NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 44, 22 February 1939, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

Holiday Travels of Family. By road, rail and sea seven members of a Vogeltown family travelled 20,000 miles between them during thei Christmas vacations. Three of the family visited Australia, but the remainder of the mileage was made up of travel in New Zealand. Memorial Window. In memory of the late Mr. Preston Chambers, a richly-designed stained glass window above the altar of St. George's Church. Epsom, was unveiled and dedicated on Sunday morning by /Archbishop Averill. Mr. Preston Chambers was for many years a churchwarden and synodsman of St. George’s Church. Warships for Sydney. The Imperial escort vessels Leith and Wellington left Russell late on Sunday morning for Sydney for a visit of more than a month. The Leith, commanded by Commander G. R. Waymouth, arrived at Russell on Saturday evening from Auckland, joining the Wellington, commanded by Commander R. E. Hyde-Smith, which had been waiting since the previous day. Both warships will remain at Sydney until March 31. Kept in the Country. Intending to stay in New Zealand only six months, but not wanting to be short of money while they were in the country, two visitors from England brought a fairly substantial sum with them and banked it when they arrived. When they made arrangements to return recently they found that they could only obtain £lO a week of the money they had brought to the country five months previously. Motorist Hoaxed. His attention attracted by a number of youths bending over a recumbent figure on the side of the road, a motorist passing through Taita, Wellington, received a signal to stop and brought his car to a standstill, only to find that he was the victim of a hoax. The driver and several passengers had alighted from the car and were hurrying back to give assistance, acting under the impression that an accident had occurred, when the youths fled down a side road. Driving Stock With Cars. The practice of some stock drovers in using motor-cars to drive sheep and cattle was mentioned at a meeting of the Feilding branch of the Farmers’ Union. It was stated that such drovers had no control over the animals, with the result that on narrow roads serious trouble was likely to occur. It was decided to bring the matter under the notice of the Automobile Association to be taken up on the score of road safety. Golf Instructor at Sea. The Shaw. Savill and Albion Company has appointed Mr. G. Bryant, golf professional, of Hanmer Springs, as golf instructor in the Dominion Monarch, and his instruction and advice will be at the service of passengers during the voyagings of the ship. Mr. Bryant will join the ship on her arrival at Wellington.

Many Week-end Travellers. Heavy express and excursion trafficpassed through the Auckland Railway Station during the week-end. The sormal services were fully taxed. The limited express for Wellington on Sunday night consisted of 10 carriages and a van, the extra accommodation being required by members of southern surf club teams returning south after competing in the New Zealand championships at Milford. About 300 people also travelled to Auckland on a special excursion train from Wellington, on Saturday morning and leaving on the return journev on Sunday afternoon.

Home at Putaruru. An option has been obtained over a property in the Putaruru district, and it is proposed to build on it at an approximate cost of 117,000 a home with 50 beds for convalescent women and for children under 6. Part of the plan is also to train a staff of 10 girls for household duties, so that these might be available to look after homes while the mother is having convalescent care and treatment al what is to be known as the Rahiri Home. It is hoped to provide the necessary finance largely by enlisting 2000 subscribers who would contribute £1 is annually. They would be allowed to apply to the home for qualified domestics, who would be trained under the supervision of the matron. It is aimed to raise at least £30,000 by public subscription. New School Desks. The fact that the Auckland Education Board required £15,000 to bring the furniture in the schools in its district up to date, was mentioned by Mr. C. R. Munro, a member of Ihe board, at the opening of the new Titirangi School on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Munro said the board had made an -Application to the Minister of Education, the Hon. P. Fraser, for this amount. In some schools, he added, the old-fashioned long desks were still in use, while much furniture had suffered extensively from schoolboys’ pocket-knives. "Where Are Those Ferrets?" Two young Aucklanders, armed with pearifles, accojnpanied their fathers on a rabbit-shooting expedition on an island in the Hauraki Gulf. Game was scarce, and the boys soon became separated from their parents, wandering off on their own to see what they could find. Still no game could be located, and when the boys came upon a medium-sized tin lying near a stream they decided to nave some target practice. Accordingly, they blazed away, and soon the tin was riddled with holes. A final shot sent it into the stream, where it sank immediately. The boys were just moving off when a man pushed his way through the scrub. “Have you lads seen a tin about here?” he inquired. "It had my ferrets in it.” After exchanging horrified glances, the boys lost no time in making an excuse for rejoining their fathers. Man With no Country. Officials from two State Departments and the Matson Line agency in Auckland. Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane. Limited, spent a perplexing day on Friday trying to prove the nationality and destination of Thomas Conniff. aged 42. who had stowed away on the Mariposa, been sentenced to a week’s imprisonment at Suva, and returned to Auckland by the Monterey. He claimed American citizenship, but refused to sign an attestation. Ultimately the Customs authorities in Wellington proved that he was Irish, and he was allowed to land.

Americans And War. Several American business men who passed through Auckland by the Monterey from San Francisco and Los Angeles., said they- had no doubt that if the British Empire were threatened by what one called "the sabrerattlers." the United States would fight with the British. Mr. H. G. Meinecke. of San Francisco, and Mr. Emerv Huse, of Los Angeles, both said their countrymen had so much in common with the British and so many mutual commercial interests, that there would be no alternative than to fight if the necessity arose. "That is the general oninion of thinking Americans,” Mr. Huse added.