HOKITIKA BEAUTIFYING ASSOCIATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 March 1923, Page 4

HOKITIKA BEAUTIFYING ASSOCIATION.

SECOND ANXLA I, REPORT. To lie presented :it the Atnniiil Meeting (iti Tuesday, March 27th, 1923. .Mootings.—Si ii c* • la-t annual meeting ! 1 oi'ilmary and 1 special riiooLi ll l4 have boon licld. tlic attendance usually being good. Work. During the year attention was concentrated on Maraud tew and ( ass Squares. Alter the lasi annual meeting Mr Haile, the Parks Custodian, stained his duties, and work lias since licoii carried oil hy him and assistants under his supervision. Alaeandrow .Square was thoroughly cleaned up and has been given routine attention throughout the year. Unfortunately the ananged colour scheme was spoilt through the uprooting of nearly all the newly planted seedlings by some small children. Similarly the plots by the Pincers’ .Memorial were also interfered with.

M.ost of the work during the year was done at Cass Square and here a great improvement was effected. By the use of the County grader, the track, which was quite overgrown, was cleared and graded, the spoil being largely used in tilling up the open drain in. Healer Street alongside. Some or tlie Borough staff helped in this work for a lew days. The trade was available jor lhe use of the newly former' Cycling and Athletic Club at its In-: .-pons meeting;. The Pacing Club kind!', continued the cutting of the gra-s on the Held. 'I ho track ha - been

prepared fur racing -cveral times during the year and i- at present being prei-ared tor the h.aster spoils. A donation from the Poppy Hay fund enabled work to be pushed on more rupuilv and llic cast end track was w idened and si raighteiie'l, the grass strip undei Lhe trees made more level, and the whole Square was cleaned up and hlacklicrrv eradicated.

The plan of separating the Soldier-' Memorial area from the rest oi (lie lielil. having been apprnvcd hy the Bornugli Council, was carried out. 'I lie

east end .strip iii-ide Cue track has been .separated by a path which has been cut. gravelled and asphalted, inking the line of an open drain now replaced by pipes. The pipes and giavel were supplied by the Borough Council. The swings and -re-saws which were nil this area were removed to tin* south border of the Square. The section was then turfed where necessary and inpdressed. h lower plots with sturdy plants were prepared and the lawn Ini' since been kept nicely mown. Stone drains cmmerled to the main drain have been put in the east held in several places, and these have had a good elf-ect. A drain to rope with the water on the W. truck has been put in. and the open gutter by the S.YV. gate has been changed to covered pipes. The track from the H.W. enlraiiee has bet'll given a coni of gravel lu bring il to proper level preparatory In giving ii a coal of tar. (her lifty loads of sand and spoil were spread on the west Mold to lili up hollows. Tiie tree-, on the south side were trimmed to look more sightly and dangerous brain hes removed. The painting of the pavilion was continued and the copper shed was also given a coat, so that these luiild- ■ now add to tin* brightness ol the Square. The painting of the remainder of the south feme was completed. Repairs were made to strengthen the gun riiumlatioii, and the board seats round the track wire repaired and brought into by Her line. Memorial has been improved by regihling the lettering. The w ork for the I’m arc includes the provision of ornamental neats near the Memorial (three being already donated). belter drainage and levelling ol the playing; fields, improvement of the borders, triangles and track, anil filling in of Ihe hot lli drain. To keep up flu tidiness of tlie paths r- however, to he tla- hi I eoiisiderailoil. finance. . TP, hinds . i the A 1 ,• i, ■ lien have Ibis tear l-ven derived Irom subscriptions and donations, from eutertaiiiiuents: ami -ah- carried on in pur.-uaiin i I Ihe Association's policy, cd | rent file side o! grass and tel ft die. i ,-t cmic-1 a i mdng ini-h-rtalj eg • i - to. iln la. t vea.i a a- i led o! ,; • ifhe. eg. . \ h’a'l are by the 11.. . Me.- .as Cilil-Mus and Mrfadyeii ; C'ninintii.it\ singing under tlie eontiol. at Houston. Mi-- Hal., ami Me-si; I.awn. .1 oyce, Aldridge ami Brest.m ; a fool hall hem lit by iha liughy Union: Paddy’Market and S'p.,rts arranged hy lady supporter- and the Athletic Club; a dam e arranged by Mc-ulames But laud and Morgan ; Ugh. Mon’s Assueial inn organ! -cd by Mrs Butler; and picture benefit given hv Hr 11. -Mel.'.an, ’i lie I cal R.S.A. handed over limitha i c of tin- Poppy Hay fund !.. he stib--idlsc.l and u-md i > emohiv i 'iui ued soldier-. and iiw I Insti l'girls held a -niaii sale of work to raise funds for an oi naitienial seat which w ill presently he lixed in posit ion. The Association, as a I us of securing revenue, ashed for and obtained the right of selling' ifVeshtuenis oil the 'square: so far it has not h.-eii convenient for members to under!ak« personally the supply if lea, eh., hut the arrangements meanwhile made with ca;e-rcTs arc revenue producing. The .statement for the year show•• i liar the sum oi L'Thl.l was obiained dit ri nis the period, that there wa- an outlet of on material and work and that the halanee in hand i- t-L) tvitlt certain liabilities to l-e met. 'I he principal items in the income arc US'front subscriptions and donations, Idl'd from revenue producing schemes, and a halanee Irom last tear of Cl-M. Ol the expenditure the largest items are Ll'!') hi labour; L'-‘d on paint, materials and hardware; tail on enpij-v and boiler shed ; and Ml) on callage and horse hire. A considerable sum has been .spent on routine work and work which is now not open in the eye hut which will have lasting value. Tim money raise I is being spent in the Town, on the Town, and for the benefit of ihe Town, and vee have reason to believe I lull our efforts wili continue to receive substantial sup. port. As an indication of tlie support that lms already been granted to the Association. it may lie >iatcd that since the iileep'iou of the Association two years ago the sum ol if "ml has been recorded in the Association's books, though nut all this has been profit. The main source of revenue for the coming year i- to be a bazaar to be he.lil about the middle of tlie year. Work on this has already been .started.

General.—The policy the Association adopted this p.u-t year of co-operating with the borough Council in maintaining a permanent I’ark.s Custodian has proved sueco-ful from our point of view, and we believe that the Council made a very good bargain when it agreed to the proposal. The Custodian appointed has shown much zeal in hiwork and lias proved a capable man. We have followed the principle oi asking tlie Council to supply permanent or fundamental material while we supply extra labour ami make improvements which, possibly, might not he expected from the Council at present. On this principle the Association a.-ked for and was granted a supply of drain pipes, sand, and gravel, though the amount of the latter asked for by the Reserves Committee was not granted in full. A good deal of extra labour was engaged throughout the year, live extra men being employed at one period. Generally at least one extra man has been assisting. The coppers and shelter which we shared in erecting have now been in use for a year and have proved a boon to those large picnic parties which bring so much money to tin? town. Improvements of this nature pay.

The Pavilion is now without its former uiu-ared for appearance, and Clubs using the rooms have the benefit of the Caretaker's guardianship during tho season.

Thanks.—The Association has again been supported in its work not only by the subscriptions and donations of its members, but also by tlie willing help ~f many ladies and gentlemen wlio undertook and carried- out the various functions devised to raise funds. Donations have already been acknowledged in the local press. Among those to

whom the A-.-oc iation renders thanks (mi other than pecuniary help may he mcnti.aie I the l.dluiving : lie l’lesiileui ulm lion 11. 1.. Mielieh for a lecture: Me-dames Stavele.v and Houston, Mis; Italy. Mo-si- l.awn, Giohotts, Joyce, Aldridge, and Prxston. for assisting Coinmunity singing; Me-si- Gibbous and McKadyeii. lor

their concert: the ladies who carried out the Paddy’s Market scheme: the Athletic and Cycling (Tub, for sports: the Rugby Union, for a benefit match ; tlie Hockey ( Ini), for gate keeping : the 110-tel and other girls, for their sale of work ; Mr -McLean, for a picture benefit : the Town Band, lor playing: the Racing (Tub. for grass cutting: the County ('(lulled, for the use oi the grader: Mrs Butler, for organising the U.M.A.; Mr Thompson, for ornamental seats; the Reserves Committee. the Borough ( uuncil, the Town Clerk, the Town Hall caretaker, and the Park Custodian, for their eo-opera-tion in various ways; ihe Borough Council, for supplies ol pipes, sand, and gravel ; Mr Yarrall, for supplies of seeds; and the ‘‘Guardian" for its very liberal support and reports.