WEST COAST NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3671, 22 July 1924, Page 30

WEST COAST NEWS.

(From Ouh Own CoRiRESPONPENT.S July 15. GOLD RETURNS. A second dividend on the preference shares of the Rirnu Gold Dredging Company has been paid. These shares were issued by the company as part payment of the purchase of the property from the former owners. There are several substantial holders in Hokitika. All ordinary shares are held in America, and 110 information as to the amount of dividend on these is available. _ It is rumoured that the next few washings will prove sensational. The bormg operations undertaken by this company at Ross have been disappointing. ihe Black water Mines report for June states 3190 tons of stone crushed for a yield of 1439 ounces, valued at £6764. The net profit is £1598. No special development is reported from the Alexander reef, but quiet preparatory work is continuing.’ MINING MATTERS. The State Miners’ Union, which -was the only AVest Coast union to reject the West Coast Miners’ Council last year, has now by a decided vote reversed its decision and affiliated with the council. All members recorded their votes, and affiliation was carried by a majority of 132. With the exception of the coal mining- section of the Inangahua Miners’ Union all the district unions are now affiliated. The change in the. attitude of the State miners is regarded as an indication of an intention to demand more favourable terms when the present agreement ends towards the close of the year. EXPRESS SERVICE. Some disagreement exists amongst those who desire an alteration in the midland express service. Commercial travellers desire a train on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or Saturday in lieu of the present Tuesday. Thursday, and Saturday timetable. Several organisations, including the Greymouth Chamber of Commerce, and the Farmers’ Union, strongly object to the travellers’ suggestion. All parties, however, agree on the desirability of a. Monday train, and file omission of the Saturday express would be universally unpopular. AUVRTOUS ITEMS. The Greymouth Labour Bureau is quiet. Generally at this time of year there is an increase of applications for work, but this year there is no noticeable influx of men. There are a number of positions available for farm workers. A Citizens’ Hall is to be erected at a cost of about £3OO at Blaketown. At a recent meeting of residents £7O was subscribed for this purpose, and a committee organised to raise the balance and to choose a suitable site. This is another item in quite a list of improvements recently undertaken in that suburb. A recent, meeting of the AA 7 estlan r l branch of the Railway Officers’ Institute passed a resolution calling the attention of the Government to the numerous cases of hardship among members of the institute due to the house shortage in Greymouth. At a meeting of over 40 motorists representing the mining townships and other

centres in the Buller district, it was decided to form a Buller branch of the Automobile Association. All car owners in the district are to be canvassed for membership, and it was decided to obtain legal opinion as to the validity of the County Council’s new by-laws controlling motor traffic.

A report of the engineers connected with the proposed hydro-electric scheme for Westport, which was presented at the last meeting of the Borough Council, provides for the installation ot the system in the course of the next twelve months. The Director-General of Health has warned the Greymouth Borough Council that if there is any further delay in carrying out the required improvement and extension of the sewerage system the matter will be reported to the Board of Health. The Borough Council’s difficulty is the lack of finance. The matter has been referred to the Finance Committee. A number of suggestions made by the curator of the Christchurch Gardens on his recent visit to Greymouth for the systematic beautifying of the town have been adopted by the Borough Council. The fate of the Grey Power Board's electrical scheme is still in the balance. Tlie Minister of Public AVorks when interviewed last week respecting the objections to the Dobson steam power scheme, said that if it were found that there were mpre objectors to this proposal than voters in favour of the Arnold hydro scheme something would have to be done in the matter. A largely attended meeting of men connected with the Grey A T alley Farmers’ Union last week tabled a petition requesting the Minister of Public Works to give assistance towards ihe protection of the land on the Totara Fiat from inundation. This land is the richest in the Grey \ 7 aliey. Some 16 years ago protective works at a cost of £BOO, supplied by the Government and the County Councils, were built, and they now need repairing. The sum of £250 has been voted by the Grey County Council, but twice that amount is required, and the petition is for a £ for £ subsidy. A heavy flood in the Grey River would seriously menace a. large area of land. A report has been presented to the Greymouth Harbour Board upon a proposal to provide a slip-wav at Greymouth to accommodate small vessels up to about 200 ft in length. The report favoured the feasibility and desirability of such a provision, and suggested that, as the cost depended largely on the location of the patent slip ana the .nature of the proposed harbour improvements, details should be deferred until the Harbour Improvement Committee’s report should be received. The Greymouth County Council’s engineer has reported that the estimates approved by the Main Highways Council provide for the expenditure in the Grey County of £2OOO on maintenance and £10,300 on construction, besides £4OO for repairs to a bridge damaged by recent floods. All sawmills in the district are cutting, though there is no reserve of orders. The \\ 7 ellington and Canterbury markets are dull. White pine is still in good demand for Australia. A new sawmill is being erected at Kapitea Creek. Government has made a grant of £2OOO towards the new wing of the AVestland Hospital. PERSONAL. Archbishop Julius Has been on his annual visit to the district during the week, ancl visited several of the smaller centres. Mr J. L. Morgan, District Traffic Manager at Greymouth, retires from the railway service this week. He will spend a holiday in Australia prior to settling down in one of the New Zealand cities.