Town Talk

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

Town Talk

Imlay Lighter Renovated. The Imlay Freezing Works lighter Thistle is at present undergoing a much-needed overhaul on the Putik: slip. Wanganui workmen are engaged on the work, hub several shipwrights from Auckland have had to be employed. Visit to Australia.

In response to an invitation from the Australian Imperial Forces Wives’ and Children’s Holiday Association for a contingent of 50 of the sons of New Zealand ex-servicemen to visit New South Wales, five applications have been lodged by the sons of returned soldiers resident in Wanganui.

Ash Wednesday. To-day is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten 40 days’ fast prior to Easter Sunday, which is on April 9 this year. Yesterday was known as Shrove Tuesday, a day on which pancakes figure on the menu, a custom dating a long way back. Government Houses. Good progress has been made with the Government houses on the Broughton Estate, at Wanganui East, the foundations of 17 being laid and five being in an advanced stage of construction. The Broughton Estate, which is considered to be admirably situated to become a residential area, is bounded by Anzac Parade, Broughton Street and Nixon Street. Memorial Tablet.

At the Wanganui Collegiate School Chapel to-night a service is to be held at which a memorial tablet to the late Rev. C. F. Pierce, a former headmaster of the school, will be dedicated. The Rev. Pierce was headmaster from 1922 to 1931 and many of those who attended the school between those years have been specially invited to to-night’s service. Overseas Ship Delayed.

The Bank Line steamer Forresbank, which arrived in the Wanganui roadstead on Monday with a shipment of phosphate from Nauru Island for Kempthorne, Prosser and Co.’s fertiliser works at Aramoho, was unable to enter port yesterday owing to rough weather. She will probably berth at the Castlecliff Wharf this morning. Loading operations on the Tongariro in the roadstead was also delayed. District Sports Meetings. Several country sports meetings are to take place in the Wanganui district during March, and at the beginning of April. The Jerusalem committee, which had originally arranged to hold its meeting on March 11, has consented to allow Parikino to have that date and the sports at Jerusalem will be held a week later, March 18. The Makirikiri sports committee is to hold its sports meeting on April 1. The Farmers’ Position. “We are paying out in champagne and selling in beer,” said Mr. Hugh Morrison, Wairarapa, at Makirikiri last night, to stress the relationship of costs to the farmer as compared with prices obtained for his produce. “We might say that the people of New Zealand have been living at a perennial rye standard, but if things go on as they are it. will soon be the danthonia standard,” said Mr. Lloyd Hammond, of Rata, on behalf of the Wellington Central executive. Swimming Carnivals.

Considerable interest is being manifested in the swimming carnival which is to be conducted to-night in the Marton baths, and a large number of/Wanganui swimmers will make the trip in order to assist in reviving interest in swimming in Marton. The primary schools will hold their carnival finals to-morrow. Of further swimming interest, is the bridge-to-bridge race, to be held on Saturday afternoon. This carries two trophies, the Williams Cup and the Central Rose Bowl, the latter being the trophy for the ladies’ section. A week later the Fordell Swimming Club will hold a carnival in the Gonville baths, and on Saturday, March 11, the Wanganui East Swimming Club’s carnival will be held. Protection of Property.

From time to time considerable damage has been done by fire to reserves on the Wanganui River, and ferns, shrubs and trees have been taken by picnickers and others. This has tended to spoil one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the district and the Wanganui River Trust has decided to take action against offenders. Any person who lights a fire in a reserve, or cuts or removes timber of bush therefrom without the written consent of the Minister of Lands, or in any way interferes with reserves, or damages the scenic or historic features thereof, is liable to a line of £lOO. The trust advises that no flowers or vegetation can be removed from the reserves without the written authority of the trustees.

Defence of New Zealand. “This is a matter in which there is great room for divergence of opinion,” said the chairman of the Wanganui Harbour Board (Mr. N. G. Armstrong), when a letter from the Wanganui Defence League was read to Monday’s meeting of the board, stressing the importance of defence and urging action by the board with a view to impressing the Government with the seriousness of the position. “It really does not come within the purview of this board,” Mr. Armstrong added. “It is a matter for the Government. I will move that the board approves of making adequate provision for the defence of the country, and will give its employees facilities for taking part in whatever scheme is put forward.” The motion was carried unanimously.

Engineers Confer. The twenty-fifth annual conference of the New Zealand Institution of Engineers, which is being attended byMr. L. F. Row, city engineer at Wanganui, was opened at Auckland on Sunday morning. The Mayor, Sir Ernest Davis, and Mr. W. H. Cocker, president of ihe Univeisity College, where the conference is being held, welcomed 140 representatives from all parts of the Dominion. Officers were elected by a postal ballot as follow: President, Mr. A. J. Baker (Wellington); vice-president, Mr. M. C. Henderson; council members, Messrs. M. Cable (Wellington), M. Corkill (Invercargill), J. G. Lancaster (Wellington), J. McG. Wilkie (Dunedin) and G. E. Breeze (Wellington); treasurer, Mr. J. Marchbanks (Wellington); secretary, Mr. F. W. Furkert (Wellington).