HOKITIKA NOTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 April 1940, Page 11

HOKITIKA NOTES

BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING

[OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

, HOKITIKA, April 16. The Hokitika Borough Council met yesterday, when the Mayor, Mr G. A. Perry, presided over the following councillors: —D. P. Stewart, A. R Elcock, J. L. Turner, J. Fox, and IV. H. Stopforth. Apologies for absence were received from Crs. F. D. E. Freitas, G. Heinz, H. T. Parry and C. Caliari, The financial statement shewed receipts £1915/1/1, expenditure £1167/9/6. Accounts amounting to £338/9/5 were passed for payment. The Town Clerk reported that work on cutting down the trees on Cass Square had not yet commenced’. The Abattoirs report stated: Stock slaughtered for month of March amounted to 62 cows, 24 heifers, 46 bullocks, 360 sheep, 121 lambs, 7 pigs, 11 calves; condemned, one cow. Fees collected for month amounted to £B7 11/6, as compared with £9B/13/6 for ■corresponding month last year. It was decided to pipe th.e drain in Sale Street alongside the new infant school. This was considered an urgent work.

It was decided to tar-seal a section of the footpath in Sewell Street, as an experiment.

INWARD CORRESPONDENCE

From the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand, Christchu/’ch soliciting a small contribution towards the work carried out by the society and expresing appreciation of financial assistance given by the council in the past.—£l/1/- voted. From the Department of Labour Wellington, furnishing particulars under which men will be available for employment by local bodies under Scheme No. 13. From Mr P. W. Shannon, Sewell Street, Hokitika, asking for two loads of gravel to e spread on the footpath in front of his residence. —Granted. From Mr AV. F. Keen, corner Sewell and Tudor streets, asking that growth be cut down at the side'of his residence, and also asking that a very bad hole on the side of th;e road be filled. — Referred to Foreman. From Mr J. A. Roberts, Fitzherbert Street, drawing attention to the state of the north belt drain, and asking that it be cleaned out and also that; the culvert leading to the dump, across the drain, be enlarged to allow flood water to escape quickly.—Referred to Foreman to report. I ' From Mrs S. Bennett, Sale Street,! stating that the side of the road at h(er frontage is soft, arid asking some filling in order that she can make a lawn along the frontage.—Put on list for attention.

From Mr Geroge Noble, notifying that his property in Revell Street has been sold'; that the petrol pump, has been removed, and that the renewal of the dangerous goods license for the current year is not required. From the Municipal Association enclosing copies ,of Wellington City bylaw made under the provisions of the Meat Act, 1939, which has now been approved by the Minister of Agriculture, and stating that the copies are forwarded as a model in connection with any abattoii- by-laws which the Council may desire to prepare under the aforesaid' Act.—Deferred to next meeting. From Miss FI. Keller, Hall Street, asking: for a few loads of filling at the frontage of her property, in order that a lawn can be made. Placed on tile list for attention. ••*

From J. V. Conning, assistant, Abattoirs, application for an increase of salary.—lncrease of 16/- per week granted.

MUNICIPAL BAND. The thirty-second annual meeting of the Hokitika Municipal Band was held in the Band room (Town Hall) last evening. Mr. W. E. Richards presided over an attendance of 22. The annual report referred to losses by removal, the most serious being that of Messrs A. Good and H. Aberhart, both trombone players, which necessitated a reorganisation of the instrumentation. The financial support by the public was gratifying. During the year, the Band played programmes at both hospitals. The Band expressed its gratitude to Messrs Fahey Bros, for providing free transport for carolling on Christmas morning, also Mr. G. O’Brien, also the collectors in their arduous duty. Mention was made of Master D. Christensen’s outstanding success at the recent band contest, and congratulations were sent him. The balance-sheet showed a surplus of £5O, £l/1/5 less than last, year.

Both the report and balance-sheet were adopted. The chairman congratulated the Band on its position, which showed the public appreciated the band’s efforts. He exhorted all members to pull together and attend practices regularly and punctually. All the officers were re-elected, viz.: Conductor: Mr. C -B. Ross; Bandmaster: Mr. P. Goodfellow; secretary: Mr. L. S. Ross; treasurer: Mr. James Stapleton; Band Sergeant: Mr. A. Parkhill; Drum Major: Mr. W. Eastgate; librarians: Messrs G. and A. Raine; caretaker: Mr. D. McLeod. The following committee were elected: Messrs T. Seddon, L. L. Ross, G. Raine, A. Parkhill, and W. Dwan, together with the officers. Votes of thanks were carried to the Borough Council for providing the Band, free of charge, with a practice room and free lighting; to the conductor and other officers 1 of the Band, and also Messrs Fahey Bros, and the collectors. A vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Richards for presiding, and he was elected President and a life honorary member of the Band. HOKITIKA TRAMPING CLUB. The Westland Branch of the Canterbury Mountaineering Club was again active last Week-end, when two trips were made. One party of three ascended Mt. Bruce (4399 ft. of the Hohonu Range, -while the object of another group of five was Mt. Griffin (4937 ft. the highest peak of the Griffin Range. The first party forded the Teremakav, River near Treacy’s farm, without difficulty, and the'climb was commenced on the south-western slopes. The mountain from this' side had been considered by some as l unclimable, but apart from dense scrub on the limits of the bush, the climbers encountered no serious obstacles. Four hours of steady gbiffg brought them to the summit, where a signal fire was lit.

Mt. Griffin was attacked from Harrington Creek, which the second carload of club members ascended for three-quarters of a mile. They scrambled up a steep ridge on the left, where, after struggling foi* half an hour with supplejacks and vines, an old track was discovered, and this led the trampers up onto the slopes of Wilson’s Knob. From the: summit* (4260 ft. Mt. Griffin could be seen: towering up, towards the -south. Thej abandoned greenstone quarry on Mt.. Griffin was reached about 2 p.m., and here the mountaineers spent an in-| I teresting time examining the machinery and the’ wife cables which used to lower the slabs of greenstone to the; Wainihinihi Valley, 4000 feet below, j Owing to lack of time, it .was decided r<

'to return -without going- to the summit of Mt. Griffin. The signal fire lit by the other party -was clearly visible, on Mt. Bruce. Away to the north-east, the main divide could be seen carrying a mantle of snow, and nearer at hand, Mt. Tuma presented a fine spectacle. Clouds later enveloped the upper slopes, but the views obtained during the early afternoon were ample ewar'd for the strenuous climb.