WEST COAST NOTES

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18918, 5 February 1927, Page 2

WEST COAST NOTES

PERSONAL.

(SPECIAL TO THE fBESS.) GREYMOUTH, February 4. Mr T. E. Y. Seddon, M.P., has been advised by Brigadier-General Andrew, Dominion Chief Boys' Scout Commissioner, that ho has been elected a member of the Dominion Council. Mrs M. Kennedy, of the Municipal Gas Office, will return to Greymouth tomorrow, from a holiday trip to the North Island. Clarence Palmer, son of Mr E. 0. Palmer, superintendent of the niailroom at the Greymouth Post Office, has accepted a position in the Cawthron Institute at Nelson. He is only 15 years and eight months old, and has a good scholastic record, having been dux at the Grey Technical School. Ho secured third place for Canterbury in the Senior National Scholarship, and was tenth in the Dominion, out of 1183 successful candidates in tho Public Service Entrance Examination and matriculated last year. Prior to his departure on transfer to Invcrcargill yesterday, Mr J. Smith, of the Railway Stores Department, Greymouth, was met by the members of the various staffs, and presented with a pipe and an afternoon-tea set. Mr G. D. Smart, of the Traffic Branch, made the presentations. Mr W. S. Butcher, of the State Mine clerical staff, Runanga, who has been transferred to the State Coal Depot, Wellington, will leave to-morrow morning. Mr John Dickens, a well-known Cobden resident, died at the Grey. Hospital this morning. Mr Dickens, who was a native of England and DO years of age, was a platelayer by occupation and was employed in the construction of tho Grcy-Rcefton railway. He later entered the service of the Grey Harbour Board and was employed by that body for a number of years. His wife predeceased him two years ago. Ho is survived by two married daughters residing in Wellington. Fatal Fall. Mr Jesse Baddeley, one of tho members of Baddeley and party, co-operative miners, fell from a viaduct crossing the Seven Mile Creek this morning, striking his head on a rock at the edgo of the Creek. The body was recovered ten minutes later, when life was extinct. A medical examination of the body revealed a fractured skull and dislocated neck. At the timo of the accident Baddeley was assisting to reconstruct a viaduct which was washed away by Monday's floods. Tho late Mr Baddeley was a native of Lancashire and 52 years of age. Ho had resided in Runanga for 20 years and had been associated with the cooperative party since its formation over four years ago. He at ono timo took a keen interest in industrial matters, and was a prominent member of the Methodist Church. He is survived by a widow and two sons, who reside at Runanga.

Taxi Proprietors' Picnic. Favoured by glorious weather the Greymout!) taxi proprietors held their annual picnic today at the Mitchells (Lake Brunner). About 100 persons, including friends and patrons, participated in the excursion to the pretty holiday resort. The outing proved a very cnjoyablo one. Tunnel Traffic The amount o£ goods traffic railed from the West Coast through tho Otira tunnel for this week totals 7052 tons. Distinguished English Visitor. The Hon. Mrs Ronald Greville, a distinguished English visitor, is at prosent on a tour of the West Coast. She left Hokitika this morning for the Glaciers, and proceeds to Christchurch by Monday's express. Railway Matters. Mr F. Pawson, Business Agent for the New Zealand Hallways, returned from South Westland yesterday. During his visit Mr Pawson found the farmers enthusiastic concerning the proposed excursion to Canterbury, and he was assured o£ good patronage. Mr Pawson 's visit wob productive of much good in establishing a better between tho Department and the farmers on the West Coast. ' The special West Coast excursion train to Otira to synchronise with the Christchurch excursion, which takes place on February 20th, promises to bo largely patronised by Greymouth residents. Callous Driver. A man named Julius Felix, residing at Koiterangi, who attended the Hokitika excursion to Rapahoe yesterday, was knocked down by a motor truck receiving injuries which necessitated his removal to the Grey Hospital. In response to an enquiry this evening the hospital authorities stated that his. injuries are not serious, and that his condition is satisfactory. It is alleged that the driver did not stop to render assistance to the injured man. Unemployed Belief Works. The Minister for Public Works has telegraphed Mr H. E. Holland, M.P., stating that he has authorised the Public Works Engineer to placo 29 unemployed married men on the GroymouthWestport coastal road, also that 10 Dobson miners recently engaged at the railway deviation work at Omoto will be placed on the north end of the Brunncr-Blackball road.