Town Talk

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 133, 7 June 1934, Page 4

Town Talk

Leader of the Opposition. An address is to be given in the Wanganui Opera House next Monday night by Mr. M. J. Savage, Leader of the Opposition. He will deal with the present situation in New Zealand. Early Morning ’Quake. Wanganui was awakened by a sharp earthquake yesterday morning at 1.25 o’clock, which lasted for a few seconds. No damage was caused, but the sudden jar was sufficient to awaken the majority of people. Maxwell Swimming Pool. Splendid progress is being made with the new swimming pool near Maxwell. In a picturesque setting the shell-rock pool will provide a great boon to the settlement and will be appreciated by young and old alike. First Solo Flight. After the remarkably short period of 2¼ hours of instruction by FlyingOfficer Ian Keith. Mr. Ross Hislop flew solo at the Wanganui Airport on Tuesday. The average time taken by a pupil to reach the degree of efficiency required for solo flying is five hours. Alleged Bicycle Theft. Charged with the theft of a bicycle valued at £6 10s, a young man, whose name was suppressed, appeared at the Magistrate’s Court at Wanganui yesterday morning. At the request of Detective J. Murray he was remanded, and will appear before the Court again to-morrow. Address Postponed. Advice was received by Mr. F. G. Seddon, secretary of the Wanganui executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, yesterday, that Mr. W. J. Polson would be unable to visit Wanganui on June 20 to deliver his address, unforeseen circumstances having arisen. The date of the address has therefore been postponed indefinitely. Work on the Parapara. Members of the special committee appointed by the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce, the Wanganui City Council and the Development League, who waited upon the Wanganui County Council with regard to the speeding up of the work on the Parapara Road, asked, among other questions, how long it would take to complete the road at the present rate of progress. They were informed that five to six years would be required. Community Sing. The first of a series of community sings was held at the Opera House last evening, when a large number of the public was present. Mr. A. Vernon made a very capable song leader and was assisted by Mr. A. Sutcliff at the piano. Mr. W. Liddle, who gave several songs, and Mr. E. Sharland, whose memory training course resulted in much amusement. Prior to the sing, the Queen Alexandra’s Own Band played several items outside the Opera House. The evening was voted a great success. Engineers Predominate. “There are 400 people in the riding I represent and 399 of them are engineers.” This was how the present Minister of Public Works (Hon. J. Bitchener) replied to a challenge issued to him at his county council table when he was first elected to play a part in local body life. He told his hearers at Upper Waitotara yesterday that when he was elected to represent the riding all his ratepayers knew what should be done and what should not, and when he had ventured their opinions at the council table the chairman had twitted him with the suggestion that he had better call for the dismissal of the engineer. He had countered that by telling of the vast number of “engineers” he had had behind him. “The Belle of New York.” A meeting of the committee of the Wanganui Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society last night decided to stage “The Belle of New York” during the last week in September. The decision was purposely delayed to permit the committee to have before it a complete list of musical comedies available. Owing to a revival of interest in the genuine stage it is now very difficult to obtain the rights to stage many of the popular favourites, and the society is fortunate in being able to secure permission to produce “The Belle of New York,” which will remain popular so long as the genuine stage lasts. School Ground Maintenance. The statement made recently by the Minister of Employment, the Hon. A. Hamilton, that relief labour would not be available for maintenance work on school grounds in future was discussed by a meeting of all town school committees last evening, together with the Mosston School Committee. Mr. W. S. Jones presided. Several speakers expressed their concern and regret at the statement of the Minister, and it was agreed that he should be asked to reconsider the matter. A sub-committee comprising Messrs. Jones, Mills and J. Siddells was appointed to write to the Minister expressing the views of the meeting. It was agreed that copies of the letter be sent to Messrs. W. A. Veitch, A. Stuart and H. G. Dickie, M’s.P. Main Highways Fund. Speaking in reply to the toast “Local Bodies” at the luncheon at Upper Waitotara yesterday tendered to the Minister of Public Works, Mr. W. Morrison, of the Main Highways Board, again drew attention to the depletion in funds which the board had had to face. The Government had had to economise and had discontinued the £200,000 which the board had received in the past from the Public Works Fund and a further £35,000 from the Consolidated Fund. It had also saddled the board with the subsidy on county rates which now amounted to £160,000 but originally had been £200,000. It had also asked the board to find £60,000 interest on moneys borrowed for expenditure on roads. It was hoped, when times grew more normal, that the board would have its funds increased and by expending more money on the roads by way of subsidy it would be working towards derating. Mr. Morrison paid a tribute to the way in which the automobile associations had accepted the decision of the Government to appropriate portion of the petrol tax for expenditure in other ways than on roads. They had agreed that the Government had had no alternative.