HOKITIKA NOTES

Grey River Argus, 17 April 1940, Page 2

HOKITIKA NOTES

[Our Own Correspondent]

HOKITIKA. April 16. The train bearing the West Coast members of the Second Echelon arrives here to-morrow at 12.55 p.m., leaving again two and a-half hours later. The public are requested to keep clear of the platform. The soldiers will assemble on the east side, wherje there is ground to form up, and will, march across the yards. Large bridges in South Westland on the road route to Jackson Bay are I being constructed at a steady rate The road between the Haast and Okuru is well advanced, while a new bridge crossing the Upper Okuru can be used as a footway. The Turnbull JRjiver bridge still has a few piles to be driven- The plant for the Waiateto bridge is being moved to the site. The preliminary work for Arawata bridge is in hand. The steel for all these bridges will be brought to Jackson Bay by an overseas steamer shortly. The road progresses steadily from Jackon Bay northward. At the annual meeting the Rival Footbail Club elected officers as follows: —Patron, Mr. Jas. O’Brien, M.P.;< President. Mrs- M. Keenan: VicePresidents, Messrs J. R. Taylor, FBreeze, R. Cowan, T. E. Moore, E. Best, F. Bristowe, R. Harrison, P. Webster, T. R. Say well. K. Aitken; Delegate to union: Mr. J. Ricnaras; Captain, Mr. L. Agnew; Coach, ?/>r. J. Griffiths; Secretary and Treasurer, Messrs M. and J. Keenan; Committee. Messrs C. Freitas, W. Agnew and A. Dale; Selectors: Coach. Club and Field Captains. It was decided to nominate a junior and third grade team. Subscriptions were fixed at 5 - and 2/6 third grade. Members and intending members are to attend Sunday afternoon practice at Woodstock Domain. A working bee was arranged for Saturday. The foLo*ing new members were elected. Messrs R. W. Henderson, A. BMiin»er G Mclntosh, F. Neame, J. Wells. G. Crase, H. George, H. Vroblfski, A. Towers, P. Boyd, L. Teniperly, R. de Phi.ilipi, S. Rae, L. Phillips. *The Borough Foreman’s report on work done in the past month showed Jollie Street footpath levelling and grading was completed for the State houses, ready for gravelling, and a 4 in. water main was laid, six chains of 4in. Everite pipes being used, and water connections put in. A w.ek ■was spent on the water main between the reservoir and the Kanieri Folks, as the siding slipped away at the blue cutting above Stribling Creek, carrying away the line, ana destroying some of the pipes. These had to be replaced. Two pipes were put in the main at Constitution Flat and the reservoir was cleaned out, and various leaks were repaired. Gibson Quay water-tables were cleaned out and the sides of the road levelled. In M eld Street, east of the railway, the sides of the street were graded, the tables cleaned and spoil, carted away. Coyle s lorry was engaged gr'.vmbng a part of Racecourse Road, off Hampden Street, and carting gravel on to Livingstone Street, north of Stafford Street, and extending Hall Stret footpath and Davie Street footpath at the Borough stables. Three m Sale Street was graded between Stafford and Hampden Street, and spoil carted away, and the of Dawe Street at Ford’s Brewery and water channel cleaned out. The footpath in Sale Street between Weld Street and the Quay, on the cast side was cleaned. and a wooden pine put across thej footpath at the intersection of Rolles-1 ton Street and-Gibson Quay A water service was put in to the Gasworks, with l?in. galvanised pipes, and a new service at Mr. Wallaces,! in Hall Street. Services were iepaired at Mr. O’Brien’s, in Fitzher-

bert Street; Mr. Gutberlet’s, Gibson Quay, Mrs. Nesbitt’s, Bealey Street, and Mrs. Ellis, Sewell' Street, and Mr. Harrison’s, Hampden Strete. The cycle track was repaired with asphalt and c/eaned and pot holes were repaired with asphalt in Revell Street, Hamilton Street, Weld Street and Tancred Street. Two trips were made at the weekend by the local branch of the Canterbury Mountaineering Club. A party of three ascended Mt. Bruce (4399 ft. of the Hohonu Range. The climb was commenced on the southwestern slopes. The mount a : n from this side had been considered by some as unclimable, but apart from densescrub on the limits of the bush, the climbers encountered no serious obstacles. Four hours of steady going brought them to the summit. A party cf five set out to ascend Mt. Griffin, (4937 feet), going from Harrington Creek. They scrambled up a steep ridge on the left, where, after struggling for half an hour with supplejacks and vines, an old track was discovered, and this led the trampers up on to the slopes of Wilon’s Knob. From the summit (4260 feet) Mt. Griffin could be seen towering up, towards the south. The abandoned greenstone quarry on Mt. Griffin was reached about 2 p.m., and the climbers examined the machinery and the wire cables used to lower the slabs of greenstone to the Wainihinihi Valley, 4000 feet below. Owing to lack of time it was decided to return without going to the summit of Mt. Griffin. A signal fire lit by the other party was clearly visible on Mt. Bruce. The Municipal Band, at. the annual meeting, re-elected the officers a-, follows:—Conductor, Mr. C. B. Ross; Bandmaster, Mr. P. Goodfellow; Secretary, Mr. L. S. Ross; Treasurer, Mr. James Stapleton: Band Sergeant, M_. A Parkhill.; Drum Major, Mr. W. Eastgate; Librarians, Messrs G. and A. Raine; Caretaker, Mr. D. McLeod. The following committee wer e elected: Messrs T. Seddcn, L. L. Ross, G. Raine, A. Parkhill and W. Dwan, together with the officers. - The annual report referred to losses by removal oi Messrs A. Good and H. Aberhart, trombone players. The financial support by the public was gratifying. The Band expressed its gratitude to Messrs Fahey Bros, for providing free transport for carolling on Christmas morinng, also Mr. G. O’Brien ana the collectors. The balance-sheet showed a surplus of £5O, £l/1/5 less than last year. A vote of thanks was accorded Mr. W. G. Richards for presiding, and he was elected President and a life honorary member.

The Borough Council met yesterday, when the Mayor, Mr. G. A. Perry, presided over the following councillors: D. P. Stewart, A. R. Elcock, J. L. Turner, J. Fox and W. H. Stopforth. Apologies for absence were received from Crs. F. D. E. Freitas, G. Heinz, H. T. Parry and C< Caliari. The financial statement showed receipts .£1915/1/1, expenditure £1167/9/6. Accounts amounting , to £338/9/5 were passed for payment. The Town Clerk reported that the cutting down of trees on Cass Square had not yet commenced. The Abattoirs report stated: Stock slaughtered for month of March amounted to 62 cows, 24 heifers, 46 bullocks, 360 sheep, 121 iambs, 7 pigs. 31 calves; condemned, one cow. Fees collected for 'month amounted to £37/11/6, as compared with £9B/13/6 for corresponding month last year. It was decided to pipe the 1 drain in Sale Street alongside the new infant school, also to tar-seal a section of the footpath m Sewell Street, as an experiment. Mr. George Noble advised that his property in Revell. Street has been .sold; that the petrol pump has been removed. and that the renewal of the dangerous goods license for the current year is not required. A grant oi £l/1/- was made to the Royal Hu-

mane Society. Mr. P. W. Shannon, Sewell Street, asked for two loads of gravel on the footpath in front of his residence.—Granted. Mr. W. F. Keen, corner Sewell and Tudor Streets, asked that growth be cut down at the side of his residence, add that a very bad hole on the side of the road be filled.—Referred to Foreman. Mr. J. A. Roberts, Fitzherberc Street, drew attention to the state of the north belt drain, asking that it be cleaned out and also that the culvert leading to the dump across the drain be enlarged to allow Hood water to escape quickly.—Referred to Foreman to report. Mrs. S. Bennett, Sale Street, wrote that the side of the road at her frontage is sott, and asking for some filling in order that she can make a lawn along the frontage. It was decided that the matter be attended to, and likewise a request from Miss H. Keller, Hall. Street, for a few loads of filling at the frontage of her property, in order that a lawn can be made. An increase of 10/- per week in salary was granted Mr. J. V. Conning, Abattoir assistant