LOOKING BACK

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1932, Page 3

LOOKING BACK

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS" AGO (From “West Coast Times’!, for week ending March 12, 1907)'/ Gold Export—The gold export frOm the colony during February totalled' 39,636 oz, valued at £162,019,. compared with 32,708 ozs valued at £l3O, 693"f0r February 1906. Hokitika Dramatic Club—At the Princess Theatre last night the Hokitika 1 Dramatic Club opened a tiro ‘nights’ season in producing" the play “Harvest”. The show was a' pronounced success, and tlie perioiiners are to be congratulated. Those who took part included Misses Violet Holmes, Pansy Holmes, Madeline Moore, Sara Allen, Eva Breeze, Bertha Harris and Messrs Carl Pfeifer, Alex Ross, M Lam pe;'Fred Sellars, Peter McCullough, and Fred Hilltop. The music was supplied by the Club’s orchestra under the baton' of Mr A. Good. Shipping—lt is understood that several settlers’' in South Westland have purchased an auxiliary schooner in Invercargill. She is somewhat smaller than the Hercules that traded here a few years ago. The vessel is expected to arrive at the beguiling of next month and will take up ...her running at once. Dredging—The Kumara” “Times” says: We understand that efforts are being made to start the Greenstone Junction dredge again it having been idle for some time. Only a. small amount of capital—about £3oo—is required to put the dredge in working order. * Mining—Messrs A. Clifton, J. Staines and C. J. Nightingale who, visited the Wilberforce last week, returned last evening. In company with, Messrs Fiddes and Fleming they inspected the reefs but were disappoints, ed to find that there had not been, more development work carried out on the field. They speak highly of the prospects, of the reefs. Okarito River—The surveyors on-, gaged in the survey of the Okarito. River with a view to preparing plans for harbour improvement have. , completed their work, and during the coming session of Parliament we will look to our present member for the district to have provision made for the work. Wataroa—The Wataroa Flax Milling Company, notwithstanding their’ seri-. ous reverse lately when the plant was burned down have re-erected the. mill and are now in full swing dressing fibre. The Okarito flax mill is also busy and a lot of labour is being- cm-' ployed in this industry. Mill hands are very scarce at present; 'in fact, employment is easily found by -those seeking work in this district. Tourist Traffic—Expectations were .formed with regard to the .mucin wanted tourist traffic south, and this season was expected to bring large numbers to visit our glaciers, etc., but so far, tourist traffic lias proved a failure, and it seems we must wait until the bridges ever the Wataroa and Wanganui rivers are built, before tourist traffic will he of any consequence. Fire Brigade—The Hokitika Fire Brigade competition team, eonsisiting of Foreman H. Thomson, Fireman W. Wallace, H. Lyneli, A Wilson and J., Wilson leave this morning for Christchurch to take part in the .Exdiibitioiicompetition. Lieutenant Thompson will leave to-morrow.