HOKITIKA NOTES

Grey River Argus, 20 June 1927, Page 2

HOKITIKA NOTES

(Our Own Correspondent). HOKITIKA, Juno 19. The. weather over tin* week-end while free from rain, has been bitterly cold, with a piercing easterly blow ing. This will have the effect of thinning the snow on the ranges. A lorry load of flax fibre from the Kokatahi mill arrived in town to-day, but trade in this commodity is stated to be slack lately. An ancient structure, the bridge over the Hokitika River at Kanieri is at present undergoing repair. The superstructure is being made higher and stronger. One of the men on gaged on this job met with an accident on Saturday, being struck on the face with a crowbar.

A lorry-load of footballers belonging to the Excelsior Club on Saturday came to grief at Kanieri, their ve hide going over when descending the hill into the township. Fortunately all escaped injury, but several were under the lorry for a while.

Quite a number of the mills yet working have reduced their working time, the Mananui mill being among those on the five-day week. Local millers are expectant of some relief as the result of the new tariff which will, it is hoped, check the importations of American timber with a larger duty.

The new hall at Harihari is being opened' to-morrow evening. It is a large and well-equipped country hall. The Member for the District, County Councillors, and various other leading citizens will be present, and there will be the customary dance on the occasion.

White gloves will be the order at to-morrow’s sitting of the Supreme Court here, as in the other West Coast towns.

The local Acclimatisation Society has received from the Marine Department a questionnaire in the form of a circular relative to the whitebait fishery, and to consider it is calling for Tuesday evening at the bounty Chambers a meeting of all interested in the industry. Now that milling is slack, quite a number of our leading citizens are displaying great concern for the whitebait. The Marine Department proposes to frame new regulations, but lacks data as to the runs of the little fish in many localities, so that it is difficult to frame rules that will suit all rivers. The Acclimatisation Societies are being asked to supply information as “the present condition of whitebait fishing in the more important rivers in your district, giving so far as is possible an idea of the quantities now obtainable; how present conditions compare with the past; if depletion has occurred, to what causes ascribed; approximate dates of: (a) the beginning, (b) the height, (c) the end of the whitebait run; whether you favour a limited whitebait fishing season; and the suggested dates for opening and closing such season in your district.”

At a meeting of the High School Board, a School Committee deputation (Messrs J. Conning and E. Patridge)

asked for a grant for two scholarships for pupils of the secondary classes to be tenable only for country scholars; also grants for the school library and for prizes for the year. It was stated for the past 38 years the Board had distributed practically the whole of its income for the upkeep of the district high school. Under no circumstances could they give more than the income of the Board, which was about £2OO. This year the Board granted a con siderable sum for typewriters for the school, and were continuing a subsidy towards the salary of an extra assistant in the high school. It was re solved to grant two scholarships tenable for one year of £2O each, for country scholars to attend the district high school. The request as to prizes was deferred, and that for assistance for the library was refused on legal grounds.

Dr Teichelmann (President) and Mr J. W. Morris (Secretary) of the local Progress League, left on Saturday for Christchurch to attend the conference on Tuesday of South Island Progress Leagues. They will submitremits asking for the maintenance of the overland road via the Beale y River; for the widening of the Main South Road from Ross to Bruce Bay; for the cheapening of freight charges on the Midland railway on goods railed to the West Coast; for the im provement of the track over the Haast Pass and the erection of huts along its route; and for calling Government’s attention to the existence at Lake Mahinapua and Sea View Hill of suitable landing places for hydroplanes and aeroplanes respectively. The League is looking to the distant as well as the immediate future! .A number of Westland farmers expect .to make the tri]) to Canterbury on the occasion of the farmers’ excursion next week. At the euchre tourney at the Soldiers’ Hall, the prize winners were-: Mrs Kerr Ist, Mr A. E. Benjamin 2nd. Mrs Stopforth 3rd, Mr C. Schroder 4th Saturday’s football was played in cold weather. A fair crowd on Cass Square saw Kanieri seniors defeat Magpies by 19 to 3. The visiting pack were fair, but the backs were poor, except Gibbons, Holmes, and the fullback. Of the Magpie forwards, Birss, Dow and Wilson were prominent. For the winners, Thomas, Pfahlert and McCleary were the outstanding backs

while Hagar, McKenzie and Mclntosh were the best forwards. Thomas kick ed a penalty goal in the first half, while in the second tries were got by Pfahlert brothers, Stopforth (fiveeighth), and Doherty for Kanieri, Thomas converting two. Dow got a try for Magpies from a loose melee.

The School team beat Excelsiors by 7 to 6, Hamilton potting a goal and kicking a penalty for the winners, while tries for the losers were scored by Schroder and Stopforth. Kokatahi beat Kanieri juniors by 12 to 3. The Kokatahi try-scorers were Marshall (2), Fleming and Morel, and George kicked a penalty for Kanieri.