IKAMATUA NOTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 August 1941, Page 3

IKAMATUA NOTES

[our own correspondent.]

Probationer Writer R. Feary, Royal New Zealand Navy, is visiting nis parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. Feary. Mr. D. Feary (Christchurch) is also visiting Ikamatua. The Ikamatua R.S.A. annual ball was a successful tunction, and me patriotic funds will benefit considerably. The hall was tastefully decorated with streamers and ferns, while “V lor Victory” figured prominently in the decorations on the stage and around the hall. Small red, white and blue V’s were also displayed on the supper tables. The Kit Kat Dance Band was heard to their best advantage. Novelty events were won by Mrs. L. Abbie and partner, Mrs. H. Hill and partner, and Miss E. Doolan and partner.. Mr. S, Brand was M.C. Extras were played by Miss M. O'Malley and Mrs. G. August. The supper arrangements were in charge of the Red Cross members. There has been a heavy demand for timber for some time, and the local sawmill has been forwarding large quantities of red pine to Greymouth, for shipment. The mill at Waipuna, whicn was destroyed by fire some months ago, has not been rebuilt, and the majority of the employees have readily been employed elsewhere.

The Grey River Dredge at Ikamatua has worked back past the site of its flotation, and will proceed another quarter of a mile further on before returning to excavate the ground left between the township and the Little Grey River. Opossum trappers in the district are meeting with a good measure of success this year, and it is expected that there will be a good realisation on the skins, which are generally of first-class quality. For the purpose of breeding fat stock, Mr. W. O’Malley, of Ikamatua, has purchased from the North Island, a number of pedigree Shorthorn cattle. A good number of early lambings are reported in the Grey Valley, and although there has been a fair amount of mortality amongst ewes, the fine weather has been a big factor towards the high percentage of ■ survivals of lambs actually born. The new road across the dredge talings from Ikamatua to the Little ’Grey River, is a big improvement on the old road, both in surface and

width. The old road was partly dredged away, and the dredging company constructed a new route in its stead.

Since its commencement of operations in December last, the Snowy River dredge at Hukarere, has covered a good deal of ground, and having reached Teasdale’s farm boundary, is now returning down the valley to excavate the right hand side of its holding. Unlike the Grey River dredge, which leaves unsightly heaps of tailings, the Snowy River plant is so constructed (sluice-box type) that it leaves the ground comparatively level, with the bulk of the sUb-soil on the surface. The bulk of this company’s dredging area is composed of rough, marshy timber country, unfit in its present form for any kind of stock-raising, and it will be more valuable for grazing purposes within a few years, than it would have been had it remained undredged.