HOUSEHOLD COAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1497, 20 July 1912, Page 9

HOUSEHOLD COAL.

■ A REKFTOX DEIU:T.ATIOX. A .sidelight was thrown on (lie no sr.octivo value of (he various coals tor household purposes among the many produced by the }Ve?t Coast mines by a deputation consistm? of Messrs.. 'Walter lrrino (chairman), M'Emw (a member of the lnangalnia. County Council), and Mr. T. Y. Seddon, M.P., which waited on'tlio Minister for Railways (the Hon. AV. 11. Herrio.s) yesterday afternoon. Sir Arthur Guinness who introduced (lie deputation, .said that a. concession was desired on the, railway rates charges o£ the carringo of coal from Rrefton In Ureymouth and ltokitika. A mine had been opened ill) at Keefton, which produced beautiful household coal. It was plinted out that (Its railway traffic on the Cii'cyinnulli-Kcofra;! line was nearly nil the one way —to lieef t on—ami that if they could get return freight it would be so'much the U'lter for Iho Departmont. Ho mentioned that the liruiltier Company hid obtained a concession of Is. l!d. per ton, whilst Messrs, Gibson and Harris, of Rocflon, were charged full vales. If they jvoro assisted they would open out the mine, it would flivu employment to many more men, and tho coal—the best hous-hold in Xe\y Zealand —might be exported-to Wollingloii and Chri'itclnirch.The Alitiislor : Is it no good for steam? Mr. Irvine: Oh, yes. All the mine? are worked by it at l?o?flon. I think it is the best 'coal in New Zealand. The Minister: It must ]x something like the Tnuniri coal we have in tho north.

Tho Minister promised, to look into the matter, to see what coulil bo ilonc.