WEST COAST NOTES

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20214, 17 April 1931, Page 5

WEST COAST NOTES

PERSONAL. (SPECIAL. TO THE PBBS8.) GREYMOUTH, April 16. Mr F. 1 Coßett, chief clerk of the Tourist Department, who has been visiting the West Coast, returned to-day to Wellington. 'Mrs J. Watson, who has been visiting relatives in Greymouth, returned to-day to Huntly. ■ Mr E. 'C. Fletcher, manager of the National, Bank of New Zealand, Ltd., at Greymouth, is retiring on superannuation at the end of June. Messrs, Joseph' Earland, James Winskill," Charles Broughton, and John Stockhouse, of the Greymouth railways loco, branch, have received notice ( of transfer to Dunedin. Mr William Hall (Wanganui) is visiting relatives in Greymouth. Mr T. A. Johnston, District Eiigiueer for the .Public Works Department, is making a tour of inspection the flood-affected district of Karamea. Aid to Prospecting. At the meeting of the Westland County Council at Holdtika on Tuesday the chairman, Mr W. Searle, urged further advocacy by the Council towards aid to prospecting by the Minej Department, the latter having written stating that, they were unable to grant an application for assistance for a prospecting project of the deep levels at Ross. The chairman stated that £2OOO had been set aside for prospecting by the Unemployment Board, and the application regarding the Ross deep levels was a legitimate one for assistance by the Board. Westland Power Board. The Westland Power Board has ac- i ceded to a petition fxom the Kumara Borough to include it in the area controlled by the Westland Electric Power J District, and to seek Government authorisation of this. Mr J. ,S. Langford, of Westland Powers, Ltd., reports ! that there are 43 miles of power lines in the district. Extensions were dependent on the guarantees from .group consumers. The area so far reticulated includes Kumara Humphreys, Koiterangi, Woodstock, and Kanieri tram. County Council. At its meeting on Tuesday the Weßtlaud County Council at Hokitika adopted a motion for a general rate of Id in the £ on capital values, with a rebate of 5 per cent, for prompt payment. A motion to reduce salaries from £2OO to £250 by 5 per cent., from £250 to £B6O by per cent., and above, that by 10 per cent., was carried, - It was decided not to adopt the proposal to reduce the casual labour rate to 13s per day, the rate in force being 14s. ■ CobdenTown Board. A " At the meeting of the Cobden Town Board, Commissioner T. H. Jones presiding, it was resolved to grant W. T. Ogilvie gravel reserve rights for 15 years at a rental of £5 per annum on portion of Domett Esplanade. Mr Minehan applied for refunds of overpaid rates totalling £ll, paid on a reserve which had been granted, to him for 15 years at a rental, of 10s per year, free of rates. It was' deeided to make the refund, ' less thq amount paid in hospital rates.

A motion that, the Board enter negotiations with the Greymouth Borough Council and the Grey County ,Council for merging .into one of those bodiej»< with a view to reducing, local body es- >: penses was ruled out of order* tKT chairman ruling that before such steps for disestablishment <?ould be taken a poll of ratepayers would bo required.

Bugby Union. The. annual mepting of the Wost Coast Bugby Union was held last evening, Mr A. A. Adams (president) presiding over a large attendance. The election of officers for the ensuing season resulted as President, Mr A. A. Adams; vice-presi-dents, Messrs J. Guy, T. Mcintosh, A. 'White; treasurer, Mr J. Kyle; auditor, Mr T. P. Byan; delegate to New Zealand Union, Mr A.' Adams; custodian, Mr J. MfLeod; secretary, Mr T. P. Byan. . Mr fyoraan Jones, „who has occupied the position .of. secretary to * the union for a number- of years,; and did not .seek re-election, was presented with a» 'Morris chair to > mark the occasion of his recent marriage. Hopper Waggons,. The General Manager .of Bailways has advised the,chairman of the Grey; mouth Harbour Board that there is prospect of any increase in the number of coal hopper waggons in the Grey district during the present stringency, the present allocation' reasonably meeting requirements. It was pointed ont thpt 300 hoppers Were at times' standing under load on the Greymouth wharf. No demurrage was collected on | waggons standing undeV load awaiting I dapping. The waggons reported to-be Held in stock in,the railway sheds were only spare bodies for replacement pur* poses. ' , Municipal Band. < The Grtiymouth Municipal' Band held its annual meeting last evening, when 'thef Mayor (Mr J. W. Greenslade) presided over a full attendance of bandsmen.

The annual report stated* that the band's liabilities had been reduced to '££ Bo during the past year, which was' eminently . satisfactory, on an income from all sources of, £873 7s 7d. The election of officers for the year resulted: —Patrpn, Mr J. W. Greenslade; president, Dr. J. W, Mcßrfearty; conductor, Mr ,W. M. Garth ;* bandmaster, Mr J.: Barton;- secretary," .Mr J/. Henderson; treasurer,- Mr W,- Garth; band' sergoant, Mr A. Sniith; librarian, Mr.'A. Cornell; drum-major,' Mr W. Even don; committee, Messrs M. Garth, H. Leach, V. Baxter, H. Hope; auditors, Messrs A,.Naylor and! 1 . H. Benton, The chairman presented Mr A. Cornell with, a case, of pipes in appreciation of his excellent services as librarian.

Harbour Board Subsidy. The Government has advised the Greymouth Harbour Board that it was proposed to bring down legislation to reduqe the present Government subsidy of £15,000 (to be utilised in payment of interest and sinking fund and other charges on hatbour loans) to £12,000, the action being necessary in view of the urgent need for economy in public expenditure,: but particularly owing to the fact that the annual charges for interest and sinking fund on loans now total only. It was pointed out .that the Board was receiving, a further £IOOO per annum us 'its • share-'of the. special coal 'rate which had to be applied to the £50,000 loan raised under the 1884 Act. The Board > decided' to protest - strongly against the' proposal, regarding it as a" breach of faith by the. Government,

Mine Accident. A miner named George Gibson Connors, meployed in the State . Mine, was Returning to the face after a shoot this morning, when, a further fall of coal occurred, pinning .him down, and'fraeturing hiß right leg. He was removed to the Grey Hospital for attention.