REEFTON NOTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1925, Page 3

REEFTON NOTES

(Our Own Correspondent). REEETON, December 2. The establishment of a bi-weekly mail service to the Maruia district will be much appreciated by the settlers there'. This has come into force this week, mails closing on Tuesday and Friday mornings. Mr J. B. Auld, County Chairman, returned from Dunedin by Tuesday evening’s mail train. He speaks very highly of the Exhibition and its arrangements. The Fijian Court is particularly effective, and the various attractions must be seen to be realised. Hon. W. Downie. Stewart passed through Reef ton on Wednesday evening, staying at Dawson’s Hotel. The bicycle road race held on Wednesday for Mr Thos. Flannigan’s medal was very keenly contested, the finish being exciting. A blanket could have covered the first five competitors, the winner getting home by half a wheel. Frank Lawry was first, McMahon second, and Hudson third, the winner’s time being 31min 20sec. There is at present displayed in the window, of Patterson’s store a fine piece of slate from the deposit in the Buller Valley. It is 3ft long, 21in wide and a half to three-quarters of an inch thick, and is without a flaw. This should yield an abundance of excellent roofing material and be a big asset to the district and supply builders throughout the Dominion. The County Chairman is in com- I munication with Mr R. P. Hudson, I M.P., and Ministry asking that the I Governor-General include Reefton in I his forthcoming tour tot the West Coast. The reason for not including ? Reef ton in the itinerary Is not apparent, as by passing through His Excellency could seg the Buller Gorg« and its splendid scenery, and the residents_of this district would give the Vice-Regal party a hearty welcome. The plague of nape recently recorded are now taking toll of the flower gardens in the district. Sweet pea growers have suffered from their operations, the rodents burrowing after the seed and destroying them. This is vexing just at this season, and a little poison should get rid of the pest about Hukawai and Blackwater, where the pest is very thick just now. Mrs James Walsh and family have returned to Reefton from Wellington. Th® record of rainfall for Novembertaken at the Reefton School of Mines 'Station 643 ft above mean sea level, was: Total for month 6.33 m in 18 days with ram (60 per cent. wet). Maximum fall lin, on 21st. Weathergood up to 20th. Ram every day from 20tlr to 30th November with snow on 26th at Crushington and Waiuta. Heavy fall on 26th, 27th, on Paparoas and Southern Alps. Total to date 62.930 in. in 144 days with rain (43.11 per cent. wet). Average total for the eleven months for the same eighteenyear period 69,447 in. in 156 days with rain. This year the total shows a reduction of 9.4 per cent, with 12 less days with rain.