WEST COAST NOTES

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18900, 15 January 1927, Page 10

WEST COAST NOTES

PERSONAL. t i (special to the press.) GREYMOUTH, January 14. t Dr C. J. Reakes. Director of Agri- ' culture, will leave to-morrow for 1 Christchurch. Miss Nancy Skinner, Kamaka, and Miss Kathleen James, Karoro, leave to-morrow on a holiday trip to "Wellington. Wanganui, and Auckland. , Mr and Mrs Reg. Smith, who have i been on a nine months' tour of Eng- ] land and the Continent and are returning to New Zealand via Canada, will arrive in Greymouth on Tuesday. Messrs J. Leitch, Greymouth, and YV. Leitch, Dobscn, who have been spending a holiday in Sydney, will return to Greymouth on Tuesday. Mr G. Blanchfield, who has been in indifferent health for some time, will leave shortly for Nelson, where he will reside during the winter months. He will be accompanied by Mrs Blanchfield and family. Miss D. Petrie, who has been spending a holiday on the West Coast, will return to Wellington to-morrow. Mrs Hawthorn, who has been in charge of one of the companies of the Greymouth Girl Guides and who is leaving Greymouth shortly, was met by members of the company and presented with a bedroom clock. Lieutenant E. Marshall made the presentation. Mr G. D. Smart, of the Greymouth Railway Traffic Office, who has been visiting relatives at Glenavy, will return to Greymouth by Tuesday's ex- f press. Mrs Swift and Miss D. Swift, who have been visiting the West Coast, will leave to-morrow for Wellington. Messrs W. G. and R. E. Nosworthy left this morning for Nelson. Senior-Sergeant P. J. McCarthy will leave on Monday morning for Westport, where he relieves Senior-Sergeant Scandrett, who goes on holiday leave. Traffic-Inspector A. J. Sloss, who has been on an official visit to South Westland, will return to Greymouth tomorrow afternoon. The Weather. Following showery weather of a couple of days' duration, there was a welcome return to beautiful sunshine to-day. Owing to a brisk westerly wind, which has been blowing during the last few days, there has been a noticeablo drop in the temperature, which has been responsible for a mild epidemic of colds. Trespass Charge. A young man, William Rule, who recently served a sentence at Greymouth for theft, made his reappearance at the Magistrate's Court this morning before Mr A. J. Naylor, J.P. He was charged with trespassing on the Greymouth wharf and with refusing to leave when requested to do so by a railway official. Rule pleaded guilty. Senior-Sergeant P. J. McCarthy stated that Rule had been about the town since his release from gaol. He had been drinking and was in a maudlin condition when arrested yesterday. Numerous complaints had been made by the Railway Department concerning damage done to carriages and vans on the wharf by people who visited them, and the police were put to the trouble of making periodical inspections of the wharf in the endeavour to put a stop to the nuisance. Rule had evidently gone there for the purpose of having a sleep. After being admonished by the Bench, Rule promised to go and look for work at the mines. On his giving that assurance the presiding Justice recorded a conviction and suspended sentence till next Friday. Hibernian Societjr. ; At the annual meeting 4f the Greymouth branch of the Hibernian Society the following were elected for the ensuing half-year: —President, Bro. R. Clark; vice-president, Bro. Walter Cunuliffe; treasurer Bro. J. Collogan; secretary, Bro. T. Cunliffe; warden, Bro. T. Mcllroy; guardian, Bro. T. Garth: sick visitors, Bros. P. Dwyer and T. Dcvine. The retiring secretary, Bro. P. Blanchfield. was accorded a. hearty vote of thanks for his services towards bringing the Society into a sound financial position. Otira Tunnel Traffic. The amount of goods traffic railed from the West Coast through the Otira ■ tunnel for o the week totals 6245 tons. Conciliation Council. The sitting of the Conciliation Council under the presidency of Commis- . sioner Hagger, was continued yesterday, when the following results were > achieved: —

Grocers' dispute.—Hours of work referred to the Arbitration Court; overtime clause agreed to as in the present award; tea money under same terms; longest clause referred to the Court; payment of wages to be weekly in cash, on a regular day of each week; canvassers' employers to pay for dinner for canvasser who is precluded from returning to his mid-day meal. . The Union's claim that no deduction from wages if a worker was sick and presented a •medical certificate, was referred to the Court. The terms of the award are to be for two years. Butchers' dispute.—Hours for work agreed to as present award; wages referred to the Court; casual labour rates as per present award; wages and proportion of youths referred to the Court; holidays as in present award, with the addition on January 2nd; double time to be paid for holidays. A number of general clauses were agreed to in terms of the Canterbury award. With regard

to the closing of shops the clause in [ the present Westport award was agreed to. The Union's claim for 5s a week for laundry allowance, was referred to the Court." The award will operate for two vears throughout the Westland Industrial district. Chemists' Award. —A number of machinery clauses were agreed to in the terms of the present award. Claims as to wages have been deferred to a further sitting in Greymouth next week. Buller Flood Belief. The Buller Hospital Board has distributed sums of money amounting to * 343 18s 3d to necessitous cases in Connexion with the recent Buller flood damage, and has applied to the Government °for its subsidy on the amounts collected. Mr A Taylor, town clerk, Westport, has the" sum of £343 8s Id in hand, which carries a Government subsidy. The monev is being held pending a final report by the Belief Comnnttee, with their recommendations. Mischievous Act. As a result of interference by some mischievous person or persons, with the control gear at Lake Eochfort from which electricity is generated for Y\ estnort the gate jammed and the electrical appliances at the Fairdown power house were thrown out of commission. The Westport Borough Council is offering a substantial monetary reward for information leading to the conviction of the perpetrators of the thoughtless act.