THE WALLSEND MINE.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 22 March 1901, Page 3

THE WALLSEND MINE.

(To the Editor.)

Sin,—My attention was called to a par in the Argus of yesterday that runs thus : "Mr Matheson —I would as soon see the Wallscnd Mine closed as opened, because I never saw a good ton of coal come out of it. Why a ship load of it was sold for 7/6 per ton in Dunedin." I beg leave to tell Mr Matheson that I have worked in all the mines on the West Coast (bar Reefton), so I think I ought to know a bit of coal as well as Mr Matheson. I ought to know the Wallscnd conl as I worked in that pit most of the time it was open, and I say the coal (most of it) was cleaner and better than Brunnor dip coal, and all round was quite as good as any in the district. There were poor appliances for cleaning coal at Wallscnd, bad screens, and but two men to clean out. the stone. At Brunner there are always four to pick out the stone and the screens arc much better than those in use when Wallscnd was going. That story of a cargo of Wallscnd coal being sold for 7/6 per ton must be a myth, as it was first reported to have been sold in Melbourne; next story at Hobart, Tasmania ; next at Newcastle, New South Wales ; and now we hear it happened at Dunedin. I quite believe Mr Matheson would as soon see Wallscnd closed as open as he is agents for the monopolist. —I am, etc., Am Old Miner. Brunner, 21st March, 1901.