NEW ZEALAND COAL.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2262, 6 August 1870, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND COAL.

(From the Wellinjton Eoeninq Post.) We have several times of late alluded to the value of the coal deposits of the Colony, and condemned the inertness which all ws them to be undeveloped, while large quantities of coal arc yearly imported from beyond sea. Mr Stafford, as our readers are aware, moved for a return of all the coal imported into New Zealand since 1840. The return in answer has been presented to the House, embracing, however, only the years from 1853 to 1869 inclusive, and from it we leam that the quantity imported during those 18 years is as follows : Tons. Auckland . 112,8744 New Plymouth 2,385 Wellington 143,482J Wairau 233 Nelson 85,384 Hokitika 1,957 Timaru 3,642 Dunedin 203,220 Bluff and Riverton 2,041 i M ongonui 147 Wh anganui 5,153 Napier 11,057 Picton 216 Westport 325 Lyttelton 118,492| Oamaru 4,907 Invercargill 5,114 Chatham Islands 2 Total 696,632| Total value ... £ 1,324,030 The Southern Cross, in an article on this subject, states the quality and value of the coals obtained at the Kawa Kawa mine since the works began, about two years ago, to be: Coals & Slack. Value. Year ending 30th £ s. d. April, 1869 12,153 8,840 1 6 Year ending 30th April, 1870 20,483 13,581 0 0 Mouth ending 31st May 2,254 1,520 19 0 Month ending 30th Juno 2,368 1,587 19 0 37,258 £25,529 19 6 The Cross quotes the following paragraph from the juror’s reports, N.Z. Exhibition, 1865:—“ A country without coal is deprived of, perhaps, the most power agent of civilisati n. In these days of steam-engines, steamboats, and railways, on the use of which we are so dependent for commercial intercourse, and the provision of innumerable wants, coal, the prime mover of all this vast machinery, is an absolute necessity; and if it be not provided within our own country, we must draw our supplies at great cost from other places.” Adding—“ Let us, as a community, lay these wo ds todieart, and endeavour to take ad vantage, or the great natural .supplies of wealth placed within our reach, .