Local and General

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 October 1944, Page 4

Local and General

The appeal by the Greymouth R.S.A. for its benevolent fund on Friday and Saturday last realised £l7O/1/-.

Carrying over 2000 tons of coal urgently required for the Auckland gasworks, the Kartigi sailed from Greymouth at 1.37 a.m. yesterday, 24 hours after she had completed loading. Delays were caused by the fact that the full crew was not aboard. At the time of sailing a member of the crew was missing, and when the time came to sail on the next tide another man had to enter hospital. The men declined to take the ship to sea without a replacement, and a man had to be obtained from another port. Work was resumed on the wharf, this morning, after the holiday yesterday.

All the coal mines in the Grey district worked yesterday (Labour Day), payment for the men being at holiday rates. To-day the Strongman State mine was idle. The men stated that the temperature in the bathhouse on the thermometer- on the wall was 56 degrees, four below the regulation temperature. It transpired, later, the men state, after one of the buses had left taking men home, that the particular thermometer was broken and was not registering accurately. The management stated that the temperature in the bathhouse was 72 degrees, checked with a good thermometer, and that it could have been tested with another thermometer which was available outside the bathhouse.

The patriotic shop conducted on Friday by residents on the town'side of Sawyer’s Creek realised £43. At the North Canterbury Piping and Dancing competitions on Saturday Billy Boyle (Greymouth)' won the B Grade marches, strathspey and reels, and B slow march (provincial championship).

When the brake gripping the centre rail on the Roa incline became jammed, a goods train due to leave Blackball with coal at 5.15 last evening was delayed for two hours. Difficulty was experienced in freeing the mechanism due to the load of the heavy train behind the locomotive.

During the first week in which ration books were on issue at the Chief Post Office, Greymouth, 5940 were claimed. The demand slackened off toward the end of the week, but this morning three counter attendants were kept busy. The current books expire at the end of the present week.

During last week 18,169 tons of freight traffic was handled by the Railways Department from the West Coast to Canterbury. This compares with 15,702 tons in the similar week of the previous year and 16,377 tons in the corresponding period of 1942.

A binns boy, George Robb, 16, of Taylorville, received injuries to a leg while at his work at the Dobson State mine, this morning. After receiving attention from Dr. K. Kent he was admitted to the Grey Hospital.

Donald Francis Biddington, aged 111 months, the elder child of Mr and Mrs D. L. Biddington,. Kanieri, and grandchild of Mr and Mrs F. McGirr, Blaketown, died in the Westland Hospital, on Sunday from scalds received when he upset an electric jug full of boiling water upon himself. The accident happened when the child grasped the cord.

In the Warden’s Court, at Greymouth, this morning, the Warden (Mr G. G. Chisholm, S.M.) dealt with the following applications:—Philip Kennedy Lamb, surrender of license for a dam at Maori Creek.—Accepted. Associated Gold Dredges (N.Z.) Ltd., ordinary prospecting license, 18 acres, Block 7. Mawheranui S.D.—Granted.

The expected Labour Day run of whitebait in the Grey River did not materialise, only mediocre catches being obtained yesterday and on Sunday. Instead, there was a large proportion of blackbait—a cross between the whitebait and the smelt —which are not edible. On the other hand, it it reported from Hokitika that during the week-end catches of 40 to 50 pints an hour were not unusual.

Although the Labour Day holiday in Greymouth was favoured with only fitful glimpses of blue sky, apart from Saturday’s fine period, only 32 points of rain were recorded 'in the 72 hours ended at 9 a.m. to-day. Yesterday’s precipitation was four points in spite of the heavy showers during the morning, while in the preceding 24 hours 26' points were recorded. This morning the barometer was rising steadily from 1021.1 millibars.

The Auckland and New Zealand tennis champion, Miss Margaret Beverley, had a narrow escape from losing the sight of an eye recently. She was chopping wood on her parents’ farm at Matamata when a splinter flew up and struck her. She was hurried to hospital in Hamilton, where stitches were inserted in the eyelid and eyeball. Miss Beverley has made a good recovery from an accident which might have ended her tennis career.

Replying to representations made through Mr. O’Brien, M.P., for Westland, Mr. Roberts (Minister of Agrir culture) said that thigh gumboots given him for distribution by the department had been completely exhausted for some months, and he had been informed that there was little likelihood of any further supplies being received in the near future. Therefore he regretted applicants could not be given favourable consideration in the meantime unless a permit for knee gumboots in place of thigh gumboots was desired.

“I would be the most pleased man in New Zealand if I could get the engineers to agree that an all-weath-er deep-sea harbour is possible on the West Coast,” wrote Mr. O’Brien to the secretary of the Hokitika Businessmen’s Association (Mr. J. Richards) in reply to the Association’s suggestion that the possibilities of Lake Mahinapua as a deep sea harbour should be investigated. Mr. O’Brien added that it would seem that everybody had a national harbour scheme for the West Coast. However, he would ask the engineers to look further into the matter regarding the possibilities of Lake Mahinapua.

■ The residents of Runanga and reminded that their Coop. Stores are still taking orders for all classes of floral work. —Advt.

This morning’s express from Greymouth was the largest passenger train to leave here since last February, when big trains were run after the slips. It comprised the maximum permissible load of 12 cars and two vans, and though it had 350 passengers on departure Avas expected to be full with about 480 before reaching Otira. The train from Christchurch brings 303 passengers in nine cars. It Avill not arrive till about 5.15 p.m. Last evening, after the railcar to Christchurch had been filled, there was a standing list of 120, and a big rush for seats on the perishable goods train was experienced. Eventually the six available cars Avere filled with 240 passengers.

Mr. C. W. Dunlop, 5.D.0., N.Z., of W. J. Dunlop and Son, Opticians, Christchurch, and his Caravan Consulting Room will visit intending clients in the Greymouth, Runanga, Blackball and Ikamatua areas on receipt of letters making appointments C/o P.O. Greymouth. (Letters must be received by Wednesday, October 25). —Advt.

Patterned Voiles suitable for children’s frocks, curtains, etc. Pastel colourings. 36in. wide; 3/6 yard.—C. Smith, Ltd.—Advt.

Boys’ Navy Flannel Shirts, buttoned to neck. Sizes 1 to 12. Priced from 9/9 to 12/9.—C. Smith, Ltd.—Advt.

For the Races and all occasions there are outstanding Fashion Garments that will pay you dividends all the time. . . Yes and Hats too that will top off your smart Frock, etc., at White’s Fashion Corner.—Advt.

The Westland Laundry lead the way to better living. This modern and progressive laundry completely eliminates the hard work from washday. Our customers tell us they feel much better in health since using our service, and you don’t need to worry about the old ideas that a laundry is hard on your linen. It’s definitely not so—our modern machinery causes far less wear and tear than the oldfashioned rubbing and scrubbing on a board. And the cost, which interests most housewives, is most reasonable, as a trial will prove. Three services are available —fully finished, bag wash and thrifty. We also specialise in laundering blankets 1 and eiderdowns and washing and tinting curtains. Progress with West-| land, send your laundry to the Westland Laundry Ltd. Depot: 27 Albert Street. ’Phone 136.—Advt.