WANGANUI NOTES

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 37, 20 September 1923, Page 23

WANGANUI NOTES

(From our own correspondent.) September 13. A very successful social was held in St. Joseph’s School on August 20, the proceeds (£2O 6s) being towards the electric lighting of the church. The euchre prizes were won by Mrs. Curtain (lady’s first, J ton of coal), Mr. McMenamin (gents’ first, a set of military brushes), consolation prizes, Miss Dowdall and Mr. H. Kruse. The dance music was provided by the Misses "Wilson (2), who, by the way, are such generous givers that their fine music makes dancing a sheer delight. The Wilson family, who are members of St. Mary’s parish, came here within the last year or two from Sydney, and the girls are musical enthusiasts. Coming back to the social, ‘‘extras” were played by Mrs. Burton, Miss Law, and Miss Rowlands. Supper was enjoyed by everyone, and a weight guessing competition—a fine iced cake made and given by Mrs. O’Meara was won by a sea-faring man who happened along when the tickets were being sold. He bore his prize off in triumph to his family in Wellington. Mr. and Mrs. A. G. McLean are leaving for Auckland, and on Sunday evening after devotions, were entertained by Rev. Father Mahony and the choir at the presbytery. There were speeches, toasts, ' and the presentation of a rug. Mr. McLean (Peter), has been an active and valuable member of the choir for many years, a good sort generally, and we all unite in wishing him heaps of success in his new venture. Mr. McLean has invented and patented a contraption which guarantees safety to those long extension ladders used by painters and others. People who know something about these things say it is a wonderfully simple and effective contrivance, and all that remains now is for Mr. McLean to get it launched successfully on the market. Hence our special good wishes for the success of our “parochial patent.”

Aramoho is on the move again and is getting itself ready for a most wonderful performance. Very likely the information I have is more or less confidential, so I can't say much, about it, but I believe there is to be something in the nature of- "Girls against Boys," with a prize to the winning team. More later.

St. Mary's, too, is busying itself mentally about the Annual Food Fair to take place in a few weeks. Last year's effort was a great success and this year's will, naturally, be quite as good we hope.

Mr. and Mrs. Packwood and Mrs. Green have come back to Wanganui to live after a short sojourn at Taumaranui.

Our latest trouble here is the likelihood of the trams being taken off the Gonville-Castlecliff run, and it is very poor consolation to hear that they will be running (ill the way to the new cemetery as from this week-end. Part of Gonville and all Castlecliff is outside the Wanganui borough, and these districts have their own board which buys its power for the cars from the Wanganui Tramways. It appears the trams are showing a big loss, and the board cannot foot the bill for the power. The residents will not agree to what Wanganui says is the only solution "Just walk into our borough and let's all be Wanganui." So, for the present, we are not worrying about our two war memorials. Even the new station site is forgotten, and we hardly care at all if the cars never climb St. John's Hill. What we do want to know is how are we going to get our salt water swim, and how is Castlecliff going to get its shopping done ? •

Did I tell you about our new station? We haven't got one yet, we're only worrying about -the site, and "sites" are our long suit. It appears we really must have a new station, and it can't be where the old one is because you can't build a new station on top of an old one, and anyhow, the space is wanted for the harbor, or something. Everybody is rushing. the Department with "suitable sites," and we are getting "schemes" for breakfast, dinner, and tea. The site most talked about is a lump of some fifteen acres off the racecourse, and this is being strenuously opposed by all who use the racecourse and hundreds who never go near it. As there isn't the least likelihood of the present generation settling the difficulty, it is quite possible that we will end up with a collapsible portable station, to be set down just wherever a tired train stops; or, a successful transplanting of the river to match the chosen "site."