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Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1928, Page 2

Tin-: Act, linintisatiori and Tourist .Society is steadily improving its financial position, and is no"' being placed ill a position to do specially good work to advance local interests. The income from o'pqxsuni royalties has been a special help, and the Society seeks to extend that source by liberating ojkj.xsinns of the better breeds in flic high country of the south. Opossums are well established now in parts, and unless there is a, succession of open seasons they would become a nuisance. Their presence-, however, forms a lucrative source of income for trappers, so that the opossum may be regarded as something useful. Gradually they arc

spreading down the Coast, but the breed should of necessity he improved if the skins arc to maintain their val-

ue. And unless t,haL is assured, trapping "ill decline and opossums become a nuisance. It Mould he wise, .nereforc, to cull liberally season by season, and to steadily introduce new and better breeds which .would have to be imported. In that way a very profitable industry in furs could bo maintained for the district. The Society proposes to take the matter up with the visiting Minister next week, and as the Forest Service is interested also, a sympathetic hearing should be given. The Society has done good "Oik during the year in its hatchery branch, and by the union with the Grey Society mutual advantage should result. If is in regard to tourist work that, the Society can do much to help the district. It has done a good doa* already in helping with advertising and through that useful channel valuable -publicity has resulted. In the works proposed in anil around Lake Kanieri, special attention lias been drawn to that outstanding resort, and the results this season are evident—the locality has never before had so many visitors. Something further is to be done- for Lake Mahiuapun in the same direction, and there is no reason why that resort should not he in friendly alternative rivalry with Lake Kanieri. Surely Hokitika is most fortunate in having two such notable resorts so near at hand, and it would he a collection oil the community were one or the other to suffer from continued neglect. There is certainly much useful work to lie done by the Tourist Society and it is well to -see the task being appreciated by the general public, and it is ‘certain that resort will grow rapidly in public favour, necessitating more attention still in the near future.