PAGES FROM THE PAST

Emigration to New South Wales On Tuesday evening a lecture upon the above subject was delivered by W. B. Dally, Esq., Commissioner from the Government of New South Wales in the Town Commissioner's room, Athlone. There was a large attendance of attentive speakers who described the capabilities and resource of that distant colony, in a most favourable light, strongly recommending our countrymen to make it the land of their adoption, should they be disposed to emigrate, and directing attention to an advertisement which appears in our columns, as to the mode and terms upon which they may be conveyed to its fair shores. How to turn £1 into £20,000 The advertising columns of old newspapers can often tell as much about the times as the stories and news items in the same edition. Take for example the following two advertisements in the Westmeath Independent of February 15, 1862. Cook Wants A Situation A steady, active woman who understands her business perfectly well and the management of a dairy, has lived with most respectable families and can be well recommended. Address, " Cook", Office of this Paper £30.000 for £2 OR £20,000 for £1 Full particulars of the manner in which the above sums may be realised will be given upon application to Mr Franz Fabricious, Banker, Frankfort-on-the-Maine. Letters addressed to Mr Haward, 11 St Benét-place, Greenchurch Street, London, EC. Will be immediately forwarded post free. 100 Years Ago 1912 Suffragette speaker for Athlone meeting Athlone people may look forward to an exceptionally interesting meeting at the Farther Mathew Hall on Tuesday, February 6, when Miss Helsa Gill will be the chief speaker on that ever-more interesting subject, Women's Suffrage. Miss Gill is a Norwegian but she speaks English perfectly and for the past two years and been addressing meetings of the National Union of Women Suffrage Societies in England. The paper explained that Norwegian women already had the privilege of the parliamentary vote and Miss Gill had been touring in Ireland for the last few weeks speaking to the several societies joined in the Irishwomen's Suffrage Federation. The paper said the federation hoped to establish a branch in Athlone. However, the Westmeath Independent's editor did not support the notion of women getting the vote In an editorial published in the same edition, the editor said: "If women get the vote, what earthly barrier can be placed against admitting them to parliament." "For the woman with the vote will be in time, the memberess of Parliament say for Knockferna Parliamentary Division - for that woman's knowledge of the money market for the things that go to make war and prevent war, we have no high opinion It continued later: "We hope Miss Gill and her colleagues will be able to convince us." 50 Years Ago 1962 Athlone Promenade scheme agreed The front page of the Westmeath Independent of January 27, 1962, announced two possible projects for Athlone, only one of whom we can say with the benefit of hindsight eventually materialised. The lead story related to the go-ahead for a development of the promenade in Athlone. The story began: "Athlone Urban Council, at their meeting on Tuesday night with Mr F. Waters dissenting, gave the go-ahead signal to the scheme for the development of the promenade along the Shannon at Grace Road. This €8,000 project provides for the raising of the existing Promenade to road level, erection of riverside wall and removal of existing wall, planting of ornamental trees, shrubs and flowers and new boat club pavilion. The council agreed with the scheme with the exception of one councillor, Frank Waters, who opposed the removal of trees to facilitate the project. A one-and-a-half acre site for the new creamery project in Athlone has been secured on the stretch of land adjacent to the roadway at the end of St Mel's Terrace. The promoters of this project had difficult in finding a suitable site but now through the good offices of the Very Rev. P. McGivney, Adm, St Mary's that difficulty has been solved by hit most convenient and central site, on which building work will proceed as quickly as possible. This new Athlone project is a joint venture by the Athlone and District Co-Operative Society and Kilnaleck Co-operative Creamery Ltd, Cavan, the paper reported. O'Connors move to The Square It was reported in the Westmeath Independent of January 20, 1962, that "Mr Andrew O'Connor, Main Street, has purchased the premises of Messrs. Pettits, The Square, Athlone, and he intends transferring business there in the near future. As in the past he will carry on a high-class drapery and footwear business and assures customers that he will give the same personal attention and satisfaction in the future as in the past." 25 Years Ago 1987 Irish youths international hailed Anthony Jinks, the talented Athlone Youths goalkeeper collected an Irish international cap on Tuesday last when he was substitute in the Irish youth side who beat Northerm Ireland at Belfast by 1-0 in a friendly fixture. Son of Mr and Mrs. Tom Jinks, McCormack Park, Athlone, Anthony, who stands at over 6'4" tall, has also been selected on the Leinster Junior League youth side. The Irish panel spent Sunday and Monday at the Dublin Airport complex under the guidance of the Irish assistant manager Maurice Setters. Tuesday's game was watched by Jack Charlton who was full of praise for the spirited Irish side. Ireland's next match is in March, when they play Scotland. Media "disloyal" for querying conference spending - Senator Athlone senator and member of Westmeath County Council Sean Fallon this week accused the press of disloyalty to the council for publishing articles probing council spending on sending councillors to conferences both at home and abroad. As the council voted to provide €10,000 towards conference expenses during the coming year - in a budget which included cutting €1,000 from each of the eight programmes to provide €8,000 toward turning on lights they could not afford to run last year - Senator Fallon described the sum of €10,000 as "peanuts" from a budget of €22m. "I would like to think that a vote of confidence would come from the media to say we are one of the best councils in the country when it comes to conferences," he said. Senator Fallon went on to criticise "the media-bashing "of councillors who he claimed "often sell the newspapers" and he added "the papers and media should have more loyalty towards the council." Thanking those "responsible journalists" who had reported his utterances over the years, Camillus Glynn did however add that some reporters were making councillors out to be "modern day Marco Poloes"