Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1901. OUR COAL MEASURES.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 26 November 1901, Page 2

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1901. OUR COAL MEASURES.

Some time ago wo ventured to predict that ere long the Coal Creek mines would be under Government control, and worked as a State concern. When the Minister for Mines took over a mine in the Buller district many supposed that Greymouth’s chance was gone. We never entertained any such idea, for the very fact of £150,000 being passed by Parliament for the purpose of carrying the scheme into operation showed conclusively that it was not proposed to confine development to the very doubtful concern that has been taken over. Recent telegrams show that the Ministry has determined that the Coal Creek leases shall no longer remain locked up and undeveloped. Apparently the present proprietary are unable to arrange for the prosecution of the work, and Government have given notice to the Point Elizabeth Coal Creek Company that the extension and alteration of the conditions of leases asked for could not be granted; and have further asked that, seeing there has been practically nothing done in the way of opening the mine during the last 30 years, what the intentions of the company were. In reply, Mr M‘Dougal has stated that Messrs Euid and Dawes, of London, have withdrawn from the

proposal they made, consequent upon the determination to start a State coal 1 mine, and the refusal of the Government to reduce terminal charges and modify condition of lease, ,l An offer for the whole concern” is now asked for. The Company has for years retarded the coal industry in this loeality, first upon one plea and then upon another, and now it is~ declared that the cause for failure of further negotiations is owing to Government refusing to make further reductions and concessions. Concession after concession and reduction upon reduction has been the order of things in the past, until the breaking strain was at length reached, and now wo are face to face with the question : What next ? The position put briefly is this. The Company is largely in arrears of rent to the Greyraouth Harbor Board, it has broken its lease conditions, and its agreement to complete the railway within a given period. For the former breach the lease can be cancelled at any moment, and for the latter a penalty of £SOOO can be imposed. As to the arrears of rent, it may be taken for granted that that amount, as also the £SOOO penalty, will be deducted from any sum payable to the Company by way of compensation for taking over of the railway—provided always that the Government take it over; ot which we think there is little doubt. The position is a serious one for the coal industry in the district, and it is pleasing to note that the Government are fully alive to the fact and determined that the uncertainty shall no longercontinue. MrGuinness, M.H.R., who is now detained in Wellington upon this business, wired Mr Petrie, Chairman of the Harbor Board, to-day as follows: —“ Premier says statement in Press telegrams quite true. He also added: “If Board will insist upon Government collecting arrears of rent and enforcing bond of £SOOO for non-completion of railway, the Board will be doing its duty.” There can be no doubt but that the Board will do its duty in this respect ; indeed, it has on various occasions pressed this very matter upon the Minister. It can be all the more relied upon to force the position, as it will help to clear the way for the Government stepping in, taking over the mine and line, and developing and working same under the provisions of the Act of last session,