THE WEST COAST

Otago Witness, Issue 4038, 4 August 1931, Page 30

THE WEST COAST

(From Our Own Correspoxoext.) COAL MINING. July 29. The coal mining position is for the moment much more hopeful, the conviction growing that the fight against cooperative and tribute mining will prove a fruitless one. Meetings of the Buller Union were held, and decided, two for and two against, a continuance of the struggle. The final decision then practically rested with the Grey unions, which favoure 1 work. The unions have found it difficult to persuade watersiders, storekeepers, and others to their views. It is rumoured that the temporary truce is only such, pending the result of a proposed conference to be held in Wellington. In the meantime, however, it is satisfactory to find that wiser counsels have prevailed, and that the industry is likely to settle down to normal conditions of work. AHAURA BRIDGE. The new bridge over the Ahaura River on the main highway from Inangahua to Waiho was opened during the week under novel circumstances. A model of the bridge was made, and the official opening ceremony took place in the Ahaura Hall, Mrs J. Higgins, wife of the Grey County engineer, cutting a tape across the model. The first bridge was built on this site in 1879, previouslj- to jvhich the river had been negotiated by a punt. The second bridge was erected in 1900, and the oiie now opened is the third. It is a substantial structure, designed by the Public Works Department. It is 720 ft long and consists of 12 60ft steel plate girder spans resting on ironbark pile piers. The width between wheel guards is 12ft, with the centre span 18ft for passing. Each pier consists of five ironbark piles driven to an average depth of 20ft below the bed of the stream. The structure took 15 months to build, and cost £14,554. GREY POWER BOARD. At the last meeting of the Grey Power Board it was reported that 15 new applications for power had been received, bringing the total to 2474. Considerable interruption had taken place during the recent boisterous weather—more than at any other period of the board’s history. The report from the Arnold River works was satisfactory under the circumstances, but the weather —the worst for 35 years—had been a severe handicap and the contract time is past. At a juncture when the work is dependent on the river level 13 days out of the last 30 had been wet and the river above normal. With a month of good weather, the contract should be completed in six weeks. PERSONAL. Lieutenant A. J. Moore, who has been in charge of the Defence Department’s office in the Grey district for the past six years, and who recently received notice of

transfer to Invercargill, was entertained and given a presentation during the week m t,le e beers and non-commissioned officers of the West Coast area, representatives being present from Westport, Reefton, and Hokitika. The death has occurred at the age of years of one of the pioneers of Hokitika, Air P. Kirwan, who has been for lna n/ ye ars in business in that town £he death has occurred at Hokitika of Mr J. Boyd, a native of Scotland, but a resident in New Zealand for 65 years, ™ost of which time has been spent in tih kl w ka 7i H , e J\ as bu, Wing overseer for the Westland Education Board until his retirement from active work. S 1 Ramsa y. secretary of the M estport-Karamea Timber Co-operative Co., has resigned his position and entered business on Ins own account in the North Island. He is succeeded by Mr O. Randle, manager of the Grey-Hokitika Cooperative Association. The death has taken place at Greymouth of Captain G. Anderson, at the , y® ar «. He was a native of the Shetland Islands, and an old resident of this district. He was at one time master ot a barquentine engaged in coal transport on this coast. Still another old identity has passed away in the person of Air W. H. Batson, at the age of 78 years. He was the pioneer of the Waiho Hostel at Franz Josef Glacier, and latterly was in charge of die Kumara Old People’s Home. He was at one time in the Indian Army. GENERAL. The traffic through the Otira tunnel for the past week amounted to 12,295 tons as compared with 15,900 tons for the corresponding week of last year, and 13,255 tons for that of 1929. A consignment of 97,000 rainbow trout ova, the first instalment of 350,000. which are to be divided between the Westland and Grey Societies, has arrived at the Kamen hatcheries. The hatchery at present contains 150,000 brown trout eyed ova, and 215,000 quinnat fry. The total eyed ova under order is a million, and the curator is assisted in the work involved by volunteer enthusiasts. The Alarine Department, which controls the quinnat, has recommended the liberation of the try in lakes rather than in rivers, it having been found that they do better in the former than in the latter. Few have been taken in the rivers of this district, while in Lake Kanieri they have done remarkably well. Work is being pushed on in connection with the newly authorised road formation between Kumara Junction and Cheste*field. A grant of £ll5O was recently authorised for this road, which will leffiice the motor run from Greymouth to Hokitika to an easy hour, and on a level load. About 20 men are at present employed. . A new memorial church is under consideration by the Presbyterian community of Hokitika. At a meeting of the congregation during the week proposals for a ferro-concrete building to cost £2500 wei 3 discussed. They are likely to be approved ami the building started at au early date. Several influential officials have offered, while in Wellington, to interview Alini«ters in reference to the aiding of minir. <■ development in North Westland, on behalf of the Westland Power Board, and the offer has been accepted. The Greymouth waterfront, which hag for some months been very lifeless, presented during the past week a pleasing aspect of business, there being four steamers in port loading coal and timber. The recent cold weather in this district was almost unique. Snow near the sea here is extremelj* rare, but during thia spell it was widespread. For half a day business was almost at a standstill in Greymouth while staid citizens indulged in snowballing.