WEST COAST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5777, 22 January 1897, Page 4

WEST COAST.

[Correspondent " Canterbury Times."l GREYMOUTH, Jan. 18. ~ THE BRUNNER FUND. The Brunner Advisory Board, brought into existence to assist the Public Trustee in the administration of the Brunner Eelief Fund, is experiencing a good deal of difficulty in dealing with applications brought before it, and I expect it will be some months ere the whole of the claims are adjusted. Some of the applicants base their claims upon the most flimsy grounds, and are easily dealt with : but there are others, not having, perhaps, so direct a claim as the widows .and orphans of the victims, yet having sustained loss through relatives being killed, whose right to participate is not so easily gauged. Then there are a number who desire advances to clear off debts on their cottages that require careful investigation, so that .the duties of the Board are by no means light. Some cases, too, have been brought up for consideration that seem to open up the wider questions as to whether widows who have good credit balances at the bank shoiild continue to draw as much as those who were left penniless at the time of the accident. In | the immediate vicinity there are heard grumblings of partiality, but so far as I have been able to ascertain the Board is discharging its duty in a most impartial manner, MAORI FESTIVITY. Quite an event in the history of the West Coast occurred at Arahura last Tuesday, when the Maori Hall there was formally opened by the Hon J. A. Bonar. Among other delicacies was a roasted bullock. The spread was an excellent one, the speeches were in good taste, while to wind up the proceedings there was a danee — both Maori and European — the former being a novelty to this part of the colony. The hall is an exceedingly good one, and would do credit to any small town) GRE. 1* ARBOUR BOARD. The Grey Harbour Board have induced the Government to reduco the interest on the loan of .£50,000 to 4h per cent, thus saving the Board .£250 per annum. It is expected that a further reduction will be made next year, when a second loan of .£50,000 matures* Mimßs fatality. AnotMJf w.tl_ose sad accidents incidental to took place at Maori Creek o_i Friday last. A miner was engaged in driving a tunnel by himself, when the ground gave way. His absence was not noticed for two days, and then investigations revealed the truth. After twelve hours' work the body of the unfortunate man — who was named M'Feldis — was recovered. Death must have been instantaneous, his neck and head being terribly crushed. THE GREY HOSPITAL. The annual report and balance-sheet of the Grey Eiver Hospital shows that the trustees made .£SOO headway during the I past year, but much -discontent was expressed atthe action of the G-Vemment in refusing to grant any sum ifor a new hospital, the present structure being old and overcrowded.; A strong rii&olution ex- ! pressing this opinion was pAsSbd at the - general meeting of contributors. LABOUR. A number of workmen from Kumara have been despatched to South Westland for road-making. There is discontent among Greymouth unemployed because none of their number were oifered a job there. MINING. Mining is "again in full swing, and excitement pretty keen. In the Victoria Eange, near Eeefton, there has been a perfect scramble for claims, and a good deal of law will ensue over disputed boundaries. Some very rich stone has been found tliere, and many experienced miners declare it to be the most important find yet made on the Coast. News reached Greymouth to-day that a valuable reef had been struck in the Gladstone mine at Eoss. A good deal of gold has been got out of this locality, and the stone, if it lives down any distance, will make the find an important one. A tunnel is being driven into the now celebrated Garden Gully claim in the Upper Blackball, to intersect the rich reef found on top. If the reef is struck at the level sought for, the claim and those adjoining will, to a considerable extent, have been proved. The shareholders in the Croesus claim have placed their property uuder offer to an English firm. The price is .£13,000 and a fifth interest in paid-up scrip. A very fine sample of rough gold was bought by the National Bank, Hokitika. The nuggets came from the Waiho Eiver. in the south, which at present is attracting a good deal of attention. The Bank of New Zealand last Thursday shipped 6500 ounces of gold in one lot. This is from but one branch, and gives an idea of the quantity of gold purchased during the holidays. Some idea of the value of land—mountain tops — near the Otira Gorge may be obtained from an auction sale held yesterday, when some thirty acres of utterly barren land were sold for «£8 2s 6d per acre. Of course there is something to account for this price, and that something is a reef, believed to be gold-bearing, which exists in the neighbourhood. The purchase was on behalf of a Christchurch firm. j