THE WEST COAST.

Otago Witness, Issue 4039, 11 August 1931, Page 61

THE WEST COAST.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) GREYMOUTH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. August 5. At a meeting of the Greymouui Chamber of Commerce it was reported that in response to the protest recently made against the increased valuations of borough properties made by the Valuation Department a great number of the valuations had been reduced, and others were to be considered by the Valuation Court. In reference to the coal mining position, a very fair and sensible statement was made by the chairman, justifying the Government’s importation of Australian coal. The friction constantly occurring between management and workers, the strikes and rumours of strikes, had produced a feeling of insecurity which warranted the Government’s policy of not depending upon local supplies. No business, he said, would put up with the troubles which were common in the coal trade. If supplies could not be relied upon in one place, it was inevitable that orders would be placed elsewhere. The position was regrettable, and where grievances were genuine it should be possible with existing machinery to have them adjusted. Objection was taken to the recent statements made by the Under-secretary for Mines respecting the gold prospects of the district. While it was not to be expected that the gold boom conditions would be repeated, .vet gold was still to be secured i n many places, and there was plenty of scope for prospectors. Several prospecting parties were known to be securing good returns, and a large area was being prospected with promising results, and a dredging company about to be formed. It is not reasonable to suppose that these known instances are the only possible ones in a district with tiie history of the West Coast. STATISTICS. The revenue collected at the Greymouth Customs Office during the month of July amounted to £2562 IBs Oil, as compared with £3164 10s 3d for the corresponding month of last year. The shipping returns at Greymouth for July were 14 vessels entered, with an aggregate tonnage of 11.060. The rainfall at Greymouth for the month of July was 11.56 inches, which fell on 22 days, the maximum day's fall being 1.86 inch. For July of last year trie fall was 4.48 inches on 12 days. At Reefton the rainfall was 11.90 inches on 20 days, compared with 2.91 inches on 11 days during July of last year. There were also last month two falls of snow of 2 inches and 91 inches. OBITUARIES. One of the pioneers of the sawmilling industry in this district, Mr Edmund Stratford, senior partner in the wellknown firm of Stratford and Blair, died at Greymouth during the week at the age of SO years. He was the son of very early settiers in New Zealand, his parents arriving in the colony in 1839 and 1840. Their wedding was one of the first celebrated in the Wellington province. Mr Stratford came to this district in 1860 at the age of 20. and was for some time engaged in building railway and county bridges. In 1887 he commenced a sawmilling business near Greymouth in partnership with Mr A. Blair. The firm was i n 1005 incorporated as a limited liability company under the title of Stratford, Blair, and Co. He is survived by three sons, who live in the district. His wife died 18 months ago. The death has occurred at Greymouth of Mrs Al. 11. Joyce, one of the pioneers of the town and mother of Air W. J. Joyce, solicitor, who died last month. She was a native of Ireland, the widowed' Air T. Joyce, who came to this district in 1864 and died in 1908. She was aged S 9 years, and is survived by two daughters, resident in Greymouth. Air J. Shannon, a well-known resident of Dihnanstown, died during the week at the age of 73 years. He was a native of Ireland, and had been 40 years in •New Zealand.

PERSONAL. Airs G. Bustard, a resident of Greyniouth for the past 65 years, was entertained during the week by a large circle of friends on the occasion of the anniversary of her arrival. She was a native of Port Chalmers, and came to this district as a young girl. Mr AV. F. G- Pullin, formerly foreman of the Greymouth Railway Workshops, who recently retired on superannuation at the Hutt, has been visiting the district. The Rev. A. Miller, Presbyterian minister at Westport, has notified his intention of retiring at the end of this year. Mr R. Chamberlain, Mus. Bach., examiner for the London Trinity College of Music, 'has been conducting the annual practical examinations in the district during the past week. He entertained the music teachers of Greymouth one evening at a pianoforte recital of selections from the old masters. Air George Anderson, an inmate of the Old People’s Home at Hokitika, claims to be one of the oldest, if not actually the oldest, gold miner in the Empire. He will celebrate his 101st birthday this month, having been born in Ireland on August 22, 1830. He took part in the Gabriel's Gully rush. He came to New’ Zealand in 1564. GENERAL. The AVestport Harbour Board has resumed dredging operations, which were suspended for some time. The workshops have also resumed, but no work is yet being done at the quarry. The annual show’ in connection with the Greymouth Poultry Club was held during the past week. The entries both in point of number and quality were a record. The winner of the club's cup was Air J. J. Breeze, of Hokitika.

At the last monthly meeting of the Grey Hospital Board an application was received from the Grey Valley Medical Association for a reduction in the fees winch it was under obligation to pay fro m 40 to 30 per cent, of ordinary fees. I lie reason given for the request was the rationing of work at the coal mines and the maintenance of its own medical officer. Ihe request was acceded to for a period of three months, when the position will again be reviewed. The Health Department is still insisting that the board follow its lead and reduce the salaries of the hospital staff, while the board is conudent that it can carry on under the old schedule and maintains its determination to do so. The Buller Progress League has decided to request the Afinister of Marine to send an expert to confer with the harbour engineer and the local bodies re!i e P ro I tect l ion of the town from ■oiling thiough the serious erosion of the bank of the Buller Biver The tunnel traffic for the past week amounted to 10.782 tons. For the corretons < * Hlg W<?e k laBt year ’t was 15,713