WEST COAST NOTES

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19332, 9 June 1928, Page 20

WEST COAST NOTES

THE GREY BAR.

(SPECIAL TO TBS fBESS. )

GEEYMOUTH, June 8,

The Greymouth Chamber of Commerce at its meeting this afternoon discussed the complaint made to the Greymouth Harbour Board by a Greymouth timber and shipping firm regarding the Kailway Department's methods of handling traffic on the Greymouth wharf. The firm stated in its letter to the Board that preference was being given by the Department to traffic through the Otira tunnel, and that unfair treatment was being meted out to vessels trading to the port. It was alleged that since the tunnel was opened the policy of the Eailway Department was to hamper shipping as far as practicable. Eeferring to the letter, Mr J. McLean (chairman of 'he Chamber) -;aid the Harbour Board meant to go fully into the question. The allegations made against the Department of giving undue preference to East Coast traffic were serious. He would like to hear the views of Mr W. B. Cunningham, manager of the Greymouth office of tho Union Steam Ship Company in the matter.

Mr Cunningham said he had been in Greymouth for seven years, and had never seen delays occur as described in the firm's letter to the Harbour Board. He blamed the vagaries of the Greymouth bar for the delays in shunting. Owing to restrictions on loadings through insufficient water on the bar, the cargo shut out' naturally accumulated on the wharf, with a result that there was considerable congestion. Shipping companies themselves were often to blame. In his opinion the Department was often blamed wrongly, and it •was not by any means as black as it was painted. Four steamers this week had to sail at a restricted draught of neventeen feet. This meant that the cargo shut out from each ship was approximately six hundred tons. Last week two thousand tons of cargo were shut out, which would cause the State miners to lose three or four days' work. The chief contributing factor to delays in shunting was tho accumulation of cargo left on the wharf causing congestion/ The conditions ruling at Greymouth, he said, were better than thoso at other railway ports where he had been stationed. Mr J. Greenslado (Mayor) asked the chairman whether he could, give the members an idea as to when the Stewart scheme for clearing.the bar would be put into operation. The Harbour Board should take the public into its; confidence and give them some definite idea as to when the Stewart scheme would be given a try-out. The chairman.explained that the Harbour Board was doing its best to get the scheme put into operation with the least possible delay. He wished to be quite fair to. the ex-chairman (Mr J. Steer), who had gone to considerable trouble to get the Stewart plant put into action. Difficulties had been experienced in getting certain parts of the plant, but it was hoped to have a demonstration within the next two or three weeks. He fully realised that the development of the resources of the West Coast depended on a good harbour, and it was his earnest desire to .make the.Greymouth harbour a credit to the Dominion. ' Aviation. As the' outcome of representations made to the Government by the Greymouth'Borough Council and Harbour •Board, - Captain \ M. Buckley, } of; the Wigram aerodrome,*af rived, by yesterday's express for the purpose of investigating suitable sites for. aircraft landings.* Last evening.the aviator was met at the Council Chambers by the Mayor (Mr J. W. Greenslade), the Borough Councillors, arid Mr J. McLean (chairman of the Greymouth Harbour Board-and Chamber of Commerce). In-extending a welcome to Captain Buckley, the Mayor explained that 'Greymouth^was in a most favourable position for an aviation base,, being the nearest New. Zealand eentre to Australia—lo7s nautical miles from Sydney. .Westport was one mile further tromSydney, !butwas out of the question as a landing place for sea. planes and aeroplanes, because it was out of touch with other centres through having no railway communication. Grey-. mouth had direct. communication with Christchurch,' and the only question was whether suitable landing places existed in the Grey district. Captain: Buckley commenced his tour of inspection this morning. He was accompanied by Mr: J;-McLean, Pcrotti, Messrs T. Johnston (Public • Works Engineer), A Farrmaid (Borough Engineer), F. H. Denton (Town Clerk), and W. B. Gilbert, secretaryof the. Greymouth Harbour Board. The Greymouth lagoons were first mBpected. Tho party then proceeded to Cobden Island and Point Elizabeth, returning to Greymouth for lunch, when they were the guests of Mr McLean. In the afternoon a visit was made to Lake Brunner. There the party was met by Mr Noel .Peat, who supplied Captain Buckley with particulars as to tho depth and size of the lake and the nature of the surrounding country. On Sis return to Greymouth this afternoon Captain Buckley attended the meeting of the' Grey Chamber of Commerce at .the .invitation, of the chairman.. ; Captain Buckley said he had covered more ground than he expected through ■ .the courtesy of tho Borough Council and the Harbour. Board. The lagoon Bite near the.hospital offered good possibilities for an aeroplane base. The Bite, however, appeared to lack sufficient width'for seaplanes. Lake Brunner was an ideal landing base, and with the plateau adjacent the site was very suitable for an aerodrome. Greymouth, he said, was; in the right line of route for a base, and its splendid geographical situation must be given consideration. Commercial aviation, although yet in its infancy in the Dominion, soon would become an important factor, in transport. Mr J. W. Greenslade said he trusted that Captain Buckley 'a visit would prove the forerunner of great things, and that the West Coast would soon play an important part: in • aviation matters. interviewed by a'representative of The Press, with regard to the suitability of the sites he had inspected for aviation bases, Captain Buckley said that the lagoon site near the hospital was Very suitable. for a landing place for aeroplanes. The trouble with, seaplane bases was the large amount of water necessary, and he thought the lagoon would be hardly large enough, but he could not definitely say until he had further information regarding the measurements.: The Cobden Island was Unsuitable owing to flood conditions, and its situation in the gorge. There was no .suitable base at Point Elizabeth owing to'its unsheltered position. Lake Brunner was ideally suitable for a seaplane base, and he thought that very little difficulty would be encountered in making a combined base there ior both seaplanes and aeroplanes. The only cost . involved; would \be ..the . erection of j hangars and a slipway. There was I plenty of room on the splendid sheet of I water, and ample depth. He estimated the,flying distance from Greymouth to ; Lake Brunner as under 10 miles. He j

expressed the opinion, that Lake Brunner had wonderful possibilities both as a seaplane base and a possible depot where passengers and freight brought by seaplanes could be transferred to aeroplanes, which could eouvey them to other parts of the Pamiaian. Referring to tho Kaxoro Liagoon site, Captain Buckley, said that Greymouth was fortunate in having a possible base located so close to the town. Grey Post Office. The inadequate accommodation provided at the Grey Post Office was tu6 subject of considerable criticism at today's meeting of the Grey Chamber of Commerce. The chairman (Mr J. McLean) caid that promises had been made by the authorities to have improvements carried out, but so far nothing had been done. It appeared that the authorities were not alive to the fact of the growth of Post Office business. He described the accommodation provided >s quite inadequate. Tnere was no privacy for savings bank depositors, old age pensioners, or the general publi*. Other members also complained of the accommodation. It was decided to make representations to the Post and Telegraph authorities at Wellington urging that the proposed extension to the Post Office buildings be put in hand immediately. Hawkers and Peddlers. A remit forwarded firbm the Hikurangi Chamber of Commerce urging the tightening up of the regulations governing hawkers and pedtMers was the subject of an amusing discussion at today's meeting of the Chamber of Commerce. The Mayor spoke : in support of the remit. He said that some peddlers made themselves perfect pests with women when their menfolk were absent from home. Women cotild not get rid of them until they bought something. Mr J. Eing gave some instances of the methods employed by persons engaged in canvassing. "When the door is opened to thenn,'" said Mr Eing, *they place one foot in tho jamb so that it cannot be shut in their faces." Some of the wives of business men were the worst offenders in giving orders to itinerant dealers. During tho Grey shopping week, he said, Jots of people took the opportunity of going to Christchurch to do their shopping. invoice: They were taking advantage of the cheap fares. The Chamber decided to support the remit. Personal. Mr J. Steer will leave to-morrow for Christcliurch. Mr W. T. Tregurtha, Assistant-Dis-trict Eailways Traffic Manager for Canterbury and Westlhnd, who has. been visiting the West Coast ? will return to Christchurch to-morrow.' The death occurred yesterday of Mrs Leopold Goulding,- of Ngakawau, after a long, illness. Deceased was 42 years of age. Miss Jean Hambleton will leave tomorrow on a holiday trip to Wellington. Mr J. Dando (Blackball),, who was injured in last Monday's Marist v. Blackball League football match, was operated on at the Grey Hospital to-day. His condition_is reported as satisfactory. Child's Tragic Death. The death of Fay O'Neill, aged five years, twin daughter of Mr and. Mrs E. O 'Neill,. of Queen street, Westport, occurred yesterday under tragic circumstances. On Tuesday the child swal: lowed a whistle, and yesterday she collapsed, death intervening while she was being taken to. a doctor, ..... Tunnel .Traffic. Goods traffic transported-through the Otira tunnel for this week totals 10,158 tons, an. increase of 467 tons compared with the previous year's corresponding period. School Committee Indignant. The- members of the Kaiata School Committee have issued an ultimatum to the Education Department that unless better accommodation is forthcoming for the pupils at the school before the next meeting, the whole of the .committee will resign in a. body.