THE COAL MINES OF THE COLONY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1220, 18 June 1872, Page 3

THE COAL MINES OF THE COLONY.

The Wellington Independent has an article showing the necessity that exist* for the coal mines of the Colony being worked in a very different manner to the present fashion, and recommends the Government to introduce a measure during the next session of Parliament that will enable it to deal with coal fields generally. Referring to the Brunner mine, oar contemporary says :— " Two years have elapsed since the Government proposed to make railways at the Grey River and at Eawa Kawa, and they are as near construction now as they were then. Nothing has been done to push on the working of the mines themselves. Take the case of the Brnnner mine at the Grey, which, with the unopened seam on the south side of the river could supply the whole of the New Zealand demand. There is excellent coal easily worked, and practically unlimited in quantity, and yet, through the utter gross ignorance and lethargy of the Nelson Government, the mine cannot even supply the local wants. A railway is being surveyed to the mine, but unless the mine be rescued from the hands of the provincial authorities the line might as well be left alone. But the mine and the unworked coal reserve is vested in the Superintendent of Nelson, and until the Superintendent of Nelson has nothing to do with the mine no possible improvements can be expected. The question is a national one, and we cs££onceive of no subject upon which the jGroTernment would receive more general assistance than a proposal to deal with the coal fields of the Colony, and take them of the hands of the Provincial authorities. We can see no difficulty in carrying a short Bill vesting all coal reserves in the hands of the Governor, thus enabling the General Government to deal with them. The Brunner mine is capable of being worked to any extent likely to be required for supplying New Zealand for many years to come. If it were properly managed coal could be delivered by rail at Greymouth at from seven to nine shillings per ton or less, but the main difficulty is the cost of the towage in and out of the port. The bar harbor is no insurmountable obstacle; vessels drawing nine to ten feet can usually enter easily and craft can be built of large carrying capacity and light draught that would answer very well for the coal trade. But to establish a large and constant shipment of coal from Greymouth steam colliers will be required, and the Government should in dealing with the coal question make the steam colliers part of— if one may Bay so — the railway Bcheme. Even if the working of the mine, the railway and the steamers did not yield any profit at first, the saving to the Colony would be immense. A considerable portion of our subsidies to mail steamers could be paid in coal, our railways would obtain their fuel at a less cost, and the vast sum sant every year out of the Colony for Australian coal would be retained within it for the purpose of employment in.other colonial industries. A couple of powerful screw colliers to carry say five hundred tons of coal could be built specially for the Grey River at a cost of about L 30,000, and we dare to say they would be of more value to the Colony as agents in the development of its resources than im times the sum spent upon some of the railways. If the Brunner mine and other coal fields of New Zealand were in the hands of any of the Außtrav^*n Governments we should not see them so neglected,. The Victorian government has spent thousands of ponnds in prospecting for coal and following up the discoveries made, bnt which have not been successful. New South Wales devoted great sums of money and unremitting attention to the Newcastle coal fields, providing a tug service free of charge for some time and doing everything that could tend to facilitate the establishment of a successful coal trade. % They succeeded, and we are satisfied that * & similar course adopted in New Zealand would similarly result, but so lone as the Colonial Government and Legislature calmly fold their arms and allow the Provincial Governments— especially that of Nelson— to tinker with the most valuable resources of the colony, so long will our enormous contributions to other countries for coal continue. We cannot say anything that could more forcibly support our remarks than that a few days ago there was not sufficient coal in Greymouth to supply the gas works, and small quantities had to be borrowed from steamers that had called in for coal and had a few hundred-weight in their bunkers, bnt were unable to get sufficient to carry them to their destination.":