and will be a prelude to me Cornwell Cup Regatta, to be held later at Lyttelton. It is the intention of the Wanganui Sailing Club to be represented at the Cornwell Cup fixture. Vital Statistics. Vital statistics for Wanganui last month show a substantial increase in the number of deaths compared with October last year, the figures being 48 as against 32. Births increased from 'Bl to 86, and marriage licences declined from 24 to 21. The number of marriages by registrar was six, compared with three in the corresponding month last year. Active Flyers. Four senior merabers of the Wanganui Model Aero Club are also active members of the Wanganui Aero Club and are flying in full sized planes. This was stated at the annual meeting of the model club recently. This showed the value of the training received in modelling and it keeps the younger members interested in aviation until the time they are able to participate in real flying. Crippled Children Appeal. The Wanganui branch of the New Zealand Crippled Children Society appeal held yesterday yielded £l7O, which is £3O more than last year’s effort. The appeal was undertaken by the women’s auxiliary of the branch assisted by helpers under the supervision of Mrs. J. C. Small. Last night Mrs. Small expressed her thanks to the collectors and the public for its generous support. Food Parcels. Advice has been received by the Chief Postmaster at Wanganui (Mr. W. O’Connell) that the liner Rangitikei, which sailed from Wellington on September 21 with 16,276 food parcels, weighing 167,6431 b., arrived in the United Kingdom on October 23. Postings in the southern half of the North Island and the Gisborne and Nelson districts during the period September 5 to 19 were included in the shipment. Model Aero Club. Because of the progress made during the last year, the Wanganui Model Aero Club considers that it has reached the stage to conduct an annual model rally. The club has decided to hold the rally each Easter and the competitions will be known as the West Coast championships. Invitations will be sent to all clubs throughout the Dominion. Many line trophies will be made available for competition. Pipe Bands’ Activities. As a gesture of goodwill, the Wanganui Highland Pipe Band will play at a garden party to be held by the Queen Alexandra’s Own Band on Saturday afternoon, thus enabling members of the latter band to attend to the various tasks of running stalls and booths. On Sunday afternoon also the pipe band will play at Virginia Lake to fulfil the Queen Alexandra’s Own Band engagement to provide a municipal concert at the reserve. The junior pipe band will play at the Boy Scouts’ garden party at Aramoho on Saturday afternoon, and at a garden party at the Keith Street School. Shortage of Hops. Because of a great scarcity of hops there will be little home brew in Wanganui at Christmas this year. A merchant said yesterday that supplies are almost non-existent and the position will not improve this year. Deliveries are received at warehouses about every six months. Most of the hops have gone to the commercial breweries and it is expected that it will be some time before adequate supplies are made available to the homemaker. There was a shortage of hops during the war, but last year they were fairly plentiful. This year the shortage has developed again. Survey of N.Z. Coast. The strength of the Royal New Zealand Navy was increased to 15 ships yesterday with the arrival of the frigate Lachlan on loan from the Royal Australian Navy. For the next three years Lachlan will rechart the Dominion’s coastline, a job which it is estimated will take many years. The ship’s complement, under the command of a survey specialist, Commander J. M. Sharpley-Shafer. R.N., comprised former Royal Naval ratings and New Zealand naval ratings. It is almost 100 years since a large part of New Zealand’s coastline has been surveyed. It is known that the present coastline is one mile to one and a-ha If miles out of position ci’er relatively short distances. After docking. Lachlan will work in Cook Strait until January.—P.A.

Supreme Court. Criminal business set down for the quarter sessions of the Supreme Court, Wanganui, which opened on Monday before Mr. Justice Hay. war concluded on Tuesday and waiting jurors who attended yesterday morning were not required. They were discharged from further attendance during the sessions. The Court heard a defended petition for divorce yesterday on grounds of a separation agreement and at 10 a.m. today His Honour will hear an appeal lodged by a man against a sentence of imprisonment. imposed on him in the Magistrate’s Court. Tomorrow morning two prisoners will apoear for sentence and the Court will also take undefended petitions for divorce, motions for decrees absolute and miscellaneous business. Fixtures made earlier in the week provide for two matters being taken on Monday, both being applications for further provisions out of estates. The sessions are expected to conclude on Monday.