WEST COAST NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3726, 11 August 1925, Page 30

WEST COAST NEWS.

(From Ou-r Own Correspondent.) MINING ITEMS. August 5. —On one day ot last week every coal mine in the district ceased work, apparently in protest against the prosecution of some Millerton minors. At the hearing of the case against these men an adjournment was made until August 17. when the hearing will take place at Westport. At a conference which was held during the week at Greymouth between representatives of the State Mines Department and the Blackball Coal Company and the Westland Engine Drivers’ Union the only representative of the Drivers’ Union present were from the State Mine, the Blackball and Roa representatives apparently being intentionally absent. The conference was adjourned until after a conference which will be held next week at Reefton. At the !3.’inner Collieries’ Wallsend Mine the operations were completely successful ir«i' a depth of about 130 ft had been readied: Since then the lowering of the level has been much decreased in rate, a result due, it is thought, to the inflow of water from the surrounding country during. the recent rains. As the present rate of pumping will take some months to clear the mine, the management has decided to duplicate the pumping plant, and work both shifts, simultaneously. The air drive at the Dobson Mine is now witin 20ft of completion. When the seam is reached it is anticipated that the present output of 300 tons per week will be considerably increased.

The condition of the Greymouth bar is said to be hampering the work at some of the mines, as full loads cannot * e taken. The bins at the Blackball and. Paparoa Mines are full and no further trucks are available. Quite a number of shifts have been lost during the week by these two mines. The Buller mines shipped during the .week tho following quantities of coal: Westport Coal Company, 7597 tons; and St l »:ton Coni Company, 2810 tons. The Mines Department has agreed to pay £2O per year towards the cost of lighting the borough of Runanga with electricity. AMERICAN FLEET. The plans fer a visit of the officers and men of the American fleet to this district are not likelv to result in much being done. Word was received by the local committee that as the Christchurch programme is a full one, a trip to the West Coast could not be included. A special train, however, was offered if local arrangements could be made for the entertainment of the visitors This the local bodies decided at a public meeting could not be undertaken, and a later proposal was that a visit be arranged on a smaller scale through the Automobile Association. The latest suggestion of the Christchurch committee, however, is that arrangements be made fo»* the visit of IfOO of the men to Otira, and t.Ms is nrobnbjv what will eventuate. The visit, of school children to Lyttelton has been abandoned. OLD PEOPLE'S HOME. Work on the Old People’s Horn** at Greymouth is proceeding ranidlv. The floors, half the ceiling, and the plastering ore finished. The whole of the outside work, with the exception of painting, is done, and the T.B. shelters are well in hand. A start will he made on the boiler bouse this week, and at the present rate of progress the home should be ready for occupation in t«-r> month*’ + ; ™e. QrynTTT WE;«TT AND RAILWAY. The negotiations for the Railway Department. taking over the private line ot Mec«jrs Stuart. and Chanman. from Ro** to Wnitnra. have fallen throuo-h. The Minister of Railways states that it would reotiirr' on expenditure of £BOOO te bring thp line up to the standard reonirements of the Government, and that should the Dnr»nrtment decide to extend the present railway, a different alignment and location would probahlv bo adopted. VARIOUS ITEMS. The annual festival of the West Coast Competitions Society is again beginning to arouse interest. Numerous entries have already been received, and there indications that the number of competitors from Canterbury will be considerably increased. Tho goods traffic through the tunnel continues heavy. Last week’s record from west to east, was 8092 tons. Tlio shipping returns for July at Grwymouth were not up to the average, the entries being 27 voxels of on aggregate tonnage of 15,211. The sum of £4065 was collected in customs duties. Work at, the power house at Dobson is still held up on account of the nonarrival of the plans for tho machinery foundations. Tho Tnangahua County Council has received advice of Government grants amounting to £9OO for road improvements. The West Coast Bowling Centro, on account of the limited green accommodation for next season’s touniamont, has decided to limit tho competition to rink games only. District entries will be first received, and in the event of there still being room, outside invitations will bo offered to clubs which have previously entered for West Coast tournament*. A funotion recently held in aid of the 1 Greymouth Swimming Baths Fund realised

the fiiun of £4O. The successful candidate in the Queen Carnival was presented with a gold key, which entitles her to life membership of the baths. A good deal of friction has been caused in the Cobden Town Board over the filling of a vacancy on the Hospital Board caused by the retirement of the Cobden representative. The misunderstanding of a section of the Hospitals Act, relating to such emergencies, gave rise to suspicion of underhand methods in the appointment of the member. The Groymouth Borough Council, upon tho recommendation of its engineer, is to consided tho outlay of £I6OO on the purchase of a stone crusher for road formation. The engineer considers that all the requirements for first-class roads are procurable with exceptional facility and cheapness, and that with a stone cruehing plant the borough might have roads equal to any town of Greymouth’s size. Last month’s building permits in Greymouth amounted to a little over £4OOO. A fair proportion of this amount is represented by the work in connection with the electrical scheme. Amongst the projects for this month are structural alterations to the Opera House, which will provide additional accommodation for 150 people. Sawmillers in the Teromakau district are concerned about the state of the zigzag road, whic-h is threatening to slide into the river. Such an event would isolate a number of settlers and paralyse the sawmilling industry. Representations have been made to tho Minister of Public Works.