WEST COAST LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1085, 25 March 1911, Page 9

WEST COAST LETTER.

— 0 . MUNICIPAL STORM.

(From Our Spccial .Correspondent.) Municipal trouble in Greymouth oveN shadows other matters at present. So great a cleavago lias taken place at tlio council table that the Mayor has, for a considerable time, been left with the whole-hearted support of only one councillor. It seems that in-tho past —at least before, the present occupant of tlio Mayoral chair came on tlio scene —councillors had had their own way rather often. It was only what was to bo expected, therefore, that when a man of strong will and independent views assumed tlio reins of the civio team, thcro would bo sonic kicking ovor tho traces. For some time after Tie assumed office, lie allowed councillors to deal with all applications for permits 1o alter, enlarge, or rebuild premise* within the "brick" area, but, finding that it was the exception and not tho rule to refuse an application, he- 10solved to take a decided stand. When the. next application was made, 110 refused to put a motion that it bo granted. Thereupon, tlio applicant, ignoring the council, proceeded with the work. Tlio Mayor, however, immediately caused a summons to be issued against him. Tho case came before the S.M., but, a# the town clerk was seriously ill, it waa adjounted, in order to allow of his evidence being taken. The Mayor's action being resented by a majority of the council, 0110 of its members issued a mandamus to compel him to accept a motion that a permit bo granted to the applicant. Tho case came before Mr. Justice Denniston on Saturday last, but had to be withdrawn, as certain matter essential to tho proceedings had been omitted. It will, therefore, have to como before tho Supremo Court at Christchureh. v When feeling was at its highest, the Mayor announced, through the columns of the local press, that ho would, 011 a certain night, address tho ratepayers on. tho by-laws and other municipal matters. The Town Hall was packed, and it is 110 exaggeration to say that hundreds were unable to gain admission. The Mayor dealt trenchantly with tho councillors that are opposed to his line of action, and, when some of these attempted to address the meeting, they were howled down, amidst great uproar. Mr. E. ,1. Lord, who lias been Borough Engineer at Greymouth for almost twenty years, and town clerk for thirteen or fourteen years, has been compelled, through ill-health, to resign. General sympathy is felt for Mr. Lord, who has always been actuated by a sincere desire to advance the interests, of tho town. • A spccial meeting of the council was held to deal with the resignation, and .it was .resolved to call for applications for tile position of town clerk, at a salary of £300 per annum, but to defer the appointment of an engineer to a future date.

LABOUR IX MUNICIPAL MATTERS. The Grevmouth branch of tho Now Zealand Labour Party has clccidod to run candidates at tin: approaching municipal elections. Some of tlio planks in its platform are: Strict adhrTcneo to tho by-laws of the borough; reorganisation of tho staff of employees; obtaining tho services of the most competent accountant available to organise tlia borough finances; gradual consolidation of the. various loan's; extension of gas a lid water mains;. purchase , by. tho municipality of horses and drays to perform its own work.

HIBERNIAN SPORTS. The Hibernian sports, which wore held in Victoria. Park, Grevmouth,on St. Patrick's Day, proved a. success, the .attendance rea'chiiig'.'fjilly 1500!." In-tho morning a. few showers fell, but tho afternoon loft nothing to bo desired. The dancing created unusual interest, and was enjoyed; by a large proportion of tho public, who heartily cheered tho competitors. The most exciting event, of tho day was the schoolboys' relay race, which was won, after a very keen struggle, by the team representing tho Circymonth District High School, and, as this is the second successive win b.v tho school, tho cup becomes its property. It might bo of interest to note (as showing how much tliero is in heredity) that Jackson Koddell, who . was largely responsible .for tho success .of his team, is a nephew of G. P. Iveddcll, tho'well-known amateur athlete.' 1

PUBLIC MEETING. A public meeting was held in Grey- ! mouth recently to discuss various matters affecting tlio- town and district. Tlio attendance was very large, and tlia following resolutions (.drafted by tho Hon. A. R. Guinness, M.l\) were carried amidst great enthusiasm "(1): This meeting strongly protests against <; the action of tho Railway Department in not supplying sufficient wagons to ,' serve the requirements of tho timber trade of tho district, and respectfully , 1 requests tlio Minister for Railways to j provide tho necessary rolling stock, in-.j order that steamers shall not bo delayed j ill fort, and the workmen engaged in. 1 tho timber trado kept idle. (2) _ This ! meeting urges the Minister for Railways to alter tho timo-table on tho Grey-mouth-Hokitika lino on Mondays, from' 11.5 a.m. to 7.50 a.m., so that workers who reside at Greymouth, and others who have business to transact at Hokitika may reach their destination in time j to attend to their work > or business : before quite half tho day is passed. (3) j This meeting enter.* its protect against tho unsatisfactory train arrangements , that have existed for some time past i in connection with tho carriage of mails 1 and passengers from Greymouth to Wei- i lington, via Christclmrch, and is of tho ■ opinion that tho Minister for Railways ! should so alter the time-table as to pro- ; vide that trains leaving Greymouth for ! Otira with the Chrislehureh and Wei- j lington mails, should depart from Grey- ; month at such time as will enable tlio j mails and passengers to catch tha i steamer leaving Lyttolton every Wed- : licsday and Friday for Wellington." i Mr. Guinness spoke strongly oil tlieso subjects. Tho meeting was, ho said, ail indigation meeting to protest against tho action of the Railway Department \ in not granting proper facilities for j carrying on the timber trade, and also j in placing obstacles in the way of a i one-day service between tlie West Coast ! and Wellington. He showed Iho extent of tho timber trade on the Coast, ; pointed out that the mills were depend- . ent oil tlio railways for tho conveyance of timber to the port, mid was emphatio in his assertion that there was all insufficiency of trucks: for this purpose— despite anything that may have been ; told Mr. Ronayno by his subordinates : to tho ; On the question of communication j between Greymouth and Wellington, : the speaker waxed warm. Ho wonted j to know why, if it was possible to get • from Wellington to Greymouth in ouo j day, it should not also he possible to i get from Greymouth to Wellington in j tlio same time. Bv leaving Greymouth at 7.30 a.m., passengers and' mails ! could catch the S o'clock steamer at night- for Wellington, and reach that . city at S a.m. next day. At Iho preseV.!' time the train arrives three-quarters of an hour after tho boat, has sailed, and . it-was absurd'and unjust that passeii- . gers should bo forecd to wait, twentyfour hours for the fake of a trifling alteration in the railway time-table. , At this juncture a wag in the audi- j once intimated that lie. would answer Mr. Guinncss's question with another, viz.—lf the. proposed; somen between | tlio West Coast and Wellington were in- ! augnratod, what would become of the •, Arahura and the Mapourika? Tho j speaker did not reply.