LOOKING BACK

Western Star, 9 June 1933, Page 2

LOOKING BACK

JUNE, 1883. v (From the Files of the 'Western Star') We admire a man who sticks to his piuciples through thick and thin; such a on e is Dr Hodgkinson. and he is a rare specimen indeed, in these days of clever coat turning. Thinking that the time was ripe for it, he convened three meetings in the district for the puiipcse of testing public opiir; ion as to the wisdom of either doAb away with one or other of our locw bodies. The Doctor is, of course, in favour of the County Council being wiped out. and the Road Board doing its work. What must have been his disgust when two of the meetings declared in favour of the County, and the other declared for a Road Boaid by a majority of one only, some or those who voted not being ratepayers. No argument one can possibly put forward will move .him in the slightest; he stands his ground gamely, a shining example of a conscientious, unwavering and thorough-going Conservative. Mr G Williamson lias purchased a small steamer—the Little Denham, formerly employed touring vessels of small tonnage between Port Chalmers and Dunedin —to take up the trade between Stewart Island and the Bluff. She is 35 tons register, and has good accommodation for passengers.

A meeting of the Kirkton Coal and Shale Co., Orepukii, was held at the Great Western Hotel. Riverton, on Saturday evening, when it was resolved that the Company be formed, under the Mining Companies' Act, 1872, under the name of the Wallace Coal and Shale Co., with a capital of £6OOO in shares of £1 each. Mr J. Lyle was appointed to register the company and Mr A. Burns wa s appointed legal manager The Riverton Football Club was defeated by the Invercargill team by five tries to nil For the winners Field, Martin Cox, Dundas, Watson, Braddon, Johnston, Gilbraith and Bews deserve a word of praise. For Riverton Stitack, Cogan, Paukhurst (2), Hodgkinson, McKillop and Stirling were the best. The Invercargill team wa 8 captained by Gilbraith, Strack performing a similar duty for the local.men. The appointment of Dr Jame s Young ag Honorary Surgeon of the Riveiton Rifles is gazetted. It is understood that steps ar e being taken by the Chines e residents of Wellington, with a view to the acquisition of a large area of land at the Hutt, for the purpose of cultivating English flax. The land in that district is said to be highly suitable for flax growing, and the Ohinesej*te convinced that with proper care' and attention, " the industry can be made a most profitable one. It is also understood that the Chinese contemplate the formation of a company to enter into the busines s of growing hops on the othe r side oi the harbour. If sufficient inducement is offered by shareholders an*agent will be sent to China to make arrangements foil the importation of Chinese to be employed in tlie industry.

Two thousand persons have joined the Blue Ribbon Army in Auckland district

In the House of Representatives Mr Daniel asked the Minister of Immigration to take steps to hold out inducements to fishermen from the North of Scotland to come out to New Zealand in thein own vessels, with a view of following their calling-in these waters'. He referred to the quantity of fish iu New Zealand waters, and to the difficulty existing for obtaining* them because fishermen here had no proper vessels in which to prosecute the industry. At a public meeting held at Wairio on Wednesday it was decided to foitn a Farmers' Union. A committee consisting of Messrs Beck, McLachlan, Gardner, Hailes, Bellinger, Dodd s and Daley were appointed, A good deal of interest has been centred in the Road Board elections, which resulted as follows: Heddon Bush sub-division—Messrs John Walker and Thos Kennedy; Mount Pleasant sub-division—Messrs A. M Carmichael and Wm Walkert; Jacobs" River sub-division—Messrs Win Hopcroft and Wm Stevens; Waimatuku sub-division —Messrs John Mclntyre, Jas W Hamilton and Robert Hazlett. It will be seen by the above that in nearly all the sub-divisions the result has been a victory for the mergers, Heddon Bush being th e only exception, where a merger and lion-mergea have been returned

The annual ploughing match was held at Otautau on Wednesday in Mr Snath's paddock, west of the township. There were 17 competitors in Class A and only 3 in Class B, Following were the prize winners: Class A— W. Lindsay 1, W. Hamilton 2, J Qum 3, J. McKay 4 and T. Stroud 5 In Class BT. Hannah was first Hali being second and J, B. Wilson third T. Hannah secured the special prizd for the best ploughed lot on the ground.

Cholera has broken out at Port Said and a large number of deaths have taken place, There has been a general exodus of Europeans. A football match w'a s played on Saturday between Riverton and Orepuki, neither side scoring a point Considering it was the first time they played together W Hirst, J Wilson, McLean, McGill and A. Young distinguished themselves for Orepuki For the home team Straclr.-Cogan ' Stii ling, Rankhurst (2.) and Patti'son did good work.

The death is announced of Mr W H Cutten, one of Otago's early settlers' He came to Dunedi n in 1848 in com! pany with Captain Cargill, ( 0 „ e of whose daughters he subsequently married