WESTPORT NOTES

Grey River Argus, 2 December 1938, Page 11

WESTPORT NOTES

► —-— r [Our Own Correspondent] Shipping: WESTPORT, December .1. The Kaimai, coal-laden for Wellington, sailed this morning. The Totara from New Plymouth, is loading coal for return to that port and is expected to sail this afternoon. The Wingatui is expected to sail from Wellington to-day with general cargo and is due to load coal on Saturday for Wellington. The Titoki is loading coal for Nelson and is expected to be despatched this afternoon/ The Canopus is expected to arrive 1 from Auckland to load coal on Saturday for return to the same port. The Te Aroha arrived from Wellington this morning and is discharging cargo, sailing for Little Wanganui to-morrow morning thence Welling- « tOn - z-. The James Cook is due from preymouth to-day to load coal for inou- - mea. Personal: Mrs Beaton and daughter of Karamea were visitors to Westport yesterday. Mr F. Woodward has returned from a holiday visit to Dunedin and Auckland. The Rev. H. L. Wilkinson returned yesterday from a visit to Mr Hansen of the Internal Marxeting Board Division is paying an official visit to Westport. ; Mr A. Atkin, who has been on - a holiday visit to Wellington, returned home yesterday. | Mr and Mrs T. Pain returned yesterday from a holiday visit to Christchurch and Dunedin. | Rev. E. Bush, of Granity .will visit, the Karamea district and hold church' services as follows: Monday, Decem-j her 5, Oparara: Tuesday 6th, Kara-, mea; Wednesday 7th, Arapito; Thursday Bth, Kongahu; Friday 9th, Little Wanganui. AH services at, 8 P-m. | Ministerial: I The Hon. R. Semple, Minister or Public Works, accompanied by Mr Wood, Engineer-in-ChieC of the Public Works, and Mr Grover, private secretary, arrived yesterday from Motunka, and were met in the Buller Gorge by the Hon. P. C. Webb and party the Mayor of Westport, Mr J. Kilkenny, the Hon. W. H. Mclntyre, ana Mr C. F. Schadick (County Engmeei-, Clerk), and came on to Westport. En route the Minister inspected the railway works. A visit was later paid to the paklhis at Sergeant s The Hon. P.*C7 WebbwnT remain in Westport until the end of the week, visiting Denniston on Friday, Minerton and Stockton on Saturday, ana leaving for Barrytown on Monday. Accident on Railway Works: Severe injuries were received by a workman J. Penberth, an employe,: of the Public Works Department, yesterday morning. Penberth was working north of r / fc oroa, and tne worn involved the taking of a face off the side of a highway. Tfie accident occurred while Penberth was tamping a charge of gelignite, and tne, premature explosion caused the tamping rod t 0 severely injure his hand, while the explosion caused severe injuries to his right arm and hand, ana abrasions to the face. His condition last evening was reported at the hospital to be quite satisfactory. Penoertn is a married man, and lives at Tiroroa. Bulle'r Caledonian Society: The Buller Caledonians ceiebrateu St. Andrew’s Day, by a special Ingleside in the Orange Hall last evening, Chief Blair presided. The feature of the evening was. the address by the Rev. H. L. Wilkinson, B.A. on St. Andrew, the speaker dealing with his subject in a very comprehensive manner, covering a .wine range of Scottish history. At the conclusion, a hearty vote of thanks was carried by acclamation. Duets by Mrs Roselli and Chief Blair “Hunting Tower” and “My Ain Wee House”, and b - v Mesdames K. and M. Sanders, “Better Bide a Wee,” anti “Crooked Bawbee” and supper gave added interest to the evening. New County Chambers: Finances having been arranged steps will .be taken early for demolition of the County Chambers building, an old structure that has become

absolete. A new and up-to-date building will then be erected in its place Finances - have also been arranged for the County’s road improvemem scheme, for which loans were re- / cently authorised. Westport Fire Board: I Messrs J. Scanlon (chair), E- H Box, F. F. Grant, J. Radford, O. I Nahr, and A. Taylor (secretary), ats tended the quarterly meeting of th<= t. Westport Fire Board held last even- " ing- ! Superintendant J. Daily’s quarterly 1 report was read and received and 1 authority was given for purchase of - a uniform for one fireman. | The Superintendent drew the atten- - tion of the Board to the need for I painting white of the fire plugs. It I was decided to refer the matter to ? the Borough Council. Secretary Mr Donagh reported that ! the brigade was up to the full strength ■ of 20 men. There was a number ■ of calls on the brigade, but none was I serious, the last being the worst, the brigade quickly got the fire under I control. ■ The Board made a grant of £5 toi wards the brigade’s New rear’s Eve i celebrations. Chief Inspector Butcher reported on I his visit of inspection and commented on the efficiency of the brigade He however, called attention to the lack ' of sufficient pressure of water, particularly in Derby Street, and re- , quested that the Borough Council’s attention be called to this state of affairs. The Board decided to do as I requested. The balance sheet was received ■ back from the Auditor-General as corI rect, and the Board passed, a resolution that the balance sheet be approved and settled. | A letter was received from the De- , partmental Committee on the question I of local bodies amalgamation, but it I was decided to take no action.. - Accounts as presented were passed , for payment. , Complimentary Smoke Concert: The Hon. P. C. Webb, Minister of Mines, and Member for Buller, and I the Hon. R. Semple, Mir/ster of ,PubI lie Works were the guests at a smoke I concert, convened by Buller Local, Bodies, and presided over by the ' Mayor, Mr John Kilkenny, which was I held last evening in the Friendly SoI cietie’s Hall. I The gathering was a truly reprej sentative one, about 150 attending. I The Mayor, Mr J. Kilkenny, who I welcomed the Ministers, said that the i gathering was a representative one i to do special honour to the guests. He thanked the Ministers for the work they were doing in the Buller electorate and praised them tor- 'he splendid manner in which thav were doing their jobs. He also spoke of i the splendid work which Mr Semple was doing in connection with ffie mad safety campaign. Mr D. Archer, chairman of the Buller County Council said that he vas pleased to have the opportunity ’f joining with the Mayor in greeting . the Ministers, and made special n> ,'ference to the success attained by the Government’s use of machinery in the development of the country. The Hon. P. C. Webb thanked the Mayor and Mr Archer for their kindly reference to Mr Semple and himself. Mr Webb also took the opportunity t 0 thank those present for the splendid welcome given them. T he West Coast could be thankful to Mr Semple, more so than to himself. There was a great deal more work to be done in the matter of highways and • byways, but the Gorge railway vas nearing completion. He had been given the thrill, of a a lifetime that afternoon - ,lifter viewing the pakihi lands. When the Cawthron Institute showed the people what could be done, it was hats )ff to science. The Director of the Institute, Sir Theodore Rigg, and his colleagues had to be thanked, in connection with this wonderful achievement. He praised the Minister of Public Works for his roading scheme, and for initiating the development of lands by the use of machinery to bring it up to the maximum production in the shortest possible time. Apart from the land development scheme, the harbour was to be improved tremendously, and Mr A. C. Bascand had been appointed to that post, to see things done. He thanked the local -bodies for the support that had been given in the different works that were being proceeded with and also referred to the splendid co-opera-tion that had been received from Mr C. F. Schadick. The Government

■ needed activity and work from al ■ sections of the community to assure I the best returns. ’ The Hon. R. Semple. The Minister said that a public man’s life is not a'bed of roses. Th( Government, in its legislation,:was at tempting to do its plain duty so shoulc , not be thanked too profusely. H< was out to give machinery its righ 1 place in the production/ of .vealrh New Zealand’s progress, depended -.ntirely on its ability to producer Mr Semple spoke at length >n the farm clearing scheme, and the use o: machinery in other schemes being carried out by the Government in they parts of the country. The Government intended to dem onstrate the latest methods of clearing land to the people of Buller, during February. Mr Semple paid a tribute to the manner in which the young New Zealanders were doing their various jobs Mr Semple completed his speech bj saying that the previous time he had been in Westport he had been rar from well, but now he was as fit as the proverbial fiddle, ready to battle wltn any problem that arose. Toast List. The first toast was the Royal one. After which Mr Kilkenny proposed me toast t 0 the guests of honour, and Mr D. J. D. Archer seconded it. Other toasts were:— To the Industrial Unions proposed by the Hon. W. H. Mclntyre and seconded by Mr W. H. Woodcock. Mr McIntyre stressed the importance of the Industrial Unions, which had played a great part in the bringing about of a Labour Government. He mentioned the various bodies, Progress League, Fire Brigades, Municipal Bands, all voluntary bodies working for progress. In answering, Mr Woodcock endorsed the remarks of Mr Mclntyre. The toast to “The Ladies” was P ro " posed by Mr Archer, and responded to by Mrs Irene Ryan. Three cheers were given for tne guests, the Mayor, and on the motion of Mr Semple, for the Prime Minister, Mr Savage. , Items were given by Messrs r. Cainon, D. Moloney, P. Struthers, J. Comerford, and J. W. Roworth. Among the apologies were those from Messrs E." Falconer, secretary of the Watersider’s Union, W. RSimpson, Karamea, and_F. Mussen, Karamea. ... ’ The evening concluded with the singing of the National Anthem.