STOCKTON NOTES

Grey River Argus, 15 March 1940, Page 11

STOCKTON NOTES

[From Our Own Correspondent]

The ballot for the official position of the Ngakawau Miners’ Union took place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mr D. Mcßean and Mr .A. McGregor were the scrutineers and Mr J. Clarke acted as returning officer. Mr J. Lavery polled 104 votes for the presidency and Mr F. Connew 120. There werg nine informal votes. Mr Connew was declared elected with a majority of sixteen votes. In the contest for two checkinspectors, Mr C. Barnes headed the list with a vote of 163. Mr J. Fitzsimmons had a total of 132. Mr M. Dague, 92 and Mi' I. Tyler 67. There were five informal votes. Mr C. Barnes and Mr J. Fitzsimmon were declared elected.

The death took place last week of a one-time employee of the Westport Stockton Coal Company, in the person of the late Mr W. Haynes, who had been residing in Westport for some time. The funeral took place on Saturday morning at the Orowaiti Cemetery. The late Mr Haynes had reached a ripe bld age, being approximately seventy-six. Mr C. Steele, representative of the Ngakawau Miners’ Union to the Buller Representation Committee attended a meeting of that body in Westport on Saturday.

Mr J. Chippendale left last week for Christchurch where 1 he will recuperate after his recent accident in the Stockton Mine.

Mr Kelly of Greymouth was a visitor to the" township on Saturday. A meeting of the Stockton Sick Fund was called for Sunday, March 10, to consider a revision of the rules, so that registration of same could be obtained. The committee will finalise the work and it is to be hoped that registration will no longer be delayed. The members of the Stockton Sick Fund have been penalised insofar as they have been denied the benefits of the Social Security Act because the organisation was not registered under the Friendly Societies Act.

A birthday party was held in the Stockton Hall on Friday. The party was given by Mr and Mrs F. Connew. to celebrate the twenty-first birthday of Seaman K. Connew, one of the crew of H.M.S. Achilles. There was a very large attendance and visitors were present from Ngakawau, Hector Granity, Millerton and Westport. Mr Bert Finlayson presided at the piano. Messrs Rees and Shearer took charge of the dancing. A very happy evening was spent by the large gathering.

The Buller Soldiers’ Comforts Committee held the weekly euchre and whist tournaments in the hall on Tuesday evening. Miss Kitty Morgan was successful in winning Ist prize in the euchre tournament and Mrs Morgan and Mrs S. Chippendale tied for 2nd prize. In the whist drive Mrs Fox won Ist prize and Mrs H. Evans 2nd prize. The aggregate prize in the euchre was won by J. Morgan and in the whist, Mr Noah Morgan was the winner.

Miss Nancy Potter returned to Blackball on Saturday after spending a short holiday with her grand-