WESTPORT NOTES.

Grey River Argus, 30 May 1922, Page 6

WESTPORT NOTES.

(Our Own Correspondent.) It is quite on the cards that the Westport Coal Company will find an excellent market fur its coal at Java. A communication of an encouraging nature has recently been received from Mr Alilder. an Eastern representative whom the Buller Progress League had personal dealings with a few months ago. We can thank .Secretary Wood when big Eastern colliers come our way again. A discussion on tile above subject at the last meeting of the League brought a statement from Mr James Bradley senr., Coal Company analyst, to the effect that it was ‘‘our” coal that gave the Australian Navy special speed to over-run the ‘‘Emden.” He stilted that Coalbrookdale coal enable the boat pursuing the German raider to steam two knots an hour over and above her registered capacity. It was stated in Court the other day that board ami lodging on Denniston Hill ranged from 35/- to 37/0 per wCeir. If this is what Mr Alassey calls ‘‘a drop in the cost of living,” then he must realise the cup is a pretty full one! The contract time for the completion of the Soldiers’ Memorial GateI way is 12 noon on Thursday. Tim men on the job have brought things to such a stagethat they can now afford to put one hand in their pocket. At the Farmers’ Union meeting held in Secretary Radford’s office on Saturday night, County matters for the second time were forced through the mill. Farmers, who form the main body of County ratepayers, cannot swallow the why and the wherefore of the big increase on the expenditure side of last year's balance sheet. They seem to be of the opinion that the big outlay in the Engineer’s branch is unwarranted. One farmer, during the conversational part of the discussion, said:—‘‘l don’t mind paying a fair thing in rates, bu l I object, to waste!” It will bo remembered that a full report of a similar meeting held some months’ ago wits published in the ‘‘Argus.” T do not therefore propose to repeat 'if, but in passing might as well let * Argus readers know that representatives of the Farmers’ Union are going to the County Office to gather information for discussion at tlicir next monthly meeting. Also it might be mentioned that the representatives have no intention | of taking any figures prepared for them I by the Clerk, Chairman or ex-Chairman, I but intend gelling right down to bed 1 rock by having a look at the books themselves. When the Hon Air Mclntyre goes abroad he lays ail the County cards on the table. At least he told us so when he went down to raise the £ll,OOO loan from the Coal Company magnates at Dunedin. It is a pity that nil public men are not as frank and candid I at their own tables as they are at other peoples. For instance the M.L.L. put all the Comity cards on the table at Dunedin, but only a portion of them on the County table at Westport. To secure the overdraft loan while at Dunedin, he pledged the County to a Id increase in rates. This to cover sinking ' fund and interest. County members accepted his statement that the half-pen-ny would meet sinking fund and inter est, but on second thought one member, who has a strain of finance in his ‘‘nut,” did some mental calculations and discovered that the Jd would more than meet the bill. According to the terms imposed by the company, the in-I i crease would more than cover the re- ' quired, amount to liquidate the sum borrowed. To wriggle out of i.. toe i Chairman turned the tables on to the ! Hospital levy, and remarked that the “extra” would help to meet this years’ increased toll in that direction! Now that the hospital levy is in part pro- , vided for. it will be interesting to note ■what the next excuse will be for a further increase in County rates. It wc recollect correctly there is still another Id to he squeezed in somehow. If our worthy M.L.C. has no opposition he'll land the coin once again upon the ratepayers. ..