BLACKBALL NOTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 September 1928, Page 2

BLACKBALL NOTES

(By an Occasional Contributor)

Weakness in the big railway bridge has given many who knew a good deal of thought. The third pier from Ngahere has weakened, caused no doubt by a large tree laying across it and must have caused tons of pressure. However, after it was shifted the bridge has straightened up again, still there is a. kink yet. Railway men are dumping rock down. It will take a lot as there has been a big scour and 33ft of water. When the bridge was built, the piles were not. intended for such depth. Last Saturday the river was over the road between the bridge and Nghahere. Blackball requires a real live ratepayers or householders’ association. No one objects to paying a fair rate but when property is valued as high as at Greymouth, where a home could be let for 20/- a week and 11/- is the highest you would get here. Take, the new houses built by 8.8. C. Go., for employees. It is out. of all proportion how they are rated. One instance will suffice. A house cost the. Company £340 to build, all leasehold ground, less than of an acre, not. fenced, no footpaths, no water laid on, no drainage, over boot-tops in wet mud, and rated at £370. No wonder some have paid nothing on them so far and are considering giving them up. Mr. Smith, accountant, Blackball Coal Company, is leaving Blackball shortly.