WEST COAST NOTES

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18015, 6 March 1924, Page 9

WEST COAST NOTES

I BLACKBALL MINE IDLE. (special to "the pbxss.") GREYMOUTH, March 5. | With the bins full and no more i trucks available, there was nothing left for the mine management at Blackball to do but to blow the whistle which means no work. As a result, (he mine : was idle to-day. : Insulting Behaviour. 'This is a rare ease for Grey. ' mouth," said Sergeant Fryer, when John Rupert Moian was charged this ial ternoon, before Air W. Meldrum, | S.M., with having used insulting be- , ha\ioi.r with intent to provoke a breach •") the pence. The sergeant stated that a woman had noticed Moran under ; th( '. women's bathing shed at C'obden I vhile a swimming carnival was in pro- • gress. As a. result of her attracting I Ihe attention of others, and investiga--1 lions being made, Moran came out from j under the building and made off, but i within two hours he was located again in the same position. Only the presence of a constable had saved defendant from being assaulted by the crowd. Moran pleaded guilty, and had nothing to say in extenuation. The Bench said the case could not be treated lightly. The fact that the defendant was found under the shed on two occasions showed that drink was not the cause of his lapse. A fine of £5, in default seven days' hard labour, was inflicted.

Inquest. An inquest into the death of John Kennedy, who was killed at the State mine on Monday, was held at Dunollie this morning by the Coroner, Mr W. Meldrum. Evidence was given regarding the occurrence by Messrs Sharp, Melvor, and Barber, and a verdict of accidental death was returned, no blame being attachable to anyone. Fellow-miners attended the funeral to-day in large numbers. A large eon. gregation was present at St. Patrick's Church for the celebration of Requiem Mass. The funeral was one of the largest seen at Greymouth. The services were conducted by the Rev. Father Madden. Work at the State mine, which ceased when the late Mr Kennedy was fatally injured on Monday, will be resumed tomorrow. Personal. The marriage of Miss Helen Little, only daughter of Dr. and Mrs W. Little, of Blackball, to Dr. Russell King, of Christchur'ch, and youngest son of Mrs and the late Mr James King of Timaru, will take place at St. John's Presbyterian Church to-morrow. The Weather. Heavy rain has prevailed throughout the West Coast during the past couple of days, giving the ground a thorough soaking. The barometer has not at any time been very low, and an early return to fine weather is expected. The rain has come at an opportune time, as had the weather broken at the weekend it would have seriously marred the prospects of the athletic championships. Mining.

As a result of the appeal by the West Coast Miners' Council, the northern miners have taken a ballot on the question of forming a district council in place of the old Miners' Federation. The unions participating were' Huntly, Hikurangi, Pukemiro, Rotowan>, Te Akatea, and Glen Afton, and the voting was 675 for a district council and 119 against. It is anticipated that the vote of the southern miners "will also be favourable, and if this proves the case a national conference will be held in Wellington for the purpose _of launching the new Dominion organisation.