Local and General

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 November 1943, Page 4

Local and General

A meeting of the executive of the Westland Timber Workers’ Union has been called for Saturday next at Greymouth to discuss further the demand for an additiontai pound of butter a week for all workers employed in the timber industry in the district. It is understood that a communication has been received from the authorities.

The Wallsend State mine has now reached a daily average output of 300 tons and the figures for the last fortnight, with that average, were a record for the mine, which has been producing coal for the past. 14 years. It is stated that the reason for the remarkable rise from about 178 tons a day seven or eight months ago to the 300 tons of to-day is partly the introduction of contract trucking but mainly the reorganisation of plant in the mine and the installation of new plant such as winches and electric compressors, and that there is every prospect of this increased output being maintained.

There is a move afoot to revive the Chamber of Commerce in Greymouth. This body has not functioned for a number of years and those interested in its reformation consider that there is more scope now than previously for the Chamber’s activity in view of the post-war. planning and the consequent need for keeping the claims and interests of the West Coast in the forefront. Commenting on the suggested reorganisation to-day, the Mayor (Mr. F. A Kitchingham) stated that he would welcome the proposal. Matters of a district-wide nature and importance were better handled by an organisation outside local bodies which had their own specific functions.

Arrangements for the acquisition of a camping site near Hokitika are being made by the West Coast Automobile Association, in collaboration with the Canterbury Association, according to a report made by Mr. W. F. Harley( Secretary) at a meeting of the former body, last evening. The site, which was described as “a charming beauty spot, with everything to commend it,” is seven acres inextent, with a four-roomed cottage, which could be occupied by a caretaker or utilised as a common building. It is liberally planted with venerable trees, has dozens of flowering shrubs, and provides complete shelter for tents, which will have generous space.

Interest was aroused in the arrival of a homing pigeon at the property of Mr. D. Gillespie, Waiho, on Monday night. The pigeon, which bore on its right leg a band with the characters 47 C.F.C., and 42 transversely, and on its left leg a plain band, flew off in the mist yesterday, but its direction could not be gauged.

The annual examination for Deputies’ and Underviewers’ certificates commenced at Greymouth today, the examiners being Mr L. Hunter (Inspector of Mines) and Mr J. Hadcroft (Deputy-Superintendent of State Mines). There are 12 candidates for each of the two examinations. The Underviewers’ examination is being held to-day and tomorrow and the Deputies’ examination on Friday.

Expressing the opinion that it would be useless to “patch Marsden Road, and that it would require to be torn up and completely resealed, Mr. G. R. Harker', who is also a member of the Greymouth Borough Council, stated at a meeting of the West Coast Automobile Association, last evening, that it was one of the jobs the Council intended should be done. Members stressed the danger arising out of the jagged edges. On the suggestion of Mr. B. W. Caulton it was decided to ask the Borough Council to grade the road around the aerodrome, which he said was being largely used by sightseers during week-ends and in the evenings.

“One of these days this wharf work will collapse like a house of cards and many men will not know what to do about it,” said the Chairman ol the Auckland Manpower (Industrial) Committee, Mr J. O. Liddell, commenting on an appeal case. When that happens those men will And that they will not be able to get £ll pi £l2 a week elsewhere and they will have to live on less.” The case was one in which a labourer appealed against being directed to work in a wool store. The appellant, who had been working as a non-union watersider, said that in the wool store he would receive £5/5/- a week. That would not be enough to keep him and his invalid wife. The appeal was dismissed.

“What the Dominion President said was purely his personal opinion, and was no part of the policy of the association, nor did it commit the association to anything,” said Mr D. W. Russell, when the executive oi the Christchurph Returned Services’ Association received from its suburban committees last evening a resolution asking it to dissociate itself from certain remarks of the Dominion President of the Association, Mr B. J. Jacobs. Mr Jacobs was reported as saying that the association in the future might find it necessary to become party-political. “To be called on to. dissociate ourselves from his remarks is utterly absurd and a waste of time,” went on Mr Russel). No action was taken.

The provision of about 180 new road signs on the West Coast will be put in hand following a survey in which 1100 miles were covered by the Chief Patrol Officer of the Canterbury Automobile Association, Mr. L. D. Pickles. In a report received by the West Coast Association, last evening, he stated that between Hokitika and the Glaciers 58 signs would be required. Signs were generally in good order, except in South Westland, where they had not received attention for several years, owing to the absence of a Service Officer. The estimated cost, excluding travelling expenses, would be £222, and a subsidy would be payable by the Main Highways Board. The work would occupy three weeks. Mr. W. F. Harley (Secretary) mentioned that the value of the signs on the West Coast ran into four figures.

At a meeting of the West Coast Automobile Association, last evening, the Chairman, Mr. P. C. Heaphy, reported that the Secretary, Mr. W. F. Harley, and himself had recently had an interview at the Tainui Street level crossing with Mr. J. Gallagher, Signals and Electric Lines Inspector, Railways Department, and had pointed out the weaknesses in the flashing light warning device from the motorists’ viewpoint, especially when travelling south. Mr. Gallagher had explained that the signals were standard equipment and that the Department was opposed to bell and wig-wag signals. He had agreed to recommend the installation of a similar light signal on the opposite side of Tainui Street, near Revingtons, though he had pointed out that the equipment might not be available. Mr. Heaphy added that a reply to this recommendation was still awaited.

Urgent representations are to be made by the Greymouth Fire Board to the Director of National Service, through the District Controller, Mr G. R. Harker, asking that permission be granted to restore the sirens to the fire engines, in place of the klaxon horns, which were installed on all engines in the Dominion to prevent confusion with the E.P.S. emergency signals. The Chairman of the Board, Mr W. H. Parfitt, stated to-day that the horns, instead of being a success, constituted a danger to traffic; only recently a motorist had told him he was surprised to see a fire engine dash up after he had heard the klaxon. In Greymouth, particularly, with its volunteer system of fire-fighting, the sirens were essential, as they indicated to the men the part of the town to which the engine was travelling, while they avoided confusion by motorists and encouraged the clearing or streets for the oassage of the fire engine.

Criticism of the accident rate in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in the Dominion, made at a meeting of the Waikato County Council, has reopened a quesiton (says the “New Zealand Herald”), in which some public interest has previously been shown. Discussing the hazards of instructional flying, one instructor said he had no hesitation in admitting that on many occasions he was frightened. “The best way to show a pupil where he is wrong is to let him get in trouble and then point it out and give him the correction,”, he said. “When you have the height it is easy to pull out yourself, but when teaching a man to land a plane your margin of error is reduced.” The pilot said it was easy to criticise an accident rate when there was no way, for security reasons, of giving it as a percentage of the amount of flying done. Most .people would be astonished if they knew the amount of flying, expressed either in miles flown or hours, that was done in New Zealand. Quoting a recent accident, he said that even experience was no sure guarantee, the victim being a holder of the D.F.C. with some hundred hours’ flying to his credit: The human element was almost always the weakest.

Good quality Suede finish Fabric Gloves, English make. Shades, navy, bteck, chamois and white. Sizes 6 to 7 2 , 8/6 pr. at C. Smith’s.—Advt.