WEST COAST NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3514, 19 July 1921, Page 22

WEST COAST NEWS.

(Fiiom Qua Own Correspondent.) July 12. Ihe sii nation with regard to the coalmining industry is confusing, and somewhat didieuit to understand. Reporters in the district persistently declaie that they are unable to place orders, that coal is not wanted in the large centres, that vessels are kept waiting for cargoes, and even leaving port without them. On the other hind Christchurch merchants as roundly affirm that there is no justification for the reports from the ■Coast ; that while a certain amount of coat, especially from Reef ton, of lowgrade and :ns nil able for gas and industrial purpose-, is not meeting with a ready side, yet every available ton of good coal |or either domestic or industrial use would be readily bought. Whatever diminution there may he in the demand is due not to the importations from abroad, but to the fact that the mines are unwilling to screen their household coal, maintaining that the additional handling would necessitate an advance of 50 per cent, in the price. Meantime the reported weekly shipments remain normal, 5869 tons having last week been shipped from Greyrnouth, every mine in the district having contributed a quota; and from the Westport mines 8756 tons. And any excess of supply is not affecting the market in the natural way; on the contrary, the price is advancing. Railway Statistics.— Traffic returns on the Westland railways for the period ending with May last show an increase of approximately £6OOO over the previous year. Over 3000 fewer passengers travelled during last year over this section ol tlie railways. The revenue, however, for the year showed an increase of £782. —Un e mpl oy men t. r I lie labour problem is not acute in tin’s district. The (severest hardship is being felt by the waterside workers, whom the timber slump has seriously affected. Some of the men last week got no work at all, and frequently not more than one-fifth of the union members were employed. Only three applications for work were made last week, and these were satisfactorily placed. The Public Works are absorbing a considerable number, there being 182 men employed at Otira and Bealey, and 35 at Point Elizabeth on the line to the new State coal mine. In reply to an application from the Grey County Council for an additional £2OOO for the construction of the completing sections of one of its most important new roads, (he Minister of Public Works stated that his department was reserving this section of road for the absorption of any unemployed m the district, and that, consequently, the application would in the meantime be deferred. —Otira Tunnel.— Latest reports on the progress of the Otira tunnel works are not reassuring. Nearly all the rails have arrived, and sleepers are coming in large quantities. The tunnel itself will soon be completed, but the power-house has got no further than the digging- of the foundation. A similar dilatoriness is apparant in the erection of the necessary houses. On account of the English coal strike there appears to bo a probability of a long delay in the electrification of the line. There is little likelihood at least of the contract being completed to time, which was to have been at the close of this year. —Brunner Borough.— The Brunner Borough Council is perturbed at the attitude of the Public Works Department in relation to the Main road connecting the Grey and Westland Counties, which runs through the borough. The councillors understood the Minister of Public Works to have promised an annual grant towards the upkeep of this road, bur are now informed that the grant is not to be regarded as recurrent. This seems inequitali'e. as both the they and Westland Counties receive annual grants up to £SO per mile for the maintenance of arterial roads, while Brunner is expected to maintain, mainly for the convenience of outside traffic, some four and a-half miles of road. They threaten, unless the giant is made an annual one. to revert to the toll-gate system. The Public Works Department has voted the vs mi of £750 towards the re-erection of the Y\ allsend-Taylorville bridge in response to urgent and repeated representations, but on the distinct understanding that the department is not to be held responsible for the safety of the structure. —Grey County Council.— At the last meeting's of the Giey Countv Ootmcil it was reported that the sum of £1222 had been paid by the Public Works Department on account of various mad contracts, and tmd ihe expenditure of (he sum of £2OOO had been authorised for the Main South road. The goldfields revenue for two months, paid bv the Treasury to the county funds, was £292. In reply to a request from the Greyrnouth Borough Council that the comity be represented at a conference of local bodies with reference to an improved wider supply, the council decided to take no action, litis decision was tin fortunate, as unless there is co-operation amongst the various local bodies with respect to the proposed scheme, there is a pi.~ib lily of ns being abandoned on financial ground- 1 .. —Tot tings. There is oil lurce Ara’ian demand for Wes! ('o-isl while pine for butter hoves. and all mills cutting this class of timber Ill's ken: 1 :isy. Mils on the Otira line are expo! iwenting with half-time wo-k. If ibis should prote u: .-ati-faclory (hey will close down altogether. The Grey District Acclimatisation Society has just received Com flic North Canterbury R'- iety a consignino! i of blown (rout ova, which will be lialebed in the Take Tauieri hatchery, sod the fry distributed lonongsl i.!ie streams of the district. Tibs consignment completes an order of 400.000. Good pi-egress is being made in putting ihe nir-hiuerv on tile big gold mining dredge on Hi'ivm Tint, and if is anticipated tlial dredging operations will be commo'ieed in about six weeks’ tune. A proclamation has been go-/-d led con- ' sAluting tlic Re 10-n i.T-ci;n Tower district. A lie., p.-si e has been amlmri.so-1 at K nit a few mik- ■ u (; f Grovmouth, kyda'iinn b-.s be-ii made to-- some time for the ■ ebb'd lent if a public school at t hi, set-tleuH-id. whore the population is increasing.