HOKITIKA NOTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 September 1924, Page 7

HOKITIKA NOTES

(Own ' Correspondent.) HOKITIKA, September 17. A considerable amount is being . spent on clearing up the footpaths around the town, and the place, certainly does present a better appearance. But this will be shortlived if something is not done to prevent the x growth coming up again. Tar is cheap and sand is cheaper. It is stated an Auckland syndicate has taken over the Westland Opera House and contemplates making extensive alterations. The opossum season closed in the Westland district on August 31 last. This season trappers were just as fortunate as they have been previously. There are certain hardships connected with the life of opos'shm trapping, but these are easily balanced by the returns received by the trappers. For instance, a certain two men desired to go opossum trapping. They had not sufficient cash to purchase their

licenses, £2 10/- each, so they setto work to borrow it. Then they borrowed a tent to camp in and then started trapping. There was two months open season in the Westland district and these two men between them secured 506 skins in the two months. There was 1/- per skin royalty to be paid on them, that would be £25 6/- to come off. Then there would be cartage, railage and commission and that would leave those two men, with anything like luck for the skins, with the sum of about £230 for the two months or nearly £6O a month each. Two other men went together as mates. They got 566 skins and their cheque after paying all charges such as royalty, cartage and commission was £271, averaging £6B per month. Another man on his own, with the exception of two weeks when another man helped, secured 672 skins. These should net him about £320 after paying all charges. Some, of course were not so fortunate. One man refused a constant job at £6 a week preferring to go opossum trapping. The official number stamped by the stamping officer in Hokitika this season is 3,630, against 4,315 last season or a decrease of 685 skins. Of course, some trappers sent their skins away to other places, Dunedin principally, to be stamped there and sold.