LOCAL AND GENERAL

Grey River Argus, 29 April 1942, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Medical Board examined 18 men at Wataroa, on Saturday,* seven bepassed as fit, one grade two., and six grade three. Two were classed as permanently unfit, and two were deferred.

The Greymouth Patriotic Fund Aboeal has now realised £1,806 ss.da. Latest donations are: ~W°° A U , L 0 T E t P Vs N.Z. £2 10s; Grey mouth Womens Patriotic Committee, donation or gift parcels, £4 9s 6d; part proceeds, disposal of tallboy, £2; ffl Greymouth Borough Employees (office start;, 19s; donation of under ss, 4s. ..

Eighteen fresh oases of infectious disease were reported in Can f^ during the past week, according to the fleal'th Department. They-com-prised 11 cases of tuberculosis, four, of hydatids ih North' Canterbury, one. of diptheria, one of septic abortion and one of erysipelas caused one death. On • the ■ West Coast, there Was' one fresh case oi tuberculosis.

Be smart on the street; at die afternoon function; in your home oi anywhere you decide to go. Purchase your Fashion Goods from White’s Corner, Your Fashion Centre. —Advt.

National Savings contributors generally continue to give excellent support to" the war effort. Last wee’; 106 towns flew their “quota flags, inchbling' 14 provincial centres. Competition between the various c.lie." and townships remains keen, and with the enthusiastic support of local committees and organising officers, it is expected that a larger number of “quota’’ successes will be in evidence again l shortly.

“Little Nellie Kelly,” appearing Opera House, commencing Friday, will arrive by Thursday’s express, accompanied by the Irish-American Troupe.—Advt.

Four men were injured when a P.W.D. workmen’s train from Westport and a ballast train which was shunted from Inangahua, collided in the Hawke’s Crag tunnel, on the Buller Gorge railway on Monday morning. A van was totally wrecked. The injured men were W. F. Sidwell, guard (leg abrasions), W. H. McGeorge (scalp wound, leg and side injuries), and G. Eyeington (strained arm, laceration to face and head). They were travelling in the van of the ballast train. These men were all admitted’ to the Reefton Hbspital. A fourth man, W. J. Hill, fireman on the train from'Westport, suffered bruises and shock, but was not admitted to hospital. The condition of all the men 4si satisfactory. Some of- -the firewood to be. burned, jnJChristchurch grates this winter may' be railed from Westland. Inspectors, of the State Forest Service' on',lhe 'West Coast recently made a- survey, of the possibilities of bringing'"slab-.'timber . through the Otira’tuhnql. No decision has been made fihally, but the survey was made because of the difficulty foreseen, and noticeable already, in filling firewood orders in Christchurch. Shortages of labour and . transport rather than lany.’shortage:-, of wood are given as the main reasons for the present 'position, which has been causing merchants : concern for some months. These two factors have been instrumental in closing several usulai local sources of supply, including the plantations, at Bottle Lake, which before the war were worked by subsidised labour.

Indicating that building work can be resumed on the West Coast, the Commissioner of Defence Construction (Mr. J. Fletcher), has forwarded the following advice: “The tyzo biggest problems I have at the moment are: (1) To get plans completed so' that work may proceed; (2) because of the iact that the majoritv of the buildings are in wood to regulate contracts, particularly in the North Island, to the output of the mills. As far as the South Island is concerned, the major - contracts have been let—that is, as far as camp construction—and the majority of contracts still to to let will be isolated buildings. There will be ample labour available to take care of the whole programme within a reasonable limit of t’me. Any work, cn the West Coast, that can proceed either in the way of . housing or other work, will receive a permit, so as to keep the contractors there fully employed. Any application made for cement will now be. granted. owing to an improvement in the position regarding supplies.”

Cars luave been able to make a through trip from Greymouth to Westport by the coastal ’ road by fording ’the Fox River. However, on the Greymouth side of the Fox the steepness of the road makes it impossible to use lorries or service cars. It is not known when the regular service will be resumed, so, in the meantime, services still travel via Reef ton.