LOCAL AND GENERAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 November 1939, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Commencing on Wednesday, November 8, the Christchurch-West Coast expresses will run daily, e,xcept Sunday. The Daily service is to be maintained until April 2, 1940.

A petition, which has been circulating in the Karoro-South Beach area, protesting against the proposed further extension of the Karoro Cemetery, has been signed by 57 residents and pro-pertv-holders, and is to be forwarded to the Greymouth Borough Council.

Rain fell on 20 days at Greymouth last month, for a total of 5.57 inches, the maximum fall for any one day being 90 points, on October 25. Last year, the rainfall during October was 6.12 inches on 25 days, and in October 1937, the total was 4.27 inches on nine days.

Shortly after 3.30 o’clock yesterday afternoon, the Cobden Fire Brigade received a call to a residence in Newcastle Street, owned by Mr. S. Martin and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Willetts, where an outbreak of fire had occurred in a detached shed, at the rear of the house. The Brigade made a good save and prevented the fire from spreading to the house.

To have 10 coins tendered for two 3d fares was the experience of a New Plymouth bus driver. The coins comprised three pennies, five half-pennies, and two farthings, and were offered by two recent arrivals from Europe. The bus driver said that he had been driving for 19 years in New Zealand, but had never before received farthings for fares.

Mr. Norman Stouppe. of Barry and Stouppe. Ltd., opticians, is in Greymouth, and may be consulted for sight testing to-morrow (Thursday) at the surgery of Mr. D. Mcßrearty, dentist.—Advt.

People are always ready to popularise something distinctive, and it is this that contributes to the great selling success which Dewar’s Imperial Whisky is now meeting with. No whisky can compare with the , rare and appealing flavour of Dewar’s it is mild and smooth to the palate, a true friend to all men. You would be wise to procure a bottle of Dewar’s, as its distinctive palatable flavour will meet with the greatest approval at all times. Messrs Griffen and Smith, Ltd., Distributors, Greymouth, Westport and Hokitika. Advt.

One hundred and' forty-four flights were made by the aeroplanes of Air Travel (N.Z.), Ltd., of'Westland, during October. Flights were made-on 30 days out of the 31, the flying hours totalling 142. The machines earned 144 passengers, 30101 b of mail, and 98411 b of freight, including three tons of whitebait.

“Greymouth is looking better than I have ever seen it. The streets and roads are looking better, and in fact it is better in every way. You would not think there had been any depression, judging from Greymouth,” Mr. P. C. Webb told a deputation from the Greymouth Borough Council, which waited on him last evening.

Twenty-nine vessels, aggregating 19,073 tons, entered the port' of Greymouth last month, compared with 30 vessels (14,990 tons) in October, 1938, an increase of 4,083 tons. Departures totalled 28 vessels (14,315 tons) compared with 31 vessels (17,112 tons) in the corresponding month of last year.

A survey of the damage caused to commercial orchards in th© Hastings district by the. hailstorm on Monday morning indicated that there was no widespread destruction of young fruit. The 'Storm was fairly localised, hail falling in Hastings and in a few of the orchard areas on the outskirts of the town. Growers in the Mangateretere district appear to have suffered most.—Press Assn.

Increases in marriages and births, and a decrease in the number of deaths, are recorded in the vital statistics for Greymouth for October, as compared with the . corresponding month of last year. The respective figures were as follow: —Births 29 (23); deaths 9 (13) marriage notices issued 14 (8); marriages.by Registrar 2 (1). . ' ;

The tender of Colin Cowan,. £4O 10/-, for the purchase of a Cleetrac tractor was accepted by the Grey County Council yesterday. Other tenderers were: N. Mouat £2B/10/-; F. G. Simpson £l5; J. C. Witherington £25; Lake Brunner Sawmilling Company £2O. For a roadman’s hut at Ngahere the tender of G. Hill,. £l5 10/-, was accepted, other prices submitted being those of J. Burr £B, and Mrs. J. H. Campbell £5.

There was one further registration, tthat of Alexander McKean, of Roa, at Greymouth to-day, in the special military force, raising the total to 282. One recruit was medically examined yesterday, and pronounced fit. The cumulative results of medical examinations at Greymouth are now; —Examined, 257; fit, 154; temporarily unfit, 57; permanently unfit, 46. In addition to Captain E. Caldwell (Greymouth), who will be second in command of a rifle company, Lieutenant Ferguson (Hokitika) and Se-cond-Lieutenant Bird (Westport) will also proceed to Burnham Camp on November 8.

A deputation from the Grey County Council waited on the Minister of Public Works (Mr. Semple), last evening, and brought several matters to his notice, including the Brown River Bridge at Bell Hill, the Westport-Grey-mouth highway deviation at Barrytown, the Ngahere-Blackball-Roa Road (to be declared a main highway); the Brown-Grey River Bridge (second crossing); Coal Creek Protection Works, erosion of farm lands by the Grev River, and the general question of subsidies. The deputation was in private, and afterwards it was reported that the various requests met with a favourable reception from the Minister, w'ho promised to give them every consideration.

The difficulties of farmers in securing seasonal labour are stated to be more acute than ever before in Southland'. Stock firms which have been requested to engage labour fon their clients states the “Southland Times)” have long lists of vacancies and are having great difficulty in finding any experienced workers to fill the positions. At this time of the year when seasonal work is beginning, farmers have a considerable need for assistance on their properties, particularly in the preparation of land for sowing cf turnips and other crops. Teamsters are almost unprocurable at present and the number offering is quite inadequate to meet the demand. Already farmers are concerned about the prospects for engaging labour during the shearing season. They expect that shed hands and shearing assistants will be as difficult to find as teamsters are at present. Some farm labourers have joined the special military force and this has aggravated the position.

“No man able to work is out of work, today, and I do not think that that can be said of any other period in the history of New Zealand,” said the Minister of Labour (Mr. Webb) during the course of a discussion, last evening, with the deputation from the Greymouth Borough Council, which waited on him in regard to the Government subsidy in connection with the sewerage extension work in the borough. Mr. Webb continued: “No doubt, there are many men employed on Scheme 13 wham the Borough Council would not employ. But they are men who have spent their lives making this country, and, when their health goes, we do not think they should be thrown to the wolves. I found a job on Scheme 13 for a man with both legs off. Economically this cannot be justified, but from a humanitarian point of view it can. We want to restore these men to self-respect, instead of having them standing in queues for charitable relief. They are just as entitled to a decent standard of living as those wlw are better off."

There is still time to post those Christmas annuals overseas. The Auckland Weekly. Free Lance, Christchurch Star, Tuis Annual, Christchurch Press, Otago. Witness. 2/- each, postage abroad 3Ad. Also N.Z. from the Air, 2/6, postage 3?.d. New Zealand Pictorial Calendars with beautiful views of famous scenes, 2/-, postage 3d. N.Z. Scenic Christmas Cards in black and while, 6d each. Large selection to choose from at B. Dixon’s, Ltd. —Advt. We have an interesting range of Summer frocks and coats to choose from, and reasonably priced, too. White’s Fashion Corner.—Advt.