WEST COAST NOTES

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17862, 7 September 1923, Page 11

WEST COAST NOTES

MINERS' DISPUTE

(SPECIAL TO '"THE PRESS.")

GREYMOUTH. September G,

The top mine at Rewanui again was , idle to-day. Several members of the executive of the Miners' Union were j interviewed by the Superintendent of j State Collieries (Mr I. A. Jame9) in | an endeavour to arrive at a solution of the trouble, but the negotiations failed. The truckers, who allege they have a grievance, were asked to cite a case as to the cause of the dispute, but declined to comply with the request. A meeting of the various unions is to be held thig evening. Coal Supplies. Six hundred tons of Newcastle coal have arrived at Grevmouth for' railwav purposes. It is understood that the Department regards Coast coal as having too much slack, The Buller Gorge Coal Company landed in Christchurch during the past week 13 trucks of screened coal. This company expects, as soon as the Railway Department takes over the Otira section, to despatch 200 tons per week. Vital Statistics. The vital statistics for August for the Grey district were:—2s births, 2 marriages, 19 deaths. Personal. E. Pascoe, amateur lightweight boxing champion, is seriously ill with pneumonia, following influenza. There is no chance of him accompanying the Dominion team to Australia. Dr. Dunn, who, since the inception of the Buller Lodge of Druids, has held the position of lodge doctor, has tendered his resignation. Obituary, The death took place at Beefton yesterday, at the residence of her daughter, of Mrs Hugh Smith. Deceased had been ill for a lengthy period. She was the eldest daughtter of the late Mr Henry Francis, of Greymouth, Mrs J. Banks, of Reefton, is her only sister. Mrs Smith came to the West Coast about 60 years ago, and in her younger days was a . vocalist of some note. Previous to going to Eeefton deceased resided in Ahaura. She is survived by her husband and family of five sons and five daughters. The sons are Messrs H. Smith (Matai), E. Smith (Blackball), H. Smith (Timaru), and H. and F. Smith (Eeefton). The daughters are Mrs J. Williams, Mrs H. Truscott, and Mrs Heslop (Eeefton), Mrs H, Orpwood (Greymouth), and Mrs J. Williams (Dunedin). Proposed Begatta. ' la,pre-war days, aquatic sports reached a high standard on the Grey Eiver, the annual regattas being attended with ' great popular interest. An attempt is I being made to revive past glories, and there is now a good prospect of the New Year holidays' programme including a comprehensive regatta. A fine stretch of water is available westwards from the Cobden bridge, and it is confidently hoped that the opening of the Otira tunnel will make it easier for Christchurch oarsmen and swimmers to compete against Coast talent. The Beautiful West. The decision of the Minister of Tourist Eesorts to open a bureau at Greymouth has given general satisfaction, as it is believed here that the beauties of the West Coast are not really known to many New Zealanders or visitors. Owing to the improvement in roads, and the increase. of bridges, travelling in the beautiful West has lost its onetime ordeals. The Westland chairman (Mr Duff) who recently returned from South Westland, having travelled as far as .Weheka (Cooks River) was much impressed with < the trip. He noted a general condition of advancement, and found the settlers comfortably established on their holdings, and all apparently doing very welL The bridging of the larger rivers lg a great boon to the south traffic, but there -still remains small streams requiring attention before traffic will be safe from interruption by flood. The south people are greatly pleased to hear that the Waiho bridge is to be started this year. This bridge will open up permanently the far south route to Weheka and tho Fox Glacier, and add a new territory* for holiday-makers. The eighteen miles of road which will be added is described as the finest scenic ride in the Dominion. If the beauty of the Otira Gorge is lost to the general traveller now, there remains the .ride over the Oemoeroa and Waikukupa Saddles, presenting a' wonderful bush panorama.

Music Examinations. Mr C. Vincent, examiner for the Trinity College of Music, London, presented, on Sunday last, winning exhibitions of £6 each to the following four pupils of Grevmouth Convent School:— Miss Ethel Wallace, who secured 95 in the intermediate violin section out of a possible 100 marks; Miss Kathleen Fogarty, 94 marks out of 100 in intermediate piano section. Master Charles Leech, who won 90. marks out of 100 in junior violin section; and Miss Mary Orr, who secured 95 marks out of 100 in junior piano section. To Mis 3 Fallace, who is still in her early teens, Mr Vincent said that she was a virtuoso of tremendous promise. She had talent, and if she kept going she would take the world by storm. In a brief summary of the College's activities, Mr Vincent declared that during last year 55,000 candidates entered for Trinity alone. In proportion to the population,' New Zealand takes first place easily. Last year he examined in New Zealand 3865 candidates. Seven hundred and eighty-nine failed, and out of 287 diploma candidates, 118 failed. That went to show that in Grevmouth, where they had no failures (and the same this year), the teaching was of a very high order. Unfortunately, this standard of excellence did not exist all over New Zealand. 'Tor instance," said Mr Vincent, "in one centre, 12 candidates came before me, and, alas, only two passed. One of the teachers had the audacity to write me, on behalf of two of her pupils, stating that their parents were poor working people, and had scraped np with difficulty the fees with a view of obtaining a certificate, and all they got was a failure. Could I not stretch a point and give them a nass. One never peknowledges such letters, but the sentence 'all they got was a failure,' was too good to be missed, so I wrote back to this effect: 'These examinations are as much for the protection of the po t Or parents from bad teachers a3 for granting certificates and in this case the teaching was entirely to blame. When a teacher instructs her pupil, if t.lio scale of C Minor is asked, to play A Minor, and for G Major E. Minor, there is something sadly lacking in the teacher. The duty of the parent is obvious, and I think worth the amount of the fee.' "