WEST COAST NOTES

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19466, 13 November 1928, Page 14

WEST COAST NOTES

PERSONAL. (special to thb pebss.) GBEYMOUTH, November 12. Mr C. W. Thomas, railway stationmaster at Shannon, has been transferred to Westport as station clerk. Mr W. Jeffries, chairman of the Westland County Council, and Mr 0. Q. Jones, who had been visiting Christchurch, returned on Saturday. Mr James C. Duncan, who is retiring from the position of railway stationmaster at Auckland, was for a number of years in the district office at Greymouth, and was previously stationmaster at Eeefton. The death occurred this morning of Mr Daniel Liddy, an old resident of Cob den, aged 78 years. He was born in County Clare, Ireland, and leaves no relatives. He was a miner in the Barrytown district. A farewell social was tendered at Runanga on Friday to Mr and Mrs Sam Baddeley. During the evening the Mayor (Mr E. McTaggart) presented Mr Baddeley with a wallet containing £2O with which to purchase some suitable memento. Mr W. Sim, of the railway maintenance branch, who is stationed at Cronadun, has received notice of his transfer to Otakaika, and leaves for that place on November 20th. Cricket. Rain interfered with most of the, week-end cricket matches. Stars defaulted to United B. When United A had scored 141 for three wickets against Cobden, rain caused the game to be abandoned. Ladies* Golf Club, The junior championship semi-finals were played on Saturday. Miss Tennent beat Miss Kilgour, 6 and 5, and Miss Higgins beat Mrs Warnes, 3 and 2. Owing to Miss Tennent qualifying for the senior division, Miss Higgins won the junior championship by default. Magistrate's Court. At this morning's sitting of the Greymouth Magistrate's Court Mr W. Meldrum, S.M., presided. Three statutory first offenders caught on the premises of the Union Hotol, Greymouth, after hours on October 25th, were each convicted and ordered to pay costs, 10s. The maintenance officer proceeded against Walter Batchelor for arrears of maintenance. It was stated that an order was made at Hokitika on February 17th, 1927, for the payment of 10s per week for the maintenance of his child, but defendant had made no effort to pay, and the arrears totalled £32 10s to October 18th, 1928. Defendant was employed as an engine-driver,"and received £3 per week and his keep. His wife had obtained two orders against him, one for the maintenance of the child and the other for herself, but she was not proceeding dn behalf of herself. Defendant was sentenced to one month's imprisonment in Thames prison, the warrant to be suspended so long as he pays £5 per month in reduction of the arrears, in addition to the 10s per week payable under the original order, the first payment to be made on or before November 30th. What was described as an unfortunate case was that in which a young married woman, Edna Cairney, aged 18, proceeded against her. husband, Alfred Victor Cairney, aged 19. for separation, guardianship, and. maintenance on the ground of persistent cruelty, habitual inebriacy, and failure to maintain. Mr Joyce, who appeared for the defendant, suggested that the case be adjourned to enable an effort to be made to effect an amicable settlement. The Magistrate agreed to that course, and granted an adjournment for 14 days. Appearing at the Juvenile Court on remand, Joshua Thomas Carson, aged 24, who had been employed as a trucker at the Grey Valley Collieries at Dobson, pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting a little girl aged seven in Greymouth on November sth. He was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. The accused is already serving & month's imprisonment for a similar offence. The Gabriella. The steamer Gabriella, from Sydney, broke her previous record for the trip across the Tasman to Greymouth, She arrived on Sunday, after doing the voyage in five days 16 hours. Accident at Bell Hill. A serious accident on Saturday befell Mr E. Small, for several years sawyer at the Bell Hill sawmill, and now in the employ of Harley and Co., Nelson. Mr Small was driving a motor-cycle and side-car when he collided with a, lorry. The flesh of his left leg was torn off and his right leg fractured in three places, while he suffered serious facial abrasions. He was conveyed to the Nelson Hospital. His condition was serious. A Cold Snap. There was a fall in the temperature last evening, and after a cold night the thermometer registered 36 degrees at 9 o'clock this morning. There was a frost at Hokitika. The heavy Btorm which prevailed last night at Arthur's Pass interfered with the telegraphic and telephonic communication, and through communication with Christchurch was not effectively restored to normal till after noon today. Stock; for Aldington. Four trucks of cattle and one doubleJecker of pigs were sent away this ' afternoon for the weekly stock sale at ' Addington to-morrow. Money for Roads. The chairman of the Grey County Council has received advice from the ( Minister for Public Works that the sum < of £SOO which was authorised for fur- | ther work on the Haupiri Junction to J Haupiri road has been increased to ( £9OO. University Examinations. ] The annual University examinations 1 are being held in Greymouth under the j supervision of the Rev. J. S. Bartlett. ' Thirty-one candidates are sitting from J all parts of the West Coast.* The s examinations will be completed on r November 20th. f