WESTPORT NOTES.

Grey River Argus, 1 July 1922, Page 6

WESTPORT NOTES.

(Our Own Corresp'AWent.) Snow fell on Demi'sUjn ill on The fall wrm \ i-Wjlc In It w:-y down the I’apiiroa range.’ Mrs Carlyon, one of the pioneers of Corby vale, i on a \ .sit to the settlement 1 r >.•!! the Auckland dAtrict. The Mokiliinui district has showed up splendidly in the matter of the R:i; sian famine relief fund, Mi W. Corby having forwarded the sum of £2l to the local trir.tees. The money will be sent on for the relief of the f: mishod Russians, who, we understand, are not yet in receipt of normal rations. The Rev Watson (treasurer) present cd the .inancinl statement to date, whowing the sum of £lO9 10/- colie t *-d in Westport, £2l 10/- in Seddonville and 5 - in Waimangaroa. Representative, of all the mining interests were present at the public meeting of prot t held in the Town II 11 on Thursday night. The chiefs of local bodies also were present, as we i us other representative citizens. It was s’ate<l at the Hospital Board meeting h -re the other day that it was a pity to have to get such a big gun to kill smh a little bird. The “big gun” referred to, Mr Skerrett, one of :he 1 *ad ng leg: 1 luminaries in the Dominion, and the ‘‘little bir i ” to a member of the local Hospital Board. .\<>w it would be very fanny if the outcome ot this long drawn out hospital tit: \ is controversy were that a local legal light put the “Long Tom” in question oat of action. Th • unexpected docs sometimes hat pen. and we find that incidents such as those which have risen over hospital matters Lore lately are the means of bringing to light i ten of brains and ability who otherwise would rennin in the back ground with their sup o intellect. The Rangimarie Croquet Club held a very successful afternoon’ on Thurs day at the residence of Mrs Robert Tay )or, Queen Street. Competitions and music were includ ’d in the afternoon’s entertainment. Mrs R. Prtterson won two Indian handworked doyleys, and Mrs .1. Fletcher a Doulton sweets dish. Mrs Hansen ami Mis Riley contributed vocal items, and Mrs McWha played the pianoforte accompaniments. The hostess, assisted by members of the club, served a dainty afternoon tea. Community singing formed :.n item of the programme, and at the comdusiou the gathering sang “Auld Lang Syne,” ‘ ‘ For Sh< ' a Joi • Good Fellow,'' an i “God Save the King.” The following were among those present: Mesd* mes Greenwood, Be:).ym:.:i, Gilbert, Newman, Powell, Tomkies, Molonv, Standage, Le vest am, Taylor, Palmer, Grogan, Menzies, Riley, .-.ar., W. Riiev Leaver, Hansen, Falla, Green, Gillespie, Bqttjezman, Struthers, senr., F. Struthers, Reynolds, McKenzie, Hen dry, McEwan, 11. Greenwood, Pascoe, Skilton, Tulloch, Kerr, Misses Summerville, Payne, Munson, Bevins, Phillips Pain, McWha, Aitken, Fletcher and Atkinson, PUBLIC MEETING. WESTPORT, Juno 30. A public meeting was called in the Town Hall last (Thursday) evening to (discuss the toll placed by the Government on the ’exportation of coal from the port of Westport. After a few introductory remarks by the Mayor, Mr J. Enright (President of the Buller Pro; .1-5 Leagi?.’) said a telegram hud been forwarded to the Prime Minister, asking him\to withhold the tax until a furrier eommunica’.ion from local authorities was sent. Rev. Coursey outlined the salient points of the situation, and thought that the Government's policy was one of the most short-sighted that could possibly be conceived. He said that u estport harbour was on quite a diffeient footing from Greymouth. Mr Bradley, endorsing Rev. Coursey’s remarks, said as soon as Westport’s out- ' put began to increase, Greymouth's began to decline, and this was one of the rchsons fur the southern city’s cla"mour for an extra tax to be put upon Buller's output. There was an in creasing demand for the .superior article from this district. We had the port, and the goods, and if the. Government would run it properly, w<’ ■would be JHw to send out a million I tons of coal per annum. ,y»’> J. C. Brown said anything that I tendered to increase the price of coal ; i 1 was detrimental to the district, and I every body living in it. What was required was the cheapening of coal. L He predicted that there would be serK i ompelitors in the coal market of F the future. The proposed increase in ' lax would amount in this district to £20,000. The question was how to obviate it. It would mean a serious handicap to the small mining companies in this district. He hoped the Government would re-consider its decision. -Mr Crowe, in. sympathy with the previous speakers, pointed to the advantages in mining coal at Greymouth compared with Westport. Here was a good deal more haulage. The 9d extra charge was greatly to the advantage of New South. Wales produc•ers. at the expense of the Dominion. Mr Beilby speaking for the Co-op-erative miners, said the Co-operative colliers were a Dominion asset; they were mining coal areas that the G<.v- -< rijnent or any other big concern would find an unpayable proposition. Hi yf.ded by quoting figures to show llij'j the extra 9d was not required to k■' make the port pay. J t men nt 6 6 per 1 H on coal landed at tlie v harf from ■ Sccldonv.ille. It was most infair that tax should be placed on local JWkial and for no imposition to be placed on imported fuel. There was no hope for the small miner under the new tax. The step "was a most uneconomical one. The Government should encourage development work and not place obstak clcs in the way of increased produc- | I 'i- n which "was preliminary to a full fe’.p the cost of living. Mr D. Archer, I airman endorsed the rem ... ; Hr n.

in imposing a. fe), r^a S c ra,c °f D’.l per ton on coal expeprd from Westport in order that the%hn’gcs at Westport may be the saihe ;is :| t Greymouth. '1 he ports of i.ih and Westport arc an on entirely difl’erent footing, whereas die cJiddvrm'id-s of the Grey Harbour Board aye , radically worthless owing to ' iag" of the Brunner Mine, the endqvim uls of the West lu e 1 bl-e as at any peii ul. This nucetiyg., would respe<:t fully submit thaf iy l ' ~lo si unwise Io penalise one of oiir Hinary industries •K rhe present time, a Vie only way in which the Dominion <ai meet its liabilities is by increasing and it is fel: that this exli;i arge on coal wiil seriously interfere v h the mii, in the Buller district. :n I may lead to a reduction in the outp n from them. The ciiizei.s of Westport '' >e that the Government "will r' , -consio‘j this matter and will not continue die imposition of this charge, and tint copies of this resolution be sent to i ie Primo Minister, the- Member fur th. • district and the Hon. W. Mclntyre *' WESTPORTONIANS NOTES. A pathetic incident is rehi’cd to have taken place at the Borough Pound one day last week. Dun Malom y, (Inspector of Nuisances) had been up bright and early and impounded the milk producer of a horny handed oiler. After tin l fees had been paid and beast and owner were leaving the Pound, Danny informed the owner that ho would receive a bluey in due ci arse ‘‘to show cause "why he did allow a fecru'in animal, to wit. a cow, to waii'ier at largo upon the Borough streets, etc. etc.” A pathetic look overspread .he faee of the horny handed one, and locking back at the gates he had just passed through, he murmured brokenly. /‘These to me, will ever be, the “Gates of Remembrance.” A short time back proceedings woic taken against a local baker for charging more than one shilling and a ha); penny for a four pound loaf of bread. I’he baker was lined for the offence. Since this took place the Board of 1 radc have allowed bakers to charge one and a penny per loaf, unless customers tak’e coupons,.when the price wiil work out at one shilling and a halfpenny. Of course, this means payment in advance. Extra, of course, is charged for booking. This appears to be r: ther a naniby pamby way the Board of Trade have of doing business. However, let’s try another. Months ago now, a resolution was passed by Ihe Borough Council to approach the Board of Trade in respect to what was considered the too high price being demanded for cow juice. In due course an officer, no doubt getting a salary a little above the cos’, of living, arrived upon the scene, met the Borough Councillors, met the milkers, met labour ag cuts, and labour secretaries and made exhaustive enquiries. He enquired about tiie proposed municipal milk supply. the one cow man’s efl'cct upon, the industry, and departed from our midst. Not hearing any more about the matter, the Borough Council was urged by Councillor Weeks to try again, tliis time to Mr Massey. As that gentleman was taking a real live interest rn making wage cuts, it would bring under his notice the item in the cost of living. It was decided however to give the Board of Trade another chance and a query was addressed to that body. An answer was received by the Council at its Wednesday night meeting “that the Milk Vendors’ Association had been communicated with and advised that milk should be sold at 7d per quart until August Ist, when the, matter would be again reviewed. They (the B. of T.) had as yet received no reply from the Al ilk Vendors’ Association. Boiled down, this appears to be, that the Association has only tu sit tight and go on with the 8d rate. This will lust until August Ist. when probably the B. of T. will be in a position to allow their agent away for a Coast trip to see how the grass is growing. In, the meantime, wages must come down. It might not be out of place to give a few items of news regarding Borough affairs. In doing so, 1 am not usurping the functions of your own correspondent, as reporter, but rather endeavouring to show the bearing of some

of the resolutions passed by Borough Councillors. I have already touched upon the milk T)usiness. Another matI ter was the taking over of the Garrison Baud and making a Municipal concern of it. This matter was to have been considered at a committee meeting held > a week previously, but owing to the balance sheet not being laid before . the Committee, it had not been dealt with. The financial statement appears to bo that the Band has financial liabilities to the extent of £15.1 I2s 8d and assets amounting to £724 .His Od. The matter will now be gone into al the Committee meeting to be held Wednesday, July sth. The reactionary element showed up with notice of motion to call a sjiecial mcetincr a month hence for the purpose of changing over from the proportional system of voting to tin* old first past tiie post system. Ido not at this stage, wish to be too critical, and may be will mention the subject, later, but readers of thi’se notes, being mostly workers, can diaw their own conclusions how the proportional representation system of voting is likely to pan out for such reactionary members who attempt to put the clock back. The Public Health Department required the municipality to carry out its by-laws as regards sanitary receptacles for rubbish, and prosecute the oft end ers. As the old maid of fifty said. When the fellow proposed. Councillors thought this was “too sudden," so the Sanitary Inspector was instructed to get things put in order by next Wednesday, and the oiTenders will be “convicted and discharged." This is only another case where the Borough Council do not administer their by-laws, and, so soon as they endeavour to do so, and certain persons are to be affected thereby, there is a lot of lobbying done, and efforts made io side track Councillors .from their duly. There is a case, regarding the back area at present under consideration of the Council, but I do not wish if nr- iudico ‘-he case, so will not deal with it at present. < > As regards the Hospital Board’s ns- J sessm nt for the year. i.e. the Borough ’s share, the Board is to be conferred with for the purpose of reducing payments to the maintenance levy only, as other estimated liabilities are not likely to eventuate during the current year. This course will obviate the necessity of raising the rales, which course "would have been absolutely necessary if the original assesment had boon adhered to. T believe that the jllospital Board will fall , in with the proposition, when made. I M H was yci (led to rescind a formj'-’ takw/ver A

tions of licensing authority under the Dangerous Goods and Explosives Act, 1920; and to appoint an Inspector fb carry out its provisions, such appointment to be under the seal of the Council. A model set of by-laws was also adopted, as recommended by th-e Department of Internal Affairs, that department undertaking to facilitate registration of same, without cost to the Council. 'There is an •estimated revenue of £2O annually, with Inspectors remuneration, probably a percentage one to be fixed by Finance CommittC’D. The oflicer of the Department has already inspected all jnomises, garages, stores and magazines, where dangerous goods are kept, and issued instructions, which, have to be conipli-ed with within a fixed period. The matter is of real importance, as laxity would some

day result in serious loss of property, or maybe of life. The Mayor gave a. resume of "what took place in Wellington upon his recent visit to a conference hold or. behalf of antecedent liabilities of i local i bodies. Our credit is good, at % per cent., but his Worship was not signing ii]> : jjy application forms, un|||l the Borough Council sees its wav to make other and better