THE GREY COAL RESERVE

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 818, 11 March 1871, Page 2

THE GREY COAL RESERVE

To the hon. the Colonial Secretary. ■ V/ Sir — I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your communication of the 22nd February, with enclosures of correspondence having reference to the disposal of the Grey Coal Reserve. I have laid the matter before the Borough Council, and with their advice have to submit the following reply for your consideration : — The correspondence of the late County Chairman on this subject, if allowed to pass unchallenged, would seriously mislead the Government on points of vital importance to the proper development of the valuable coal seams of the Grey. The late County Chairman's object was to secure the whole of the revenues arising from the disposal of the Coal Reserve for the benefit of the County fund 3, add to be administered for general County purposes. The first statement in his letter this Council would remark upon is the following :— " The purpose, however, for which the reserve was made is, to say the least of it, useless ; neither can I see the necessity for a river, with . a constantly shifting shingle bed, to be kept navigable, especially when the facilities that exist on the Westland side of the river for the construction of a railway from Greymouth to the Coal Mines, by which the products of both the Nelson and Westland mines, can be brought to the vessel's side without once re-loading at a small expense, are far greater that can be offered on the Nelson side of the river. The estimated cost of an iron railway, Government gauge, from Greymouth to the Coal Mines, a distance of seven (7) miles, is about seven thousand pounds (L 7000)." Admitting, which this Council fully concurs in, that a railway from Greymouth to the Coal Mines is the best and most economical means of transit for the coal, the river still remains a very essentiat part of the question — viz., that portion of it at the port. This part of the river has had a very heavy expenditure on protective works. These works have protected the township from the inroads of the river, and by restraining the river within its original bed, and guiding its course to the bar, have had the effect of keeping the entrance of the river from shifting, thus greatly assisting in keeping the navigation of the river open. The works which have had this beneficial effect, though of a costly, are of a temporary character only, consisting, as they do, of piles driven in for a breastwork, and the shore side filled in with scrub. This plan of protective work has answered well, but from the very nature of the marerial used, the whole Will have to be in time either replaced with new timber, or works of a permanent character will have to be undertaken. Should these Coal Mines be opened up, say by means of a company constructing a line of railway, it will be of the greatest importance to have harbor works carried out, which will have the effect of not only keeping the port accessible to vessels of the draught (8 to 10 feet) now frequenting the port, bu* of improving, if possible, the present harbor and entrance, so that vessels of a larger burthen may have access to the port for coal freight. In making the foregoing remarks, the' Borough Council desires to shew the Government— lst, that a railway to the Mines does not dispense with river expenditure ; 2nd, that the river expenditure is of a prospective and very expensive character. A railway to the Mines has been esti-

mated by competent engineers to cost L 25.000. The next statement in the late County Chairman's letter this Council would remark upon is as follows — ■ "It would not, in my opinion, be a fair arrangement, to vest the reserve in the Corporation of the Borough of Greymouth, as the expenditure within that Borough has been borne by the public funds of the County." A statement is herewith forwarded, showing that L 8667 2s lOd has been spent by the Borough Council on river works alone, of which sum the County Government only contributed L3OOO. It is considered that these figures speak for themselves, and sufficiently refute the assertion of the County Chairman. The audited statements of the Borough Council are sent herewith as proof of the abstract statement. The Borough Council considers that it would not be advisable to alienate any portion of the reserve at present, as recommended by the late County Chairman, on the report of the Commissioner of Crown Lands, as it is impossible for these gentlemen to understand what portion of the present reserve is of a " non-bearing coal character." The Borrugh Council would submit that it would be impolitic to interfere, except upon good geological advice, with the present area of 5000 acres allotted as a reserve. The Borough Council would recommend that all rents and royalties arising from the Coal Reserve should be endowed on the Borough Council of Greymouth, or a Harbor Trust, for ihe sole purpose of improving the harbor of the Grey River. The Council have no wish that the revenues arising from this source should be applied to general mnnicipal purposes. The Council cannot refrain on this occasion, although outside the matter snbmitted by the Government for their consideration, from drawing the attention of the Government to the evil arising from the Grey River Coal Reserves being under the control of two Governments, viz., the mine on the Nelson side of the river (the one at preseut being worked) under the Nelson Government, and the mine on the Westland side under the General Government. This division of interest has greatly retarded the development of these mines. They should be under one control, so ihat they could be dealt with as one mine. This Council is of opinion that the General Government should endeavor to secure the management of the Nelson Mine, in order that this very valuable Colonial resource should be opened up without further delay, and they are of opinion that, under these circumstances, private enterprise would at once step in with the requisite capital. In conclusion, the Borough Council desires to thank the Government for the consideration which it has given to this important subject, and for its courtesy in consulting the Borough Council thereon. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, Edmund Wickes, Mayor of the Borough of Greymouth. Greymouth, March 9, 1871.