THE WEST COAST

Otago Witness, Issue 4042, 1 September 1931, Page 30

THE WEST COAST

(From Our Own Correspondent.) COAL MINES. August 26. The Wallsend mine has closed owing to the lack of orders for slack coal. There are plenty of orders for screened coal, but it is necessary to clear the accumulation of slack before these can be fulfilled. There are 190 men employed at the mine. The mines in the Reefton district have been slack for the past week or two. The Matchless mine has had four consecutive days of idleness. Other mines have either had interrupted time or been compelled to reduce hands. The reason in all cases is stated to be the lack of orders. TIMBER TRADE. , The timber industry still shows some signs of improvement, though too much significance cannot be attached to that fact, as it is usual for timber orders to improve to some extent about this time of year. The exceptionally good prospects for Australian butter will no doubt be helpful to the white pine trade, as there is nothing better than this for butter boxes. Out of a total of 70 mills, only 13 were recently working, while there are now over 20 operating. None of the mills is, however, working full time, the average being about four days per week. The Australian rate of exchange being about equal to the miller’s profit makes against the industry. There is a prospect of several new mills opening shortly. Some are remaining open though showing a slight loss, this being found less unprofitable than to close, as depreciation and maintenance costs are high when a mill is idle. With reference to red pine, there appears to be little hope of improvement this year, and the only satisfactory solution of its problem is considered to be the prohibition of foreign timber. PERSONAL. The death has occurred at Greymouth of Mrs E. J. O'Neill, a highly’ respected pioneer of the district. She came from Melbourne to Otago in the John Bullock, and arrived in this district in 1865. She has lived in Greymouth for the past 20 years, her previous residence on the Coast having been at Hokitika and Kanieri. She was aged 70 years. Mrs M. Caliill ; aged 80 years, has died at Reefton during the week. She had been a resident in that town for 50 years. Out of six applicants for the position of matron of the Kawatiri Maternity Hospital at Westjjort, Miss K. Miller, of Maori Hill, Dunedin, -with 10 years’ nursing experience, has been selected by the board. The Freemasons of Westport during the past week celebrated the eightyseventh birthday of a member, Worshipful Bro. Lock. By a coincidence there were 87 members of the fraternity present —and a cake studded with 87 candles. GENERAL. A hospital ball held at Hokitika during the w’cek in aid of the funds of the institution, realised a profit of £l6O. A successful year has- been reported by the Inter-Wanganui Co-operative Dairy Company. At its twenty-third annual meeting the output was reported as 117 tons 18cwt. of butter from 576,5091 b of cream. The installation of an oil engine had resulted~‘in a reduction from £7 to £2 6s per ton of butter in fuel costs. A dividend of 3 per cent, on capital is being paid, and £25 set aside to the credit of the renewal fund.

At a meeting of delegates from local bodies to allocate fees for the ensuing year in connection with the No. 12 Highways District, the annual report indicated that £3588 19s 3d had been collected during the past year in heavy traffic fees. At the last monthly meeting of the Grey Hospital Board an offer was received and accepted from the Radio Society to supply the institution with a wireless set for the benefit of the patients. It was reported that for the period of five months past, of the current financial year, the board had, in spite of abnormal expenditure for charitable purposes, kept well within its estimates.

The West Coast Competitions Society is holding its annual festival, in Greymouth this week. The entries in all sections constitute a record, being well in advance of the previous record of the year 1924. The entries for the dancing and vocal sections are the largest in the society’s history. As usual, a number of generous donations has. been received, including gold medals for pianoforte and vocal

items. A| Sydney firm has offered a gold medal as first prize at next year’s festival for the rendering of the song, “ The World is Waiting for the Sunrise.” At a meeting of the Grey Power Board several company requests were made for power, and the report showed 15 new private consumers for the month, bringing the total to 2471. The sum of £3OOO has been placed on fixed deposit as an investment of general reserves allocation, and £lOOO paid to the Public Trustee as part investment of depreciation reserve. J. he committee appointed to revise the tariff recommended a reduction from 3d to IJd for commercial heating, and from tJd to Id for domestic purposes. The Newman Shield, competed for annually by Rugby football teams from secondary schools in the district, is retained this year by the Greymouth Technical School team, which won it last year. Only one game has been phived, Greymouth defeating Hokitika. Reefton forfeited to Westport, and Westport has now forfeited to the holders. The tunnel traffic for the past week amounted to 11,304 tons. For the corresponding week of last year it was 14,919 tons, and for 1929 15,206 tons. On the occasion of the launching of the new pontoon of the Rimu Dredging Co. an address was presented to the manager and directors of the company by the Mayor of Hokitika, as representative of the borough. A reply to this addre§s has been received by the signatories from the chairman of the directors, in which he speaks in appreciation of the spirit of fairness and helpfulness ever shown towards the company “by the officials and People of New Zealand, the County of Westland, and the Borough of Hokitika,” and expressing the hope that the company s enterprise may continue to merit such high regard.