HOKITIKA NOTES

Grey River Argus, 10 May 1935, Page 2

HOKITIKA NOTES

(Our Own Correspondent. 1 ) HOKITIKA, May 9. In reply to a request from Arahura Valley settlers for assistance to combat river erosion, Mr D. B. Jellie has been : ’vised that a representative of |he Public Trust Office Will confer with the settlers. Much of the land menaced is held under lease from 'the Native Department, which is the reason for the investigation. The Hokitika celebration of the King’s Jubilee takes place to-morrow afternoon. At the High School in the morning the children will be addressed bv several speakers. At 1.30 o’clock, a monster procession will .march from the Drill shed to Cass Square, where . I,bosses will also be delivered and a spirts programme will take place, lire Mover has proclaimed a holiday for the afternoon. The declaration of a dividend of 6d a share ,f os each, payable on May 31st, w..s announced a't the first annual meeting in Melbourne last week of Stafford Gold Dredging. H. C. Tucker, Chairman of Directors, said the directors hoped to he able to declare quarterly dividends in future, but tho amount to be paid had not yet been determined. Mr Tucker said that since January 31st, when the financial year of the company ended, some difficulty had been encountered. The dredge was now working virgin ground and prospects of an uninterrupted run were promising. The directors were considering the advisability of forming a subsidiary company to work two new areas aequred, as one dredge would have to work for 201 years to treat the whole area. Recovery of gold by the dredge now employed, had been 50 per cent at first, ami was now between 75 and 78 per cent, when jigs Iliad been installed' it was expected that the recovery would be 90 per cent. t The Health Department’s architect. Mr Reed, is at present in IT"klt\*npreparing plans for alterations at the Westland Hospital, including the children’s ward, nurses’ 11 '”" e ’ general improvements. 1 lie plans be submitted to the Department before l.dna placed before the Board. The Westland competitions opened to-night at 8 o’clock at the Princess Theatre. There were a dozen items on the programme, ami over forty pciformers. The competitions Wil be continued nt All Saints’ Hall at 9.30 o’clock to-morrow morning, m tile afternoon at 2 o’clock, and at nigh', at 730 o’clock—with quite an extended programme. The dancing section ’.MU l.e continued at Princess Theatre tomorrow morning at 9.30. There is • full -dav’s programme arranged a is. fo r Saturday. The demonstration concert has been fixed for Tuesday night. At the monthly meeting of Rnnu and Woodstock Women’s Institute held m the Woodstock Hall, Mrs Lewis presidc I over a full attendance. A welcome was extended to Miss Newman school teacher of Woodstock. The Roll Call,

“i. useful hint.” was greatly appreciated Mrs Olsen and Miss Elsie Stoop reported on the Federation meeting at Grevmouth. Members very generously supplied books for the library. Rob mill for next month will be A Yodel,” for which a prize is being idven Afternoon tea was served by Hie- hostesses. 1 Mesdames D. Keenan and AV. Willoughby and Miss Ellon Dale.