WEST COAST NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3555, 2 May 1922, Page 22

WEST COAST NEWS.

(Fbom Oub O v th Correspondent.) April: 25. I 1 rom Lime to time the question ot mnnufactunug paper puip iiut uien mooteu in ttiia cute i tic i, iiiiu eA-peris nave expiesaea me opinion that several oi uie timbers uro sunane iur ,uls iue au 6 gcSUen appears now to uu laivi.ig cuLCrUid rurm, cixiu it is lUiiiGUiea mat paper rmlis win j soon De star tea on a seaiu m uie j vicinity or c*reymouth, ane oi a nig mm n imported to ne lie- j gLuauo.ib vi nil f>av\ miners on me c/ina line ior Lne.r oil-cun,- wmen are to re uetiea j as to ui£ir suiioomi) iur puiu. me time la not ripe iur ueuiuui announce- • mem, uie assurance is that oeiure lung a great paper industry, giving em- ! pioyinoiiL to a Huge mmiuer oc men, Will oe esidoiisnea in tne district. —-boroagii oi i3r miner. — Ihe question ox tile amalgamation o£ the .Borougn ol x>r miner vvnn tne ouey Uuumy vvnicii Alas recently been caggen.eu liao tHua&.U a measure or _Lne gewierarity or tne ratepaycuo, ail.v*ever, up- f jt>ear to strongly m lavour Oa tne piu- ■ */uoai. a.-l tne ratepayers in.ui last ween. inorou o uly uiaLusseU tne matter, rt was puiiiten out txiat a moot serious uo- , jeetioAi to me eontmuanoe or tile ourougn was the hopeless collection oj. uie iUua. rhe main uuru road passes through the oorotigAi, ana vvinie Lriis-oe lug lu fun county no-eiai giiuos iv, maintenance uuiil me qovmumeia, lilac cutuuu Wiciim uie uoiougii area vwts leu; iO trie local council, rue norougii nuances were row, anq us organisation incoiiipiece. | rt liau no engineer, no o.cceeer, anu no | permanent roua men, At vvus nnauy ueoiuen trial Uie .Mayor be requestea uj carl a public meeting to turiuer discuss tlie question or amalgamation, ana mat Hitr ratepayers- ce waima on uitli a petition ex- | pico-.ug Uteri wisnes lor or against me I 'proposal. - —Electric Bower. — 'lire permission vvnicii was some time ago grauteu oy a narrow majority or tne ureyliioutn Borougn council to a local mm to supply a portion pi tne town with electric power is surl causing some Heart-burning, mere is no uouut mat tlie council regrets having given tne .peiiiii.ss.oii, considering, on rurtner reflection, mat it may nave a serious enect on uwj borougn gas revenue, and also involve trie council m inianciai liabiliues when a borougn electric scneme comes into operation, rue latest development is a complaint on the pait oi me iic-ensed firm that the terms or tile agreement as urawn up ny tne borougn solicitor are not according to the original compact, rhe insinuation in this complaint was strongly resented by trie Borougn Council. Abe point in dispute was that or the term or condition ol me contract, the licensees holding that it was to hold until ail ttleetrioa) scheme should be established oy the borough, whereas me agreement as lmaiiy presented proVided tor a termination ot tlie

contract at three months notice. Alter a heated discussion the council agreed uxxm the insertion of a clause providing for a term of hve years, or until a town scheme shuuld be instituted. it further decided that the Public Works Ltepartment be ashed not to grant any further licenses of the kind witinn tiro proposed Electric Bower Board boundaries, ihe same firm has new made application to tile Town Beard of Cobuen, across the Grey River, to erect eiecliic cables in ail their streets tor (he purpose ot supplying electric tight to private consumers. ihe firm furtner stated that it intended installing an electric generating plant in the township, and offered to suppiy street lights, 'ihe application created an animated discussion, and it was ultimately resolved to accede to the request, the term of permission to be for Id years, or until a scneme is inaugurated by the Grey district power scheme. It was specifically provided that the permission, ihoLiid not prejudice the board's right to participate in the district scheme when installed. How this permission will be affected by the decision ox the Grey Borough Council, requesting that no further licenses be granted remains to be seem.

—Unemployment

A visitor from the North Island is reported to have said that during the whole of a tour of the West Coast he saw but one swagger, and he was a well-dressed man carrying a bag. 110 was told that tramps were rarely seen in the district, and that the majority ol those in quest of work were of the type who could afford to put on a good appearance. The district is undoubtedly less vexed by the problem of employment than most places, yet the problem is nevertheless here. The sawmills are still going very slowly'. The Australian market is not keen. No marked improvement is manifest in the industry. Men have been absent at tlie races over an unusually long space of time without inconvenience to their employers, there being practically no orders awaiting execution. On the books of the Greymouth Labour Bureau last week there w'ere 19 names of persons requiring work, and this is not considered to fully indicate the position, as not every man requiring employment registers his name. An indication of the smaller earnings of men is seen in the decreased totalisator returns. The slackness in the timber trade affects the fortunes of the watersiders. The coal miners also are not working full time. The conditions are better at. Westport than at the State mines, yet oven there the latest reports of shipments are below the average. Generally speaking the prospects for the district are not bright, and it would be unwise for unemployed in other districts, upon the representations of casual visitors, to attach too much importance to t.he comparatively easy conditions here. —'Obituary.— The death of Mr Felix Campbell at Greymouth removes one of the most familiar figures from the town and one of the most, influential financial forces from the district and Dominion. Born in County Armagh C 8 years ago, he came out to Otago in 1863, and tlionce removed to Greymouth the following year, where he has resided ever since. He attained to exceptional prominence m mercantile circles, and possessed widespread and diversified commercial interests. He served at one time on the Greyr*».'/«th Harbour Board and Borough Council, but of- late years has taken no part in public affairs. He possessed a strong constitution, rallying repeatedly from serious attacks of illness, and giving personal attention to business to the very last.