HOKITIKA NOTES

Grey River Argus, 19 September 1944, Page 2

HOKITIKA NOTES

[Our Own Correspondent.! HOKITIKA, Sept. IS The. Gael on Sunday arrived with cargo from Wellington. Heavy weather has compelled the vessel to return to Westport on two occasions for shelter, and she entered Greymouth on Saturday and discharged cargo She sailed the same evening' for'Hokitika. The vessel, after discharge of inward cargo, will ■ load timber for Wellington and will proioablv sail on Tuesday morning. Good weather favoured a Rugby seven-a-side tournament here on Saturday. Teams from Greymouth and Ross took part. All grades were contested from five stone seven pounds to the seniors. Hokitika won , tne senior grade, while Greymouth Technical won the third grade. In the school section Convent teams won two of the grades and the District High School won the remaining ones. Greymouth Technical will hold the Amos. Dowell Memorial Cup for the year. There was an excellent attenaMr.’ W. Eastgate, has completed the installation "of two of the latest electric ovens at his bakery in Weld Street. The ovens are the latest produced in New Zealand factories, and the local bakery can lay claim io ou the most modern on the West Coast. The installation is now in regular production. Since the departure of Dr. coinaii) for Auckland a week ago, and of Dr.

Anurae lor weyiuuuui <n.o towns of Kumara, Ross, Hokitika and the County of Westland are left with one doctor. Westland County, the, largest in New Zealand extends from Otira to Jackson Bay, a distance or 200 miles. Besides this enormous territory, one doctor will have tne care of the Westland Hospital and or maternity homes at Tetaho and Ho <l- - The Westland Hospital Boaid is' making every effort to secure another doctor to assist Dr. Arnott at Hokitika, bringing pressure on tne Minister and Director General or Health. Efforts have so far failed and workers in the sawmills and on area g n s are perturbed at the possibility of a dangerous accident, and a lack of medical attention. Mr F. J. Andrews waited on the Westland County Council last week and complained of lack of attention bv the Council to the road to Lake Kan’eri and Dorothy Falls, and also contended there was a waste of money in carrying out repair work on botn I roads. The Council decided torei duce the rates on property affected by river erosion. Councillor T. Brown complained of the drastic action taken bv the Council at its last meeting in regard to the use of the County motor car. Cr. M. Wallace said he had moved the motion at the. last vnnatino- mid now moved that it be

realhrmed, this being carried.. Mr J. Leckie was appointed mechanic. Cr. Rowley, the chairman, reported on h’S visit to Christchurch to inspect modern plant for Council use. The Council then decided to borrow the sum of £12,500 for the purpose .of purchasing the plant required, a bulldozer and a road grrder, powered w'th Diesel engines. Hon. J. O’Brien notified that a‘petition asking for the extension of the railway into South Westland would be considered by Parliament during this month. South Westland Farmers’ Union wrote asking the Council to give prior consideration to the extending of the railway into South Westland. Cr. J. Donovan supported the farmers views He said the Government had decided that the road should be given fir=t priority. The Westland Progress League wrote supporting completion of the highway from Paringa to Haast as one of the first works to be undertaken in the five year plan. W. L. Newnham, chairman of the soil Conservation Committee, notified that the Council would be entitled to appoint three of its members. The chairman and Cr. Wallace were appointed. It was resolved to commence a nursery a't Hau Hau as an experiment, with trees that might be , suitable for growing on the West Coast. The overseer w as instructed - to report on the formation of a track down the Karangarua River for the = use of whitebait fishermen. Harris Bros, expressed thanks for the grant of £2B for improved road access. Accounts totalling £2688 3s 8d were passed.