HOKITIKA NOTES.

Grey River Argus, 17 January 1922, Page 8

HOKITIKA NOTES.

(Our Own Correspondent). Mr R. Adamson has purchased the well-known racehorse Weary Wilfce. His friends wish Bob every succes in his new purchase. Mr Cecil Walker, who has been spending a holiday here, returned last week to his home in Westport. The laudable efforts on the part of the local Press, and others, in boosting the scenic attractions of Lake Kanieri, seem to have been rendered of no avail by the short-sighted policy of the local Acclimatisation Society. Everything has been done to spread the fame of the beautiful lake far and wide, so that lovers of natural beauty would not miss viewing the wonderful sights on and around the lake. The tourist, however, on arriving at the lake, generally has found (this season) that the only launch available is out of order, and he has to content himself with a limited survey of the lower end of the lake. No blame is attachable to the society’s curator, who has been a painstaking and conscientious officer. However, it is thought that had a little money been forthcoming to ensure the launch being in perfect running condition, the tourist season would have been more prosperous than it has been. Thus have the society missed a grand opportunity of making this district a famous tourist rendezvous—on the other hand, the only work of note that appears to have been accomplished by them so far, has been the wholesale pollution of the West Coast streams with imported piscatorial vermin, in the nature of salmon trout, etc., and consequently the total bait, respectively. It is a pity that the 1 ‘ retrenching officer” has not been more discriminating, in sifting the useless from the useful avenues of public expenditure. Referring to the above, is it not about time somebody started a society for the protection of Native fish? Unless something is done in this matter, the only specimen of whitebait extant in the year 1930, will be trying to acclimatise itself to a bottle of preservative in the .Canterbury Museum.