HOKITIKA NOTES

Grey River Argus, 19 February 1937, Page 2

HOKITIKA NOTES

(Our Own Correspondent). HOKITIKA, February 18. The plane which Is to begin the Cook Strai't. Airways service to Hokitika arrives hero, ou Saturday at 9.30 a.ni. direct from Nelson after a flight of 90 minutes. It leaves here ' again at 2 p.m. for Greymouth and ' Nelson. This is a survey flight only, and ends at 4.30 p.m., It will bo carried out hy the company’s Dragon Rapi'de plane. A new machine has been assembled for the service and will be used when the service commences. The extension of the present service to the West Coast will be begun on Tuesday next. The m.v. Gael sailed at 3.10 p.m. yesterday for Bruce Bay, where she loads timber for Motueka. After discharging there, she will go on the slip at Nelson for annual overhaul At Arahura live stock sale this week, W. Jeffries and Co. sold a fine line of runners for Mr D. A. Roberts at the following prices: 2 at £6 17> Gd, 4 at £5 17s Gd, 2 at £5 7s 6d. 3 at > £4 17s fid, 2 at £4 2s fid. At Ross saleyards they sold 45 fat lambs at 22s fid for Jas. Thompson: 30 fat lambs at 275, 8 weaner pigs at 12s. 1 Jersey bull £1 5s for W. Thompson; 5 cows at £4. 3 heifers at £4 5s tor Geo. Linklater. At the same yards M. ■Houston and Co. sold; For Jas. Thompson 33 f.m. ewes at 235, 8 aged ewes at 16s, On account of Anderson Bros. 58 fat lambs at 235. 76 fat wethers passed at 26si; for W. Thompson 31 ewe lambs at 2ps 9d; for Wm. Hamilton 2 2J-year steers at £6 7s Gd, 2 heifers at £4 17s fid. 1 at £3 7s 6d: for W. Detlaff 1 hei'fer and 1 cow at £3 7s fid; for W. 11. Hansbury. 3 fat bullocks and 1 fat heifer at £8 12“ fid, 1 runner at £3 2-1 fid. 1 at £3 12s Gd', 2 store cows at £3 10 s. 1 steer at £4 12s Gd'; for W. J. Wallace, 1 fat bullock at £lO 12s fid, 4 at £9 7s Gd. 5 forward' steers at £7 2s 6d, 3 fat heifers at £6 7s.'Gd, 2 cows at £5 12s Gd, 4 heifers at £G 7s Gd; for T. Elcock, 1 18-months’ steer and 2 heifers at £3 12s fid; for S. Mitchell 3 heifers at £3 7s fid, 2 cows at £4 12s fid, 1 at £3 2s 6d. 1 cow and calf at £2 17s 6d; 2 springers at £5; for Anderson Bros., 1; bullock at £7, 1 heifer at £5 17s 6d; for J. Manera (privately), 23 weaner Hereford calves at 42s 6d, Messrs Murray-Smith and Ching and Miss Ching, of London, arrived this evening, en route for the Glaciers Mint Creek, at Wataroa, has been causing motorists with small cars some trouble during the wet weather, several having been unable to cross. On Tuesday evening a lorry driver with a trailer loaded with lambs lost the trailer at Wataroa, but on going back found it intact. On Monday evening, a well-attended meeting was held in the Wataroa Catholic 'Club rooms, where the public of the district accepted the invitation of the Aeroe'lub to discuss with them plans for the future development, of the Domain. Rev Father Quinn presided. He explained that as a result of representations made to the Government, a grant of £5O had been offered, conditional that seven acres of the club’s property be made freehold! and surrendered to the Crown to be gazetted a Doinaiii. The club had 29 acres of freehold property mortgaged to the extent of £120.. The seven acres needed by the Crown would take the best part of it. Something reasonable had to be done to meet the mortgage. It was on this piece that the club had spent most of its money and labour in. fencing, clearing, and tree planting. He had been informed that transfer and survey costs would be met by the Crown. Mr A. F. Clark moved that the club offer the mortgagee, to pay £2l forthwith, and guarantee annual payments of £33, the first i'n April of this year, until the mortgage is paid off, conditional that permission be given to surrender the seven acres to the Crown. This was seconded) by Mr Jas. Walsh and caiflied. The president moved that, in the event of the mortgagee accepting the terms offered, seven acres of the property in the name of the Wataroa Aero Club, be surrendered to the 'Crown for a Domain. This was sec onded by Mr G. Clark and carried. It was decided on Saturday morning to spend the day working on the ground. An offer of the ladies to provide afternoon tea, was accented, as was Mr Morrisey’s offer of four gallons of “milk.” Mr G. Northcroft’s offer to bring his tractor was. accepted with thanks.

Mr ‘Gerard William Keller, who is leaving Hokitika, was with the members of his family farewelled yesterday afternoon at the 'l'owu Hall by a representative gathering of citizens. The Mayor, Mr G. A. Perry, who presided, after reading several telegrams apologising for absence, said they met to say goodbye to' a very old and respected resident of the town, the name of whose family was a household word • with travellers far and wide, as Keller’s Hotel was noted for i’ts good qualities. Mr Keller, who had not an enemy in the place, would with hist family feel the break, but they would have the best wishes of everybody, though all regretted their departure. It was 'intended to make them a present with which to secure a memento of their friends. He extended Mr and Mrs Keller and. family the

very best wishes for their future. Eulogistic speeches were also made by Messrs W. A. Thompson (who stated the of the guest were his first friends when he arrived here in 1866), D. J. Evans (on behalf of the License ed Victuallers’ Assn.), F. O’Connor, J. J. Mclntosh, and J.. R. Taylor (on behalf of the hotelkeepers of Hokiti'ka), D. R. Dowell (Kiwi Football Club), Dyer (commercial travellers), and E. W. Heenan (sporting and working bodies). The Mayor stated that a suitable address would be forwarded and he presented an envelope ■with which to procure a. suitable memento. ‘‘For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow-” was then .sung heartily. .Mr G. W. Keller, who was received with applause, sai’d it was hard to realise he was leaving. What he hadi done, he had done for himself, the town, and the people. Mrs Kelley had been a big assistance in bringing Keller’s. Hotel to the standard it had. realised. He was sorry Mrs Keller was not present, but she had not been in good health and. felt it was better to go earlv. He would never forget Ins friends in Hokitika. He had seen the town prosper during the last thirty years, and thought it would continue to do so as the tourist traffic increased. Ho would come back again i'n a yean or so and visit old friends whom he deeply regretted to leave. The hotel was now under the ownership of the West Coast Hotels, Ltd., and for the first time in his life he had lost his license. He wilshed to introduce to them, his successor, Mr Costello; and Jilts advice to him was to do l asi he had done and he would have nothing to regret. Concluding, he thanked them one and all for their good wishes to himself and the members of his family-, and extended his own best wishes to .them, all for the future. (Applause),