WEST COAST NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18946, 17 December 1929, Page 5

WEST COAST NEWS.

GREY MAGISTRATE S COURT ‘ {Special to the “Star;”) GREYMOUTH, December 16. At the Greymouth Magistrate’s Court today, Percy Greaves, a Maori, was sentenced to fourteen days’ imprisonment for the theft of a pair of spectacles. He has just completed a month’s imprisonment for the theft of £4. John R. Williams was fined £1 and costs for having an electric torch in his possession while in the Dobson Mine. Charges against Thomas Sotheran of interfering with Traffic Inspector A. J. Slos in the execution of his duty and the use of insulting language were dismissed. For fighting in a public place, Win Allen. Charles A. Rodgers and Francis D. Magee were each fined 10s and costs. A similar charge against Eric W. Crumpton was dismissed. Charles S. Ingram, who left New Zealand without authority during the currency of maintenance orders, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within twelve months if called on, and to pay arrears at the rate of 10s per week. Clara Youngman, licensee of the Bush Inn at Aickins, was fined £2 and costs for selling liquor after hours. Elizabeth Phillips, licensee of the Imperial Hotel, Greymouth, was fined £2 and costs for a similar offence. The following were each fined 5s and costs for breaches of the by-laws:-Charles Reiha, Gus Brown, James Roberts, James Schroeder, Edwin Ashton, James Galbraith, Ernest Dailey, Thomas Coll, William Robertson and Thomas Hanna. HEAVY EARTHQUAKE SHOCK. A heavy shock of earthquake was felt a few minutes after five o’clock this morning. The disturbance commenced with a shake which awoke sleepers, and the tremors lasted for several seconds. No damage is reported. WORK AT STATE MINE. The State Mine has had a record run of work. The “No work” whistle has not sounded since May this year, and Christmas will be one., of the brightest for some time as far as the State miners are concerned. INJURED IN ACCIDENTS. Two accidents are reported from Reefton. Loftus Ronchi was thrown from a horse while after cattle on the Blackwater Road yesterday, and received injuries to the head. He was removed to the Reefton Hospital, where he had not up to noon to-day recovered consciousness. To-day David Ross, of Mawheraiti, while travelling in the bush, fell on a slasher, injuring the thumb of his left hand. He Was removed to Reefton, where Dr Conlon attended to his injuries. GREY POWER BOARDS LOAN. Validating proceedings in connection with the Grey Electric Power Board’s loan of £50,000 appear in the current issue of the New Zealand Gazette. Proceedings in connection with the poll were irregular or defective in that in the voting paper used, the Local Bodies Loans Act, 1913, was cited instead of the Local Bodies Loans Act, 1926, and the voting paper was not in conformity -with the form set out in the schedule to the Loans Act, 1926, the words “ I vote ” being omitted at the beginning of the two lines pro vided for the exercise of the vote. Validation of proceedings was therefore necessary. SPORTING FIXTURES. The cricket matches resulted:— Seniors: Greymouth 162 defeated Hokitika 4S and 61. Juniors: Cobden 206 for seven wickets defeated United B IS and seven for 141; Brunner 90 and 32 for two wickets defeated Stars 37 and 67; Watersiders 118 and 23 for four wickets defeated Camerons 93 and 91 for five; Marist 94 and 48 for one wicket defeated United 41 and 52 for four. The inter-club tennis matches resulted in a win for Hokitika by 159 games to 115 in the A grade, and by 136 games to 60 in the B grade. A bowling match for the Reynolds Badge was played between Greymouth and Hokitika on the Greymouth green on Saturday, Greymouth winning by 90 points to 70. The Grey Rifle Club’s shoot-off for Mr J. Cairney’s trophy, between G Anderson and C. Richardson, resulted in a win for Rifleman G. Anderson by 96 points to 94. The first shoot for Mr A. E. Izzard’s trophy resulted in a tie between Y. Bell and C. Murphy. The Greymouth Pigeon Club held a race from JCumara for birds under six months. The birds were liberated under favourable weather conditions. The owners of the three placed birds were Messrs A. Jackson, T. Bennett and G. Bennett. The winner’s time was lhr lOimin. The second bird returned to its loft 7*min later, and was followed four seconds later by the third. PERSONAL. Dr P. Fogarty, of Wellington, is on a visit to his parents, Mr and Mrs M. J. Fogarty. Secpnd-Lieutenant W. B. Hutton of the 2nd Canterbury Battalion of the Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Regiment, has been gazetted lieutenant. Second-Lieutenant E. Caldwell (Greymouth) has been posted to Ist Battalion.

Miss M. Noonan, A.T.C.L., L.AB., who has taught m«sic for some years in Greymouth, will leave to-morrow for Christchurch, where she will reside. She was presented by her pupils with a purse. Mr A. Bolitho, of the National Bank, Reefton, was presented with a travelling bag by the staff prior to his departure for Greymouth, on transfer. Mr M. Stewart, engineer to the Blackball Coal Company, who resigned to take a position in England, was presented by the staff with a leather cabin trunk. Mr W. Stirling, who has been head master of the Blackball School for the past nine 3-ears, has retired, and will reside in Canterbury. He was presented by the school committee with a case of pipes. OBITUARY. The death occurred at Christchurch this morning of Clyde, 3'oungest son of Mrs and the late Mr James Thomp son, formerly of the Railway Department, Greymouth. Deceased, who was twenty-five years of age. had been in ill-health for seven years. The death took place suddenly this morning at his residence, Albert Street, of Mr William Saunders Ellis, a gas meter mechanic of the Municipal Gas works staff. The late Mr Ellis, who was fifty 3’ears of age, served his time as a meter maker in Edinburgh before coming to New Zealand. After being in the employ of the Christchurch Gas Company for some 3-ears he was engaged as manager of the Gre>-mouth Gasworks. He had been on the Greymouth staff since July, 1920. He leaves a widow and a family of six. Two sons, Messrs Jaclc and Douglas Ellis, are at Home, Mr Robert Ell'? is in the Railway Department at West port, and there are three young children. One married daughter died some time ago. An inquest was opened and adjourned until Saturday pending the result of a post-mortem examination.

HOKITIKA. HOUSE DESTROYED BY FIRE. (Soecial to the “ Star”) HOKITIKA, December IG. A fire at Three Mile, on the Arahura Road, early yesterday, destroyed the dwelling of Mr John Muir. The building, which was insured in the National Office for £2OO, was empty at the time, having been vacated on the previous day by a tenant who had not removed all his furniture. RESIDENCE BROKEN INTO. It has been reported to the police that a private residence was entered yesterday and that a sum of money, with jewellery and other valuables, is missing. The police have the matter in hand. THE WEATHER. A total of 24 hours 36 minutes of bright sunshine was recorded at Hokitika last week. The rainfall was .30 inch. After a pleasant week-end rain set in throughout the night, and a northerly brought a good deal of rain EARTHQUAKE SHOCK. At 2.40 a.m. to-day a prolonged earth tremor was experienced, followed by a sustained shake at 5 a.m. OBITUARY. Mrs Partridge, .wife of Mr E. Partridge, rector of the High School, died to-day, after a short illness. She was a native of Dunedin.