WEST COAST NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18940, 10 December 1929, Page 6

WEST COAST NEWS.

CARRIED MATCHES IN MINE. (Special to the “ Star,”) GREYMOUTH, December 9. At the Magistrate’s Court to-day the manager of the Dobson mine (Mr J. Hughes) proceeded against Henry Martin, charging him with having a match in his possession while in the mine on October 29. Defended pleaded guilty. “This is one of the usual cases which we have from time to time,” said Mr J. W. Hannan, who appeared for the informant. “Warnings have been issued from this Court for the past two years, but they do not seem to have had much effect.” “It was just a pure accident, your Worship,” said defendant. “There is no question of .smoking in the mine?” asked the Magistrate. He was assured in the negative by Mr Hannan. Martin was fined £1 with 10s costs and £1 10s solicitor’s fee. James Somerville was also charged with having a match in his possession while in the mine. He did not appear, but forwarded a written plea of guilty, remarking that the offences seemed to have been accidental. The Magistrate imposed a similar penalty. GREY MAGISTRATE’S COURT. George Featherstone, aged eighteen, who was arrested at Dobson on Saturday, was charged in the Magistrate’s Court to-day that at Kokiri on December 5 he stole 10s, the property of Edward Goodall, and ss, the property of Lancelot Hamilton Craig. He pleaded guilty and was committed to the Borstal Institute for two years. Detective Murch stated that accused went to the camp connected with the hydro-electric scheme on Tuesday last, and when he left on Thursday the other men discovered that the money was missing. Accused was interviewed by Constable Rodgers and admitted the thefts. He had no fixed abode and was* rather a difficult case. On November 25 he was convicted on two charges of theft, and was ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within twelve months. It did not seem to have done him much good and a term at the Borstal Institute seemed to be the best thing for him. Apparently he could not keep his hands off other people’s money. His mother was dead and he was wandering about from place to place on the West Coast. If he were sent to the Borstal Institute he might be taught a trade. That it costs at least £l2 per annum to replace the crockery which is posted as missing from the railway refreshment room at Stillwater was the statement made during the hearing of a case against George Carlyle, a labourer employed by the Railways Department at Jacksons. He was charged that on or about July 1, at Stillwater, he stole one cup and two saucers, the property of Mrs Grace O’Brien. Carlyle was fined £1 and costs. Frederick Williams, licensee of the Royal Hotel, and William Brown, licensee of the Recreation Hotel, were each fined £5 and costs for selling liquor after hours. Ezra Brown, a barman, was fined £1 for supplying liquor. WEATHER HAMPERS SHIPPING. Bad weather conditions have caused a serious dislocation of shipping activities at Greymouth. There are six vessels, the Kartigi, Kaituna, Kanna, Orepuki, Rata and Gabriella, waiting to clear the port, and five, the Kuku. Kamona, Moko, Kaimai and Kaiapoi, are waiting outside to berth. These movements are held up by heavy seas on the bar and a strong fresh in the river. It was not expected that any movements would be possible at all to-day. In the case of some of the vessels waiting in port the delay in their departure has been prolonged for some days. The seas on the bar will probably have abated by to-morrow to

allow movements. Meanwhile the delay, besides disorganising the heavy Christmas trade to and from the port, means a considerable loss to the agents through port fees trouble to the port authorities in arranging accommodation. THEFT FROM KUMARA SHOP. Late on Friday night or early on Saturday morning the premises of Air Donald M’lntosh, situated in Seddon Street, Kumara, were entered and a number of tyres and cycle accessories were stolen. Entrance was made by the front door, the thief evidently possessing a key which fitted the lock, as neither the lock nor the door showed any sign of having been forced. Exit was m,§de by the back door, which was found wide open. ESCORT FOR DEAF CHILDREN. The following letter has been received by Mr J. O’Brien, M.P., from the Child Welfare Branch, Wellington:— “With reference to your letter of the 28th ult., I have to inform you that the director of the School for the Deaf has arranged for an officer of the school to act as escort for West Coast pupils returning to their homes for the summer vacation. A similar arrangement will be made to bring the children back in February, when the school reopens. DAMAGE BY CYCLONE. Mr J. O’Brien, M.P., has received the following reply from the Prime Minister to a telegram sent asking for aid to some of those who suffered loss by Friday evening’s whirlwind:—“Have received your telegram, and I regret to learn of the damage to Greymouth property by the cyclone. I am looking into your suggestion and will further advise you later.” GRANT FOR TEMPORARY BRIDGE. The Alain Highways Board has advised that in order to overcome the risk of the Greymouth-Punakaikai road being blocked to traffic on occasions when the* rivers are high, a grant of £l4B free money will be made towards the cost of erecting a temporary bridge at Canoe Creek to replace that destroyed by the flood a fortnight ago. The balance of the flood damage is estimated at £162, and that amount will be subsidised on a £2 to £1 basis. The board will also provide £6OO additional on a £2 to £1 basis toward general maintenance on the same road. MINE AIANAGERS IN COURT. At the Reefton Alagistrate’s Court, Charles James Strongman, inspector of mines, proceeded against Andrew Thompson, manager of the Perfection Valley coal mine, for failure to keep a proper record of the representative dust .sample from the mine. Accused pleaded guilty and was fined £l. Two similar charges were laid against Henry Talbot, manager of the Surprise and Matchless mines. Talbot was fur-

ther charged with (a) failing to ap» point sufficient foremen deputies and (b) to meet the workmen to give them instructions when going on shift in respect 1 of the mines he manages on the Mprrisvale lease. He pleaded not guiltigjj to all charges. Several lines of defence were taken—(l) That the mines in question were wet mines, so that the provision requiring the taking of dust samples did not apply. (2) That the three workings that Talbot managed were in law one mine, so there was no call to appoint further foremen deputies. (8) That the manager had no power to make appointments, such being a matter for the owner, (a) that the regulation requiring the manager to meet • the workmen was ultra vires or (b) should be construed broadly, in which case counsel submitted that his client had fully complied with the law. The Alagistrate held that all the charges had been proved. Talbot was fined £1 on each of the two first charges and was ordered to pay costs on each of the others. PERSONAL. Aliss K. Newman returned to Greymouth on Saturday from the Teachers* Training College, Christchurch. Air J. C. Ilowatt, telegraphist at Hokitika, leaves to-morrow on transfer to Ashburton. Air G. D. Buchanan, who succeeds him. will arrive to-mor-row from Aliller’s Flat. Mr J. J. Malloy, of the Greymouth telegraph office, who has been transferred to Christchurch, leaves on December 16. HOKITIKA. WEATHER STILL UNSETTLE®. (Special to the “ Star/*) HOKITIKA, December 9. The* rainfall registered at Hokitika for the past week was 4.88 in, and the bright sunshine recorded for the same period totalled 40 hours 18min. The weather is still unsettled and much colder with southerly rainstorms. There have been no serious floods. OBITUARY. The death is reported of Air Patrick John Walsh, aged 47, roadman, of South Westland. Deceased joined the 21st Reinforcements and served for two years at the front. He had been ailing for a considerable time, his illness being the result of war wounds. He leaves a wife and a family of five, his mother, three brothers and seven sisters. The Walsh family was well known in the early days of the gold rush to Gillespie’s Beach. PERSONAL. Air J. C. Howat, telegraphist at Hokitika, leaves to-morrow on transfer to Ashburton Air Thomas Brooks, Valuer-General, 'is visiting Hokitika. He leaves on his return to Wellington to-morrow.