THE PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1871.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 820, 14 March 1871, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1871.

In treating the question of the disposal of the Grey Coal Reserve on this side of the river, the General Government should take into consideration the desirability of dealing also with the Brunner Mine in any steps that may be deemed necessary for the efficient working of the Coal Field. The question of providing an endowment for the Municipality of Greymouth for river conservation purposes, and that of the working of the Coal Field, are, although associated in one sense, questions that should be, to a certain extent, kept apart. The correspondence that has passed between the General Government and the Borough Council has been confined to the single question of providing an endowment for the Corporation out of the Reserve, and it is tolerably clear that the Government contemplated, in the first instance, only to apply the non-coal bearing portion — or presumedly so — to that purpose. But the reply of the Borough Council must have the effect of drawing the serious attention of the Government to the larger question of the working of the whole Coal Field. The proceeds of any rents or royalties of this valuable property are asked for by the Borough Council, not for ordinary municipal purposes, but for the special object of so far improving the shipping facilities of the port as to make the successful develop- ■ ment of the Coal Field possible, [t is absolutely certain that it would not be of any material advantage to the district — indeed, we may say, to the Colony — simply to encourage a continuation of the .tinkering, slip-shod, timeserving system of working that exists at the present time with regard to the Brunner Mine. General Government interference is worth nothing at all unless it is with the object of securing such a scale of operations as alone can convert the Coal Field into a means of local and general advantage. The present " playine;-at-coal-mining" is not [even profitable to the Government which is amusing itself at the game. The last quarter's returns show that the Nelson Government has made a loss, whilst it is very certain that the public interests of the port and district have suffered very seriously. The general export of coal was never less, and the uncertainty of getting any at all is so great that vessels prefer the certainty of losing money by taking shingle instead of coal. And from all appearances there is no prospect of improvement so long as the Neison Government have control over the mine, whilst there is also the obstacle that so long as the Brunner Mine is dealt with exceptionally those who would test and open the Westland portion of the seam are deterred from doing so by the improper competition. But even supposing that the Nelson Government were ever so desirable to develop their mine on a large scale, and supposing also that the coal seam on this side were equally as good and accessible and extensive as the other, the division of authority would alone operate, as a means of discouraging capitalists from undertaking their working. If a capitalist applies for the Brunner Mine he is told by the Nelson Government that he must bring his coal down their side of the river, for no other reason than because it is their side. But the capitalist who could not appreciate petty Provincial distinctions, and who would certainly not allow his calculations to be influenced by political considerations, would simply argue with himself that as the trade, shipping, and general conveniences for transacting business are all on the other side of the river, the making a railway or constructing wharves or other appliances on the Nelson side would be merely a wasteful expenditure of money if his competitors were to bring down their coal on the south bank of the river. The chances of the two Governments of Neland "Westland being able to work together with such perfect unanimity as to be able to make common terms with capitalists willing to take up both seams are so remote that we may dismiss them from further consideration. So long as the Coal Field remains as it is so long will there be clashing of interests which, under other circumstances, would be identical. With regard to the work of opening up the Westland portion of the field, anyone undertaking it would, under existing conditions, have very great difficulties to encounter. The extra cost of mining the coal from a shaft would not be so much as the unfair competition that would be brought to bear upon him. We have had experience of this in the past, when the Nelson Government, working with the public money, was able by an arbitrary reduction in the price of the coal from the Brunner Mine to put a stop to the incipient attempt that was being made a few years ago to open the Westland seam. The special characteristics of the two mines also demand that they should be in one set of hands. The Brunner Mine for the present can be worked easily and cheaply ; the seam, on this side is more difficult to approach. The special and temporary advantage of the one ought to be applied towards snrmounting the special and temporary disadvantages of the other. If the whole Coal Field— that is to say the seam on both sides of the river — were in the hands of one company we are certain that they would adopt this ccurae. They would make one mine the means of testing and developing the whole property, the more so as we are confident that they would bring their coal down the south side of the river.

We know as a fact that if the two mines could be leased on reasonable terms, there would be no difficulty in forming a company, with abundance of capital to work them thoroughly, and bring down ccal by rail to the port at a price that would command an unlimited trade. But so long as the Goal Field is in its present double

hands, the chances of its profitable development are far distant. There isnothing to prevent the General Government from dealing with this matter. Legislation would be necessary ; but, in face of the positive advantages to be gained, would be easily obtained. It is clearly the duty of the Government, in a matter of so much importance, affecting the welfare of the Colony and the development of one of its richest resources, to cast aside all other considerations but those of the public interest, and to see that a large and valuable public estate shall no longer lie waste and profitless.