THE WEST COAST.

Otago Witness, Issue 3869, 8 May 1928, Page 34

THE WEST COAST.

(FbOM Ona Own CORRESPONDENT.) . May 2. A typical West Coast downpour of rain occurred during the week, and the district, after the long spell of dry weather, may be said to have reasserted its true character. The Grey River has been running bank high and at a 10-knot pace. The low lands in the Coal Creek v alley and on the Omoto racecourse have been submerged to a depth of several feet.

Minor washouts have occurred on the Otira. railway line. No damage is reported in the Grey County. The railway traffic between Reefton and Inangahua Junction has been suspended by damage to bridges. Even the motor service buses have been unable to run, and travellers have had to avail themselves of the services of a cream lorry. The most serious damage done in the Inangahua district has been the carrying away of the approaches to the Larry’s Creek bridge, the structure that suffered so badly in a flood some time ago. As usual, the rain was heaviest in the back country. At Otira there was a terrific storm, with 9Jin of rain in 24 hours. A Government photographer in the Arthur’s Pass district in trying to negotiate a stream was obliged to abandon his car in the river.

The flood in the Grey River has completely solved for the time being the problem of the bar. The depth at high water has increased to 26ft, and steamers have been able to cross at half-tide. The Kalingo sailed with a million feet of timber for Australia. The Blackball mine, which had ceased work, has resumed, . and shipping and its dependent industries will revert to normal activity. GREY HOSPITAL. At a meeting of the Grey Hospital Board the statement of estimated receipts and expenditure for the ensuing year was presented. Last year’s receipts were over £29,000. The estimated receipts for the coming year are a little over £26,000. The most notable item of reduction is that of levies on local bodies, which is decreased by £l2OO. An increase of £6OO is anticipated from patients’ payments. Maintenance expenditure is to be reduced by £6OO. On capital expenditure it was decided to spend the balance of loan moneys amounting to over £9OOO, the largest item of which expenditure will be nearly £5OOO for the extension of wards. Some complaint was made in reference to the treatment of patients, and it was decided that an investigation be made. A very satisfactorv report was received from the Rewa Maternity Hospital. JOTTINGS. Mr C. R. Watson, station master at Ross for the past four years, has been trausierred to Christehuren, Mr Dully being his successor, on transfer from Amberley. , Hie railway line a mile out of Greymouth on the Otira line has been subsiding during the week owing to river erosion. No interruption has taken place m the railway traffic, but special precautions are being taken to prevent more serious trouble. It was in this locality that trouble occurred some time ago, necessitating a deviation in the line. At a special meeting of the Greymouth Borough Council a resolution was passed authorising the raising of an unemployment relief loan of £l4OO. This amount was paid out of last year’s revenue, and the present loan is for the purpose of replacing the borough's bank ba.ante. The Otira tunnel tiaffie for the past week amounted to tons, as compared with 6258 tons tor the corresponding week of last year. The timber output by the 84 mills in this district was, uuring the past 12 months, approximately 59,000,000 ft. During the previous 12 months it was 69,000,000 ft. The capacity of these mills is estimated at 120,000,b00ft annually, or about one-third ot the present whole output of the Dominion. The machinery for the Stewart Bar dredging plant has arrived in Greymouth, and will be available for the trial this week. The immediate necessity and opportunity for its use, however, do not now exist owing to the flood scouring of the bar. The-chairman of the Harbour Board, however, is of the opinion that there is still plenty of silt about the breakwater, which in the event of a brief spell of fine weather will settle in the channel. The Customs duties received at the port of Greymouth for the month of April showed a decrease of £B6B as compared with those of April last year. During the month of April 17 vessels entered the port of Greymouth, the total tonnage being 9638 tons. The rainfall for the month of April has been above the average. There have been only four fine days. The rainfall totalled 24.25 in for the month, the heaviest day’s fall being 1.75 in. During April of last year the rainfall was 10.37 in. On ■account, however, of the exceptionally dry weather for the first quarter of this year the rainfall for the first four months has been less by sin than that of the first four months of last year. The weather during the past week has been wintry. The rope road boys at the Denniston mine caused a stoppage of work for a day during the week by refusing to attend to their duties because the fires where they were to work were not lighted. The recent trouble at the Millerton mine has resulted in the prosecution of 346 of the men for breach of award. The board set up to consider the position relative to the dispute between the Miners’ Union and the management regarding the removal of pillars in a section of the Liverpool State mine will meet during this week. The Greymouth stipendiary magistrate has been appointed chairman. The tramp steamer Yoseric has during the week taken a load of 1000 tons of bunker coal, from Westport for Nauru. The ketch Elsie has been loading timber in Greymouth for the new hostel at Milford. The 18-ton steamer Maud, recently purchased in Auckland for the trawling trade on this coast, has arrived at Westport after a somewhat adventurous voyage, during which, on the way from Wellington, she had to be taken in tow.

Some corrosive element in the soil has penetrated through the lead casing of the telephone system both at Greymouth and Reelton, so that fresh underground wires have to be laid.