WESTPORT NOTES

Grey River Argus, 19 February 1945, Page 6

WESTPORT NOTES

[Our Own Correspondent!. ■ WESTPORT, Feb. 17 The Kiwitea is due to-morrow from Auckland to load coal for Wellington. The Karepo is due from Wellington to load for Auckland. The Hon. W. H. Mclntyre, chairman of the Nelson Education Board visited the Karamea district on education business during the week. Mr. L. L. Beeson, of Melbourne, a past president of the New Zealand Association and his brother. Mr. G. Beeson, of the Lands . and Survey Department, Wellington, are visiting Westport prior to visiting the South Westland glaciers. Mr. J. Hika left on Friday for Wellington. . Mr. F. L. Harrison arrived on Friday from Wellington. Mr. and Mrs. J. Phillips returned on Friday from Wellington. At the recent meeting of the Council of the Westport School of Mines the Director, Mr. E. W. Fearson, in his report for the quarter ended December 31, 1944, said that the school roll during the quarter showed an increase over the previous quarter, a total of 29 students being on the roll. One gas testing demonstration had been given, the report added, and J. T. Fleming had been successful in gaining a gas testing certificate. Two tours had been undertaken by students, one to inspect the Denniston colliery, and the other to the Dobson colliery, Mr. Pearson said, and both , had been of great interest and appreciated by the students. The inspection of the Dobson colliery, he added, had enabled the class to study 7 conditions which differed from those in the Buller district mines. He expressed thanks to Mr. J. Quinn, of Dobson, who had made the arrangement for the visit to that colliery and to Mr. A. Openshaw, of Denniston who had made the visit possible to Denniston. Correspondence from the undersecretary of Mines, agreeing to the purchase of a calometer and furnace to the sum of £175 was received at the council meeting, but it was stated that the cost of the two requirements amounted to £225. It was decided to ask the Mines Department to meet the extra cost in purchasing the furnace. In replv to the Council's request that the'Director’s salary be raised from £4OO to £5OO. the Mines Department to find half, the under-secflret-ary advised that the Department was not prepared to find the amount asked for, but would increase its present grant. The Council decided to raise the director’s salary to £4po and at the same time notify the Department that the Council thought that £5OO should be paid and requested that the Department’s decision be < reviewed at the earliest time possible.