The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 1887. ENTERPRISE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1639, 18 August 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 1887. ENTERPRISE.

One of the most pleasing bits of information that we have seen of late m our telegrams is that which Is wired from Greymouth, and appears m another column. This informs the colonists that even m these dull times the spirit of enterprise is neither extinct nor downcast, but manifesting renewed energy, and that our vast coal measures on the West Coast are to be developed after a fashion commensurate with the superiority of their product. We learn that Mr Martin Kennedy, of Kennedy Bros. Brunner Coal Company, is having four large iron steamers built at Home, two of which are to be employed m the trade with Melbourne, and two will serve the East Coast. These steamers are to be as large as tbe water accommodation of the port will allow. This is a step m the. right direction. The superiority of the West Coast coal to the Newcastle article, for ordinary domestic or steam purpose?, is fully admitted on all hands, while for Ras-making purposes it has no equal. The only obstacle to its general use for domestic and other purposes, on the East Coast, has been its large cost, compared with that of Newcastle coal, but this will, m a great measure, be surmounted when the Company come to use their own steamers, which doubtless will be of large carrying capacity on a light draught of water. When the excellence of our New Zealand coal — we speak of the West Coast coal — shall have become more generally known, we anticipate that the demand will necessitate a large augmentation of the Brunner Coal Companies' fleet oi steam colliers. We should like to see a similar degree of enterprise being displayed by the Westport Coal Companies. The mines m that locality yield, for some purposes at any rate, even a better kind of coal, and when its quality becomes more fully known there will be an immense demand for ir. Wilh a large fleet of steam colliers at each of these ports — Greyraouth and We&tport — we should soon be able to greatly diminish, and eventually to stop the immense importation of sea-borne coal. Already the imports from Newcastle are decreasing, and it will be a good thing for the colony when we can altogether slop sending out of the country so many hundreds of thousands of pounds annually, for an article which we have on the spot, of better quality and m quantity practically inexhaustible.