WEST COAST NOTES

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18232, 17 November 1924, Page 3

WEST COAST NOTES

DROWNING FATALITY.

(BPICUL TO "THB PEEOB.I GBEYMOUTH, November 16. The body of Thomas Liddell, the settler who was drowned in the Big Grey on Thursday evening, was recovered yesterday above Blackball bridge and over five miles from the scene of the accident. An inquest will be held at Blackball to-morrow.

Cricket. Bain has fallen continuously since Thursday morning, and the West Coast Cricket Association's matches for the week-end were all postponed. At a meeting of members and supporters of the Greymou'th League Football Club it was decided to form .a cricket club and to nominate a team in the junior competition. The following officers were elected:—Presir dent, Mr C. F. Saunders; vice-presi-dent, Mr A. Reid; secretary-treasurer, Mr J. Young; committee, Messrs J. Brown and W. Evan and other officers; custodian, Mr H; 11. Mathieson; delegate to West Coast' Association, Mr 11. Moore. Arrangements were made for a practice match, and Messrs Brown and Moore were thanked for donations. The names of nearly thirty members willing to play for the club were handed in.

Grey River Hospital. Bag Day, which was organised by the Cobden- Committee engaged in rais-. ing funds for the Hospital, resulted inover £33 being netted.

Plunfcet Society. The efforts of the Plunket Society, which opened a shop yesterday in Mawhera quay, resulted in an increase of about £25 in the funds.

Blakotown Hall. The disappearance of a number Of, piles and materials which were to' have been used in the constructicm of: the Blaketown'■'. Hall loci to police enquiries, which resulted in a charge being preferred against a local resident. Alleged Sly Grog. There would not appear, to be any dearth of hotel licenses on .the Coast, but at to-morrow's sitting of the Court, the .police are charging a resident with having illegally sold whisky at Bell Hill. . • ; Cycle Road Race. ■•■ An interesting road race was held ,on Saturday, the .course being .from the. Suburban Hotel, Greymouth, to Paroa. and back, a distance' of approximately, 9j miles. Heavy rain caused several defections, and a field of .14 faced/the: starter. The following was the result: "J. Lanin'i (Hokitika), 2Jm, riding time 27m 12s, 1; A. Henry (2sm), 27m 12 l-ss, 2; J. McPhee (3m), 27m'42 2-ss, 3. Won by less than a length,' third man a similar distance back. A. G. Turtell.ahd E. M. Best, the scratch men, finished respectively fifth and sixth, the former gaining fastest time and covering the tance in the.record time of:. 245 m.' 275.; Both, .of these, riders ' had the ■ nitefor-j ■tune to ruii over, a. dog at the winning post, sustaining a heavy fall and damaging their machines.

Greymouth School. The organistation of a fete to be held next month for the purpose of raising funds to pay for the installation of a heating system in the Grey-mouth-School,' is well, forward and. a good response if -anticipated.. Main Highways. ..The proposed expenditure on the main highways in, Westland County for the current financialyear includes the following: '■ Maintenance,. Inangahua Junction to Waiho,road (part in Westland County), £8000; Waimea Cre.ek Bridge renewal, Stafford, £700; EMo, Mile Creek Bridge, renewal, ,-..*800;Hokitika Elver Bridge repairs, Kameri, £IOOO. Construction: Frosty Creek Bridge, Boss road, £750.; Horseshoe Creek Bridge, Boss road, £400; Granite Creek Bridge, Boss, £400; Totara Eiver Bridge, Boss road* £1500; three bridges, Deep and Duffer's Creek, £1974; Wataroa Deviation, £1900; bridges, Christchurch road, £950; Aicken's railway crossing, £250. , Kumara Borough.

The Government has agreed to a subsidy of £SO towards the cost of maintenance of the zigzag in the Kumara- BOroUgh. ;% - - Personal. ' • Mr I. Leach, of the' Railway Department, left on Saturday for Wellington. ' . Miss E. Moore, infant mistress at the Greymouth State' School, left' on Saturday for, Christchureh, where she will attend the Training College. Mr C. Spillane, of tho Railway Departmenty Otira, was tendered a farewell by the Otira Club on the eve of his -departure on transfer, to- Greymouth, and Mr'Amalrie handed him a presentation. Mr and Mrs, Oatcs, who are leaving Cronadun, were presented by the residents with a travelling rug. Ex-Sergeant T. Oliver, who recently retired from the' Police. Force, was honoured by the* local members at a social held "last evening at the Greymouth Police Station. Inspector W. Eccles, who. presided, made reference to the guest's 42 years' service, commencing in the Armed Constabulary, in the Taranaki district. He had later joined the Police Force, reaching eventually the rank of sergeant, and had occupied the position of district clerk for several years prior, to his resignation. The presentation took the form of a silver teaset, oak tray and case of pipes. .Mr H. Holmes, of Southland, has returned to Reefton after an absence of several years.

Obituary. The death occurred at Christchureh on Friday of Mr Frank Wills, a former resident of Reefton and Greymouth. The death occurred at Hokitika ou Saturday of Mrs Kidd, wife of Mr ,1. A. Kidd, a well-known dairyman. The deceased, who was 57 years of age, 13 survived by her husband, two sisters and two brothers. Catholic Mission. The Catholic Mission at St. Patrick's Church was concluded to-day, and Fathers Collins, Duffy and Gill, who conducted it, will hold services elsewhere in the commencing at Runanga and Paroa to-morrow.

WESTPORT ITEMS. (special to "the pbiss") WESTPORT, November 16. Matron Dunsford, of the Buller District Hospital, has returned from six weeks' holiday spent in Canterbury. Mrs H. J. Maitland - returned on Thursday from a visit to her mother in "Dunedin. An important meeting of the Sawmillers' Association was held on Saturday. Representatives from all parts of ' the district were present. Mr, Young, consulting engineer to

the Westport Borough Council, is on a visit to Wellington;';. • ',' ' , 'There are no\V"3ixty' men- employed, on the'Bulle* Gorge Railway.•' -Next month the' number will' be increased by 20 'per'cent. ■ ' : ''_> • The Westport Association,. Football Club held its annual., social' in the Grange Hall on Friday night, despite the rain. A large gathering was present. Mr Blair, president of the Association,' presided, and a large number of representatives from country- clubs was present. E, White was presented with- a gold medal for being the most improved -player for,., the season. Mr J. Nichol Valso received a medal for. -valuable assistanceyrendered 'to ' Soccer. -.Another*i»: Brewer, was- presented with a .silver cigarette case on the.-occasion--of'..his recent marriage.; v „ , The Westport Technical. High School sports have- been postponed until -next Saturday; owing to the unfavourable weather. , i