WEST COAST NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3029, 3 April 1912, Page 67

WEST COAST NOTES.

QTbom Odb Own Cgbbespondbnt.) HOKITIKA. March 26. Despite the continued efforts of many willing searchers, no trace of the body of Miss Locke has been found. The young lady was drowned with her brother, the Rev. John Locke, of Ross, whilst endeavouring to ford the Big Wanganui River, in South Westland. on February 13. Those who have had occasion to visit the West Coast are well acquainted with the treacherous nature of the various rivers, and when drowning fatalities are reported are prone to look upon the catastrophes as being unavoidable. A bridge has been erected over the Big Wang&nui, and the. structure has been out of the contractor's hands for over six months, but, despite the dangerous nature of the river and the fact that the only means of communicating between Hokftika and the southern settlers lies across the river, the Public Works Department has allowed the bridge to stand idle for the lack of proper approaches. Had the approaches been constructed simultaneously with the bridge, or even six months after, the Rev. Mr Locke and Miss Locke would not have lost their lives, because they would have been able to cross the river by means of the bridge instead of risking their lives, as travellers and settlers are doing every day, by having to ford a very shifty and swift-flowing river. On February 22 a tender was accepted for the construction of the south approach, but so far the approaches have not been completed, and the Big W&nganui bridge, costing a fairly large sum, stands useless. Mr A. Paape, organising secretary of the New Zealand Sports Protection League, has concluded a tour of the West Coast. He was very cordially received wherever he spoke. Branches were formed in the various towns. At the meeting at Hokitika it was decided to make a recommendation to the Board of Control that the proposed formation of centres be cancelled, and that each branch deal direct with the Board of Control. GREYMOUTH, March 29. The officials of the shipping and the West Coast coal companies are to confer at Wellington on the question of improvement in the handling of coal. The Charleston Butter Factory Company has other schemes in view for making use of the resources of that part of the West Coast. A bacon factory and cold stores to regulate the supply of various foodstuffs are mentioned as included in the company's programme. Under the company's enterprise a considerable fillip should be given to settlement and the development of the West Coast. The quarterly returns covering the work carried out on the Progress, Wealth of Nations, and Blackwater mines will in future be issued as soon as possible after the completion of every quarter, in addition to the usual monthly declaration of outputs. The management is to be commended on this decision, which will enable the local shareholders to be kept fully informed of the state of affairs. The Reefton-Inangahua railway will be extended to within a mile of Deep Creek on the road to Lyell, where it will connect with the lines to Nelson and to Westport. The bridge which will span the Buller at that point will take some three years to construct. The depth of the river gravel lying on the rock is known to be 45ft. at 'that point, so that the cylinders and piles will be not less than 60ft. It is estimated that the bridge will cost at least £3OO-3. A long bridge will be required across the Tnangahua River, through Mr Thompson's ground, formerly known as Christy's.