WEST COAST NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3743, 8 December 1925, Page 58

WEST COAST NEWS.

(Fbom Ora Own Cobbesposdint ) December 2. HOSPITAL MATTERS. *he Urey River Hospital Board has decided to ask the sanction of the Minister of Health to the purchase of the Rewa Maternity Home. At present the hoard has a short lease of the property, with a purchasing clause operative at the close of the term. The owners, however, are desirous of selling immediately, and the board finds that tne cost of purchase will not be greater than that of the present arrangement. Some extension and repairs will be required, and the cost will probably be £2OOO. The only alternative, however, of a permanent character is to build on the hospital grounds. This would be much more expensive, and has popular prejudice against it.

The tender of a Christchurch firm has been accepted for the erection of the Nurses’ Home at Greymouth. The price, which approximates £9OOO, is several hundred pounds below the estimate of the Health Department’s technical inspector.

Applications are being invited by the Hospital Board for the positions of a theatre nurse and a sister in charge of the Old People’s Home.

TIMBER. The sawmillers are kept busy, the timber trade experiencing a. mild boom. Cargoes amounting to 120,000 ft have been despatched to Sydney and the North Island during the week. A cargo of 360,000 ft is booked for shipment to Sydney next week, and two steamers are to follow with full loads the next week for the same port. The total shipments will exceed one ami a-half million feet. Orders are being received from the north for lower grade rimu, but there is little demand for firstclass timber. Canterbury orders are only moderate. Most of the timber being shipped to Australia is white pine. PERSONAL. Rev. P. B. Fraser and Mrs Fraser, of Hokitika, who have been to America, were expected back next week. Work has been received that they will not arrive till after Christmas. Rev. B. Hutson, who has been acting as locum tenons, has consented to remain till then. He was entertained during the week at a farewell gathering, and presented with a valuable token of appreciation by the congregation. Mr T. W. Tymons, formerly of Otoymouth, died last week in Wellington at the age of 84. He came out to Dunedin 60 rears ago, and subsequently removed to Greymouth. where he entered the drapery business. He retired 24 years ago Of six. children two sons are priests of the Roman Catholic- Church, and two daughter sisters of mercy. A report that was in circulation to the effect that Mr H. E. Holland M.P. for Buller, intended to retire and take i p journalistic work, has been authoritatively d Mi° d E M. Williams, Greymouth borough engineer, who has occupied that position for the past two years, has been compelled bv illness in his family to resign and leave the district. He has proved himself rs gn etited'' a that el tLe “are no reliable records in the engineer s office. There are no nlans of water and sewerage reticulation’ and the engineer has on occasion been compelled to take up a street toMocatei the mains. Arrangements are to be made to have accurate records prepared.

JOTTINGS. His Excellency the Governor-General and Lady J e n gU onth "They will mouth V December 18. The Iwal bodies are combining to arrange a suitable welC °A-Wfelt need is likely to be met in this district by the appointment of a qualified veterinary surgeon. From time to time efforts have been made in this direction, but without result. East week officials of the Provincial Executive of the Farmers Union entered into negotiations with a surgeon who has offered to give a months trial of his capability and then to accept a Uvo-years’ appointment. The Government is being asked for a subsidy towards his salary, and it is anticipated that a definite appointment will at last be made. The work of repairing the Grey-Otira line at the point of the recent, washout is proving a larger undertaking than was at first anticipated The damage was caused by the blocking of .a pipe laid down in the days of the Midland Railway Company. A more adequate outlet will have to bo made for storm water, and the magnitude of. the work will dooend largely upon the depth at which a solid foundation is found. Large quantities of material for the repairs are being despatched from Christchurch and Greymouth. Traffic over the temporary bridge is now normal, but the fow days’ dislocation piled up a considerable quantity of goods at various points. Trustees in the estate of the holder of half the shares in the New Big River Gold Company have disposed of their holding to the company’s secretary. The faith of the shareholders in this mine, which once paid good dividends, is not shaken by recent decline in prosperity, and a vigorous poliov of proapeoting and development is propoeed. At the annual meeting of shareholders of the Wealth of Nations mine an encouraging report was given. Repairs to the shaft are still being vigorously carried on. The meeting adopted a resolution tl.anking the Mines

Department for iu prompt grantiug of a subsidy. Good progre>s is being made with the erection ot pontoons and machinery at Dunganville in connection with the Maori < reek Gold Dredging Company. It is expected that dredging will lie commenced' early in rue New Year. In spite oi the disorganisation resulting from the washout on the line, the traffic through the Otira tunnel year reached 7636 tons. An increase of orders in view of the approaching holiday season warrants the anticipation of a much larger tonnage during the next week or two. The little steamer Orewa, which has been engaged in whitebait canning at the Farenga River in South Westland, lias just returned to Hokitika after a satisfactory season. Advice has been received that a grant has heen secured by the Nelson Education Beard for the erection of a new school at Karamea. The shipping aggregate at Greymouth for the month of November was a tonnage of 17.788, represented by 26 steamers and two sailing vessels. After an experience of very wintry weather, hopes are now entertained of an improvement in climatic conditions and the enjoyment of a period of sunshine. Statistics show that over a number of years October and November have been the wettest months of the year, and the month just past showed a rainfall of over 9in, which is a full average. The next few months should be the best.