WESTPORT NOTES.

Grey River Argus, 19 May 1922, Page 2

WESTPORT NOTES.

(Our Own Correspondent.) I Westport’s quota to the Sir Arthur I Pearson Memorial Fund, on the basis | of 1/- per’head of population, amounts ■to £20(1. Greymouth’s quota, is said Ito be £250. According to these figures, a simple arithmetical deduction makes Greymouth’s population 1000 more than Westport 's. The al>ove sums of money are probably calculated on last census returns. Since these were forwarded to the Government Statistician, however, the population of this district has considerably increased. At that time the mines in the Buller district were all but empty; today they are fully manned, and most, of the* new-comers are men with wives ami families. A somewhat similar influx has probably occurred in the Grey <listrict, but we . venture to say it is anything like equal [to what has occurred locally. So, as I fur us a comparison between the populations govs, we are not so far behind (Irex-, as the foregoing figures xvonhl Despite the inclemency of tin* xvea.thcr, there was a big audience al the 'Theatre Royal on Tuesday night to hear Mr Ulutha Mackenzie’s appeal on behalf of the Sir Arthur Pearson Memorial Fund. 'The address xvas on similar lines to that dtdivered at Greymouth on the previous ex'ening, and since an excellent account of the proceedings xvas contained in Tuesday’s ‘‘Argus’’ it would be a superfluity Io haxe it reported again in this colunin. Some interesting details of the lecture haxe nexert helvss been noted, and these will be contributed at a later date. Thi’ collection at tin* theatre amounted to £6u. In reference to local collections, we h :ve made the ol»serx :it ion before, and we make it again: ‘‘'There’s corn in Egypt still!” Mr 11. .1. Saunders (G.P.0.) gave a black board lecture in St. .John’s School Room on Wednesday night to the memj bers of the Unit’d La.lies’ Hockey I Club. 'There were about 29 presenl, land all eagerly imbibed the instriicItive knowledge imparted to them by the lecturer. A number of very interesting and important points on thu game were explained, and at the conelusion of the demonstration, Mr Saunder’s offer to give the team furthet practical hints on the field play was accepted gratefully by all present. A new cash grocery business about Io open in West port advises local people to watch out for its price list. Taking all things into consideration, current local prices are far too high. 'The nexvj comer into this cash line of business .•may be Ihe means of getting pur- | chasers a good deal more for their I money than they have been getting for * a long t ime past. i Mr N. Gulling, the nexx - jiroprietor of the Empire Hotel, has applied to the ’Westport Borough Council for a license ito hold public entertainments in the I hall adjoining his hol<d premises. | ’l’iio secretary of the St. Canice’s j' has applied to the local atifhori | i ■ have their building registered :.s a dr ico hall. ’ 'i .< secretary of the Garrison Band ha* .•'s'.cd the Borough Council 1o meet imetnlii-rr lor the purpose of considering | 1 li( mailer of the band rex’erting to i a municipal one. | In regard to a gravel supply for the : borough, Cr Roche suggested that the council interview the marine authorities during their next visit here xvith a view to securing spoil from the harbour dredges. He said it was done in other parts of tin* Dominion, and there j xvas no reason xvhy we should be left I out iii the cold I After a big discussion on the nui[nicipal gravel supply at the Borough j Council on Wednesday night, the fol- 1 loxving xvas noted: A member: ‘‘You ■ are all barking up the xvrong tree’’’ | Another councillor, resenting the dig: I ‘‘A pily you don’t climb up it!” M r White, who accompanied MrClutha Mackenzie during his recent visit here, is a returned soldier who had tin* misfortune to lose his right hand during active service in the* war. He nientioni ed to those in charge of the reception given at Westport to Mr (’hit ha Mackenzie, that the meeting here xvas one of the most successful they hail had since the commencement of their tour. This from a lecturer’s point of x’iexx’ as xvell as from the point of \ iexv of local arrangements.