HOKITIKA NOTES

Grey River Argus, 21 November 1944, Page 2

HOKITIKA NOTES

[Our Own Correspondent], HOKITIKA, Nov. 20. Hon. J. O’Brien, Minister of Transport and Marine, was a visitor to Hokitika to-day. He received at 2 p.m. at the County Chambers, a deputation urging that a second doctor be allocated to Hokitika at the earliest possible date. The Mayor, Mr A. R’. Elcock presided, and ' representatives of farming interests, trade unions and other local interests were included in the deputation. The Minister spent a busy day in the town and left for Kumara at four o’clock. The Westland Co-op Dairy Co., Ltd., has received advice from the Department of Agriculture that the company obtained for the 1943-44 season the highest average grade (94.607 points) for the Dominion for butter sent to grading stores for export, this being the second year in succession in which the company has been first for the Dominion. The Gael sailed for Wellington at noon on Saturday. Her cargo included 200 cases of canned whitebait. She is due to return ibis week and then will make two trips to southern ports. The company intends to lay the vessel up on December 16, until early in February, when new parts for the engines are expected to arrive from overseas. An improvement in the weather saw good hauls of whitebait here on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday. The fish are in fine order, and fuither catches are hoped for. The canning factory here has had further trouble with the steam boiler, and has been unable to take supplies, making it awkward for fishermen to aisppse of catches over the week-end. In South Westland the cannery of Messrs Nolan and Song at Okuru has been handling all supplies from the far southern streams, where the hauls have been of record dimensions, the Arawata and Waiatoto Rivers yielding especially well. The Okuru factory lias given thirty shilling per tin throughout the season, and on this pay-out some fishing parties have had a great season. It is reported that one man and his wife caught five hundred kerosene tins of whitebait in three day's in the far south, and another p.arty in a week netted seven hundred tins. The enterprise of the far southern cannery deserved its reward in the large quantity of fish canned.

At the annual meeting of the local Revue Company, the Director, Mr R. Guthrie, said the membership had increased from 43 to 86. The first revue realised £9O for the R.S.A. and the third, revue £lOO for the Beautifying Society. The Society had been responsible for raising .altogether £638. Its equipment was valued at £BO, with frocks, etc. worth £75. They regretted the loss through an accident of the services of Miss A. Duff. The following officers were elected: — Patron, Mr A. R. Elcock; president, Dr T. W. Childs; vice-presidents, Messrs W. H. Stopforth, W. J. Radford, H. M. Coulson, A. E. Perry, H. Brown, T. Stuart, Mesdames I. Pei’ry and J. Langford; director, Mr R. Guthrie; assistant director. Mrs F. Chapman; wardrobe mistress. Mrs Crough; orchestra leader, Mr P. Crough; ballet mistress, Miss Viv Heenan; pianist. Miss Rene Jacobs; sketch director, Mrs Patterson; committee, Miss R. Jacobs and Mr W. Dini; secretary, Mr M. J. Reid. The Plunket Society asked consideration when the society was considering the donation of proceeds of its next revue in April. An honorarium of £5 for each revue was voted to the pianist. To Mr R. Cooper, who did not seek re-election as secretary, appreciation of his efforts was expressed. The fee for honorary members was fixed at £1 Is.