THE HUNUA COLLIERY

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1079, 18 March 1911, Page 10

THE HUNUA COLLIERY

COMPANY, LIMITED.

(INTERVIEW WITH ME. JOHN HAYES, E.S.Se.) Mr. John Hayes vRS.Sc., Mining Engineer to tho I'nparoa Coal-mining Company, Ltd., being in tho city yesterday, was interviewed by a Dominion reporter in regard to the Hunua field, which lias lately come into prominence, and to work which a company is now being formed with a Wellington directorate. Mr. Hayes, who had examined and reported upon it, was very willing to answer any questions in regard t£> tho field's possibilities. In. the. first place, how .is it that so l&rge/a;' body "o f"co'ill' as' is 'described has remained unexnloited so long with a larste city only 19 miles away by rail? "The'.fact o£ tho coal beds being known for the past 25 years, and remaining unesploited a n this Ume, is'a'very natural question to ask. From what I can gather s, local association was formed many years ago, and under its auspices a considerable amount of boring and other prospecting work was done. At .that,time, the, very limited, 1 and much timber -was' 1 available as fuel. These facts,, combinetUwith, I lin-■derstand/'-the'nr'ndors' exhorbitant price, killed the scheme. Owins to the openinc of tho Waikato coalfields' ;in ..otjigr directions, the matter has sinee'bee'n m abeyance."

Are you well acquainted with tho coalfields o£ the Auckland district? "Yes; in my late position of Inspecting Engineer of Mines for the New Zealand Government. I gained a good general knowledge of the 'whole .of the coalfields of the Nprth Island, a(id tho ser.viee "I ,hftvo ;carefull}VJf,tiidfe'd and specifically' reported" upon ' several of them." Would you consider that there is a -large'.coal .deposit 'at 'Hunua? Certainly... ■. The I 'Hunua deposit occupies a basin of its own, in which I am perfectly satisfied thero are at least two seams. Tho recorded evidences of pecting operations show that an average' thickness ' of over • 7ft. in." one seam '.has been proved -throughout- a.-considerable wen. (A seam of, this thickness pan, I may, remark, ■■;.bo Avorked to better ad;vantage (and with greater Economy. than a ve'ry"-thic!k:r&am, percentage can bo extracted.) While the area of about GflO acres proposed, to be worked in the"*Jltst n &£US- any pieans lheludo anything lflio the "whole of the field, I am firmly convinced that it forms.tho key to tho rest, and in itself is .'-sufficient to maintain a largo outputfor at least'half a century. This is after making liberal allowance for .unforeseen circumstances." '.-

Is the coal of a quality which would command a ready sale? "Most decidedly. When making my examination I took- Mi?.pics from various outcrops whicli were, by the Government'.-Annlysti'at Wellington, tho averago comparing, most favorably with coals of a'similar class mined throughout the Dominion, and being almost identical with'the : best liaitAngafa coals/which for so many years have occupied the premier position .(rdore,: especially a§ a house coal), from Christchurch to Invercargill. It .will alsp.bo, found an..cscellpnt,.steam coal ' for -local'purposes, l '"btity- of»'course, like., the rest of the coals of the North Island, is not suited for ocean-going steamers: -■ The-Mjerceritago of sulphur in Hlmua,.cbal is remarkably low,..and there is very ?little ash:"'''-'Alvyoiio -fatriilia'r with Kaitangata coal will at once recognise tho nature of Huntnu''.....' V

AVhat do you thinkVof- tho from'an investor's ,"I think it'is a very good; one. In the first instance, tho'terms ■ upon-which is acquiring IJte'i lease aro extremely reasonable, i inost -;of thft codsiderati'on being in shades.'..Ut is ito bo alsb ' noted that pot""-"only afc , thc;:i'oyalties ■■payable* extremely' low'; aro based on the (joal sold. Further than this,' no/: will /be. pa'id for thoJ-srnall,slack, .livliich has been-proved eminently suitable, in conjunction.;ifitlL-.tte"-:bitiimihbus,; coals of .the Wqsti Coast; pf.'.the.--.fJouth \Tslaud, for gas-making purposes.- '-But, ! apart from', this, jreceitf'JmproVed nie'.hods of briquette' Bijamifacfure naturally. lead to the immense'., possibilities of' the.' company working up this slack, which it obtains without payment of any royalty, and obtaining.a price..equivalent, to that ■ of -the -best-screened'-coal:- ■ As-.for'. the screened coalt it can be placed on tho market ' in' "Aireftlit "and' atf stations; on tho Northern Main -Trunk line, at-' piiccs* considerably - below those which obtain at tho present time:-' Thi s: is largely due. to, .-the favourable ""'terms upon'which the leases are being' acquired, together with the saving of freight on tho Government Railways of nearly 4s. per' ton as compared -with that on coal from the mines now supplying the Auckland market; This feature alone -must , commend itself to people of business acumen, for it secures a. market. As that market extends and.the output is .increased, so the working, cost'"'will be" Tedifcetl per' ton, . and. a . corresponding reduction in price to the consumer therefore becomes possible without any . detriment whatever to the company's, profits. The cost-of fuel being a very serious, item.. in,.most households and industries, you' will fee . that I consider the Hunua Colliery-Coinpany occupies-.a„uniq.ue nqsition/ by, having the control of the coaffitld which' is'nearest; to the centro "a Inmaking an investment aii investor has, of course,,.to considta.' the matter from all points "of view. In regard to coal,' the. "chief points are nearness,to,..market and economy of' working,lt -appears to me that tho Hunua proposition' embodies both of'these in'S£.'marked degree."

Do' you--' consider-, the" coal, ■is-.-tlwi-.same' iis that sought to be-worked-at Drury? '-■Most---decidedly not. It-occupies an entirely, different basin.- somo,Djiilos, away on thS'/dther side of ( ttse i rangij,'"'and ~tho coalfield.-aiul tho quality of.tho coal must not mgiuent with that-of'Bi'ury.f'-.-.'' • Are -.there .firiy other 4 mineral^,, qn the Hunua which] might add . to , the value,-. : fHom'iin,iiivest6,Ps.standi)pi)it? . ;"Yes, on the visits I niade r "I noticed clay of excellent,, qualify* la'.' different places!"' which''might''L'o",ritilisod' 'for 'the manufacture of-biiilding-dnd-'£re; hricks, sanitary appliances, :tiles,''jtc:- i'fhe district's possibilities- are; just .to be recognised,; and. it. Js :.not< at ..all -improbable that- later, on "precious.-metals will be found in the ranges .across" the Hunua Valley by cat ; 4ftil ,, pro3(ie6ti)rs, as it is- directly opposite .the'. Corrimandel Peninsula, arid at no greAffdrstance'. : In the great body of coal, however, tliere 'is a definite source of imnicdiaie Svealth awaiting development." ...-