The Evening Star. MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2281, 29 August 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star. MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 1870.

We have in former articles called attention to tlio metalliferous riches of Otago, but it must not' bo supposed that its mineral deposits are confined to those mentioned. They, of themselves, constitute abundant inducement to well-conducted enterprise; but there are other descriptions of minerals tint lie around us, perhaps in the aggregate more valuable, and certainly calculated to afford employment to a larger population than mining for the precious metals. It will not be news to any of our readers to be told of the vast deposits of coal in the Middle Island and Otago. Reports concerning them have been more than once furnished to the Provincial Government, and samples have been publicly exhibited. The quality is various, but if Dr. Hector’s opinion be worth anything, there is something strangely anomalous in our present position as coal importers. Business reasons—cheapness—lead us to import coals largely from New South Wales. Coal consumers are supplied with coal more cheaply than they are able to buy that of Otago; but to those who are not in possession of the reason why, there is something extraordinary in the necessity for going so far to fetch what lies at our doors. In his evidence Dr. Hector not only mentioned the localities where coal is to be found, but gave information as to the various qualities. He first described the coal deposits of the North Island, which appear, however, to be only partially known, and seem from his des-

cription to be inferior in quality to those of the Middle Island. Referring to the coalfields of the latter, he says—- “ The chief deposits of anhydrous (free “ from water) coal are on the West “ Coast of the Middle Island. . .

“ As a rule, these coal seams occur m “ rugged country, and in rather inac- “ cessible positions j but by the proper “ use of inclined tramways —and in “ many cases, probably, wire tramways “ —many of them might be profitably “ worked. At the present time the coal is only being worked from two “ places, namely, on the Grey River, “ where the seam is over eighteen feet “in thickness.” Dr. Hector describes the Grey River coal as superior to Newcastle coal, because every part of it may be rendered available, the smallest slack forming, without any difficulty, coke of the highest quality — “ better coke than you get in any part “of the world.” He states that the reason why it has not superseded New castle coal is—“ There has never been “ enough of coal produced to meet the i! demand at Grey River.” At the

Buller River there is a seam of “ still “ better coal,” which presents some difficulty in working through its great elevation —2300 feet. In Otago the chief deposits are of “ brown coals,” which contain so much water as to render them “ comparatively inferior “as fuel.” But it must not be supposed, therefore, that they arc valueless, or that they alone are to be met with. The probability seems to be that our Provincial Government, unable to resist the log-rolling pressure brought occasionally to bear upon it, has voted sums of money for comparatively useless objects, instead of for those that would develop permanent industries. As an instance, wo may point to throwing money into the sea at Oamaru, instead of devoting attention to that which would be reproductive. Our Oamaru contemporary a short time back was irate because we alluded to this pernicious waste of public money ; and indulged in some very puerile remarks, written, no doubt, to please the clique who have no higher views than multiplying the value of the town property. Perhaps a new light may break upon the rest of the Province, when it is considered that the money that will be required to make, at best, a very indifferent port there, might have been so spent as to have afforded a prospect of permanent employment to hundreds—perhaps thousands— of families. At the mouth of the Clutha River are deposits of very superior brown coal, the seams having a total thickness of 50 feet. “At Shag Point, forty miles “ north of Dunedin, several scams of “ a still better quality of coal have “ been worked, varying in thickness “ from 4to 7 feet. This coal contains “ a large percentage of gaseous matter “ and illuminating oil. The formation “ in which these seams occur extends “ for at least fifteen miles in a uorth- “ erly direction, dipping to the east- “ ward ” under certain marine formations which the Doctor described. He added—“ This coal is more adapted for “ gas purposes than any other coal.” Now any English duke would have looked around and asked himself whether the produce of this fine coalfield could be taken to a profitable market. He would have made himself acquainted with the fact that Victoria, let alone other Colonies, would be a huge consumer of coal so valuable. That in that Colony are largo populations requiring coal, and without any local supply that can be profitably worked ; and that Dunedin, Christchurch, and Wellington are within easy sail of Moeraki, seven miles to the north of the coalfield, “ where “ there is a jetty with a draught of “ eleven feet of water alongside, and “ safe shelter.” He would have considered that “ owing to the occurrence “ of building stone and limestone in “ the district,”- it would bo very profitable to adopt Dr. Hector’s suggestion, to open up the country by a railway running parallel with the coast. Seven miles of tramway across an easy country would be formed in twelve or eighteen months, at a cost of a very few thousands of pounds—perhaps at ranch less than one-third of the experimental and comparatively useless dock at Oamaru. This would open Uj» mineral resources for which there would he extended demand, both for home consumption and for export. A large consuming population would be kept in full and profitable employment, the cost of the railway recouped, and a permanent impetus given to trade. Instead of that, we waste our money at Oamaru.