BLACKBALL NOTES.

Grey River Argus, 8 December 1928, Page 2

BLACKBALL NOTES.

(Our Own Correspondent.) The providing of work by the Pub lie Works Department for ten men near Charleston has further helped the unemployed problem at Blackball. The commencing of work on the Greymouth end of tiie Coastal Road after the Xmas holidays will probably result in the absorbing of the remainder of the unemployed. Several Blackball miners found work Dob-on 'luring the week. The Blackball Soccer Club are starting a shilling fund to provide the schoolboy team with silver medals, and are hopeful of a good response. Mr J. Davidson, a miner employed in the Blackball mine, slipped whilst .lifting a large piece of rock, and so verely injured himself, needing stretcher attendance. The recent ballot for officials of the Blackball Miners’ Union, like several other recent ballots, seems to have surprised the opposition. Blackmun’s new hotel is to open this week-end, with the usual house warming. Mr Fitzgerald and Son. of Kumara. were Blackball visitors last week-end. and made the Dominion Hotel their headquarters. Blackball school children have been I undergoing their term examinations' this week., when several y. ere successful in gaining their proficiency certificates. Mr Geo. Wright, of Greymouth, is a Blackball visitor to the home of Mr and Mrs J. Kerr. A local cricket enthusiast, evidently a sticker for the Old Country, was eon siderate enough to post the cricket scores in the test at the mine-mouth each morning. We thus beat the “Ar gns” for the news by several hours. Already two or three candidates are announced for the vacant seat on the I Grey County Council, rendered vocant by the death of Mr Jas Irvine. The verdict in the Tennant case shows that the N.Z. law needs drasti cally amending. It seems surprising that a person should meet death in a mine in the circumstances of the Tennant case, and that there should be no compensation payment for the widow. Mr J. McNicol, who met with an injury to his knee- eighteen months ago has found it necessary to go to Christ church for treatment. The same remark applies to Mr J. Freer, an exImperial Army man, whose war injur ics are responsible. Parents in Blackball, along with parents elsewhere, seem to be up against a tough economic problem in placing children who have left school in any kind of employment. Possibly, the £7O 000,000 King will Solve the problem, or like other 'capitalist politicians, may try and fail. Although Christmas is approaching and the usual annual holidays are at hand, this scribe does not hear of ant extensive arrangements being made by members of the working class in Blackball to visit the Wanganui River, Rotorua, the Waitomo Caves, or the Glaciers. Mr ami Mrs Ja®. Lovings (jun.) of Mosgiel, are visiting relatives at Blackball. Whilst tree-felling on the Moonlight Road, C. Wesley (jun.) had the misfortune to receive severe scalp wounds, which necessitated prompt medical treatment. The following were the successful candidates in the proficiency examinations here:—Proficiency— S. Clark. V. I‘.ivies, V. Goodall. D. Kirk. R. Leitch, J. Martin, J. Weir. K. Pasfield. G. Stenhouse, Dorothy Burt, Doris Bal M av i s Billett, Jessie Ilowden Clarice Martin, Chris McNaughton Phyllis Quibell, Una Richardson, Mary Weir. Endorsed Competency:—John Neilson, Alma Mason. Competency:— Fred Caldwell, Fred Lowe, Erie Park Hunter Ritchie, Doreen Harsthore.