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West Coast Times, 17 March 1910, Page 2

The total output from the Westport coal mines last week was 21,440 cw.t

The Chinamen of Wanganui have just subscribed £25 14s 6d towards the local hospital funds.

The estimated cost of opened railway lines in Westport is £500,718, and of unopened lines £342,480. The close season for seals has been further extended up to the 30th of June, 1911.

Ross Goldfields’ shares were quoted in Wellington on Monday last;— Buyers 8s 6d, sellers 8s 9d.

The usual live stock advertisment For Messrs Mark Sprot and Co.’s Arahura sale appears elsewhere.

Tenders close to-morrow for the supply of butter boxes for the Kokatahi Dairy Company for the 1910-1911 seais(jn. A general meeting of the Arahura Football Club will be held in the Three Mile Hall on Friday night at 8 o’clock .

The annual general meeting of the Hokitika Hockey Club will be held in the Aquatic Club’s room to-morrow at 8 p.m. A full attendance is requested.

Messrs H. L. Michel and C. J. Parham leave Sydney on Saturday next for New Zealand. From a private source we learn that their mission has been very successful.

G. W. Griffiths and Co., Westport, are the successful tenderers for I'm Otoko viaduct on the Gisborne-Rotor-ua railway. The amount of the te ider being £11,773. The revenue earned on the Westland section of the New Zealand railways ,for the period ending February 5, 1.910, was £136,487 5s 6d, against £120,374 5s 5d for the same period of last year.

For to-day, the second day of the Greymouth Hibernian Society’s sports, the trains run as follow®—Leave Hokitika for Grey at 7.40 and 11.20 a.m., 5.15 and 9.20 p.m.; leave Greymouth 5.15 p.m.

Last week’s Gazette contains a proclamation whereby some 39 acres of the Hokitika Harbour Endowment No. ;■' 6, Blocks XV and XVI., Mahinapua S D , are taken under “The Public Works Act, 1900,” for the purposes of a road and gravel pit.

According to last week’s Gazette the first meeting of the Paroa (Greymouth) Domain Board will bo held at the residence of Mr W. Hewlitt, on Tuesday, 12th April. The following gentlemen have been gazetted members of the Board:—W. Hewlett, Philip Power, B. H. Kerr, R. Spencer, Patrick J. Power, M. McGrath, R. Walsh, T. McGillicuddy and Peter Ewart.

Mr Kerr, formerly a chaplain to a Scotch Regiment in South Africa, who begins a series of meetings in Ross on Easter Sunday, was married not long ago to Sister Edith, a very popular and successful deaconess of the Methodist Church in Queensland. Mrs Kerr will accompany her husband, and as she is an able and winsome speaker no doubt some meeting or meetings will be irranged for her.

At the annual meeting of the Victoria Ladies’ Hockey Club hold yesterday the following officers were elected: T. Wallace; Secretary and Treasurer, T. Wallace; Secretary and Treasurer; E. Breeze; President, Mr Wake; VicePresidents, Miss Ollivier, and Messrs H. Barrett, H. Williams and A. D. D. Crawford; Committee, L. Henderson, M. King, A. Loamy, and H. Wogan ; delegate to Association, Mr Wake. It was decided to fix Tuesdays and Fridays for practice days.

The following is the Rev. D. C. Bates’ summary and weather forecast: —Fine weather has prevailed, except about Foveaux Strait and East Cape. There has been little movement of the # barometer and moderate to southwesterly winds have prevailed, except in the extreme south. Present indications are for changeable weather, cloudy and unsettled with local showers, probably in the early morning from a small disturbance in the front of an anti-cyclone due shortly. Moderate to strong southerly winds will probably prevail .

Mr Patou gave a. very fine address last night. Indeed it was even better than the one in the Theatre on Sunday night. He combatted very stiongly the objections that “I won’t be a Christian because I cannot -be happy and I want to get on.” Even Nature shows that happiness is God’s plan, said the speaker. Christ is the way lo happiness and God pity the man that cannot get on and be honest at flic same time, “Show me a man that ha* failed in business because he was a Christian,” said the preacher,” and I will show you fifty men that failed ) ecanse they were not christians.” Miss Bessie Good sang a solo and a larg, choir rendered “No, not one.” '1 he meetings are free to all. Ther • is nothing sectarian about them.

On Wednesday evening last a depu tation from the Westland Hospita Trustees, viz., Messrs Clifton, Duff

Goodrich and Coulson interviewed tin Minister for Hospitals (Hon G. Fowlds' The Member for the District (Mr T E. Y. Seddon) introduced the deputa

ion. Mr Clifton said the Minister had

agreed to allocate a sum for a new Hospial providing the Trustees found ime-fourth. The Trustees had erected two wings and were practically in a

position to say that funds for a third

were forthcoming, when they had received intimation that the Government had declined to make a fourth grant. At least, this was the position tile Trustees claimed they were placed in. The other members of the deputation spoke in a similar strain. The Minister, in reply, said there must have been some misunderstanding. He understood that the promise had been ior a grant for the second block only, lit'

would make a note of the Trustees’ re--•picst and bring the matter before his colleagues l . They must remember, he said that the building expen,litu.e til the Government had lo be cut down as money at present was very sewv. The deputation thanked Mr Fowlds tor his patient hearing and then withdrew .

Near Ohaupo, on the Main Trunk Lino, the rails for a distance of about a mile have sunk several inches. It was found necessary to dig out all the ballasting and make a foundation with 000 bundles of ti-tree. The new German Budget has a novel feature—to wit, the provision of a : breeding and training institute for po-1 lice clogs, which is to he built at a cost of £IBOO and kept up at an annual outlay of £3OO, including the salaries of two policemen in charge.

“I have never marked a man in my life,” said Bob Fitzsimmons when speaking to a press reporter on the question of brutality in the prize-ring. He went on to say that he always tried to knock his opponent out quietly, so as not to disfigure him. “But a knock 1 out can surely not he considered gentle | handling?” queried that reporter. 1 “Oh,” laughed the old champion, “all | that is needed is a little tap on tho 1 chin. Then you wake up and ask whv i

the other man won’t go on with the fight. "Because you’ve been counted out,” explains the referee. “And that’s all there is in it concluded the veteran.

During Lord Kitchener’s recent vis- | it to llotorua he was met on his arrival at the gate of the pa hy Tarakawa, an old Maori, who addressed a speech of welcome to the distinguished visi- [ tor, and handed to him a sword left I hy Captain Cook with the Arawa tribe ■ :l 1777, requesting him to take charge of it, and return it to His Majesty the King. In reply, Lord Kitchener said: “I am very sensible of the loyalty of . the Arawa tribe to the Crown of England, hut with regard to the sword, 1 think it would he best for you to keep it as a memento handed down from your ancestors.” Lord Kitchener then shook hands with Tarakawa and handed the sword back to him.

When the Government steamer Tntanekai called at Ship Cove, near Jackson’s Head, mi Friday afternoon, it was found that the work of installing the new Pintseh light on Jackson’s Head is progressing satisfactorily. Practically the whole of tho superstructure for supporting the light is now completed. One of the big cylinders for the gas is already in place, and the other will bo fixed at tho first favourable opportunity. A trial of the light will he made on shore from one of the small cylinders for about a fortnight before it is finally installed. If the trial is satisfactory, the new light should be permanently exhibited in about three week’s time.

Some interesting relics of Napoleon have been lately placed in the Napoleon Chapel at the Hotel do Invalides in Paris. Tho pall which enveloped the coffin of tho Emperor— a magnificent mantle of black velvet embroidered with gold hoes— which the tho body aws brought hack to Franco in 1840 by the Prince dc Joinville, is on exhibition under a glass case, and near by is a reduced model of the coffin hewn out of ebony. A gold wreath offered by the town of Cherbourg when tho Imperial remains were transplanted Napoleon’s death mask, taken by Dr Antommarehi, ami the three great sand stone slabs which covered Napoleon’s grave at St. Helena, arc other relics which are now publicly shown for the first time.

One of the strangest experiences ever recorded in maritime history is that of the crew of the British ship Mermaid . ..recked in Torres Straits in October, 1829 (says the New York Maritime Register). The crew were saved by the war vessel Swiftsure, but three days lated the latter foundered in a gale, all hands being saved by the man-of-war Governor Ready, which also foundered soon aftfrwaryl. The three crews got ashore safely, and in less than ten days were resened by the Comet, a revenue cutter. A few days later the four crews and the crow of the Comet were cast adrift again ,the Comet sinking because of a leak. Ail hands were saved by the Jupiter. A week or two later the Jupiter capsized and the six crews were again adrift, but were again rescued. This ended the bad luck, during which not a life was lost and all the rescues were made by vessels' which acicdeutally sighted the sufferers.

Speaking at Christchurch on Friday evening on the need for a labour party in Parliament, M. T. E. Taylor said the average man was apathetic as to what the Government was doing until he got out of work. Of late years considerable dissatisfaction had arisen with existing conditions. The speaker strongly critisied the Land Bill, stating that principle had been sacrificed to party, and that the followers of the Government were bound to uphold the goats. A labour party was needed in Parliament, the members of which

would he pleged up to the hilt not to sell the the freehold of another inch of Crown lands, and would also be united in assisting upon the mnnicipalisation of necessities of life. Mr Taylor urged that the land platform drawn up at the conference of members of Parliament the previous day could only be fully endorsed by a Labour party. It is reported that gun-running from Muscat has materially lessened in consequence of the action taken by Admiral Slade along the Mekran coast. But ns Afghans concerned in arms traffic are exasperated by the success of Admiral Slade’s recent operations, and as caravans are escorted by bands of well-armed men it is possible that landing parties on the Mekeran Coast may still have some fighting. Thorough lv up-to-date methods are being taken

;o suppress the gun-running, which ms assumed such serious proportions ictween the coast of Somaliland and

other parts of Africa ami the Persian Gulf for the rearming of the tribesmen over t)ie Indian border and in Afghanistan. The three sloops which are being got ready at Simoustown, Hermuda, and Chatham to assist in the stamping out of the traffic are being fitted with wireless telegraphic apparatus, almost every ship on the Fast Indies Station has a similar instalment, so that all

can link up with the wireless station a' dask, and he in perfect touch with

U' movements of all kinds ot erait

ving in those waters. Your Autumn Hats.— ln our ship

meat of Autumn Goods you’ll find the smartest styles, trimmings, colours, quality, shapes, and the lowest prices. Prices for the new model hats, 17s fid, 19s (id, 20s, 2os, 27s fid and 30s. It will pay you to have a look at our newest goods.— W. McKay and Son, the drapers.

A Maori is alleged to have earned cleverness to an nowise point during the past week, says tho Wanganui Chronicle. It is alleged that he went t > the races and presented at the totalisator office a ehefpie for £32 Bs, endorsed l>y the secretary of the Jockey Cluh. The tolalisator elerk evidently returned the cheque with the change, for when the cash was being balanced at night there was a shortage of £32 Bs. The hank at Marion was communicated. with, payment of the cheque being stopped. On Friday morning accused, it is alleged, presented the cheque and was arrested.

The annual report of the St John Ambulance Brigade shows that there are now 71 corps and divisions on the roll of the Brigade, with a membership of 1450. In tho Canterbury and West Coast districts ambulance divisions have been formed as follows: C division (New Zealand Kailway Corps) at Most port, and Hokitika division. Nursing divisions have been organised at Westport, Timaru, Templeton, Papanui, ami Avonside. During the forthcoming year it is proposed to establish divisions at Pareora. Mor-

vcn, Pleasant Point, Ashburton, Rakaia, Now Brighton, Rangiora, Greynnmth, Hokitika, Ross, Nelson, Blenheim, Havelock and Seddon. 'l’ho s.s. Niwaru recently arrived in Great Britain after an adventurous voyage Home from New Zealand. She commenced her voyage towards the end of November, with a full loading of wool, and with instructions to make a fast passage Home on the 60th parallel south, to catch the wool sales All went well until 140 west was reached, and then she got in among drifting ice, and had to be slowed down for fear of breaking her propeller. For three days she did not sight water, the sea being covered to the horizon with ice floes, among winch numerous icebergs, some of them 400 ft high, floated. Seals and penguins were on the ice in great numbers, and it stood between 2ft and 3ft out of the water, Buckily in that southern latitude it was daylight (being summer) over the whole 21 hours, and the officers of the vessel were able to see what they were doing. I Nevertheless they spent a vary ajixious time, and Captain Hollis was much relieved when he left the ice behind without damage to his vessel. At Gisborne last week when swinging out to sea off the Waikanae beach, Mr H. McGregor, an engineer at Messrs Nelson Bros.’ Freezing Works, had an exciting experience, and nearly suffered the loss of a limb. He was out over his depth when he noticed some ladies on the (teach waving frantically to him. He mistook the meaning and continued swmiming, when he felt something rub along his leg. Grasping the situation, Mr McGregor, who is a strong swimmer, turned and made for the beach. He had not gone far when something caught his leg, and he realised that he was being pursued by a shark. Fortunately his leg came free and by splashing and kicking he frightened the shark away and reached the beach. There he found his foot badly lacerated, there also being a gash under the toes, While marks of the shark’s teeth were plainly visible. |Mr McGregor’s wounds were dressed by one of the ladies who witnessed the occurrence, and he was helped home. The ladies first became aware of the shark’s presence by the sight of a large fin in the water, and it is estimated the fish must have been six feet long.