LOCAL AND GENERAL

Grey River Argus, 2 December 1920, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

! The result of the Citizens Band Bazaar Art Union, drawn yesterday, is advertised in another column. Coal prospecting is being continue in the Kokatahi district with promising propects. The Barrytown-Punakaiki telephone me, for which the settlers have been asking some time, is now to be proceeded with. The County Council has authorised Mr E. Jones to erect the line and he left this morning with a ,<?ang of men to carry out the work, i und with good weather hopes to have it in working order by Christmas. . "What £s your real capacity for drinking whisky?" was a question put" : o a witness in the Magistrate's Court recently (states the Taranaki Herald). Tlie answer was that at one period he had taken two bottles per night for over a , month, not counting what he took in the day. Of the 162 vessels cleared outwards at New Castle during October, no fewer than 25 were Japanese steamers which took away coal cargoes a.nd bunker supplies 'aggregating 102^695 tons (states the New Zealand Times). New Zealand's share of the coal carried in Japanese bottoms totalled 36,---362 tons. The marriage, took place recently at New Plymouth of Miss May Lynch, eld est daughter of Mr and Mrs J. Lynch, of Belt Road, New Plymouth, and Martin Henry Ryan, youngest son of Mr and Mrs M. Ryan, of Rqtomanu.. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Dean McEenna. The guests were entertained by the bride 's parents at afternoon tea, and at a dance in the evening. The happy couple left by car ien route to Dannevirke, their future home.

A resident of Levin suffered a severe loss one night recently, when lub" chickens out of a pen of 112 were destroyed by a weasel. In this issue notice of the annual meeting of the United Literary and Debuting Society is announced for December 3rd at 8 p.m., i n the United L avilion. The Kokatahi Racing Club are how contemplating improvements to the course and hope by January to have the course in good order. There "are 2,500 immigr^ts tfnun England either already i n New ' Zealand or to arrive for tl, o ] ast tiro months of the year. Of these 400 are domestics. The G.P.O, Wellington, advises that mails going by the Mberaki close h«re to-day at 10.30 a.m., and those per the Paloona at 3.30 p.m. while mails per the Tainui will close to-morrow" aV 3 p.m. there. The Eunanga Co-operative Society have now installed the very latest boot repairing machine in their boot TGpairmg department. This machine repairs and finishes a pair of boots equal to now,, and the Kunanga public should give this machine a trial. All repairs will now be executed with the greatest celerity. No waiting.— Advt. At a meeting of the Waiho Charitable Aid Committee, there being present Messrs Jas Green, (chairman), C. Donovan,. T. Condon, <J. Searle, : ' ..L. Gibb, E. Gibb, T. Watson, "John ■Donovan, J. Graham, C. Gibb, J. Schilling, it was intimated that Sister 'Bakor the new District Nurse, had arrived at Waiho. The question re 4 acres of : land toi be bought to erect a nurse's [ cottage on was discussed. „It was decided that as £200 had been collected for the erection «f a cottage south of the river Waiho, the committee see to the securing the area in q ao*tion ' . and the secretary was instructed to write to the Minister of Health, "the member for the District and others on the subject. Yesterday the conference under the labour Disputes Investigation Act between representatives of Messrs Hall and Cassidy and their employees, resulted in an amicable settlement, providingfor the workers in their first award, fixing pay rates and working conditions. Previously there has been a private agreement, but recently the workers filed a dispute unthc Labour Disputes Investigation Act, claiming certain wages and conditions! me committee appointed to investigate the matter met- at the Magi strate's Court yesterday morning. Mr W. F. Harlcy acted as chairman.' The •jniployers were represented by Messrs H W. Kitchingham and G. T. Moss and Messrs F. L. Turley arid F. Jackson represented the union, which is known as the Westland Coach Drivers, Motor Car Drivers, Stable Attendants (including horse shoers) ana Livery btable Employees' Industrial Union of. Workers. The proceedings, which took the form of a round-table conference were of an amicable nature, -and a complete settlement was reached. Oit Friday night a pleasant little evening was hold at Paroa School, when the children and their parents met to do honour to Miss Cara Hopgood, *who had made a record attendance of nine years. 'During the even- ' ing the chairman, Mr. Suniner, after a short speech, presented her with a framed attendance certificate. The children then sang several choruses, 'he boys giving comb or whistling ac- • eompaniments. Recitations were well rendered by.JEileen Sumner, Rosy Baker and Edna Groom. "Napoleon's Tomb" was feeling recited by Master Haydcn, and "Killed at the Ford "by Master Hcwison. The second half of the programme was taken up by a capital rendering of "The Trial Scene,'' from "The Merchant of Venice." Molly Walsh took the part of •''Portia" and Eileen Walsh that of "Antonio." Cara Hopgood made an excellent Judge, while "Nerissa," "Bassanio," Gratiano," and "Salanio" were well rerpesented by Clara Coulson, Edna SumncT, Lily Hayden, and Gladys Sumner respectively. The evening was then brought to a close by the singing of the round "Goodnight," and the National Anthem. The - small charge of 6d. was made, this money being used to provide train fares to enable the children to,, attend the School Sports in Greymouth yesterday. The Chairman of the Board of Trade, referring to the cement shortage, said both Wilson's Portland Cement Company and the Golden Bay Cement Com pa ay during the past eight weeks have ~ experienced /grea.t difficulty to keep going at a-ll on account of the coal shortage. Since August 7 last these two cpnipamies have fallen short of their average production — not' their capacity production— by apprbximat ely 16,000 tons. "Is there any sign or indication of the position improving? Mr McDonald was' asked; : "K . there is any possibility of giving the cement .companies , adequate supplies of coal they could produce today, with their present plants at the rate approximately, of 160,000 tons per ennum. In addition the companies would I believe, if offered any encouraigementf, increase their s>!\uits. There is a shortage of cement to-day in the Dominion of 50,000 tons. If coal were avaliable the acute phrase of thi s shortage would "be over in. six months ; although the leeway would not be made up for a considerable time' Personally ,1 think that the consumption of cement is going to increase in the Dominion to considerably in excess of the pre-war consumption due to the fact that people ore begining to discover the manifold uses to Wmvu cement can be put. The Hon jv T.. Lee tlie President of the Board of Trade, ■ is endeavouring to arrange with the Coal Control Department for . relief to be afforded the cement compa'ni<#s, );