WESTLAND GOLDFIELDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 162, 8 January 1914, Page 5

WESTLAND GOLDFIELDS.

JUBILKE CELEBRATIONS. SUCCESSFUL PROCEEDINGS. liy Telegraph.—Press Association. HokitikJi, U-t Night. TIK! Westland Clohlfield cc-h-lantions.lo-day wore attended by the gathering assembled in llokitika fur more than 30 years jmst. Over 3000 pooylf came by Vail from nortli and south. These, with the pioneers, to the mimher of approximately SOO, besides i f ITokitika and oiitlyiii" districts, wore- I estimated to swell the total attendance to about 8000. His Excellency the (,'ovcrnor (the Ea '1 of Liverpool)' and the Countess of Liverpool received ail official welcome oi the morning, and the former was presented with an illuminate.! address. Immediately afterward-; the'procession ~start-d. for Cass Sipiare. the order lieiiiL' us follows: Municipal band, territorials. His Excellency'* carriage, senior cadeis. pioneers (lSlil-l'.'H, Ministerial carriage, members" of Parliament, visi-' tors. llokitikaßand, School children, friendly sfieietios,- 10-.il bodies, public. In tie- procession were nearly 50 ti pioneers. Many were unibh to undertake , the walk, and Were conveyed in vehicle, ; while others, including women, did not ( join the throng. : (lii arrival at the I'piare.. speech's ' were delivered by Mr ,1. Crimniond. ' chairman of the Celebration? Committee, who, in the co'.ir-e of his remarks, re- _ fenvd at some h-nr.'th to the importance of the gathering of Wet Coast p'oneers ' who had opened up -tie district for district for those who came after them. His Excellency expressed pleasure i,« being present at such a notable gathering, and remarked upon Ihe l.irue assemblage of pioneers who had braved the e!i':i"-n(s in opening- up the V,"esl Coasl. al-o n ferrinv: to the advance incut iu science, aerial navigation, and other matters the last h-.ilf-cen-tnvv. Other sp-aker- were the Hon. W. Friiser (Minister. f..r Public Works). Si.T. C. Ward. Mr Robertson (-Mayor of Lawrence). Mr -Malcolm. M.P.. Mr O. W. Pus-ell, M.P.. Mr S. C. Fergir»n (Wetland Countv chairman), and Mr Peer. (Mayor of llokitika). During the course ot the pvo.-c-diie'S a united choir vin;,' the National Anthem and a number of hvnins. The gathering adjourned l-i witness .the laying >■" the tcnudat inn-stone of the memorial to the Wo't Const pioneers. The stem- w:\, laid by His l-.'v-cell-iiey the Coventor, the speeches being brief put appropriate to t-lie occasion. The pioneers were entertained at lunch, and afterwards the centre of attraction was Cass Sipiare, wlicr* a schools and pioneer sp„i-( s proyramnii- was in-lulled in. The attendance at this . stage ■ reached its laivext, and the afternoon belli" heautil'ully tine, th* proceedings pns'od off very ciijnvably... The pioiHOrs apiiear to be revelling '•» the aniuseinents provided. To-nignl they urn hein" specially rntertnlned at a concert. Tomorrow they sirevbcing taken to I.aki' Mnhinapna, where thev will be the quests of the Oebrations. Committee. In the evening they will oe present, at the operatic perfor.-nnncc .if "Les Cloches ile Covneville.'' by the local aniateurs, which has already had a successful season for three nights. On the following dav (Friday) (he *ioi cers wi'l ' be conveyed to the outlying mining di-:- ' tricts, and during the aftevtioon e garden partv will he piveii in th"ii' honor. On Saturday the festivities are to be continued at I?oss. and a special railway time-table will be arranged, whle on Monday a yKit to Kumara has bee-i organised. *

The visitors include pioneo'? froib ulmost all parts of. the TJomhion, mnnv of th«m lnuina born in TTcTtHlka nuil difiliiet .*)fl rears at o, Tl * viee-rejnl nartv will remain in the district unf'l Saturday, when thty pwnd to. Ovcymouth, -via Kunuirci , , '■ ,;.