Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 15 February 1939, Page 4

Applications closing on Monday 2i)th are invited for caretaker of the Soldiers’ Hall. Full particulars and con ditions may be obtained from the secretary.—Advfc.

Freight hauled through the Otira tunnel mmi Yvest to East last amounted to 12,782 tons, as compared with 14,087 tons iu the corresponding week of 19z8, and 10,906 toils in 103/.

A contract for 1 ho' supply, metaffin., and delivery of sealing chips for tm Ngahere northwards section on the lnangahua-Greymouth, State Highway, lias been let by the Public Works Department to the West Coast United Constructors/ Ltd., at a price of £3,419.

Because of some defects discovered m tne boilers of the collier Canopus, aunng her annual overhaul, the Yvest ,jort uoal Company, Ltd., .has decideu m lay her up indefinitely. Her place will oe taken by the ivairnai, wine., nas been chartered from the Union Steam Ship Company. The YVestpo.. tJjal Company’ has placed Captain Rowlands, for some years master of tin Canopus, in charge oh the Kaimai.

Judging by the remarks made b. woumy Couiicillois yesterday afternoon none ol them are motor cyclists. When a letter was read asking tor an expression of opinion as to me necessity or otherwise of dealing with moto.cyclists, there was a unanimous expression jol opinion unfavourable to mese machines and it was decided tha. a reply be sent to the enquiry stating the Uouncil were, in favour of prohibit-,, ing pillion riding, the prevention of unseemly noise and for a substantial reduction of the speed limit.

Two men employed on the construction of the JNganere dredge were injured yesterday afternoon when «u emery wheel iievv to pieces. The men, who were admitted to the Grey Hospital, were James Tayior, 20, engineer, wiio received an injury to his, arm, an a John Williamson, 32, a litter, of 'Stillwater, who sustained severe hand injuries. Both were reported last evening to be progressing satisfatcorily. Edward Smith, 29, a miner, employed at the Wallsend Mine, was also admitted to the Grey Hospital, yesterday afternoon, jvith a knee injury. His condition was also satisfactory. Caught between two trucks,a railway employee of Greymoutli, named Hart, sustained injuries to his arm: He was admitted to the Grey Hospital. A cyclist, named Hahn, aged 27, was injured in a fall from a bicycle, and also admitted to the Grey Hospital.

Sentence of three months’ imprisonment was imposed at the Greymout;: Magistrate’s Court yesterday by Mr R. Ferner, S.M., on George, Albert Wilson, labourer, aged 27, who pleaded guilty to a charge of being an incorrigible rogue, in that he escaped from the Greymouth gaol on January 10, before the expiration of the term for which he was committed. Thu S.M. said the sentence would run concurrently ivith a sentence of three months’ imprisonment imposed on Wilson in Christchurch, for theft. On the application of Detective-Sergeant Knight, Wilson was remanded to appear at Auckland on February 21, on a "bar"" that on December 19. 1938. at i Huntly, he broke and entered the shop 1 : of C. G- Johnson, and stele clothing to ? the value of 279. ;

'■ Admitted to the Boiler District Hosjpita'l on Monday, suffering {firfcln a

crushed finger, sustained whilst «>. work, Thomas Learmouth, aged 20, year, a miner, of Denniton, and employed by the Westport Coal Company was last evening reported to he in a favourable condition.

The Medical Superintendent of the Greyinouth hospital reported lor January—Number of patients at end of December—Hospital: 46 males, 25 females; Old People’s Home: 30 males, 3 females; No. of patients admitted during month—Hospital: 75 males, 47 females; 0.P.H.: l.male; No. of patients discharged during month—Hospital: 61 males, 42 females; 0.P.H..: None.- No. of deaths during month— Hospital: 3 males, 2 females'; 0.P.H.: None; No. remaining at end of month —Hospital: 58 males, 29 females; O.P.H. : 37 males, 3 females. Maternity Hospital: Admitted, 30, patients discharged, 30; births, 29.

It was practically agreed by the Westland County Council to erect new offices as a Centennial Memorial between the Free Public Library and the Fire Brigade Station in Hamilton Street,and that the building be used solely for County purposes, a suggestion made to the Council that a join; County and Borough edifice be erected not meeting with any support.’; ' The Council at present has over £IOOO in, hand for the purpose in view. It is estimated that the building proposed will.cost abQut £2000,..0p which there will" be a Centpiinafy subsidy," so it, pas -sfaired ■Tbq.question of finance would not be a difficult question. , The building proposed to ba erected will be 80 feet by 40 feet, well set back so as not to interfere with the trees at present growing in the street, aiid will not interfere to any great extent with the garden in Mae. andrew Square.

The question of a piece of road reserve at Arahura, and who should navt the right to it, formed the subject of some discussion at the County council meeting yesterday' It would appear hat the area in question was leased by che Land Board to the present- occupant’s family for some 28 years, but only recently the Board found that the ■ area was a road reserve and that'it vva vested in the. County Council. At the last meeting the Council had agreed to offer on objection to * the present occupant remaining in occupancy, but 'an adjoining Settler, whose frontage adjoined the/area made application for the land in question, The Council decided on a seven to two majority to allow the present arrangement to stand, it being made clear that no right could be given to fence in a road reserve, though it was known that many such areas in different parts oi -he County had been enclosed in by aidjoining owners, who were liable for rates for occupancy, even if they had no title to the land. It was considered by Councillors that after the area had been held by the present holders for so many years, it would be unfair to take it away from them.

Following the reading of the several reports of the County Jimgmeer a-.' ycsteruay's meeting various Councillor discussed matters referred to and also enquired into some that had not been i mentioned that had been noted for report at the previous meeting. The extremely large amount of traffic at present passing over AralnU’a Valley roaa was mentioned by Cr Ward, who eni: phasised the nped for more gravel to je used to keep this stretch in better jrder. It was stated that the County, lorries were fully engaged in various works, and in fact a difficulty was experienced in getting enough supplies and pipes carted to the several works to enable the progress of works in hand to be kept at full pressure, it was mentioned that a tender had beea accepted for a supply of gravel for the La Fontaine road at 3/6 per yard, whereas when tenders were invited tome inonths ,ago 7 for,this-section, there was only, one .|p J ffer f jma,de..,apcl that (was tit 5s per yard, .w|\ich •Qopsideredfar too, high,. of this road is an urgent, matter •as • :miilers there are waiting to get out the timber from their mills, and there will 1 be a ot of heavy traffic, for which the millers, are being levied on, towards the special up-keep of the road in question.

At a meeting of the Westland County Council yesterday afternoon, Cr Ward enquired what action, if any, had .been taken in regard to Greek’s Creek crossing, on the way to Humphreys. He said that the matted had been brougmi forward time and again, but there d!id not appear to be any move made to improve the position. He urged that urgent action should be taken to improve this crossing, which was always a dangerous one. The County Clerk stated that there was a grant available for this work, and the County Engineer had drawn up plans for a bridge, hut the Public Works Department officers had refused to agree thereto, being of' the opinion that concrete pipes would be more suitable. It was pointed out that owing to a large quantity of gravel coming down the creek from a sluicing claim, that the proposed pipes would soon fill up with gravel, and the position would then be worse than before. In connection with the bridge proposal, it had been laid down tor a concrete floor to the creek bed. with a wider approach than at present prevails, and it was ultimately decided to enlarge this proposal for a concrete floor and send it on to the Department for approval, and if successful it would obviate a bridge being erected. Tt was claimed that if in time of flood, sluicing spoil did lay on the crossing, it could then be easily removed. The proposal was generally approved, the desire being make seme attempt at an improvement. .i-taC, sfwsm O3JSSOI