PUBLIC MEETING AT BRUNNER

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 28 May 1901, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING AT BRUNNER

The Wallsend Mine,

A large meeting of residents of Brunner was held in the Town Hall, Wallsend, last night to consider matters and stuteTiieuts made regarding the Wallsend mine.

The Mayor who occupied the chair said lie was pleased to see so large a meeting and also that thejlresidents of Greymouth were now fully alive to the importance of doing something to prevent tho trade departing.from the district. He moved, "Thai this meeting views with indigMation and alarm the statements made by MiMartin Kennedy, and that before the Coal Commission, namely—that it is absolutely useless to re-open Wallsend as it was worked out —and and we are prepared to prove from Government plans, and also from a personal knowledge of the mine, that the statement is not correct." He along with others in that room were present to record their opinion of the mine from actual knowledge as miners working in the mine. Mr Lord's estimate taken tram the authorised surveys and plans of the mine showed that there was 1,250,000 tons of coal available that had been proved by actual work without taking into account the vast area in the lease that had not been explored. He would put in the written statement made and signed by actual workers in the mine—men who know every part of the workings—as sent to the Coal Commissioners as follows: —

" To Messrs Lomas and Proud (H.M. Commissioners to enquire into the working of the Coal Mine.) "Ghntlkmen, —We, the undersigned coal-cutters' and deputies, who have been employed in the Wallsend coal mine, beg most respectfully to slate that we have noticed certain statements re the Wallsend mine made by Mr Martin Kennedy and others to the effect that " the mine is worked out," also that "the coal is stony and of inferior quality," also that " the seam thins out on the east side," and that " the mine is fault bound to the west." To most of these statements we give an emphatic denial. We have looked up the plans published by the Mines Department; and, as we are perfectly familiar with the workings, these plans are perfectly correct. Wo have put those plans before a qualified surveyor, who calculates that one and a quarter million tons of coal are in sight. This, we think, is rather below than above the mark.

"As for the quality of the coal, the average is equal to any ever produced in the district, and some patches equal to the best ever produced in the colony. "No attempt has ever been made to prospect beyond the western fault. The eastern level has been driven a distance of sixty chains, and the face was fourteen feet high when work in the mine ceased. During a period of three years, when the mine was in active operation, we were all the time in solid workings; no pillar coal has been taken out. The dip workings have been driven over forty chains, and good coal exists on both sides and no boards worked.

"We are of opinion this mine is a most valuable .-property if worked energetically. We believe the cause of failure was due to keeping up a large staff of oflicials, who were kep£ on steady at work while the coal-cutters were more than half time idle.

" We beg to point out that this mine is, close to the Grey-Brunner railway, only seven miles from the port of Greymouth, and right in the centre of a large coalbearing district. Wo are of opinion it is a great loss to the colony Government allowing this valuable property to fall into private hands.

" We are pleased to notice that the Greymouth Harbor Board have commenced to prospect by boring. It was high time. We pray you to impress on H.M.'s Government the need of testing this district thoroughly, as we are of opinion this is one of the most valuable coal deposits in the Southern Hemisphere.' R, Russell. Mayor, deputy Jamas Hunter, deputy Scobell, deputy Matt. Godwin, coal-cutter D. AkmstkonCt, coal-outtor Alex. Mum, coalcutter- . John June, banksm'.in Hugh Ruane, onsetter' Bill Williams, kicker James Junk, shunter James Creagh, stable man.

Mr Armstrong said it afforded him great pleasure to second a resolution, and refute the statements. He had been in the mine since it first opened, and he knew well what was in that mine. Mr Lord's estimate took off 25 per cont of the actual measurements. There was more coal in sight than had come out of Brunner altogether up to 1893. He was perfectly satisfied that Mr Kennedy in making the statements had done it under misapprehension.

Mr Guinness said it pleased him to bear the testimony given, and it behoved all those who had worked in the mine to come forward and state what they knew regarding it from actual personal knowledge. The Mines Department was by no means satisfied with the evidence so far given. The Government had sent a plan to Mr Jonathan Harrison, late of Brunner, and asked him to give his opinion, gained from actual experience, as to the coal measures of tho district. Mr Griffiths had worked in the Wallsend mine till it was closed down. He knew every'part of it, as also Coal Pit Heath, and there was plenty of coal in Wallsend for 100 years to come, while there was still ja good deal left in Coal Pit Heath. Mr Wills said it quite surprised him to hear Messrs Matheson and Kennedy saythere was no more good coal in Wallsend. He knew there was plenty of good coalHe could understand them if they had said: the mine did not pay, but this was owing: in tho first instance to want of capital and an extra shaft being required. He explained that tho cause of failure was want of a market, and the fact that the mine was only worked half time, while the Company had to pay all officers and departmental expenditure all the time; as to the stone in Wallsend, he said if the same care had been taken as was done with the Brunner, the coal would have been better than any taken out in the district. The Wallsend had practically no sereen and no stone pickers, whereas, Brunner had patent sereens and four men picking. Mr Willis repeated his statement in regard to Mr Bishop, refusing to treat with him for the sale of the Wallsend mine.

Mr Hunter said that there was undoubtedly coal in Wallsend. The mine was not fairly started when it was shut down. He worked there all the time.

In reply to Mr Keenan, the Chairman said he did not know of Mr Kennedy being down tho Wallsend shaft. Mr. Keenan said there was more coal in this district than in Westport.

Mr Miller, who hqd practical experience of the Wallsend mine said the coal was never sereoned. If the same mode was adopted with Brunner coal the trade would be lost in a month. The coal in Wallsend was as good as any in this district.

Mr Robinson said that Mr Lord's calculation and the testimony given by miners who had worked in the mine, was ample proof of the worth of the mine and a complete reputation of the statement that the coal was worked out. They had an absolute 1,250,000 tons actually proved by drives, while there was a great' area untouched. There had been stoney coal brought out of the mine, but there was excellent coal also. None of the stone picked out had been removed, and he did not think they could to-day pick up five truck loads from the total workings of the mine.

Mr Newton declared that from actual measurements there was in the area, proven by drivers, etc., no less than 3,451,200 tons of coal; this too, estimating the seam at 18 feet thick, while it wa3 known to be 15 feet. If from this amount they deducted the area worked, but from which no pillars had been taken, they yet had 2,683,126 tons of coal in sight, without touching tho leasehold or unexplored part of tho mine. Then if they reduced this amount to half they would yet have 13 yeara output at 2000 tons per week,. without breaking any new ground. Mr Taylor did not intend to speak of the merits of the mine further than to read extracts from letters sent to him by Mesft-s Harrison, Alexander and Bishop, all formerly mine managers in the district, and well acquainted with Wallsend mine. These extracts were as follows : Extract from letter received from .Jonathan Harrison, formerly Manager of Wallsend, and at present Manager of Harrison's Taupin Colliery, Huntly, dated 17th April. 1901 :

"I consider you have 1,000,000 tons immediately available. You can leave the experience of fault proving for ten years. A few boreholes would prove all you required in the meantime. I have the whole district off by heart. And I have written the Minister of Mines re the Brunner coal held, and I have stated you have the finest coal field outside of Westport in New Zealand, and the coal second to none for marine, gas, and smiths; it is like Columbus egg. You people in Greymouth can't make it stand on its end."

The late Thomas Brown, General Man" ager of the Westport collieries, and also a former Manager of Wallsend, stated on his last visit to Brunner, about three years ago, that it was a good mine, and that it was bound to be re-opened. Extract from letter received from Mr T. Alexander, who for many years was Manager of Coal Pit Heath Colliery. Dated Blenheim, 7th May :

'" I cannot but take notice of Mr. Jf. Kennedy's evidence before the Coai Commission. Personally he cannot know much about either Coal Pit Heath or Wallsend.

" There is still a lot of coal left in Coal Pit Heath, but it would not pay to open out in its present condition, except probably a small portijn of. the Upper pillar adjoining Brunner.

" But Wallsend commands the whole field, and it is in my opinion the best coal property on the Coast.

"As far as I am aware only one fault was met with in Wallsend, and that was m m f 3( ?„ cllains from the shaft under laylorville. Practically nothing was done to prove it, and it may not be of any great extent. Tn any case there is a considerable area of coal inside of this fault ready opened up to work which would supply requirements for some years. Meanwhile this fault could be passed and the coal opened out beyond

"Between Coal Pit Heath and Wallsend, there is a downthrow, or as termed in Scotland a "hitch" or "role" The coal did not cut out and is not a true fault.

There was no other fault met with in the workings that 1 am aware of As for the coal being stony and dirty, this applies more or less to all the mines and most coal requires sorting at the screens Ihis was not done at all well at Wall

send, the coal simply rushing from the screen with the waggons. It was impossible to clean the coal this way, conseSuently it went into the market dirty and estroyed its good name." Extract from Mr Bishop's report on Wallssnd : Coal in sight. The coal available for immediate work ia principally on the south side of dip tunnel, where there is a fairly large area unwouked, and from j which it would be possible to get an output of 1200 tons weekly, for some time, and a further addition may be made to the output of about 600 tons from tho upper levels.

I should recommend boilers being procured in the colony, other machinery, especially engines, should be procurer" ( from Home.

In conclusion, at no time in tho hi g| orv of the Colony has the outlook % h a&n / 0 [good for the coal trade as now, and t j, e Vindications are in favor of an increasine | demand and in case of the r r ,. open i n g 0 j this mine which is most fav oura ki y situ atedfor shipping &c, th^ re need J be n 0 apprehension as to trade and tho coa i in sight will give a fair or Jt mm develo ments are completed t {o / openil)g on & coal under Taylor mej hm g coal ig foundasitis exr yectedto be the out t will be capable 0t gjgg i ncroase) and pro . fats from tne ( wor jji ng correspondingly

? re /Solution put and carried unaniJ 1 xr Geoghan was pleased at the attend- ? r uce. He could endorse every word that nad been said by those who declared the mine had plenty of coal in it. He knew every inch of the mine, and said most emphatically that there was plenty of coal m it. He moved :—" That the people of Brunner and the surrounding district regret that Government allowed such a valuable property to fall into private hands, as the mine is close to a railway and close to a good port, surrounded by an energetic and skilled population." He favored a State-owned mine. The trend of legislation in NewZealand was in that direction, and it was a good direction, and would give fuel at a reasonable cost all over the colony.

Mr Masters seconded the resolution. The property was a valuable one; the coal was there ; that he knew of his own knowledge, for he had worked in the mine nearly all the time it was worked. Mr Robinson supported the motion, and pointed out the advantages to accrue. He hoped that the bore-holes would prove a greater extent of coal than yet eetimated; but in the meantime it was essential that Wallsend mine should bo re-opened without delay either by a private person, public company, \Harbor Board or Government.

In reply to a question, Mr Guinness, who met with a cordial reception, explained fully the cause of delay in connection, with Coal Creek mines, and said Government would do a very serious wrong to the district if it gave any further concessions. If work was not begun at once Government should step in, cancel the lease and carry on the min.e as a State affair. Mr Eobinson moved that an immediate supply of coal is urgently required, as the coal supply of Brunner is almost ■exhausted, and stoppage of supply means pruin to the mines and poverty to the Harbor Board. He urged that the prosperity of the locality demanded immediate action and the re-opening of the "Wallsend was the first step.

Mr Craigh seconded, urging that upon economic basis it was advisable and necessary to do so at once.

Mr Langdon declared that the Brunner Mine was not nearly worked out. A Igreat part was unexplored as yet. He icould say from his own knowledge that * there were large areas on the eastern _gJope with magnificent coal. He thought .the thanks of the meeting wrre due to Mr 'iPetrie and the Greymoutn Stab for their jpersjstent advocacy of this cause. || The resolution was then put and ' icarried.

1 Mr Petrie suggested that the meeting I should not close without appointing a ' committee to'keep up the agitation. It ' was necessary to continue until success was achieved.

Mr Kettle supported such contention as valuable and likely to lead to good. He further thought the residents should send their Mayor to Wellington to urge immediate action.

On the motion of Mr Armstrong, seconded by Mr Creagh, the following were appointed a committee to watch over the interests of the district: —The Mayor (Mr R. Hussell), Messrs Creagh, Wills, Newton, Armstrong, Robinson, Masters, Noble, Geoghegan, Moore, J. "Ward, and W. Bonnie. Votes of thanks to Messrs Guinness, Kettle and Petrie for attending and to the Chairman for presiding terminated proceedings.