WEST COAST NEWS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21975, 26 December 1936, Page 4

WEST COAST NEWS

WORK FOE MOEE MEN STATE PLACEMENT SERVICE TEN PERMANENT POSITIONS FOUND ■■ 1 ft The State placement service this week secured positions for eight men and two youths on permanent work. Temporary employment was found for one man and four were secured work on public works Magistrate’s Court In the Magistrate's Court before Messrs F. Shallcrass and M. J. Fogarty, J.’sP.. William Venice Aitken, alias William Venice Foote, a labourer, aged 40, was sentenced to 21 days’ imprisonment on a charge of being an idle and disorderly person in that he had insufficient lawful visible means of support. Personal To say good-bye to Constable G. McGettigan, of Kumara, there was a large gathering in the Kumara Memorial Hall. Eulogistic references were made to the guest. Brisk Trading There was a remarkable increase in Christmas trade in Grey mouth, and a general air of prosperity which is best gauged bv the returns from the Greymouth Post Office. The mail room staff had a very difficult task, particularly on Thursday, when large mails were received from all offices. The returns, with the figures for 1930 in parentheses, were:—Bags outward, 799 (787); parcel bags outward, om (187); bags inward. 832 (796); Parcel bags inward, 453 (256); totals, 2459 (2026). . ~ „„„ The largest increase was in the number of narcels handled and Christmas cards received and dispatched. -exceptional business was also done by the telegraph branch and in toll calls. TRAFFIC BLOCKED SLIP ON OMOTO HOAD An extensive slip over a chain in width came down off the hill into the Omoto road near the Greymouth borough boundary on the GreymouthReefton road early on Thursday morning. The road was blocked to traffic until 6 o’clock last evening. 1 Motorists were compelled to use the alternative Greymouth-Taylorville-Brunner road. Heavy rain showers continue at Greymouth, the total fall for the 24 hours ending 9 o’clock yesterday morning being 190 points. DARING ROBBERY MONEY STOLEN FROM SHOP A daring daylight robbery was committed in Greymouth on Thursday, when the shop premises of G. H. Preston and Sons, in Tainui street, were entered during the lunch hour and £l3 in notes and silver was removed, from the till. The door was found wide open’ when members of the staff returned after securely locking the premises just after midday. „ The only explanation for the robbery is that some person gained an entry through the front door by means of a duplicate key. Two other shops nearby are believed to have been similarly entered recently. TELEPHONE CABLE FUSED While borough workmen were carrying out repair work in Bright street, Cobden, on Thursday afternoon a Post and Telegraph Department telephone cable was fused with a pick, with the result that Cobden was completely isolated from telephonic communication until last evening, when servicemen repaired the damage. MINISTER TO VISIT RUNANGA The Minister for Mines, the Hon. P. C Webb, will visit; Runanga early in the New Year, according to information received by Mr W. Pendelbury, secretary of the State Miners’ Union.

HOKITIKA NEWS OBITUARY MR JOSEPH CALIARI The death occurred at his residence, Kanieri, of Mr Joseph Caliari, one-of the pioneers of the district. He was born in Italy 82 years ago, and had been a resident of New Zealand for the last 54 years. For some time he was a miner at Fox's, and for the last 33 years he was a miner at Kanieri. Mr Caliari leaves a widow and two daughters (Miss Annie Caliari. of Kanieri. and Mrs J. Wearn, of Otira). and two sons (Mr Colm Caliari, of Hokitika, and Mr Santino Caliari, of Karamea). Personal Miss Joan Nalder, Wellington, is visiting her parents, Mr and Mrs A. Nalder, of Fitzhcrbert street. Miss F. Goudie. Dunedin, is visiting her mother, in Hokitika. WESTLAND CRICKET TEAM PLAYERS FOR MATCH AT GREYMOUTH The following team has been selected to represent Westland in the match against the West Coast Cricket Association team at Greymouth on Sunday:—Griffiths (captain*. .G. Stapleton, R. Donaldson, S. Fleming, L Denia. Pierson, A. Howat. M. Keenan. M. Baird, F. Barker, E. Wells (wicketkeeper). Reserves: A. Dale, u. Spence, and G. Johnston. DREDGE WORKERS’ AFFAIRS MEETING OF UNION’S EXECUTIVE A decision to write to the Mines Department requesting that gold dredging and alluvial mines be placed under the shearers’ and agricultural labourers accommodation in the same way as sawmilling and bushworking, was reached at a meeting of the executive of the West Coast Dredge Workers Union. ~ , . . , .. It was further decided to register the union under the name Westland and Nelson if the Nelson Union accepted that proposition by a secret ballot. It was resolved to ask the Mines Department to take action against a number of dredges for employing motormen at less than the minimum wage. It was agreed to affiliate with the New Zealand Labour party and to draw the attention of the Minister for Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) to the fact that construction workers came under the gold dredgers’ award, and requesting that all men employed on the construction of dredges by the Railway Department should become members of the union, INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONFERENCE MR F. L. TURLEY NOMINATED AS DELEGATE Mr F. L. Turley, secretary of the executive of the Westland Timber Workers’ Union, was nominated as the employees’ representative for the next international labour conference to be held in Geneva at a meeting of the executive recently. The possibility of the Nelson and Marlborough Unions becoming part of the Westland Union was discussed, and it was decided to hold the matter over till the first meeting of the new executive early in 1937. BRIGHT CHRISTMAS RECORD BUSINESS AT WESTPORT Christmas in Westport was one of the brightest for several years. Business premises were decorated with greenery and streamers, and the town was crowded until a late hour on Christmas Eve. Retail houses report having done record business. The Duller Hospital and the O’Connor and Old People’s Homes were gaily decorated, and with the help of many donations of goods and money the 1 festive season was appropriately celebrated.