WESTPORT NOTES.

Grey River Argus, 22 February 1928, Page 7

WESTPORT NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) WESTPORT, February 21. Air E. Jones, of the railway workshops, is transferring to Newmarket. Air Jones is a native of .the district, and has been in the railway service 27 years. Ho will probably leave by the Komata. at Ihe end of next, week. Apparently the educational authorities have thought better of their intention to stop carrying children from Bradshaws to Westport for school, as applications are invited for a means of conveyance.

With a couple of tramp steamers ti arrive this week, and H.M.S. Veronica to take bunkers, in addition to the ordinary boats, the shipments of coal ought to be fairly good. Mr and Mrs Dan Maloney left on Tuesday morning for New Plymouth. Dan is" delegate to the Fire Brigades Conference, where, incidentally, he will be presented with the gold star for 25 years as a brigadcsmau. At the A. and P. Show, one of the most interesting items was the lecture delivered by Mr Cussons, Government Poultry expert. Poultry fanciers in and around Westport .thoroughly appreciated the many points of interest brought before them, and no doubt they picked up quite a lot of information which will be useful in the future. If the advice (tendered by Mr Cussons is followed, poultry strains in the Buller should be much improved. The fatality which occurred last week lias made users of electricity a little nervous, and there is much talk, which is calculated not to do the electricity branch of the municipality’s trading concern any good. The memory of the public is so short-lived that it is possible that it is forgotten that the old Borough Council resolved to procure fittings and .to carry out installations where required. The matter was deferred through the alleged shortness of money until the end of the financial year', March 31, 1927. Still nothing was done. With the advent of the new- Council .the whole matter was jettisoned, without even a motion to rescind the resolution. Why the Council should not control its electric current, as it does its gas, from the point of production to the point of consumption, passetli uiide.rstanding.

'l’he vice regal party, consisting of Sir Charles and Lady Fergusson, and Captain Boyle, Military Secretary, arrive at Wesitport on Wednesday afternoon and in the evening will be entertained by the Caledonian Society. On Thursday the party, including Hie Mayor of Westport and the aetingCounty Chairman, Ihe Hon. W. H. McIntyre, will leave the Empire Hotel at 9 a.m. and arrive at Seddonville at 11 a.m. There they will be met by the residents and school children at the school grounds. A similar function will take place at Granity lit 12 noon. After lunch as Ihe guests of the Westport Coal Company, the party will leave Granity at 2 p.m. and will meet the school children and residents of Stockton at 2.-15 p.m. and Millerton

3.3(1 p.m. at the school grounds. The partv,then proceeds to Denniston meeting the residents and school children at the Denniston school grounds at a. p.m. and Burnett’s Face school grounds at 5.30 p.m. After dinner as the guests of the Westport Coal Company his Excellency will spend the evening with the ex-servicemen of the district at a banquet Io be held at Toll’s Hotel at 8 p.m., and Lady Fergusson will be briefly entertained by the ladies of Denniston an,l cx-servieeiuen s wives. The party returns that evening to Westport. On Friday afternoon at the Teeliniciil School grounds there will be a reception to their Excellencies at 3

p.m. Shortly before .11 o’clock yesterday niorningl, the sloop H.M.S. Veronica steamed slowly up the harbour. The

assistant harbour master (Captain] Tointon) went out in the Erliu and brought the ship in. When she birthed there were a fair number on the wharf to <<rect her, and the Mayor of Westpure (Air .1. IL Harkness) extended a welcome to Commander de Kalis, I'is of-ti.-eis and men. The Mayor was rreommi.'iird by the To'W Clerk (Mr Arthur Taylor). During the lunch hour the ship created a good deal of interest among the school children who tlocked down to the wharf to see her. This afternoon Commander de Salls and bis ofliccrs are being entertained at the I.'roiigham street tennis courts and also on Victoria Square for a game of

cricket. To-morrow they will be guests of ihe Buller Prog) ess League when a vis t will be mad > to Denniston. On Wednesday afternoon the same bpJy will lake the .Commander sud officers for a motor drive up the Buller Gorge.

At flic motor drivers’ picnic yesterday, Mr C. Potter, on behalf of the motor drivers, handed to Mr and Mrs Goodyer a suitable gift to remind them of the manner in which their good work and generosity was appreciated by all present. In the course of his remarks the speaker mentioned the supply of milk, paddock and constant supply of boiling water were provided by Mr and Mrs Goodyer. Mr Goodyer in a brief speech, acknowledged the surprise gift and on behalf of his wife and himself hoped to see still more present at the pext annual picnic. The Westport Soccer Club has arranged for a match with, the men of H.M.S. Veronica for Wednesday a,t 6.15. Mr A. Oldham, who has sold out his interest in the Denniston Motor Co. to Mr Fred Nortlie, will leave for Wellington to-morrow where In? intends to enter into business

Alp and Mrs Ireland arrived from Nelson on Saturday, and left for Greymouth yesterday morning.

Air Cussens, Government Poultry expert, left Westport yesterday for Greymouth.

Miss Searle left by early ear for Christchurch yesterday- morning.

Air and Mrs W. Alann will leave JVestport to-morrow by early car for

Airs and Aliss Blackwood will leave for Christchurch .to-day. Mrs Cochrane, of Utopia, left by car this morning for Christchurch. Dr and Airs P. L. Foote arrived back in Westport on Saturday from a trip to Christchurch. The drivers of /Westport and Reefton held their lirsj annual picnic at Inangahua during the week-end. Over 200 made the journey and the day turned out to be most enjoyable. The. river was well patronised for bathing and the arrangements reflected great ,*redit on .those responsible for them. Everything went merrily as a wedding bril. Probably the 'Gorge read has not had so many cars on it at one time as it had yesterday. This was due to the generosity of the various motor firms in placing every available car at the disposal of .the committee. The whole outing was most enjoyable and augurs well for future functions. The big event of the day was a tug of war, which was won by Reefton after a strenuous struggle. The following are the results of the races held during the day: Westport married ladies’ race, Airs Knobbs 1, Airs Brewer 2; Roe.f.ton married ladies ’ race, Airs P. Colvin 1, Airs T. La wry 2; Open ladies’ race, Aliss Alorrison 1, Airs P. Colvin 2; Single ladies’ race, Aliss Lockington.. Single Alon’s Race, R. McGee; Open men’s race, W. Quinn; Alotor drivers’ race, T. Phibbs 1, R. Smith and Rob ertson (dead heat) 2; Boys under 6, Afasters Todd 1, Gilroy 2; Boys under 10, J. Ackland; girls under 6, Jean Robertson 1; girls under It), G. Patter-, sou 1.