Air Force Trainees.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 April 1940, Page 4

Air Force Trainees.

The following Wairarapa candidates for the Royal New Zealand Air Force have been instructed to report to the ground Training School, Levin:— Pilots: Charles Victor Bargh, Featherston; flight riggers, H. J. Duckett, Masterton; C. Ramsay, Eketahuna. Flight mechanics: J. B.’ Leete, F. D. Toxward, Masterton; H. C. Edwards, Featherston; K. H. Langford, Greytown. Patriotic Appeal. With a few returns still to come, approximately £l2OO had been collected yesterday by the street appeal for the Wellington Metropolitan Patriotic Fund. The money will be used to provide sports material, entertainments and general comforts for the troops while in New Zealand, and the sum raised is considered very satisfactory. Though the wen are well looked after by the military authorities, there are numerous additional odds and ends they require. Masterton Band Concert. The following items will be rendered by the Masterton Band in the Park tomorrow commencing at 2.30 p.m., weather permitting:— "Belphegor" march (Brepsant), "New Rochdale” hymn (arranged Broadhead). "Love’s Greeting" waltz (Greenwood), “Join Up" march (Hero de Rance), “Round the Camp Fire" fantasia (Maynard), “Lo-Hi-Lo,” Chinese sketch (Hellier); "Goblins' Parade,” entracte (F. de Vere); paraphrase of Gounod’s “Faust” (A. Lange); “Galvini,” march (Lithgow).

Bible Class Dance. There was a large attendance at a dance held by the St Matthew's senior Bible Class in the Parish Hall last night. The music was supplied by members of the Blue River Dance Band. The duties of M.C. were carried out by Mr F. Parsons. During the evening the Rev V. Joblin congratulated the joint secretaries, Miss P. Ramsay and Mr F. Parsons, and their committee on their work. The singing of "Auld Lang Syne" and the National Anthem brought a very pleasant gathering to a close. Trans-Tasman Air Service.

"We are very pleased' to have the second flying-boat for the transTasman air service, the Awarua.'' said the Minister of Defence. Mr. Jones, yesterday, when referring to the successful conclusion of the Awarua’s long delivery flight this week. "It is important not only from the point of view of the establishment of the service, but it-has a defence value that cannot be overlooked,” the Minister continued. “Any time they were wanted for reconnaissance purposes the Aotearoa and the Awarua could be used. We have sufficient qualified men in the Dominion to man them both for this work.” Fighting Services Fund. The Fighting Services Welfare Appeal conducted by the Y.M.C.A. and Salvation Army as the collecting authorities for the National Patriotic Fund Board showed the very satisfactory total of £76,149 collected up till Wednesday, April 3. Returns from 66 collecting centres were taken into consideration, and a number of towns have still to make their reports. The above total is exclusive of the generous donation of £lO,OOO bj r Mr T. H. Lowry, Hawke's Bay, for the establishment of a Y.M.C.A. Hut overseas. The hon treasurers (Sir James Grose, Col Kemp and Mr P. E. Pattrick) have forwarded cheques to the amount of £42,500 to the National Patriotic Fund Board, representing two instalments of proceeds banked to the credit of the fund.

Glen Afton Mine Disaster. The opinion that the colliery accident in the Glen Afton mine on September 24, when 11 men lost their lives, was the result of the cumulative effect of a number of happenings, none of which may at the time have appeared to be of great importance, but all of which taken together led to consequences quite disproportionately tragic, is expressed by the Royal Commission which inquired into the cause of the disaster. Its report was released last evening by the Minister of Mines, Mr Webb, who has already announced the findings of the commission of general application. The commission consisted of Messrs S. L. Paterson, S.M. (chairman). J. C. Brown, J, Dowgray, T. O. Bishop and A. McLaglan. The commission states that there was on the day of the accident and on the day preceding it a striking failure of the human element in several instances.

Election for Archbishop. The Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Auckland will meet in special session on Wednesday to elect a successor to Archbishop Averill as Bishop of Auckland. The Bishop of Dunedin, the Rt Rev W. A. R. Fitchett, has been appointed commissary of the primateelect. the Rt Rev C. West-Watson, to convene and preside over Hie session. Proceedings at the election of the Bishop are strictly private. There are no candidates for office, and it is not necessary or customary for the nominee to be consulted before his name is put forward. Every nomination must be proposed by a clerical member and seconded by a layman. If there arcseveral nominations a scries of ballots is held and finality is reached when a nominee receives an absolute majority of votes of both orders. The name of tlie chosen nominee is submitted in confidence to the bishops of the New Zealand Province, and. if a majority of them approves, it is similarly submitted to the standing committees of dioceses. Only when a majority of them has given approval is the nominee invited to accept office.