CONDENSED NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17455, 5 February 1925, Page 6

CONDENSED NEWS.

OVERNIGHT SUMMARY. As an instance of the depression in the coal industry at Westport the Hon W. H. M’lntyre informed the Coal Inquiry Board that miners only had pay for four days of seven hours in the last fortnight. The industry was being affected by hydro-electric schemes, and ihe loss of consumption of coal. The fiftieth anniversary of the Lyttelton District High School was celebrated at a gathering of ex-scholars yesterday. A banquet in the evening was attended by about 300 people. A report on the character and scope of Canterbury’s exhibit at the Neve Zealand and South Seas Exhibition, is to be made to the Canterbury Provincial Committee at a meeting in a fortnight’s time. The population of Westport has decreased 1000 in ten years. This, according to a witness at the Coal Inquiry Board, is due to the fact that there l as been a reduction of 50.000 tons in the coal production. A protest was made by the Greymouth Harbour Board against the proposal to remove the railway workshops and the traffic office from Greymouth. The number of men employed in all departments of new construction work at Lake Colerdige is ISO, comprising five officers, eighteen artisans and 157 labourers. In a detailed report covering the operations the organiser of the Canterbury Progress League (Mr P. R. Climic), states that the tunnel contractor is still hopeful that he can complete his work within the original contract time (October 26, 1025 . A proposal that summer steamer services from Port Chalmers and the Bluff to the West Coast Sounds should ue rc-introduced was approved by the executive of the Canterbury Progress League. In the. opinion of the Bakers and Pastrycooks’ Association there is a serious shortage of wheat and flour. They suggest that the government give immediate consideration to temporarily removing the duty, and permitting, under Government supervision, the importation of a limited quantity of Lour. Mrs A. Wells, a very old resident of Lyttelton, while preparing to attend the jubilee celebration of the Lyttelton Borough School Inst evening, dropped dead at her residence. She had been receiving medical attention for some time. Mr and Mrs Wells were for many years caretakers at the Borough School.