GREYMOUTH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 30, 16 November 1888, Page 23

GREYMOUTH.

Rain", hail and stormy weather ! Such has been our lot during the last fortnight ; it surpasses anything like it during the winter months. We could weli aff jrd half our moisiure to th« parched and sandy wastes of the neighbouring colonies and then have plenty for our wants ; but Providence decrees it otherwise, and fcharefore, we must be contented to bear with the natural laws of our humid climate. This weather indeed ia exceptionable, just on the eve of summer ; cold sleety rain, showers of hail, accompanied by furious gasts of wind, scarcely gives an adequate description of it. For tne first waek, though there was a considerable f reih in the river, it did not interfere with the movements of shipping to and from the port, but thia week the nor'-wester has put a stop to all shipping movements, there being a considerable sea on tbe bar and a strong current in the river. Taree large colliers are laying here bar-bound ; some more are in the roadsted, waiting to come in, but so far thare is no sign of the stormy weather moderating.

Up to the present week the coal export trade haa maintained ita proportion of over 5000 tons par week, and preparations are being made at the mines for increasing the output, so that with milder weather we may see ths coal trade, wiich is destined to be one of the principal staple industries of the West Coas*, gradually increased. The harbour works are being pushed ahead rather slower than with tne old Hirbour Board, but now that the Government hava consented to raise the balance of the authorised loans, £50,000 for thia and £100,000 for the Westport Harbour, better progress fill doubtlesa be made after the floating of the required capital. Price and O'Connor's contract for the south break-water is all but finished, and it isto be hoped the present Board will lose no time in inviting fresh tenders, unless they agree with the present contractors to carry on the work, so that no time may be lost. They are doing the work at a v«ry low price, and are notably qualified to carry out all their engage* ments to the satisfaction of government. Messrs Hungerford and McKay are pushing on the north break- water as fast as circumstancea will permit them, and indeed circumstances ha»e been pretty well against them all the time ; what between flood?, fire, and the damage done by the s.s. Gerda, it may be said that they are continually contending with adversities. Pile-driving has been resumed by them to replace those destroyed by the Gerda, and when this is completed they have an enormous body of stone ready to be sent down ; tne last big sho< in their quarry having dislodged about 3000 tons of stone. Thia quarry is eminently superior to that in use for the south break-water, both in qua lty and quantity of stone, which can be procured at a far smaller cost per ion ; in the other quarry it is hard to get sufficient stone of 20 ton blocks which are necessary to withstani the action of the waves at the tip-nead. Tne two break-waters, only some 400 feet apart at the entrance, are a source of great danger to shipping with anything of a sea or heavy swell on the bar, owing to aprons forming on the south bieakwater, thus considerably narrowing this already narrow channel. Over three years ago the first apron formed, when smaller stores were used, and on thia stood the wrecks the stream tug Lioness, and the s.s. Btar of the South. A considerable sum of money was expended by the late Harbour Boa^d in lifting this apr»n and only purually succeeded ; uowitseema as they progress seaward, another apron is being formed, and that, too, of stones which, when laid dovvu, were calculated to withstand the heaviest seas. Some are of the opinion that these large stones are thrown back with thg action of the wxves, s ich as happened to the smaller stjnes constituting!; the first apron, b ut a little consideration would show them tint this shifting about of large stones must ba also due to the scour cf the river in heavy fljo Is. When the river is capable of scouring a shingly bar from a depth of from 10ft to that of 23 ft, it undoubtedly must scour from underneatn the breakwaters, and consequently between the ncour of: the river and heavy seas, broader bases are formed. This leads one to expect that thiß ontingency should have been taken into consi deration when determining the width of the channel. The sooner these defects are remedied by those in chargi the better for the port ; it suffers enough all ealy in its being unworkable either in heavy ffoods or heavy seas, not to have a narrow an I dangerous rock bound entrance to contend with.

T .c great event of this month at the port has been the sailing of the passenger ship, s.s. Rjtorua, from tae wharf direct for Melbourne. The 6team collier, Pukaki, of larger tonnage, sailed before direct tor Melbourne, but this i< not half so acceptable as a passenger service. Greymautu people aio always looking forward to the time when they will h ive a airec* pasbenger and m ill service to Melbourne, and thia tup of the Rotorua showed the ease with which it can be accomplished. Considerable interest was manifested in the departuie of this steamer, as a great number of the citizens were to take a holiday tour to see the great International Exhibition ; others to recouperate their failing health, and a good many to try their fortunes in the sunny lands of Australia. The Rotorua arrived heie on the morning of the 17th October, took in some 400 tons of cjal, with a large quantity of coke, mil sailed henci on the f blowing day with 112 passengers, beiag only aboat 24 hours in port. Over 500 spectators lined the wharf on the morning of her departure. A second trip waa to be made on the 30th October, but owing to the agents not getting sufficient passenger inducement it was abandoned.

There is nothing of importance to record of our alluvial gold fields. Ford's Creek is not so far proving up to the expectations held

about it a month or two back. A few parties on the upper end of the terrace have given it best. Those on gold are doing fairly well, and as for many more, even if they should get anything like payable .gold it will take them a considerable, time to pull up back arrears. Two claims are reported to be on payable gold in a terrace in Nelson Creek district, and a good few parties are driving in the Bame locality. It is to be hoped their labours will be rewarded. The holders of extended beach claims are very quiet lately. The result of operations by the dredges erected down south is not reassuring, but with more powerful dredges and b3tter appliances competent authorities assert that the beaches will pay handsomely. Two or three of our local companies intend to get dredges on their claims very soon, aad from the result of the trial of those used south of Hokitika, they should form a good idea as to which class ot dredges are suitable for their use. In the quartz districts shares are slowly but steadily advancing in many ot thes3 mines, which is a better and surer siga to boria fide investors than if there bad bean bogus rises and sudden collapses such as has often taken place in the past. A new quartz lease has been applied for in the Black-ball district, being the first in this locality. Good indications of payable quartz are often met with in the district, and, if thoroughly prospected, experienced miners are of the opinion that a payable quartz field will be found there.

The Grey District Education board and the Greymouth Sshool Committee are, for a loug time past, on anything but friendly terms ; indeed, were we to look back, tbe embroglio has continued for many years. The last Casus belli arose out of a desire on the part of the School Committee to remodel the teaching staff and raise the standard of the school. This they put into effect by giving the teachers three months notice, so that they may re-classify them and appoint others instead of those whom they thought incompetent. The head-master they particularly intended to get rid of, bat having too many frienda on the Board the Committee's recommendation was ignored, and this gentleman was again appointed. Since then it is a teat question at each Annual School Committee election, as to whether this gentleman should not be removed. The two contending parties bring up their forces to try and obtain a majority on the School Committee. This year those unfavourable to the teacher won again, and consequently wanted to carry out their intention, but the chairman of the Committee, who happened to be on the other side, would not receive resolutions adverse to the master and questioned the legality of the Committee's election. The Committee applied to the Board as to whether they were legally elected, and that body declining to give them any information, the Committee resigned. Another meeting of householders was called to elect a fresh Committee, but this fell through, after some plain talk, as only three gentlemen were willing to be nominated. There is not such a rush to be on local School Committee's now as the funds are very much curtailed by theßoaTdand the most of them are in debt. It is strange that the parents of State school children should refuse to contribute a few shillings yearly for firing and a few school repairs ; whereas Catholics pay a heavy tax for the maintenance of their schools. It is indeed true that the more the State does for the people, the less they will do for themselves.

The Rev. Father Carew has paid over to the Church contrac'ors the amouut awarded them in the Arbitration Court with costß, which altogether amounted to over £1,000. Many of the Church Committee were against paying it, and had decided to apply to the Supreme Court to set tbe decision aside ; had this been done, it is the opinion of many that the award would be set aside as exorbitant and that the contractors should pay the costs. The contractors being local men, a great deal of peisonU feeling was manifested in the case, and it was the general opinion amongst other denominations that the award should be abided by, and that it would not be felt by a large community, whereas v would ruin contractors to lose it. B 3 that as it may, the Rev. Father Carew. who subscribed £550, aud the other three or four gentlemen who contributed the balance, will have to wait some time for their money as by all appearances tbe large community are tired of subscribing for the present. It is to be hoped as it is cow amicably settled, that all personal feeling will vanish, and that we all shall live to see the spire erected on St. Patrick's Church, Greymouth.