WEST COAST NEWS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21685, 20 January 1936, Page 5

WEST COAST NEWS

. ■ I . GREYMOUTH I , f. : PERSONAL ; T" (SPSCUI. TO TBS FBBS8.) /j’ GREYMOUTH, January 18, Mr and Mrs U. O’Neill left to-day . cn return to Christchurch. ■V Mrs L.'Penny left to-day on return 4o Christchurch, after spending a holiday with her parents. Miss J. Hambleton left to-day on a -Visit to Christchurch. ; Miss Eva Andrews left to-day on re- - -fum to Christchurch. ■ M 1" J- M. Mcßrearty, Dunedin, and ■Mi?s Phyllis Crompton, Christchurch, arrived to-day on a visit to Miss A. Pratt, Marsden road. ■ Mrs A. M. Robertson returned to-day * fro® a holiday visit to Christchurch. Mrs R. Cullen- returned this after- . noon from Christchurch. Mr L. W. Sullivan, of the sales department of the Greymouth Motors, Ltd., has resigned, after more than four years' service, to take a position With a Nelson firm. Before his departure, Mr Sullivan was met by the staff i and on its behalf Mr W, Steer (maria.f®’* made a presentation of a set of rarvers and a set of pipes. Swimming ’ . The following officials have been appointed for the Greymouth Swimming Liub's carnival, to be held at the muni-

opal bath on Tuesday evening:— .•reieijee, Mr H. Rattray; judges, swim"Hng, Messrs E. McDonnell, E. Moss, Sid W. Coltman; diving, Messrs E. McAJonnell, W. H. Gieseking, and E. Price; tSne-keepers, Messrs J. Crooks, D. hanrahan, and J. Corcoran; timesteward, Mr A. Lane; starter, Jr Gieseking; starters’ steward, Mr Walters; check starter, Mr F. CosWllo; call stewards, Miss M. Cullen and Miss U. Murray (women), Messrs J. Matnews and R. Williams (men). v-' Shipping Improves bas been little shipping activJjy®hce just before Christmas, but a nnprovement is promised next nine vessels already' being scseauied to load. However, they are traders, and the work offerfor the watersiders will not be

|®pensurate with the time recently Beneficial Rain ■ intermittent, there was a fall of rain throughout the ' frfSL • y £ster day, resulting in a slight rj™ 1 211 the Grey river, the first for *«** The weather has been changeable for a number of fair??’ but e:fore yesterday the rain- ■ inth 5 on * y and many people countr y districts were short of

! some of the gold mining ino were also affected, includ- - to- - , . ossy Creek dredge, which VjUdns. aWa * tUlg rain to resume opsra- . Mine Accident " ; ftlj&. mp l oyee of the Roc Mi «e, Gersin 2le, met with an acciXm tj” “ ls work, resulting in the loss n gers. He was attended by |; *■ Hutson, of Blackball. REEFTON . ■ ■” ; r Jplf* '

i PERSONAL tePgCIAJyTO THE PRESS.) REEFTON, January 18. t. Thompson, who for the last been manager of the Big |BS°M mme. has left for the North Meibom, who has been visit*h Reefton, bas returned The Weather a long spell of dry weather, ||a®|Splain began to fall in Heefton on Morning, and continued pagSjwwOut.the day and night Saturshowery and the. weather is IKWled.’ The reservoirs have relieving the water ffospectora and gold-min-will welcome the rain.

* HOKITIKA

WATER SUPPLY (BPXCIAL TO rn PUSS.) HOKITIKA, January 17. The Hokitika Borough Council held a special meeting last evening to consider the supplementary report of Professor R. A. Campbell on the proposed pumping scheme for the water supply, and for the reticulation of the town. ' There were present: The - Mayor (Mr G. A. Perry), Crs. H. L. Michel, J. King, G. Heinz, A. R Elcock, A. J. Thompson, E. L. Park, H. T. Parry, E. Tiechelmann, and T. W.

Duff. The original report of Professor Campbell related to the gravitation scheme from Lake Kanieri —a renewal of the present system. The estimated cost of the gravitation scheme is £34,000, the annual sinking fund, interest. and maintenance to cost about £2OOO a year. The pumping scheme would entail an estimated capital cost of £IB,OOO, and interest, sinking fund, and maintenance would cost £ISOO a year. The Kanieri Electric, Ltd., wroth

offering to supply up to 30 kilowatts of electrical energy for a fixed monthly charge of. £26, with an additional charge of £1 a kilowatt a month for any energy supplied above the maximum of 30 kilowatts. In consideration of this special rate it was suggested that the council agree to extend the existing contract with the company for a further period of 10 years, up to 1959. It was decided to adopt the supplementary report of Professor Campbell on the pumping of the water and the reticulation of the town. The offer of the Kanieri Electric, Ltd., was also accepted, subject to the approval of the consulting engineer, with the right of termination by the Borough Council, in the event of its reverting to

the gravitation scheme. The council decided to apply immediately to the Loans Board for authority to borrow the £IB,OOO required. The Weather .The weather changed yesterday. Shortly after sunset a strong northerly wind set in, and about midnight rain began. This morning heavy rain fell, particularly in the back-country, and at 4 p.m. this afternoon, at high water, the river was in high flood, and water began to back up and flood the streets in some parts of the town. The wind then turned to south-west, and only occasional showers fell. The downpour will do a great deal of good, as the water shortage was beginning to be serious. Westland County Council The monthly meeting of the Westland County Council was held last evening. There were present: Cr. C. B. Ward (county chairman), Crs. J. A. Murdoch, A. Dale, J. Donovan, N. Brown, J. J. McKay, and W. H. Jamieson. Accounts amounting to £2838 3s 9d were passed for payment. - The Public Works Department advised that if the cost of Striplands creek bridge were considered too high the, work could be deferred. It was agreed to defer the work. For the erection of Coal creek bridge the .tender of E. Shirley, of £783, was accepted, with a time limit of five months. Bruce Bay Timbers wrote stating the tramway bridge was completed, and. offering to metal the approaches for £5. The offer was accepted. C. Stoop wrbte reporting on the condition of . .culverts at Waitaha and Mount Greenland track. It was resolved to authorise the expenditure of £25 for this work. It was decided that Wednesday afternoon of each week be declared the weekly half-holiday for the. county of Westland.

' The notice of motion to raise the county employees’ wages was held over till next meeting. It was decided to raise the wages for casual labour to 12s a day, and for roadmen to 12s 6d a day. The council decided to draw the attention of the Tourist Department to. the difficulty of navigating Mahinapua creek because of the collection of debris, and to ask the department to have the watelway reopened for boating. in order to revive the popularity of Lake Mahinapua as & holiday and .tourist resort

Personal Miss Elsie Stark, of Sydney, and formerly of Kumara, is visiting Hokitika, and is the guest of Mrs ’Andrews, Hall street. Mr T. Cagney, Chief Commissioner of Lands and Chief Surveyor of the Lands and Survey Office, Hokitika, has received advice of his transfer to the position of Commissioner of Lands, Invercargill. Mr Cagney has lived in Hokitika-for the last 12 years,-and has held his present position for the last five years. Harbour Board Meeting The Hokitika Harbour Board ‘ met recently, there being present Messrs M. Houston (chairman), E. W.-Keenan, H. L. Michel, J. J. Mclntosh, sen., F. Ross, and E. W. Richards, Accounts amounting to £l4l 11s were passed for payment. The signalman, Mr G. Howe,- re-

ported the channel over the bar was running out fairly straight, and carrying eight feet of water. The river entrance at the extreme end of the north wall was very narrow and difficult to navigate. Reference was made to the careles depositing of rubbish at the benzine store site near the north wall. It was left for a sub-committee to bring the matter before the borough council, with a request that another site be secured for the depositing of rubbish. Mr Heenan suggested that as the river was now very, low part of the gravel bank upstream should be removed so as to, induce a larger flow of waiter into the wharf channel. Mr Mclntosh said he knew of a contractor who, by using wire and sandbags, could divert the course of the river at a cost of £IOO. Mr Michel suggested that a deputation wait on the Minister for Public Works (Mr R. Semple) for a grant towards this work by a subsidy of £2 for £1 up to £SOO. Mr Richards moved that this suggestion be adopted, and that the board would not seek any contribution from the Unemployment Board Cass Square The use of Cass square has been granted to the Grey watersiders for their annual picnic on Saturday, January 25, and also for the Reefton School picnic on Wednesday, February 5, and the Blackball combined picnic on Saturday, February 22. Some of the picnic organisers have been using the

square for their annual outing for many years, and Brunner has an unbroken record of the annual use of Cass square for more than 40 years. The grounds are looking very wbII at present, the lawns being well kept and, m spite of the fine weather, still green. The flower plots are in full bloom. Bush Fire A bush fire occurred yesterday alongside the road to the glacier in a part of the famous bush scenery Ferguson’s. The fire originated early yesterday afternoon near the roadside. It did not spread to any great extent, covering approximately one acre, but it will leave a scar on a part of the bush scenery of the southern road.