WESTPORT NOTES

Grey River Argus, 3 May 1934, Page 7

WESTPORT NOTES

(Our Own Correspondent.) Prospectors Dumbfounded. WESTPORT, May 2. Whatever the mail- carrier thought of his job in delivering communications last, week to the many subsidised prospectors engaged in the Buller district, the recipients, on perusing tin* document, voiced their disapproval in no uncertain manner of the Government's latest method of tack ling the depression. The circular which was addressed to subsidised prospectors, stated that “the value ot gold won by prospectors ami miners is assessable income under the provisions of the Land and Income Tax Act, 1923, ami is, therefore, declarable for the purpose of the finergencv unemployment charge on income other than salary or wages. Prospectors have been on the breadline. and this additional taxation on the few “weights’’ which they manage to scrape up represents an out-of-pocket expense which they can ill afford. ami the home will have to go short a loaf of bread or some other household requirement- Io meet the payment. Gold won by prospectors under the Government scheme is a! readv subject to the following deductions: 12 s 6<l customs duty. 1(l pe' cent, repayment of subsidy, .>(1 per cent, repayment of cost of material supplied by local committee, and with the additional 5 per cent, taxation, a vpi’v small margin is left for the bread winner. The programme of the Government as far as the prospectin', scheme is concerned is absolutely unfair and intolerable, and has aroused a chorus of protestation from the subsidised men. The decision ol th" Government in making this further inroad into the purchasing power of the relief worker will only tend to intensify the economic paralysis which Westport is at present enduring ami will act as an incentive to prospectors Io get rid of their gold throiigfi channels which will provide escape from the Shylock methods of the present administration. Vital Statistics. The vital statistics at Westport during the month of April were; Births 14. marriages 2. and deaths 6. Customs Returns. The customs returns at the port of West port for last mouth were: Customs duty. £609 7s 2d; beer duty, £4lB 7s 2d; sales tax. £317 ,13s. The figures for the corresponding month of last year were: Customs duty, £330 Os 2d; beer duty. £498 14s 9d: sales tax. £328 A Clean Sweep. More than ordinary interest was centred in the annual meeting of householders, held at Tiroroa. for the purpose of appointing a School Committee. The old Committee was completely wiped out, and the following were elected: Messrs P. Johnson. W. Caldwell. W. Bissett. M. Senior and IF. Clarke. At a subsequent meeting Mr Johnson was appointed to the chair, and Mr Caldwell was appointed secretary. The Headmaster in his annual report made glowing reference to the work of Mr Llewellyn in looking after the school garden and grounds during the holidays. The school again gained the Education Board’s environment certificate. Buller Hockey Association. Miss M. Carr was in the chair at the fortnightly meeting of the Buller Hockey Association, held last evening in the Elite Tea Rooms. It was resolved: 'That the New Zealand Ladies' Hockey Association be asked to appoint a delegate to act for 8.H.A.; that Mr Throp be appointed delegate to N.Z.IT.A.. and be sent a letter of appreciation for services rendered; that account at Bank of Now South Wales be transferred to Post Office, and the Secretary and Treasurer be empowered to operate on same; that invitation from Nelson Association for a Buller ladies’ team to play at Nelson, be held over; that Marlborough Association and Beaver Ladies’ Club be invited to co-operate

in a visit to 'Westport at an early date; that season open on May 10th with a six-a-side tournament. Misses Carr and McGrath, and Mr Naylor, to arrange for same; that Messrs J. Hodgson. W. Watt. R. Smith. A. Pain and A. Caldwell be appointed a Grounds Committee: that Mr Smith. President and Secretary, act as Postponement Committee. Nominations for the competitions were received from Wesley. United and Westport (men), ami Wesley. Ramblers and Westport (ladies). New Gold Mining Company. A company recently registered. Westport Gohl Ltd., its object being mining and incidental, lias acquired 800 acres of land at Bulls, not far from Westport. Its capital is £lO,OOO. Seven thousand five hundred shares are held by N.Z. Minerals Ltd.. and 2,500 are in the name of E. D. Oxnani, of Westport. Four hundred acres of the area held have been taken over bv the company from Messrs Oxnani. W. Caldwell. J. McHerron and R. MeHerron. Exhaustive tests are now being conducted to ascertain the best method of working the ground for gold

and when the tests are completed it is intended to work it on a big scale. Bowling. The bowling season is fast drawing to a close, and most of the Buller clubs have ceased activities. The Westport Club’s competitions are nearing finality. The Morley pairs was won by T. Brown and R. Chisholm (s), who beat C. Walker and C. Mitchell (s). The results of other games played during the week were;— Singles Championship—A Section: Wallwork beat. Hart; Mullins beat Blaxall (two lifer); Chapman beat Chisholm; Wallwork beat Mullins. B Section: Green beat J. Druery. The lifer); Green beat J. Druery. The winner will play oil with the winner of A Section, there still being BFaxall. Wallwork amt Chapman with one life each in that, Section. Ln the Junior Championship, the re-, maining players are Dalton with two lives. Dillon and Xaisbetl with one life each. At the official closing of the Sergeant’s Hill Club, bowlers from Westport and Denniston were present. A rinks tournament look place, the winners being Messrs A. Simpson, W. Keoghan. W. Hart ami F. Knight (s), who won three o ut of the four games. Granity householders. Mr J. fih»wgray was in the chair al tin* annual meeting ot householders held in the school. The Chairman, in I commenting on the report, congratulated the staff on the very satisfactorv position attained by the school. He regretted the falling away in the attendance, which no doubt was large ly due to the. raising of the school age from five to six years. He thanked the Committee, ami especially Mr Kerr, the secretary, for the assistance given him during the year. He referred to the valuable assistance given the Committee by Mr J. R. Bolitho, who was under orders for transfer to Richmond. At one stage he had thought that with the slow rate of progress being made with the grounds, the playing- area would take a considerable time to complete. Owing. however. Io private funds being utilised, they had improved the playing area as above slated. Mr Tyler brought up the question of appointing a permanent male teacher for Hector school. The Chairman pointed out that this was outside the province of the Committee. The Headmaster, no doubt, would see that Hie best results would In* obtained from the schools nailer his charge, ami he had every conlidence in Mr Alton’s watching every opport unity Io attain this end. 'l’lie election <if tin* eommiltee for the ensuing two vears then took place and resided as follows: J. Dowgray (chairman), A. A. G. Kerr (secretary), Messrs J. Briggs. E. Mi'Dona hl, G. Rennie. A. Sma llholnii*. J Taggart, AL 'l’homson. J. Tyler. The question of raising the school age from live to six years then came up for discussion and a motion was carried unanimously expressing strong disapproval of the aet i on. Shipping. The Kini arrived in port yesterday and sailed for Wellington last evening. The tramp steamer Fife is loading 60 tons of bunker coal, and sails for Ocean Island, The Fairburn arrived from Welling ton this morning. Morean’s Pictures WESTPORT. To-night (Thursday), and matinee to-day at 2.30 p.m.. two feature attractions will be presented. Tim McCoy and Alice Dahl, in the thrilling Western romance, “Whirlwind,” and Radio’s imaginative spectacle “Deluge,” starring Sidney Blacknier, l ,p ggy Shannon, Lois Wilson and Matt Moore. The situation of two women loving one man in a small settlement where the men vastly outnumber the women, is in tri gui ngly pictured against a background of earthly demolition in “Deluge.” More suitable for adult audiences. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. Janet Gaynor and Henry Garat are featured in the Fox special, “Adorable,” at the Victoria Theatre on Friday’ and Saturday and matinee. Approved for Universal Exhibition. An additional attraction will be the first of the Bobby Jones golf series, “How to Break Ninety,” No. 1 being entitled “The Grip.” One of these series will be screened each Friday and Saturday, and at the matinee on Saturday at 2.30 p.m. Do you want to make the family happier, stop losses in the home, and save money? J'o-day’s issue contains a plan that will servo you. Carry it into operation and help yourself towards prosperity by studying Gibbard’s replace advertisement.