WEST COAST PROSPECTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2856, 9 December 1908, Page 18

WEST COAST PROSPECTS.

In regard to the two hotels at Mount Somers and Alford Forest respectively, now included in the Selwyn licensing district, and formerly within the boundaries of the no-liceni>e district of Ashburton, it is stated, on legal authority, that there is no provision made in the act to restore the licenses to these houses, and that to gain this ewl a special order and consent of the (Jovernor-in-CouncJl would have to be obtained

During a performance in the Suevorin Theatre in St. Petersburg, a young woman vi i- attacked with cholera, and the audience fl<-d from the building in fright. Th# wooian subsequently ddod in a hospital.

MR SEDDON INTERVIEWED. (Faou Oxtb Own CoRMSPomnsNT.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 2. Mr T. E. Y. Seddon, M.P., was in Chris church yesterday on his way to Welling ton to bid farewell to the Hon. W. Hal Jones and to interview Ministers o matters affecting Westland. Mr Seddo would not be drawn into a discussion < . the recent contest, but told a Press inte: ! viewer that it was tougher than the by< election two years ago. Mr Seddon wa 1 unable to visit the southern portion of hi constituency, but in the three w'eel during which the election campaign wa in progress he delivered no fewer tha 40 speeches and attended nine socit 1 gatherings in his honour. Since- electro day he has attended six more,, of th« functions, and 'five of these^ took plac one after the other, with scarcely breatl * ing time between them. Of the prosper of Westland, . and especially of the pro pects of the mining industry, Mr Seddo .'spoke very hopefully. . He bdieres- tbs the utilisation of electrical power (genei • ated from the West Coast rivers will haii , the effect of -reviving the industry in man " centres where, owing to the absence < water s known auriferous country hs hitherto not been profitably work« One of the mat tens which is taking X Sedden to Wellington is the slump in th timber industry on tbe Coast due to th " heavy importation of Oregon timber. Tli Prime Minister communicated to Mr Sec ' don the reply given by him to a dept] tation which waited upon him on th eubjecl in Wellington last week, but M Seddon pointed out that the reduction < railway rates in favour of New Zealan timber promised by Sir Joseph War would not affect the question on th West Coast, where the matter of cc freights was of greater importance.' 0 this phase of the subject Mr Seddon ii tended interviewing the Prime Ministei