WEST COAST NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3782, 7 September 1926, Page 34

WEST COAST NEWS.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) September 1. GOLD DREDGE. The New River Company's electric dredge at Dunganville has had an unfortunate accident to its machinery, which will entail a 10 days’ stoppage of work. The dredge was working satisfactorily at a depth of 40ft, and the results were very promising. It got into some difficult “pug” ground, and suffered a broken shaft. Repairs are being effected in Greymouth, and it is expected that operations will be resumed within a fortnight. Though this company does not propose to publish its returns, it is understood that the results of the dredging so far have exceeded expectations. The electric power from the Grey Power Board had only a few ago been supplied to the dredge, which was one of the Board’s chief consumers, taking power valued at £6O per week. - BOROUGH COUNCIL. The Greymouth Borough Council, after long agitation, secured the consent of the Railway Department to provide a shelter shed for the storing of perishable goods unloading in wet weather. The Harbour Board, however, objected to the proposed site of the shed, with the result’ that the district railway engineer now withdraws his agreement to build. The council at its last meeting severely criticised the attitude of the Harbour Board, and appointed a committee to try and come to an arrangement. The borough engineer’s report showed a considerable amount of work to be in progress, the building permits since the last meeting being exceptionally numerous. # . ; The council is proposing to electrically light the Children's Park, and to have a light reflecting on the face of the cenotaph. POWER BOARD'S LINESMEN. A conference held between representatives of the Grey Power Board and of the board’s employees has agreed upon a revised schedule of linesmen’s wages which is of considerable advantage to the men. They are to have their pay increased from 2s lid per hour to 2s 3d, and assistants’ pay is raised from Is lid to 2s. Working hours are to be eight per day for five days of the week and four on Saturdays. If work is interrupted by wet weather the men receive not less than half a day’s pay if work has been commenced. Overtime is to be paid at the rate of time and a-lialf for the first two hours, and double time thereafter. In the event of country work, travelling expenses will be allowed by the board and travelling time counted as work. Disputes are to be settled by a representative board, with the Arbitration Court as referee. The agreement dates from August 19, 1926, to August 31, 1927. public Works estimates. A considerable number of items relating to this district appear in the Public Works Estimates for roads and bridges for the coming year. The chief votes are £4OOO for the Westport-Greymouth coast road, £4750 for the Bell Hill road, £2OOO for the Maruia Springs road, £SOOO for the Wailio bridge, and £ISOO for the Murchison section of the Blenheim-Hope Junction road. The total votes for the several sections of the district are approximately: Btiller, £13,301; Westland, £10,554; Grey, £9733; Inangahua. £7755; —total, £45,335. The Estimates tor goldfields roads aggregate £3785. Votes for police stations at Greymouth, Karamea, Wataroa, and Reefton amount to £6BOO. A Vote of £1265 is provided for the department’s store at Greymouth, which is now in course of construction. The Seaview Mental Hospital, on which £8034 was expended last year, received a further vote of £2500. Under the head-

ing of “Harbour Works” there is an item of £4500 for a wharf and harbour improvements at Karamea, and a further £SOO for lesser works at the same place. A sum of £250 is allowed for a survey of Okarito Harbour. In the votes for tourist resorts are £450 for huts and bathhouses at the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers and £2OO for improvements at the Maruia Springs. For the opening up of lands for settlement a total of £1825 is allowed for the district. JOTTINGS. The Murchison oil bore is now down a little over 1000 ft in what is considered to be promising strata. The coal shipments from the WestportStockton mine last week were 1358 tons. Work was commenced during the week to drive a dip at the Blackball mine to the old No. 2 workings, where it is expected that a good area of coal will be Trout and quinnat salmon are making their appearance in the Hokitika River. The Westland Acclimatisation Society is again taking steps to abate the sawdust nuisance. Dr Teichelmann, of Hokitika, who is leaving on a six months’ trip to America, was accorded a civic farewell during the week. ... . , The Blackball Miners’ Union is to take a ballot amongst its members this week on the question of replacing the Miners Hall, which was recently destroyed by fire. At the monthly meeting of the Buller Progress League, held during the week, it was decided to ask the Mayor to convene a public meeting for the purpose of getting the various local bodies and other societies to arrange a week’s celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee of Westport, which occurs this year. The proposal is to celebrate the event about Christmas time. The Westland Competitions Society has concluded its competitions, and the West Coast Competitions Society at Greymouth has commenced its annual festival. As a result of the recent dispute at the Reefton Hospital in reference to the training of nurses the board decided to inform the matron that she must carry out her training duties or resign her position. Notice was given to move at the next meeting of the board that the whole hospital staff be given three months’ notice to resign their positions. They could then reapply for engagement if they wished. Mr N. trarrdell, who has for a number of years been managing Messrs Hallenstein Bros.’ warehouse in Greymouth. has been -transferred to Gisborne, and left during the week. He was entertained prior to his departure by a number of friends. The celebrations of “Brighter Greymouth” Week, which began in ideal weather, were interrupted by rain, and several of the functions had to be postponed. The weather brightened up again, however, and the week closed under happy conditions. One of the most successful functions w’as the grand open-air electric poster ball, the Town Hall being illuminated and festooned for the occasion. A crowded entertainment at the Opera House devoted its proceeds to the Convent Building Fund and the Old People’s Home. Traffic through the tunnel last week from west to east amounted to 9358 tons. The gross traffic during the month of August was 39.373 tons, an increase of 4064 tons as compared with August of last year.