WEST COAST NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 193, 15 August 1931, Page 15

WEST COAST NEWS.

Mineral Resources of Buller Area Described. REPORT TO RAILWAY BOARD (Special to the “Star.”) WESTPORT, August 14. : In the report prepared for the chair- ” man of the Railway Board the coal, timber, slate and other resources are set out. The area covered includes the Buller watershed as far as Reef ton, and ,it is stated, owing to the sheltered position of the Westport Harbour and ■ the fact that the port may be worked nearly all the year round, any heavy goods within that area should, when the railway is completed, be shipped through the port of Westport. Coal can be loaded into the trucks at .the mines and be taken straight through the Otira tunnel without any more handling. Much of the depreciation of the Buffer coal is through breakage in loading and unloading. The Buller coalfields reserves contain an area of 114,000 acres. Authority, S. H. Cox, 140,000,000 tons in the Ngaka-wau-Waimangaroa area. Authority, Sir John Hector, 21,000,000 tons, Ngaka-wau-Waimangaroa area. Authority, P. G. Morgan, 123,000,000 tons, RochfortSeddonville area. Coal mining was commenced in 1877, and up to the year 1913, in round figures, 12,000,000 tons of coal were exported. From 1913 to 1930, 11,000,000 tons were produced, making a total of 23,000,000 tons. Dealing with timber, the report states that in the Charleston area there are 12,000,000 super feet of millable : '.rh. and vast areas in the Mokihinui Valley. In the Lackley, Newman’s Uv,... ana Welshman Creek areas it is estimated that there are 50,000 acres of millable bush. The county engineer advises that there is a considerable amount of white pine, rimu, yellow pine and native cedar throughout. The report states that the Cascade mine, now open and connected by railway to Westport, has coal reserves estimated at 2,500,000 tons. An average output of 350 tons per week is expected. In the State quarry, alongside the new railway in the Gorge is a deposit of merchantable slate, which is estimated at 47,000,000 tons. It is estimated that on completion of the railway 12,000 tons of screened coal per annum will be saleable for shipment at Westport from Burley’s area, and at least 10,000 tons per annum railed to the east coast. This coal is already on demand for household use. At Brown Creek and Camp Creek the probable amount of coal available will be 10,800,000 tons. Supplies of this coal may ultimately supply a coal distillation plant at Westport. In the area from Reefton to Coal Creek the estimate is 75,000,000 tons. Coal was supplied to the Railway Department as follows (1921-28) :—Lyttelton, 600 tons; Oamaru, 3356 tons; Timaru, 600 tons; Dunedin s 21,299 tons; Bluff, 67,608 tons. A total of 2032 tons of coke was shipped south in 1928, and for industrial purposes 476,497 tons of coal were shipped. According to the report, there is an outstanding demand for screened round coal at all times on the east coast main railway, and it is estimated that 25 per cent of the round coal from this district is reduced to slack through so much loading and unloading, which places the district at a disadvantage. On the completion of the railway from Westport to Reefton, it is expected that the following heavy traffic will develop:—(l) Railage of coal per annum to Christchurch from Westport, 95,000 tons; (2) coke, 3000 tons; (3) railage of screened coal from Burley’s per annum, 10,000 tons; (4) railage of Burley’s for shipment at Westport (18 miles), 18.000 tons; (5) railage of 4,000,000 super feet for 21 miles from Orikaka Valley to Westport. It is believed that through traffic in the various classes of Westport coal to Christchurch will progressively increase over the figures given above. GREYMOUTH NEWS. Civic Band Gives Concert for Honorary Members. (Special to the “ Star.”) GREYMOUTH, August 14. The Greymouth Civic Band was greeted with a large and very appreciative audience at the honorary members’ concert, presented at the Town Hall. The programme was a varied and interesting one, the work of the band throughout being of an exceptionally high standard. The programme was as follows: —Hymn, ‘‘Lead Kindly Light”; march, ‘‘Washington Grays”; grand selection. ‘‘Operatic Beauties”; humoresque, “The Jolly Bandsmen”; operatic selection, “Gems from the later operas of Wagner”; poetic march, “The Vanished Army.” The band was assisted by the following artists: Miss Rita Morgan (Hokitika) song, “Bonny Mary of Argyle”; (encore, “Rory Dartin’”), song. “Ring Bells, Ring”;; (encore, “We’d Better Bide a Wee”) ; Miss Ida M’Donald, humorous monologue, “The Man With the Single Hair”; (encore, “The King’s Breakfast.”) Mr T. Clark, tenor solo, “I Heard You Singing”; tencore, “I Like You in Velvet”) ; Mr A. M’Master, jun., cornet solo, “Somewhere a Voice is Calling”; (encore, “The Rosary”; Miss Mavis Burgoyne, tap dancing (encored) ; Misses Zita Austin, Imelda Austin, Jessima Holt and Valda Reuse (pupils of Miss Rurgoyne) “Highland Reel” (encored) ; Mrs and Miss Roach, vocal duet, “When Song is Sweet” (encore, “Isle of Golden Dreams”) New Bridges. Advice has been received from Mr James O’Brien, M.P., that a vote of £2200 has now been placed upon the estimates for the construction of a bridge over the Kopara River. This will be good news to all the settlers in the Kopara district who have been isolated so long. Up till now the only access to the Kopara was by fording the river, which was very often not fordable. The river is a treacherous one and there have been several narrow escapes from drowning. The bridge will be a big boon to the district. A suspension footbridge is to be erected over the Ahaura River at Starvation Point. Plans and specifications have now been completed by the County Engineer and it is expected an early start will be made with the work. Good progress is being made with the suspension footbridge across the Big River in the Moonlight district. Road Improvements. • The damage done to the Grey-West-port Coastal Road in the vicinity of the Ten Mile by sea encroachment has necesistated the making of a deviation. This has now* been completed. The work was considerably hampered by the

wet weather and the greasy nature of the sidling country, which was found necessary to crib log. Good progress is being made with the road from Ruru to Te Kinga, which is being constructed by the Grey County Council with unemployed. Ladies’ Guild. The Ladies’. Guild of Holy Trinity Church held a gift afternoon yesterday in aid of the church bazaar, to be held in Trinity Hall early next month. Vocal items were rendered by Mesdames Wright, Brown, Cogswell and Miss J. Kitchingham. Miss Drake was the accompanist. A competition was won by Miss A. Pratt. A large number of gifts were received.

WESTPORT NEWS. Four Cases Dealt With by Magistrate. (Special to the “Star.”) WESTPORT, August 14. A sitting of the Magistrate’s Court was held before Mr W. Meldrum, S.M. Leo Stanley James was ordered to pay £1 fortnightly, past maintenance £7 10s, and £l4 15s expenses in respect to his illigitimate child. Mining Case. Charles David. Buist pleaded guiltv to an offence under the Mining Act. Mr J. J. Moloney (for defendant) said that a new pillar had been formed the day of the inspector’s visit and the air pipes had not been connected up. It was immediately rectified. His Worship said that the mines must be properly ventilated. One of the objections the union miners had to tribute miners was that the regulations under the Act were not strictly adhered to. Defendant was fined £2 and costs. William Stanley Cummings was fined 5s and 10s costs for failing to pay his unemployment levy. Allegation of Fraud. Arthur Turner appeared to answer a charge of obtaining credit by fraud from Gibbs Motors. He was also charged with two breaches of the Probation Act. It was stated that Turner was released on probation at Blenheim, provided that he paid back £SO he had taken fraudulently, but he had not reported to the police. He had been all • over the country and was eventually arrested in Westport where he had alleged to Gibbs Motors that he was going to Blenheim as a police witness and obtained a ticket by fraud. The Magistrate said he did not want to send him to gaol on account of his wife and children. The case was adjourned for a month to enable accused to get work. He is to report twice weekly to the police. Fire. i A fire was discovered in the Y.M.C.A. hall at Tiroroa by the attendant, who gave the alarm and within a few minutes many willing helpers helped to get the fire under control. The damage amounted to about £25. Primary School. The Hon W. H. M’lntyre, chairman of the Nelson Education Board, the architect, Mr A. H. Leaper.-and Mr J. H. Harkness, member of the board, met the committee of the Westport Primary School in connection with the new school. The school will be a replica of the new one being built at Napier. It will be steam heated and will be ! thoroughly up to date. The site has j not yet been decided upon, but it will j face the sun and the children will have j the modern fresh air rooms. It is expected to have the school ready for the opening in the new year. The children until then will still be housed in various buildings about the town. Railway Beard. In reply to both the Nelson and Westport Progress Leagues, the general manager of railways stated that the board will not take deputations during its visit to Inangahua and Westport, but would hear representations at a later date. The Nelson League sent twenty pamphlets dealing with the Midland Railway (prepared by the Nelson Progress League) for the general manager to let each member have a copy. On arrival at Nelson further copies of a map showing the many valleys around Murchison which cannot be seen from the main road, will be supplied. Deputations will later go r.o Wellington. The board arrived in Westport last evening. It was met at Inangahua Junction by Messrs J. H. Harkness (Mayor), J. Menzies (deputy Mayor) and J. M. Robertson (president of the Buller Progress League). After visiting the experimental plots on the pakihi lands at Fairdown, the board left for Greymouth this afternoon. Golf. The following is the Buller Club’s draw for the medal round:—Petley v. Tavener, J. Slee v. Park, Sime v. Bird, Duthie v. Schadick, Caldwell v. Mullan, Broadwith v. Maitland, Mcrley v. Buxton, Davies v. Lecher, Watson v. Lockington, Templar v. F. Slee. The following is the draw for the Westport junior championship:—Ball v. Llewllyn, Sydenham v. Harrison, Phipps v. Day, Quinn v. Aynsley, Wood v. Holdgate, Sargisson v. Owen, Bayldon v. Hammond, Shannon v. Ryan, Owles v. Bonifacio, Colvin v. Thomas. Personals. The Hon W. H. M’lntyre and Mr J. H. Harkness left this morning for NelMr R. Nutting, Bank of New South Wales, left yesterday on a visit to his people in the North Island. Mr F. G. Wilkes, organiser for the Motueka branch of the Reform Party, : arrived yesterday and left for Karamea. I Mr W. Holder is visiting his mother, ’ Mrs Holder, of the Criterion Hotel, who [is still in hospital. MAINTENANCE CHARGE. (Special to the “Star.”) GREYMOUTH, August 15. In the Grey Magistrate’s Court today before Mr W. Meldrum, S.M., Ivan , Charles Spencer, who was arrested on . a warrant at Weheka, was charged with . the disobedience of a maintenance ; order made in favour of his wife at l Dunedin. ; Mr M. James, tor the accused, stated that he was riling an application for ! variation of the order and also cancel- [ lation of the arrears to May 11, amounting to £62 19s 6d.

The hearing was adjourned till August 31, bail being allowed in the sum of £SO and one surety of £SO.