WESTPORT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 839, 30 March 1888, Page 18

WESTPORT.

Telegraph.]

(lICI* OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Westport, March 22,

A great improvement in the bar was shown to-day, when the Grafton came, in three hours before high water, and tho Ohau sailed with 900 tons of coal, tho biggest cargo ever shipped from this port. information has been received from Collingwood of the death of Jas. Russell, engineer of the Collingwood Gold and Coal Mining Company. 'I he Korauui Incline here was built under his supervision. Mr E. Mitchelson has recommended a survey of the Mokihinui-Ngakawau railway, and it will be put in hand as soon as authorised.

A further portion of the Buller road was carried away by tho last burst of bad weather.

Westport, Maroh 23,

The position of the residents along the Buller road is serious. Provisions are becoming very scarce. A number of waggons aud coach horses aro imprisoned at Osborne’s, and if the river is not sufficiently low to-morrow to enablo thorn to be brought down along the beaches the poor animals will be shot, so that they will not die of slow starvation.

The first steamer from Greymoutli since tho 7th had not arrived this morniDg. The weather has cleared up, and shipping movements have resumed their ordinary course. The barque Examiner is due here from the Clarence River, N.S.W., with a cargo of timber for the piling at the breakwater. A difficulty lias arisen as to loading her with coal, the Union Shipping Company having a monopoly in the carriage of all the Westport Coal Company’s coal. Westport, March 25.

The Government have postponed the appointment of ‘ the new Harbor Board till Thursday, presumably to allow the Greymouth Board an opportunity of resigning at their meeting to be held to-morrow evening. Mr Reeves, M.H.R., wires from Wellington that it is his opinion that Government will not abolish the Board.

The Buller-road deputation have obtained a promise from the Government to make a horse-track, but will not commit themselves to ro-establishing tho road until the meeting of Parliament. The Minister says their officers’ estimate for a thorough repair of the road is £20,000, but the County estimate that £SOOO will open it for waggon traffic. t March 26. The Westport Coal Company exported 2198 tons of coal last week. A Local Option poll will be taken here ou the 14th April. The Great Republic Company continue crushing. Twelve men are employed getting out stone from two faces, and there are 200 tons of excellent quality to grass. The reef ia five feet in the shaft. The crushing is expected to be profitable. It is proposed to hold races in Westport on Queen’s Birthday. At a public meeting to-day the following resolutions were passed : —That the dolay in opening wheel traffic upon the Buller-road will inflict irreparable injury on this town aud district, and that it is imperatively necessary for the existence of settlement between Westport and Lyell and the general publio that the traffic should be provided

for ; that in the extreme urgency of the case the expenditure of £20,000 for permanently reproving and grading the road is not required, but that an immediate expenditure of £SOOO would clear the road and enable waggon traffic to be resumed.