THE WEST COAST.

Otago Witness, Issue 3912, 5 March 1929, Page 34

THE WEST COAST.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

COAL MINES. February 27

Trouble at the coal mines seems never ending. The Liverpool State mine has worked only seven shifts during the past three weeks. The State Miners’ Union has asked for an inquiry into the reasons for the frequent interruptions of work, and the member for Westland has gone to Wellington to bring the position (which is causing some concern) before the Minister of Mines. The Minister recently made a statement on the question, but the explanation given of the persistent short-time working does not appear to have been considered adequate. In the meantime several of the Grey Valley mines are idle. The Liverpool mine has had a break during the past week, and the Dobson and Blackball mines have stopped work. At Blackball the alleged reason is the old grievance of men being employed out of turn. The Dobson trouble is a sympathy strike, and is the more serious of the two. As illustrating the effect of the broken time at the mines a case is cited where a. married man with a family of four children received £4 5s for a fortnight’s work. After all deductions he had £1 17s for household expenses. A. & P. SHOW.

The seventh annual show of the West Coast A. and P. Association was held during the week. Beautiful -weather prevailed, which -was a cheering change from the rain which has attended the show for several years past. The attendance was good, about 5000 people being present on “ People’s Day.” Apart from the show itself, a number of excellent displays were made by commercial firms. In tlxe sheep section the entries were all, with „one exception, by West Coast exhibitors. Mr . Grant, of Waimate the only outside exhibitor in the sheep section, won the challenge shield for the third year in succession. An outstanding feature was the exhibition in the pig section, the judge expressing surprise at the quality of the exhibits. JOTTINGS. The steamer Zingara, which was lately stranded and finally abandoned at Hokitika, is reported to have been sold to the Westland Power Company, which will use her engines as a stand-by plant at Dilmanstown.

An attempt is being made at Westport to have the weekly statutory halfholiday changed from Thursday to Saturday. There is likely to be a good deal of opposition to the proposal, on which a poll will be taken.

Mr J. Steer, who has been chairman of the Greymouth Fire Board for the past 20 years, has resigned the position on account of his frequent absences from the district, and has been succeeded by Mr W. H. Parfitt, previously representing the Borough Council on the board.

Two motor cars travelled through from Westport to Greymouth by the Coast road during the week. The actual running time ■was a shade over three hours.

The railway passenger traffic at last week-end, both east and west, was exceptionally large. Amongst the arrivals in the district were about 260 firemen, who will take part in the forthcoming demonstration.

The Westland Acclimatisation Society has imported five pairs of Canadian geese. As the flock increases the younger birds will be released and remain protected for some time.

The photographic expedition from Otago, under the auspices of the Government Publicity Department, is expected to visit and secure views of the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers.

Officers of the Canterbury Girl Guides, numbering about 50, are in camp this week at Mount Torlesse. Mr P. C. Heaphy, who has been secretary of the Loyal Greymouth Oddfellows’ Lodge for the past 21 years, has resigned the position on account of pressure of business. At a social gathering of the lodge a presentation was made to him, and high appreciation expressed of his qualities as a citizen and an official of the Order.

The traffic through the tunnel for the past -week totalled 10,440 tons, being an increase of 2243 tons as compared with the corresponding week of last year. That, however, was about 1000 tons less than the previous year. The Buller Hospital Board has resolved to send a remit to the Hospitals’ Conference requesting the Government to legislate for a flat hospital levy of £1 per annum per adult throughout the Dominion.

Mrs P. M. Griffin., widow of the founder of one of the oldest wholesale houses in Greymouth, died during the week in Christchurch, at the age of 83 years. She arrived in Greymouth in 1866. Mr C. M’Farlane, fields inspector under the Westland Land Board, was accorded a farewell during the week by the board on the occasion of his retirement. A tribute was paid to the high standard of his work during a long period of service. A suitable presentation was made. Some years ago an area in Blaketown, a suburb of Greymouth, was planted in trees?’*'These for some reason have failed, and a second attempt is to be made. A project is mooted for creating a park in the locality, with the lagoon (which it was part of the harbour improvement scheme to fill in) as a central feature. The matter will be considered at the next meeting of the Harbour Board. The problem of a satisfactory water supply for Greymouth appears about to be solved. At a recent meeting' of the Borough Council the engineer reported that three bores had been put down at

the pumping station, two of which had proved satisfactory. A fourth was to be tried. The water obtained so far he reports to be of first quality. If the engineer’s expectations are realised, it will be an important achievement, as the water supply has’never been good and at times distinctly bad. A recent meeting of shareholders in the Alexander Gold Mines was held at Greymouth, when 40 shareholders at? tended. A good deal of difference of opinion was expressed in reference to the methods employed for recovering the gold, the installation of the cyanide plant being severely criticised. The shareholders are becoming impatient at the delay in production, and there appears to be no certainty as to when the mine will be fully producing. An estimate, however, of £44,000 worth of gold as being in sight proved somewhat of a palliative to the more critical and impatient. The difficulties in the way of the preparatory work have been exceptional, but there is little doubt of the ultimate success of the company.