THE WEST COAST

Otago Witness, Issue 3996, 14 October 1930, Page 30

THE WEST COAST

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

COAL MINES. October 8. Eight miners of the Matchless Coal Co., Reefton, were convicted and. fined during the week for breach of award. The Miners’ Council, representing the various mining centres of the district, was elected during the past week. The Dobson and Liverpool mines have been idle during part of the week At the Millerton mine, which has recently been idle for ten days, only 34 days’ work has been done out of a possible 91. The position of the mine was brought under the notice of the Minister of Mines by the member for the district, but apparently no immediate relief for the men can be found. The output for the Westport Coal Co’s, mines for the mouth of September was 20,863 tons, compared with 38,864 tons in September of last year. Th e output from the Westport-Stockton mines was for the same period 10,171 tons in 1939. and 17,342 in 1929. RAIN AND FLOODS. After a considerable period of comparatively fine weather, heavy Tain has fallen generally throughout the district during the past week. For a period of 24 hours 3.38 in were registered at Hokit'ka and 2.48 in at Greymouth. The rivers all over the district have been in high flood. Washouts occurred on the roads, and on the Greymouth-Hoktika railway traffic was interrupted. A motoring party coming from Hokitika to Greymouth was marooned all one night near Stafford through damage to a bridge. At the Grey Power Board's hydroelectric works at the Arnold River 2006 yards of gravel were washed into the tunnel, which was in the last stage of completion, blocking the mouth. It will probably be a week before the contract work can be resumed. A big slip on the Omoto road, half a mile out of Greymouth, necessitated travellers using the Paytonville bridge and approaching Greymouth from the other side of the river. During the month of September the rainfall at Greymouth totalled 7.42 m, which fell on 14 days. The maximum day s fall wao 2.20 in. At Reefton the fall for the month was 5.87 in. At both Greymouth and Reefton the fall for September, 1929, was about the same as this year, but for Reefton in 1928 it was early three times as heavy as this year, viz.. 14.99 in. PERSONAL. Out of 60 applications received by the Greymouth Harbour Board for the 'position of waterman and caretaker of the Watersiders’ Hall, Mr A. Goodall was appointed. A farewell social wat> tendered during the week to the Rev. J. W. and Mrs Hayward, of Hokitika, and presentations were made. Mr and Mrs Hayward will reside in Christchurch.

Mr A. G. Syme, a prominent golfer of Westport, who has frequently represented this district in champion golf, will take part in the tournament at Wanganui this week.

Mr W. M. Garth, conductor of the Greymouth Municipal Band, has celebrated his fortieth year as a member of the band. Mrs Thompson,, a resident of Hokitika, where she had lived for the past 65 years’ died during the week at the age of 87' years.

.A£.the Trinity College examination held at Innaru recently, out of a total of 25 passes in senior grade piano playing, Miss 1. 1 amrnent, of Kumara, gained second place, with honours. GENERAL. Traffic through the tunnel for the past week was again below the previous standard, the figures being 9945 tons as compared with 12,658 tons for the correspond--1928 ° f * aSt i Car and 10 ’ 561 for For the position of assistant engineer jo the Grey Harbour Board there were applications from various places. The engineer is to reduce them to seven, and these will be considered at the next meetmg of the board. Ihe West Coast Herdtesting Association, which wa§ recently formed, has commenced operations, three testing otticers having been appointed for the southern portion of the district from Harihari to Tnangahua. and two for Buller and Karamea. The association deals wtih 100 herds, comprising 3300 cows.

At a meeting of the Westland Acclimatisation Society a suggestion from the North Canterbury Society that the chief ranger of that district be appointed a , r ‘ ln S er for Westland was approved. At the request of the Grey Society, 50 000 brown trout are to be liberated in 'the leiemakau River. Word was received from the Minister of Internal Affairs that a universal close season for opossums for a period of three years was under consideration.

The purchasers of the stranded ketch Elsie have decided that her condition is such as not to make an attempt to recover her worth while. An effort will be made to recover the engines. Negotiations are proceeding for the charter of the steamer Gael for the southern trade. At the Elmer Lane Railway Workshops at Greymouth two engine pits, each 234 ft long, have just been completed, roundations for the shops are being laid, and the building will probably be finished in January next.

During last week there was a good run ? f . whitebait in the Grey River, and conditions were such as to raise expectations of good fishing for a few weeks. The change in the weather may, however, disappoint these hopes. There has been a good deal of not too good-tempered competition for the best sites on the river bank.

The Grey Hospital Board has had a conference with the director of the Health Department (hospital division), as a result of which proposals for building extensions were generally approved, but in view of the present financial conditions the work will be deferred for the. present. Out of 65 applicants for the" position of house manager Mr A. R. braser, of Christchurch, was appointed. He has had extensive experience in this capacity under the Defence Department and in institutions at Hanmer, Cashmere, and Timaru. He is a man of middle age and a native of Greymouth.

Three months’ Customs revenue up to September 30 at the port of Greymouth amounted to £7582, which shows a falling off of £4006. as compared with the corresponding period of last year. The most rapid decrease was during the month of September, when the revenue was £2154, as compared with £4652 for September, 1929. ’