WEST COAST NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 918, 10 September 1910, Page 13

WEST COAST NEWS.

(Prom Our Special Correspondent.) Tlie new Courthouse at Ross has been completed, and mis] used last week for the first time by the Stipendiary Magistrate. A congratulatory speech was. delivered on the occasion by the Mayor, who complimented the Justice' Department on having erected such a commodious building, and expressed hope that the volume of business done would justify its existence The Magistrate, suitably acknowledged the'compliment paid the Department. _.' • Mr. Tom Pollard, who is so widely known throughout Australasia, is succeeding with his picture "displays. The Greymouth Public Hall, the largest place of amusement on the .Wosi Coast, •is invariably well filled, and, some, occasions, packed from floor to ceiling. The Ward-Palotta combination did excellent business oh the West ' Coast. They played at Groymouth, Hokitika; and Reefton, and although the "weather almost all the time was_ wet, it did not deter people from flocking- to the performances. "The Girl from Rector's" drew capital audiences. Recently a meeting of those residents of Cobden who :are interested ■in the formation, of a fire brigade -was held in the school. Superintendent'Ryan, who had been invited to attend, enumerated .the appliances necessary;.for r li township of, the size of', Cobden, and his remarks were enlarged on by Mr. John' Walton;''secretary to the-. Grey-, mouth Fire Board. A vote of-thanks to the visitors.concluded the meeting.' : At' a ' recent meeting the Greymouth Harbour Board decided 'to' fix the amounts which the Bill before _ the Houso of Representatives will enable if to borrow at £400,000. Of .this, £200,000wi1l be absorbed. In the redeeming of loans about to fall due,-.£150,000, will be required to. complete the scheme propounded 'by the Government En-gineer-in-Chief, and -'.' the . remaining £50,000.- will : be kept in reserve' ■. for contingencies.":' The present, revenue of the boaM, which is £33,000 per' annum, will .bo utilised as follows :t-£15,000 will, be used to 'pay interest,- and the remaining £18,000 will be credited_ to the general account."' Three. years is_ the period estimated for the completion" of the proposed improvements to. the harbour, and then the revenue should have increased 'to-'. £45,000. ; It was stated by the.chairman that up to. the present moi-o'than £750,000 had been expended on harbour works, and that nevertheless the board's debt is.cnly £350,000. The Rev. Father Amsworth,. who left Hokitika on September .8, preached his farewell sermon:on' tho preceding -Sun-' day..,Jni'the course of• his address,' he saidTtKat, since -he assumed charge; of the parish, "the parishioners had contributed no less: a sum' than £3000 lor 'now.buildings and!other improvements. He thanked -the. congregation for the ready assistance" which .they had always given him in the administration of .the parish,' and .said, that he. felt...convinced that his,' : - successor,; Father ~ Clancy, would experience an equally good: regard from them, .'■

• Greymouth contains.some enthusiastic dog fanciers,'' and several of''the-.best dogS' iritho Dominion.. At the. show, held': recently, at Nelson,' .Mr. Lionel Broad's two deerhounds, "Lord of , the Isles"''ahd"\'H3hieftara;''\ were-, placed first, and the j,udge : gave it as .his opinion that they were the besfc deerhounds in Australasia. The greyhound "Dawn; After Dark" took, first prize in.-, his. section,, arid Mr., G. carried off first .prize: AvitH! his famous. bulldog. l The time .■. seems, -. therefore; ripe for' tho\formation of a Kennel. Club in Greymouth. ■ .'; -.:'■■; ■''/'■'-'^