WEST COAST NOTES

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19524, 22 January 1929, Page 5

WEST COAST NOTES

PERSONAL.

(SFF.CIU. TO XHX PBESS.) GREYMOUTH, January 21. Mr and Mrs B. Tate left this morning on a holiday visit to Waitara. Mr J. Graham, supervisor of the mailroom at Greymouth post office, is a patient in the Grey Hospital. Mrs S. G. Smith, of New Plymouth, is visiting relatives in Greymouth Miss Doreen Mcßrearty, who has been visiting Christchurch, returned Mr W Meldrum, formerly on the staff of Messrs Stratford, Blair, and Co.. Ltd., arrived to-day on holiday from Dunedin. . Mr F. I. Parnell arrived to-day from Christchurch. , Mr and Mrs F. Hadcroft and Mr J. Hadcroft (Runanga), who have been on a holiday visit to Christchurch, returned to-day. Mr W. Robertson, secretary of the Master Bakers' Association, left to-day | for Christchurch to attend the annual conference of the Association. Mrs J Webber arrived on Saturday from Rangiora on a visit to her son, M*r R. Webber, and Mrs Webber. Mr K. N. Glover has been transferred from Hokitika to the Greymouth Post Office linesmen's staff. Mr Reg. Larsen, son of Mr and Mrs A. Larsen, of Westport has joined the s.s. Wairuna as fifth engineer. An elder brother, Mr Will Larsen, is third eneineer on s.s Kamona. Mr W. Dando, of Sefton, is spending 1 a holiday with Mr and Mrs E. McTaggart, Runanga. Mr and Mrs E. de Joux, who are touring the West Coast, arrived from the Franz Josef Glacier. During the visit of the Corsair Social Club to Hokitika on Saturday, the secretary fMr C. A. Frost) presented Mr D. J. Evans with an embossed wallet in appreciation of what he had done to render the club's visit so enjoyable. Magistrate's Court.

A sitting of the Magistrate s Court was held this morning. Mr W. Meldrum, S.M., presided and SeniorSergeant Roach represented the police. Five statutory first offenders who were found on licensed premises during prohibited hours were convicted and discharged. A second offender was fined £1 and costs, and a third offender £2 and costs. John Robertson was charged with a breach of a maintenance order, it being £26 in arrears. I>efendant was sentenced to 28 days' imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended so long as he pays £4 per fortnight off the arrears and keeps the payments under the original order up to date. William Brown, licensee of the Recreation Hotel, for whom Mr J. W. Hannan appeared, was charged with opening, exposing and selling liquor on Sundav, December 16th. Ho pleaded gailtv'to the charge of selling and was fined* £5 and costs. The other charges were withdrawn. Eldon Brown, son of William Brown, pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting the licensee of the Recreation Hotel by scouting. Ser§eant Smyth stated that when defenant saw the police approaching the hotel, he ran across the street into the hotel. Mr Hannan, who appeared for defendant, contended that there was no case to answer and this was upheld by the S.M , who dismissed the charge. Raymond J. Patterson, son of the licensee of the Union Hotel, was charged with having assaulted Joseph Michael Clark. Defendant, who was represented by Mr Hannan, pleaded not guilty. The evidence was of a contradictory nature. Defendant alleged that Clark accused him of stealing liquor from the hotel. Clark denied that he made the accusation. The outcome was that Patterson struck Clark twice. This was admitted. Mr Hannan asked .that under the circumstances the charge be dismissed. The S.M. held that defendant was not justified in deliberately assaulting Clark, convicting and fining him £l. A charge against Clark of theft of seven handkerchiefs, the property of Percy James Patterson, licensee of the Union Hotel, was dismissed, the S.M. regarding the evidence for the prosecution as contradictory and unsatisfactory. A remand till next Monday was granted on the application of the Jtolice in the case against Harold Wiliam Hudson, who appeared in custody charged with breaking and entering the premises of Walter Scott and Co., Ltd., on November 2nd, 1928, with intent to commit a crime, and that he wilfully attempted to set fire to the building. Accused was represented by Mr W. P. McCarthy. Cricket. Only junior grade games were played yesterday. United juniors defeated Marist A on the first innings by 28 runs. Brunner A defeated Marist B by 42 runs on the first innings. Kumars met and easily defeated Wanderers by an innings and 30 runs. lieg Broken. A young son of Mr and Mrs J. Dalziel, of Eunanga, while playing on the tramline at Coal Creek Falls on Saturday, had a leg broken. f The Zingaxa.

Hopes are now entertained for the refloating of the Zingara. Mr Wilson, who is in charge of the operations, had the work under way yesterday, and encouraging progress was made. The vessel was moved elear of the protection wall, and a pump installed to clear the hull of water. The propellers and shafts are being removed, and some temporary repairs are being effected. The steamer Nile is being requisitioned to carry an anchor seawards and bring a line inshore. Other lines will be run out, and everything placed in readiness for the spring tides, when it is hoped to refloat the vessel. She will be warped into the river, and placed on the hard ground near Mahinapua creek, where the machinery will be overhauled and repairs effected. Extension of Railway. A meeting of the co-operative miners of the State mines district and the Greymouth Harbour Board reserves at Bapahoe and Ten Milo was convened by Mr J. D. Lynch and held this evening, when all the co-op. mines concerned were represented, and those present formulated a request to be presented to th« Minister for Mines when in Greymouth on his forthcoming visit, for an extension of the present railway line, which ends at Rapahoe, to a site more central for the co-op. mines in that locality. At present a number of parties are winning coal which has to be delivered from the mines to the Bapahoe railway station in motor-lorries. The motor freight ranges from 2s 6d to 4s per ton. If this could be reduced it would enable the co-op. mines to sell at a cheaper rate. The State Mines Department and the Greymouth Harbour Board derive substantial royalties on the eoal won from their reserves. To meet the heavy wear and tear to the highway caused by these coal lorries, a special tonnage rate is paid to the Grey county to assist in the maintenance of the surface. An extension of the line a mile or two from the present railhead at Bapahoe would be a great benefit to the co-operative parties working the reserves. It would also tempt other parties to take up coal leases in the vicinity, where the class of coal is very good for all purposes.