THE WEST COAST.

Otago Witness, Issue 3860, 6 March 1928, Page 34

THE WEST COAST.

(Fbom Oub Own Cobbespondent.) February 29. The great event of the week which will overshadow all others is, of course, the celebration of the Greymouth district diamond jubilee. The town has been gaily decorated, and hundreds of visitors, many of them from distant parts of the Dominion, have arrived. All the hotels are full, and many visitors are billeted in private homes. Many interesting reunions have taken place, notably one where eight members of an unbroken family, except for the death of the parents, met from all parts of New Zealand in the old home where they were born.

A full week’s programme of a varied character has been provided for the entertainment of visitors. Ample opportunity is given by the provision of holidays for all classes to enter into the festivities. The first events have been a race meeting, a pioneer dinner at the Old People’s Home, church services, and a carnival in the evenings. A practical evidence of loyalty and goodwill, was given by one of the pioneer visitors, who is the head of a successful business firm and who began his career in this district in the gift of £lOO to the Grey Hospital Board. The warships .Dunedin and Diomede have net boen able to come, but H.M.S. Veronica is berthed at the wharf. A souvenir of the jubilee is a supplement issued by the Greymouth Evening Star, which comprises 28 pages of most interesting reminiscences of bygone days. It is a condensed history of the district for the past 60 years. It contains pictures of public buildings past and present, the history of the local bodies, a portrait gallery of nearly 300 celebrities of the past and present-, besides the thrilling story of the chief events of the past haff century—the floods and fires, the discovery of gold and so forth.

Among the most pathetic events so far in the celebrations nave been the placing of wreaths on the cemetery gates in memory of the honoured dead who lie there, and the pioneer dinner at the Old People’s Home, where so many of the hardy asd vigorous spirits of the early times are ekeing out the remainder of their days. In this function most fittingly the Prime Minister and the member for the district took leading parts. The weather for the opening days of the celebrations has been beautiful, and there is every prospect of a memorable and successful’ week.

A new co-operative colliery under the State Mines Department has, in honour of the jubilee, been named the Jubilee Colliery. A party of men from H.M.S. Veronica attended the official opening of the mine, which took place yesterday. On the same day, called Jubilee Day, a three-ton blast of explosives was electrically fired from the Greymouth side of the river bv the chairman of the Harbour Board. This incident was arranged as part of tile jubilee celebrations. ITEMS.

Whenever a Minister of the Crown appears in this district, whatever his mission may be, .he is certain to be interviewed by a number of deputations. The presence of the Prime Minister at the jubilee celebrations has been taken full advantage of in this respect. Amongst the requests made to Mr Coates there have been the following:—For certain concessions at Rimu by the Diggers’ Sawmilling Co.; for timber royalties on the Midland railway 'reserves; for further houses for railway employees; for timber storing space on the Greymouth Police reserve; and for an improvement in the Christchurch-Greymouth railway timetable, whereby the travelling time might be shortened.

The contract for the new hotel at Milford Sound, for which a Greymouth contractor is the successful tenderer, is to be. undertaken at once. In addition to the erection of the building the contract will involve the clearing of 12 acres of bush, the installation of an electric lighting scheme with its generating plant, pump house, staff cottages, and water supply. The timber is to be heart of red pine, which will be provided in the district, and about 168,000 feet will be required. Advice has been received from the Minister in charge of tourist resorts that £350 will be placed on next session’s Estimates for the erection of a hut on Chancellor ridge. This is in accordance with the request of a deputation that recently waited on the Minister of Agriculture at Hokitika. The amount of traffic carried through the Otira tunnel for the past week was 8015 tons —a decease of 1160 tons on the amount for the corresponding week of last year. The townspeople of Kumara met in force during the week in the Memorial Hall to bid farewell to Constable and Mrs Fox and family. Constable Fox has been stationed ’at Kumara for- the past eight years, and is now transferred to Naseby. During his term at Kumara he has won the confidence and affection of the residents. and has made himself practically useful to the community, apart from his official duties and especially in connection with the erection of the Memorial Hall. Mrs Fox was presented with a wad of notes.

Amongst timber mill owners confidence is still felt in the ultimate effect of the tariff on imported timbers. Though there is as yet little diminution in the importations of American timber it is believed that ere long there will be an increased demand for the local product. Heavy rain which fell during last week has much improved the condition of the district. Pasture which had become narched has been freshened up. The Grey River, which had become very sluggish, has risen, and made some improvement to the bar. The sawmilling industry has also been benefited, as mills which had closed down for lack of water have been able to resume work.

Between 2000 and 3000 lambs have been railed to Addington this week. Taking advantage of the presence of the Prime Minister, who is Minister in charge of Native affairs, and of the presence of a number of the Maoris concerned, another attempt is to be made during jubilee week to secure the purchase of the town of Greymouth from the Native owners. A return of exports from the port of Greymouth for four weeks to the beginning of February includes 18,702 tons o» coal and 1,573,193 feet of timber.