WEST COAST NOTES

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19645, 14 June 1929, Page 11

WEST COAST NOTES

♦ PERSONAL. (ar-SCUL, 19 THE FBXS9.) GKEYMOUTH, June 13. Miss W. Conlthard, of Kunanga, left this morning for Chris-church, on holiday. Mr A. Piper, assistant locomotive engineer, New Zealand Railways, returned to Christchcreh to-day. Mr M. Meßeth, who has represented the National Electric Co. in Greymouth, for the past three months, has received notice of transfer to Chriatehuroii. Mr J. B. Ward, accountant of the Bank of New South Wales, Hokitika, who is on 6ick leave, left this morning for Wellington. Mr A. Torrance, assistant railway locomotive foreman, will leave on Tuesday on a visit to Dunedin. Mrs Southon, a victim of the Bailer Gorge tragedy, was the wife of Mr Thos. Southon, and leaves a family of five sons and one daughter. A sister, Mrs Renwiek, is resident at Tiroroa. The deceased was a qualified nurse, and her death is a great loss to Inangahua Junction. Miss L. Buttress, of Nelson, has been appointed assistant teacher at the Eeefton District High School. Mrs W. Chinn (South Westland) left this morning for Palmerston North, to be present at the wedding of her son. Miss Doreen Clark arrived this afternoon from Christchurch.

Opossum Trappers Burnt Out. Messrs Blake, Hnffan, and E. Chisnall, who are engaged in trapping opossums in the upper reaches of the Kough river, inland from Waiuta, had the misfortune to be burnt out. In addition to losing their belongings they lost £4O worth of skins. Miners' Council. Second ballots are now being held by the miners of the West Coast for the election of officers '• of the West Coast Miners' Council. The State Miners' ballot, which was held yesterday, resulted as follows: —President: 3. K. Conuel 252, D. Hay ward 97; secretary, W. Purdie 206, D. McGregor 165; lasurer, A. D. Spencer 231, F. Wilson 133. Further ballots announced to-night are:— Blackball— President: A. Hayward 93, J. Connel 90. Secretary: W. Purdie 01, ~D. McGregor 90. Treasurer: A. I>. Spencer 128, F. Nelson 55. Grey Valley—President: J. K. Connel 119, D. Hayward IS6. Secretary: W. Purdie 239, K. McGregor 66. Treasurer: A. E. Spencer 204, F. Nelson 103. The present position is:—President: Connel 491, Hayward 376. Secretary: Purdie 530, McGregor 321. Treasurer: Spencer 503, Nelson 291.

School at Waimaunga. The Ikainatua School Committee wrote to the Nelson Education Board asking it to reconsider its decision in regard to the petition for the establishment of a primary and secondary school at Waimaunga. The Board resolved to adhere to its previous decision, i.e., the building of a new school at Hukarere and the replacing of the present school at Ikamatua. It is understood that the grant for the new school will be forthcoming from the Department at an early date. Minister for Health. The Minister for Health (the Hon. Mr Stallworthy) is expected to arrive in Greymouth to-morrow evening on his first official visit to Westland. He will arrive via Eeefton. The Minister will, it is expected, have no official appointments to-morrow evening, and will leave for South Westland on- Saturday morning. He has agreed to extend his itinerary to include the Fox Glacier as suggested by Mr J. O'Brien, M.P. The party will return to Hokitika on Monday afternoon, and on Tuesday, at Greymouth, the Minister is to meet the' Grey Hospital Board and visit the Hospital. On Tuesday evening he will be extended a civic welcome, and will probably hear deputations. On Wednesday morning he will leave for Christchurch.

Grey County Council. The Grey County Council met this morning. Present: The chairman (Mr J. W. llannan). and Crs. H. G. Carter, W. T. Ogilvie, G. Blair, J. Muleare, A. Donnellan, A. Eobinson, J. Ryall, and L. McDonell. The Main Highways Board forwarded authority for £l7lO "for the construction of Canoe Creek bridge on the Grey- j inouth-Wcstport coastal road. The Commissioner of Crown Land's wrote relative to river erosion on F. E. Eoud's property at Punakaiki. The District Engineer and County Engineer reported that two small groynes were required. supplemented by a small protective bank. The estimated eost was £lO5, allocated £4O each to the Lauds Department, and the County Council, and Mr Eoud's labour, £25. The Commissioner of Crown Lands asked whether the Council had any objection to the Greymouth Jockey Club's proposal to plant trees on the river reserve adjoining the Omoto racecourse. The engineer said that the suggestion was a good one. He had recommended ten years • ago that tree-plant-ing should be done. The Council resolved that it had n» objection to the proposal. Mr J. Duggan, Runanga, wrote that he would take further action unless the Council did something to prevent drainage from the road going on to his property. The engineer outlined the position mentioning that the applicant was occupying and had fenced in a road reserve. He suggested that Mr Duggan could be notified to remove the fence. The road in question was a boundary between the County and Runanga Borough, and he suggested that if it were ceded to the Borough, that body could better deal with the position.

On the motion of Cr. Robinson, it was resolved that the Council recognised no responsibility in regard to the demand. The engineer was reappointed for a further term as the County Council's representative on the No. 12 Districts Highways Council. A deputation representing the cooperative mines at Uapahoe asked_ for some relief regarding the toll of 3d per ton per mile, imposed on coal being \ won from the co-operative mines, and ! carted over the County road to the ! railhead. It was pointed out that the j Council, in addition, was getting further revenue by way of heavy license; I fees and petrol tax. ! It was decided that the engineer as- : certain the added cost of the maintenance of the road owing to the - coal lorrv traffic to Eapahoe, and when the information is available the deputation j meet the Council again. j Cr. Mulcare expressed dissatisfaction 1 at the proposed loan of £12,000 for the ! Blackball water supply having been turned down by the Loans Board. It was stated that the rateable value of the Blackball Coal Company would be exempt from any rate, and the present rates would have to be increased threefold to provide interest and sinking fund. It was suggested that some cheaper alternative scheme should be found which the Loans Board might be more favourable to.

Supreme Court. In the Supreme Court, Westport, this morning, before Mr Justice Adams, Colin Clyde Austin and George Eden Charles Hayward, for rapt-, were sentenced to seven years' imprisonment. His Honour said that there were no circumstances justifying leniency. Christopher George Curtain, Robert John Douglas Kitto, and George Thomas Howell, for unlawful carnal knowledge, were each sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment. Louis Franklin Pain, on a similar charge, was found not guilty. A Short-Lived Dispute. No work was done on the Grcymonth wharf last evening owing to the Union Company's relieving foreman not engaging a man who stood up at the call at 4 p.m. At the 6 o'clock call no men responded. Normal work went on today as ÜBual. It is contended that, according to the agreement, the mau should have been engaged. The action of the remainder of the men in refusing to work was also a breach of the agreement, which provides that disputes shall be referred to the Disputes Committee, and that work shall continue. Kaltangata's Mishap.

The breakdown in the engine-room of the Kaitangata yesterday is likely to delay her for a few days. The Union Company's superintending engineer (Mr R. Dunlop) arrived from Lyttelton this afternoon to make an inspection. The Kaitangata has a load of about one million feet of timber for Sydney, Newcastle, and Brisbane, and was ready for sea j-esterday. Her engines were given a preliminary run from 11 a.m. until noon, there being no sign of any defect. The mishap to the machinery occurred when she was being moved to another berth. Licensed Victuallers, At a meeting of the Grey Licensed Victuallers' Association this afternoon, opportunity was taken of formally farewelling Mr E. J. Kiely, who has disposed of his interest in Revington 's Hotel, and is taking over Warner's Hotel in Christchurch, and Mr W. Ryan, who has disposed of his interest in" the Wallsend Hotel at Wallsend. Mr A. Beban, president of the Association, presented both retiring members with an engraved silver cigarette case.