LOCAL AND GENERAL

Grey River Argus, 24 December 1943, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL

There will be no issue of the "Argus” to-morrow Saturday (Christmas Day).

The dolls’ shop conducted by the Greymouth Women’s patriotic committee and a raffle held in conjunction with the shop resulted in a profit of £127 10s for the Patriotic Fund.

In this issue the Railway Department advertises particulars of local timetable alterations from December 29 to December 31 inclusive.--Advt.

Giliespie’s Beach dredge wash-up was 68oz 3dwt for 170 hours trom 16,800 cubic yards. The Okarito Fivemile Bea'ch Gold Dredging Co., Limited's return is 18oz 7dwts in 161 hours from 7,821 yards treated.

Four sections at the corner of Guinness and Tarapuhi streets, the property of Duncan McLean Limited have been disposed of to the Mines Department, which will erect an office building on the site.

Shop early for Christmas. Do your Christmas shopping as early as possible now and early in the day arid do it at White’s Corner, Your Fashion Centre. —Advt.

The Greymouth Post Office advises the following alteration in the hours of telegraphic attendance: On Monday next the daytime hours wm be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Monday, ‘January 3rd, the hours observed will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Yesterday a fitter named Keith Johnston, employed at the Liverpool State mine workshop, fell from a ladder on to a concrete fioor suffering a dislocation .of an elbow. He received treatment at the Grey Hospital.

Residents of the Grey District have been liberal in, as usual, assisting to provide funds foi- Christmas cheer for patients at the Grey Hospital and Old People’s Home. Donations received will greatly assist the Superinetndent and Matron in giving extra creature comforts for all patients.

This will be our fortieth Xmas in business in Kumara arid ■ we are showing a wide range of Gift Goods and have marked our large stocks of Drapery, Mercery, Boots, Shoes and Slippers at the best value in Westland.—H. Hamer, Kumara. —Advt.

For the recent matinee race meeting at Omoto in aid of the Plunket Society the balance sheet was submitted last evening to a meeting of the Men’s Advisory Committee of the Society,, when it was disclosed that the committee will be able to hand over to the Society proceeds to the value of approximately £±oo. The busiest time with the railways for the holiday period so far was reached yesterday when nearly 1,300 passengers (exclusive of rail-car passengers) were carried on the Midland line. The first express from Greymouth to Christchurch consisted of six cars and the ordinary express ten cars. Trains coming to the West Coast were similar in size. On both the Hokitika and Westport sections traffic has been unusually heavy.

A long spell of hot dry weather in Southland reached its peak yesterday, 83 degrees being recorded in Invercargill and 86 degrees at Gore. These were the highest shade temperatures recorded in Southland this summer. The previous highest reading for Invercargill was, 82 degrees on November 29. Rain is ba'dly needed throughout the wohle province, but tne forecast is for a' continuance of fine weather. Water rationing has already been introduced at the Bluff, where ten gallons dailyl is allowed each person.— Press Assn.

No announcement has yet been made regarding the future control of the Taramakau bridge although the Commissioner (Mr. G. G. Chisholm, S.M.) submitted his findings to the Government some time ago. The Kumara Borough Council, discussing the deterioration of the bridge, considered that damage done by heavy loads carried by Westland transport lorries had made it dangerous for traffic. The Council would in no way accept responsibility for any accidents. Inquiries ’ made yesterday elicited that the responsibility for the control ,and upkeep •of the bridge rests h’ith t.ne Kumara Council nending any variation, and that that Council was the body to effect repairs to the structure.

The Grey district State and cooperative coal mines closed yesteroav for the holiday vacation and will resume on January 5. Last month estimates to the value of £506,263 were reported and accepted for administration by the Public Trustee. The total value of estates and funds under administration by the Public Trustee on the 31st March, 1943, was £66,777,793, and new business for the eight months ended 30th November was £4,211,932. Grants of* administration made by the Court in favour of the Public Trustee numbered 215 for the month, while 595 new wills appointing the Public Trustee executor were prepared on behalf of testators and lodged for safe custody, and 458 existing wills were revised to provide for changes desired lay testators. The total of wills now held in the Public Trust office on behalf of living persons is 124,052. Lambing percentages for the West Coast showed only a slight decrease on last season’s figures, but proved much better than anticipations on account of unseasonable conditions early in the season. Cold wet conditions at lambing time resulted in a mortality of about 34 per cent, other causes add a further In per cent, making 5 per cent, in all. Buller County was the only county to register an increase. It is anticipated that fewer first-grade lathbs will be in the first drafts this season though an improvement anticipated .will put flocks in a satisfactory condition. The percentage obtained in the various counties were as follows (last year’s figures bein" shown in parenthesis); Grey, 104,818 <108,067): Westland, 103.089 (111.70f’.i; Inangahua. 103,742 (109,354); Buller, 100 000 (93,300); Murchison, 94,810 <98.222). All ‘'•district average: 102,557 (104,135).