THE WEST COAST

Otago Witness, Issue 4030, 9 June 1931, Page 30

THE WEST COAST

(From Ouk Own Correspondent.) GREY POWER BOARD. June 3. At a meeting of the Grey Electric Power Board the extensioivof reticulation to Totara Flat was discussed, and decision deferred. Totara Flat is the most important farming area in the board’s district. Extension to the Rotomanu district was also considered. The board has a reserve of £4OOO, of which it was decided to set aside £lOOO for depreciation and to leave £3OOO for consideration at a special meeting. The question of reducing tile price of current was held over till the completion of the Arnold River scheme. The number of consumers now stands at 2420. and it was stated that if all householders in Greymouth linked up the board’s financial problems would be solved. The Kaimata work has been hampered by bad weather, and will not be completed for several months. The contract time expires this month. An average of 77 men has been recently employed, with a maximum of 99.

STATISTICS.

The Customs revenue at Greymouth for the month of May totalled £lBl7, being £1230 less than that for May of last year. The shipping at the port of Greymouth for May amounted to 21 vessels, with an aggregate tonnage of 15,085. The rainfall registered at Greymouth for the month of May was 8.75 inches, which fell on 13 days. During May of last year it was 6.39 inches on 14 days. The traffic through the Otira tunnel for the past week amounted to 9825 tons, compared with 2(1,107 tons, which was a record, for the corresponding week of last year. For the corresponding week of 1929 it was 12,333 tons.

PERSONAL.

Mr T. S. Brebner, who has been shipping agent for the State Coal Department for the past 27 years, has retired on superannuation. He is succeeded by Mr W. E. Newton, of the Inspection of Mines Office at Reefton, The Minister of Mines is expected to visit the district early in June, and will be waited on by a number of deputations. Mr E. W. Henderson, foreman of the Railway Locomotives Department at Greymouth, has been transferred to Addington. The staff of the Westland section made him a presentation. Mrs E. L. Kehoe (nee Miss Lena Higgins), who was recently married, has received a presentation from the Greymouth Philharmonic Society, of which she was pianist. Mr J. Smeaton, Mayor of Brunner, has been elected chairman of the Grey Electric Power Board for the ensuing year, vice Mr J. W. Greenslade. The death has occurred at Westport of Air M. J. Ryan at the age of 101 years. He had lived in the district for 60 years.

GENERAL.

At the annual meeting of the Hokitika Gas Company the directors’ report stated that the principal result of the year’s work warranted the payment of a dividend equal to last year’s, viz., 6s 6d per £6 share. Mr W. E. Williams was re-elected a director for the twenty-ninth year. The company has been in existence for 51 years. The Westland Competitions Society closed a successful festival by a social

gathering during the past week, at which the tropines and prizes were presented. , -V 1 . 6 Canterbury Education Board has decided in deference to the feelings of the Greymouth Main School Committee that the proposed transfer of the Standard VI pupils to the technical school shall stand in abeyance until the end of the year. Hie Golden Coast Co-operative Dairy r actory at Reefton, one of the most prosperous factories in the district, has achieved further success this year, bavin", in conjunction with its sub-factory at M-aruia secured at the recent Waikato ohow nrst and third places in the s * x c ]asses, second place in the Mills Challenge Cup, first in the South island Championship, and second in the unsalted butter class, and 'second in the home separated class. Four of these six prizes were won by the sub-factory. Several of the ring-leaders in the mineis demonstration against the co-operative workers at Charming Creek mine last week were convicted of intimidation, and others of disorderly behaviour, and substantially fined. Coal miners in most parts of the district held stop work meetings to consider the Ai bitration Court’s order for a cut in wages, lhe State miners by a considerable majority decided to continue work, but the men in the other 'Grey district mines and in Inangahua favoured a strike. lc ?J’ y S J'P occurred during the week at the Ten Mile on the Greymouth-West-port coastal road. It was necessary for one day for the service cars to transfer their passengers. The deputation that was appointed to interview Ministers in Wellington in reference to a water supply at Runanga, has deferred its visit until Parliament is in session. In the meantime the position will be placed before the Minister of Alines on the occasion of his approaching visit. & The Westland County Council is in the happy position of being able to reduce its rates for the ensuing year by 33 1-3 per cent. The Prime Minister has promised to meet a deputation from the Greymouth Harbour Board in Wellington, when the question of a return of the £3OOO recently deducted from the Government subsidy of £15.000 to the board will be considered. The secretary of the Greymouth Bowling Chib has received an inquiry from Norfolk Island, where it is proposed to lay down a green, as to the turf used, tliey having heard that the Greymouth green is the best turfed in the Dominion. The writer has probably confused Greymouth with Westport where there is a bowling green of unique character, and universally acknowledged to be of superior quality." Ihe Minister for Public Works has. in response to repeated requests, authorised the expenditure of £6OO for the extension of the Kumara-Kapitea road. This amount is not sufficient to complete the work, and agitation, which has been going on for the past nine years will have to be continued. A jubilee reunion was held at Greymouth during the week, of past and present members of the St. John’s Presbyterian Church Young Women’s Bible Class established 50 years ago, there being 100 members present. The weather in most parts of the district has recently been very wintry. Heavy and frequent showers with hail and lightning, were experienced at the weekend. when in a period of 24 hours one and a-half inches of rain fell.