WEST COAST NOTES

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18725, 23 June 1926, Page 18

WEST COAST NOTES

PERSONAL. TO THB PBESS.) GREYMOUTH, June 22. Messrs "W. J. Jeffries and R. H. Perham (Hokitika) left this morning for Christclmrch. Mr and Mrs D. Stuart and Mrs G. Diedrich (Hokitika) left by this morning's express for Christchurcfi, en routo to Sydney on a holiday trip. Mr J. Kerrigan, chief veterinarian for Canterbury and Westland, was an inward passenger to Hokitika by to-day's express. Mr J. E Eitchio, general manager for New Zealand of the National Mortgage and Agency Co., Ltd., and Mr W. C. BrrdenT manager of the Chnstchurch branch, returned to Greymouth to-day from a visit to the Franz Josef G acier. They will leave for Christehurch on Thursday. ~ Mr Georgo Smart, of the Eailway Traffic Office, Greymouth, leaves on Thursday to attend the Eailway Officers' Conference, which opens in Wellington on Friday. Mr and Mrs A. Honey, Melbourne, who have been visiting the latter s mother, Mrs Connolly, at Eunanga, left this morning for Christehurch. Mrs L. Baker, Feilding, who has been visiting Mrs F. Broad, Shakespeare street, left this morning en routo to. the North Island. • , Mrs J. Steer and Miss Beryl Steer left this morning for Christehurch. _ Nurse Kennedy, of.the Eewa Hospital staff, who has been visiting Loburn, returned this afternoon to Greymouth. Alessrs H. C. Guinness (chief clerk, Eailway Traffic Office), J. Lawless (chief clerk, District Engineer's Omce), and H. Ball (Christehurch railway station staff), who have been on an official visit to the West Coast, returned this morning to Christehurch. The death of Mr Eoma V. King, who was well known in Greymouth is reported from Vienna on April 30th. Deceased was engineer in charge at the erection of the New Zealand Greenstone Company's plant at' Wainihinihi, on the Christehurch road. Ho returned to Austria in 1919. ' « : «.„ Mr E. Graham, of Wataroa, left this morning for Christehurch. Miss Elsie Groom, of the Grey Telephone Exchange, left this morning on holidays to Dunedin. Mrs H. D. James and Miss E. James, of Karoro, left this morning on a visit to Christehurch. The death occurred at the Eeefton Hospital yesterday of Mr James Spargo, aged 63 years, and a native of Victoria. Deceased was a wellfknown resident of the Eeefton district and a i minor by occupation. j Miss E. Cameron, of Hastings, is visiting her sister, Mra E. Tapp (Beef■°Mrs J. Morrie, a well-known Eeefton rosident, is seriously indisposed, and her condition is causing her relatives anxiety. -,--,.» Brunner Coalfield.

The old Wallsend mine, which had practically been shut down for nearly forty years, will resume operations' within the course of the next few weeks, with all the facilities installed for coal production on a>scale that promises to give the old Brurin'er coalfield renewed and a permanent era of prosperity. Tho work of linking up the mille with electric power from tho Grey Electric Power Board's supply is now neanng completion. The electric pump and fan aro in course of erection, and will he put into work , immediately. Extensive repairs have been _ effected to the shaft, so that no' time will be lost in having' everything in readiness for coal production as early as possible. Very little .difficulty has been experienced by the management in keeping the water in the low level workings under eontrol, and when the now machinery is installed it is hoped to have the mine ready for production within the next few weeks. It is understood that ' the company anticipate ho difficulty in getting, a per- ! manent market for their product. It j is stated that the coal in sight amounts to several millions of tons, so that with the vast area yet undeveloped, and the harnessing of electricity to assist in production, the mine .is resuming activities under , most favourable conditions. 1 . Westland Land Board. Tho following have been nominated for the seat on the Westland' Land Board rendered vacant by the death of Air George Mallinsonj Messrs Thomas Mallinson (Kopara), James Mulcare (Ngahere), John Ryall (Bariytown), and William Searle (Harihari). The Weather. Tho West Coast is still experiencing a fine, dry spell of weather. Although the mornings and evenings are cold, fine, sunny conditions prevail during the day.. The thermometer registered thirty-nine degrees at 9 o'clock this morning. New Gold Dredge. Gold dredging operations were commenced yesterday by the_ New Eiyer Company's electrically-driven drodge at Dunganville. The dredge is supplied with power from the Grey Electric Power Board's station at Dobson. There is an extensive area of auriferous ground at Dunganville, .which ,in the early days of the West gold diggings was a prosperous mining township, and was formerly known as Maori Creek. For many years Dunganville, like other once prosperous West Coast goldmining townships, has dwindled in population, until to-day all that remains of the old township is the name. The returns from the electric dredge at Rimu prove that the old-fashioned methods of goldmining were quite inadequate, and it is generally believed that the auriferous areas at Durjjanville and the sites of other old goldmining localities can be worked successfully by the application of modern machinery. It is safe to assume that the future of the alluvial goldmining industry on the West Coast will depend largely on the results'from the gold dredging activities at Dunganville. Electricity Popular. It' is understood that by the time the present applicants for electric power in the Grey district have been connected, the Dobson power.'station will be taxed to its full capacity, and it is possible that the' Board will have to consider proposals for increasing the present ' supply within the next twelve months. The introduction of electric power in tho.Grey district has improved the industrial outlook generally, and more especially the coalmining Industry in the Brunner district. Waiho Elver Bridge. Fair progress- isnow being madd with the .erection of the Waiho Biver Bridge, "but "the construction will take considerable time still, as the work is of Borne ' magnitude. The bridge, when available for traffic, will be a great boon ./to far South - Westland traffic. Motor " vehicle traffic will make its way further •ouj;h regularly once the bridge is available'for traffic.