WEST COAST NOTES

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20083, 12 November 1930, Page 9

WEST COAST NOTES

PERSONAL. j \QVKCIAtO TO YHB EEXSS.) GKEYMOUTH, November 11. . Dr. G. W. Meade, of Runanga, left to-day on a visit to Christchurch. Mr and Mrs W. Ruddle, of Christchurch, and Mr and Mrs A. Dunstan, of Kurow, arrived by car yesterday, and are staying with Mr and ■ Mrs Black, Cobden. Nurse O'Neill, of the Grey Hospital staff, was a passenger by to-day's express to Christchurch. Miss L. Bennington, who has been visiting her brother. in returned to-day to Christchurch; Mrs A. H. Burt, of Kuffiara Junction, lef :. to-dav on a" holiday visit to her mother in Christchurch. Mrs P. Coyle, of Hokitika, left today, on holiday to Wellington. Mr L. Gillman, a former West Coast resident, who has been visiting Greymouth, returned to-day to Kirwee. _ Mr J. Cairney, who has been visiting the North Island, returned to-day.. Mr W. Maclndoe, of Auckland, arrived to-day on a visit to the West Coast. Mr N. B. McCalluni, who lias been visiting Wellington and Christcliurchj returned to-day. Armistice Day. Two minutes' silence was observed in Greymouth to-day at 11 a.m. at the Cenotaph. The Mayor (Mr J. W. | Greenslade), the chairman of the Harbour Board (Mr J. G. McLean), the Town Clerk (Mr F. H.. Denton), and Messrs A. H. McKane and T. P. Ryan (representatives of the Greymouth Returned Soldiers' Association) attended and the pupils and teachers of the Greymouth Main School were also present, marching from the school to. the Cgnotaph. Many other Greymouth residents were present, and stood in silence as the Main School bell and the firebell tolled out the. hour. Wreaths were placed on the Cenotaph from the Mayor, Councillors, and. citizens of Greymouth, the Greymouth Returned Soldiers' Association, the pupils

of the Greymouth Main School, and others.

Otira Tunnel. ] The amount of coal, timber, and general merchandise railed through the ] Otira Tunnel from the West Coast last ] week was 9111 tons, compared with 13,228 tons dealt with in the correa- ' ponding period in 1929 and 12,413 tons 1 in 1928. Wages Stolen. -j A sawmill employee at Inangahua; Landing on Saturday last, was the loser of a large sum of money. He had received his pay, and carried it to, work with him, and he put it away ist his coat. When he went to. look for his money at the end of-the day, it was missing. Business Premises. Entered. The business premises of the Greymouth Fruit Mart, in Boundary Btreet, and those of Boucher and Company, grocers, Mawhera quay, Greymouth, were I entered last night. An attempt was made to force the lock on the door of the fruit mart, but it was abandoned, [ the wire-netting frontage of the shop being ripped away in the right-hand cor-ner-sufficiently to allow a man to crawJ through. The door of the office " - had been left open by the proprietor, Mr Marshall. The top of tlie desk in. the office was forced open, and access gained to the till, coppers to the value o£ 3s being stolen. Some postage stamps were allowed,to remain in the back/of the till, unnoticed. The double front doors at the premises of Boucher and Company, were forced open. Some cash in the till in the shop was left untouched, the office door was open, but the safe had not been interfered with. The - firm carries a large Btock of groceries and tinned goods. An inspection made- this morning failed to reveal any.obvious shortage Miners' Slack Time. Work in the coal mines in the Reefton District is very sla-ck, and the men find it difficult to: provide themselves .and their families with food. At the Burke's Creek colliery (late Reefton Coal Co.), three shifts per fortnight only are being t provided for 11 pairs of men, and this I is done only by rationing the . work I among them, -, and the sharing oii the work of ' six men ■ amongst 22. At Perfection Valley Colliery the rationing of has been going on., for the past fortnight, but this mine is doing slightly better, seven shifts being secured . the period under review. The Matchless mine is running .on. almost ' full time. No official statement has been made regarding the' Morris group—the Saramain and MomsviUe mines. Hospital Board. The Westland Hospital Board met ! ast evening at Hokitika. Present: Messrs J. J. Breeze (chairman); G. Da;vidson, A. R. Elcock, W. H. Evenden, R. Wells, and G. W. Duff. The secretary - referred to an anomaly in tbe pavment of the fees of old ; "pensioners, stating that if a pensioner

died towards the middle of the month, J no pension or portion of a pension was j paid for maintenance. ' The Grey Hospital Board wrote stating that it had decided to discontinue the reciprocal agreement with the Hokitika Board for tha treatment of pati ents. It was resolved that Messrs Duff and Jeffries should be delegates to attend a meeting of the West Coast Board .and. the ..Timber Workers' Union at Greymouth. Obituary. Private advice received this morning conveyed the news of the sudden, death last nrght of Mrs Downey, widow of Mr John Downey, formerly Superintendent of the Seaview Mental Hospital at Hokitika for some years. Mrs D6wney had been a resident at Lower Hntt for some years, and of late had been in' failing health. She leaves two sons, Mr Esmond Downey, a bank | clerk, and Mr James Downey, a dentist, both of whom live in Wellington. Armistice Day. At: Hokitika the fire-bell tolled at 11 o'clock, and a general cessation of traffic and business ensued. There was a small assemblage at the Cenotaph in Cass Square, consisting mostly of exservice men, who stood at attention and uncovered for the period of silence as a mark of respect for the fallen. The State Mines. Mr George Millar, who has been in charge of the engineering department of the State Mines since their inception, is retiring on superannuation. He is being succeeded by Mr A. Hildebrand, of Huntly, who is a native of Greymouth, and who served his apprenticeship at the Dispatch Foundry in - Greymouth, and for several years worked as leading fitter at the State Mines, before going to the North Island. Mr Hildebrand has arrived in Greymouth, and takes up his duties immediately.