WEST COAST NOTES

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17937, 4 December 1923, Page 5

WEST COAST NOTES

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER. (special to "thb PB3SSS.") GREYMOUTH, December 3. The Grey -Electric Power Board decided at a special meeting this morning to reject the proposal to obtain hydro-electric power from Lake Hoehstetter and to persevere with the Arnold River scheme, the report and plans of which are now being considered by the Government. The reason why the Lake llochstetter proposal was rejected is that the lake is capable of supplying only 2000 kilowatts of power, whereas 4500 can be generated from the River. To bring power to Greymouth from the lake would cost, with a stand-by plant at Greymonth £74,950, whereas the cost of the other scheme would be only £ 64,500.

Monthly Returns. The customs duties for Greymouth for November were as follows: Customs duties £2654 7s 4d; beer duties £lO6 78 2d. The vital statistics for Greymouth for November were, previous month's figures being given in parentheses: Marriages 32 (9); deaths 4 (8); births 12 (16). Usually an average of about half a dozen motor cars are registered each month, but last month' 3 figures totalled 17. Personal, Mr D. Standidge, who has been appointed manager of the Bank of New Zealand, will arrive in Greymouth on Wednesday, and Mr and Mrs P. H. Passau leave for Te Kuiti. Hokitika Lighting. Hokitika was without lights for several hours on Saturday owing to a breakdown in the water race from Lake Kanieri. The water at the power house dwindled to only a trickle, and finally stopped altogether. Patrols discovered that a break had occurred in tho boxing and a breakdown gang was set to work to repair the damage. Early on Sunday repairs were completed and the plant was soon in going order again. The town was in darkness during the whole of Saturday evening, the late night, c?cpept for the fitful light of candles , and kerosene lamps. New Dairy Factory. The new.factory in course of erection for the Westland Cool Storage Company at Hokitika commenced operations on Saturdav, the first day's supply totalling 550 gallons of cream. Yesterday this was" manufactured into butter and to-day supplies are being received from districts as widely separated as Kumara, and Waitaha. The company is manufacturing ice during the Exhibition period, in the first week of which the official opening of the factory will take place. The Exhibition. The fernery immediately inside the main entrance of the Hokitika Exhibition buildings provides a very fino showing of West Coast ferns, and considerable skill is being shown in tho arranging of the display. A very high fountain, which will bo utilised, will assist greatly in keeping the atmosphere cool. Fire Brigade Demonstration. The prize money at tho Fire Brigado demonstration at Hokitika was divided aa follows: Greymouth, aggregate 40 points, £l2 I.os, two gold medals, the Russell Shield and Tennent Cup; Hokitika, 25 points, £4 10s, and two gold medals; Westport, 23 points, £7; Kumara, 14 points, £3; Cobdcn, 5 points. South Westland. The road from Hokitika to Waiho, which is maintained by the Public Works Department, is in fine order just now, and parties of workmen are engaged in improving bad stretches in view o£ the approach of the tourist season. The worst potholes are found in the descent of Mount Hercules, and the best stretches are' encountered after leaving Canterbury holiday makers will be'pleased to hear that the road is quite suitable for cycling, and can be traversed in easy stages. All of the premanent streams have been bridged, but there are nearly a dozen, creeks which become regular torrents after a few hours of heavy rain, rising in the spaco of an hour or so, and subsiding just as swiftly when the rain ceases. Vexatious delays are often occasioned to tourists by these creeka becoming impassable, and the road to the glaciers will always have this drawback till bridges are oullt over the courses of the worst of these creeks. In most instances the expense would not be a heavy item. The worst are Potter's and McDonald's creeks, near Waiho, Parker's and McCulloch's, near Wataroa, and Dry creek, near Tetaho. There are a good number of tourists .at present visiting the glaciers, including several parties from Christchurch, and a large number aro expected in the cpming months. The Waiho Hotel, three miles from the Franz Josef, and 17 miles- from the Fox Glaciers, has been greatly added to recently, and extra accommodation provided. Today there is room for about 70 guests. The Acting-Prime Minister (Sir Francis Bell) will pay a visit to the Franz Jflsef Glacier, about December 18th. Already this season several tourists have made tho trip from the Waiho Hotel up the glaciers and over to th»r Hermitage, a three days' journey, and last week a party of five Australians crossed the divide. This trip is said to be particularly popular with lady tourists. So far this season no one has essayed the journey from the Canterbury side. There are three guides at Waiho, these including, the wellknown Peter Graham, who was formerly at the Hermitage. Access to tho Fox Glacier will be very uncertain for motor-cars until the Waiho river is bridged. This work will be put in hand shortly, and the reconstruction of the Wailcukupa bridge, further south, is being commenced this week. The whole of South Westland appears to be in flno fettle just now, and the pastures compare more than favourably with those elsewhere. It is apparent, however, that cultivation w.S.!I have to become general shortly, particularly around Wataroa, where some of the pastures appear to be exhausted. Clover is grown in abundance, and a few very fine paddocks of Italian ryegrass are seen, one near Fergusson's being particularly noticeable. Several farmers in the Wataroa district now work four nnd six horse teams regularly, and one farmer has a motor tractor in use. The cost of obtaining lime from Ross is prohibitive, being £3 18s per ton to Wataroa and £0 to "Waiho, where the land as yet supports few dairy herds, although at least as good as that further north.. A fair amount of bnilding is going on at Waiho and at Wataroa. A large new store has been completed recently, a large boardinghouse is in course of erection at the Big Waitaha, further north. The weather has been very fine in South Westland for several weeks, but heavy rain bet in on Saturday night, and continued throughout yesterday; Messrs Newman Bros.' service cars in the initial run under the new management, encountered (Continued at foot of nest column.)

swollen creeks all the way south, but negotiated t.iiem without mishap, although in one instance the water was over the lamps of the car. A taxidriver going north from Waiho on Sunday morning, however, had a difficult task in crossing Potter's creek, and was obliged to carry his passengers through about 3$ feet of water to enable him to get his car to the north bank. Native pigeons are encountered in fair numbers in South Westland, and are thickest about Waiho, but it is said that large numbers are being shot.