WESTPORT NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 889, 15 March 1889, Page 24

WESTPORT NEWS.

[By Telegraph. J (prom our own correspondent.) Westport, March 7Mr Carr was elected Chairman of the Westport Licensing Committee. The death has occurred at Horsham, in Victoria, of Wynte Lloyd, formerly clerk in the Bank of New South Wales at Westport and Wellington. The Mahinapua grounded in the river this morning, through keeping too close to the bank to allow another steamergto pass. She was got off in two hours. The local press demands that the inside of the harbour works should be undertaken at once. Five local racehorses were shipped this evening for the Greymouth meeting. Westport, March 8. Frederick Nelson, a Government locomotive stoker, met with an accident. He was uncoupling some timber trucks when he unfortunately got his shoulders crushed by the timber between the trucks. The new Cardiff Coal Mining Company accepted a tender for driving headings in the coal at their mine at Mohikinui. Westport, March 10. A very sad accident happened at Fox River, about twelve miles from Charleston, ou Saturday,' whereby throe persona lost their lives in a terribly sudden manner. It appears that -Tohn aud Margaret Nevin, children about 12 and 15 years of age, and Wm, Ryan, a man about 50, were crossing the river in the suspension ohair. When abont half-way across the stream the rope broke, precipitating the unfortunate people iuto a boiling current. They were swept out te sea. A heavy flood waß in the river at the time the accident occurred. The bodies have not yet been found. The heavy rain on Friday night and Saturday flooded the low-lying parts of tte town, caused a flood in the river, and stopped all inland traffic. No damage was done. The Labour Union are about to establish branches in the country districts. Mr J. L. Buick, Secretary of the Blenheim branch oE the National League, will deliver a lecture here on the 18th iusfc. on the Home Rule cause. The steamer Brunner, from Wellington to Greymouth, put in here at 5 this morniug after knocking about off the Grey bar all

yesterday, where a terrific sea was running. She could not anchor there owing to having the racehorses College Boy and Quibbie aboard. Both horses were landed here, and remain for the present. They have suffered from tho effectß of tho voyage, particularly Gollege Boy. The Brttiiner left fttr Gfeyt moiith ht 4.30 p-.tii;

~,.The Uretl and Mandfratuij overdue from Wellington’, liav’e nou ybfc put in an appeardn'ce>‘.

It is understood that the Public Works Department have let a contract for the construction of a bridge across the Mohikinui River, but the name of tho successful tenderer has not yet been made public. Three small contracts have been let by the Public Works Department for the extension of thfe railway at Ngakatfrati. , , _ M&rbhii. The parti'oulata at Fox rivet', so far as I can glean them, are very simple. The children were in the habit of crossing in the “ chair ” for tho purpose of getting their parents’ cows, which are kept on the Charleston side of the stream. On Saturday mom, ing. it seems they could not work the chair without assistance, and this is how ib was that the man William Ryan came to accompany them. Mrs Nivett; the toother-, w&3 Off tilS Tivef btttik: and witnessed the dreadftil accident which robbed her of a son ind S, daughter at one fell swoop. If Ryan had not volunteered to go with the young people, Mr Niven himself would have accompanied them, some dozen of people went out from Charleston to assist in the search for the bodies, but the latest news is that they have not been fonnd. While dragging for the remains the chair was picked up. Mrs Niven is said to be utterly prostrated by the sudden and awful calamity that has overtaken her. The family have resided in Brighton district for many years and are highly esteemed. The quantity and value of the gold entered for duty for exportation at Westport last year was 83950 z, valued at £33,353, distributed over four quarters, as under : March, 16990 z : June, 26590 z ; September, 20340 z; December, 20030 z. The total for the year 1887 was 9547cz, value £38,187.

It is understood that the breakwaters have suffered no injury from the flood of Saturday.

Mr W. Hay Dickson is a passenger from London by the steamer Britannia, due in Melbourne to-morrow. The passengers for

New Zealand should arrive on the 18th inst. The sale of the Mohikinui quartz-mining properties is .expected to be concluded upon Mr Dickson’s return to the Colony. A rumour was current in town on Saturday that Wilkie Bros, aud Wilson were bringing down a number of men by the as Manawatu for employment on their contract. The ! report turned out to be unfounded. The manager of the Nile Company reports that the contractors for sinking the shaft met with extraordinary hard country for the first 20ft without any trace of the reef, but have again struck a slate country, with the leaders coming in. They have about 29ft still to sink before completing their contract. The coal export of the week was 1871 tons. Westport, Maroh 12. Ever since the termination of the strike at Cape Foulwind, when the contractors, Wilkie Bros, and Wilson, agreed to the terms of the men, the relations between the men and the contractors have been very much strained, and they are still quiescent with that calmness which portends a storm in the near future. Every hour almost events are happening, trifliug perhaps in themselves, but which may, it is feared, collectively culminate in a great disturbance before long. A conference of all the orane bosses was held yesterday afternoon at the instigation of Wilkie Bros., the object of the meeting being to sound them (the bosses) as to their willingness or otherwise to work with strangers or non-union men. They decided almost unanimously, after consultation, not to work with any but union men, and those to be old hands on the works. Yesterday also the Union Committee intimated to the contractors that there were non-union men at work in the limestone quarry, and asked them to take some steps in the matter. The contractors forthwith discharged five or six men from the quarry who refused to join the union, amongst whom were three crane bosses and a crane driver. Some of their places are being filled for the present by union men. The union paid the first relief money last night at the rate of £1 per week to those men who were discharged by the contractors a fortnight ago. They will be on the funds of the union until re-engaged by the contractors, provided, of course, if they are required. The following notice was stuck up all over the Cape during Saturday night :—"Notice. —All working men are warned to keep away from the hotel, as it is a den of spies and the head.quarters for informing the contractors of the doings of the Union.” “ Blackball the spies.” This notice caused a great deal of ill feeling last night. The publican-referred to so pointedly, aod who is employed on the works, sent in his resignation as a member of the Union owing to the notice, the writer of which is unknown. He went to work as usual this morning, and the Committee were on the point of taking all the men out on strike, when he left the quarry and went home. We learn that Wilkie Bros and Wilson intend bringing from Auckland by the Omapere, due here about Friday, some hundred men, who are to be employed on the contract. The contractors, fearing some disturbance may ensue, have applied in the proper quarter for extra police protection. Communication on the subject with the head of the Police Department is proceeding, but np to 4 p.m, no definite reply had been received. I learn that tho unfortunate man William Ryan, who lost his life in the casualty at Brighton, waa an excellent swimmer, and would probably have saved his own life had he not attempted to rescue the boy Nevin. Mr McKellar, of the Customs Department, is on a visit to Westport.