THE GREY VALLEY COAL FIELDS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1432, 4 March 1873, Page 2

THE GREY VALLEY COAL FIELDS.

PUBLIC MEETING.

The Masonic Hall pro tempore was, la s evening, the resort of the majority of the inhabitants of Grey mouth who take an interest in public matters generally, and in the prosperity of the district particularly. The Hall was appointed as the place of meeting for " all persons desirous of assisting the formation of a company to lease and work the Grey River coal measures." The meeting was called by the Mayor, Mr Masters, in deference to a request made by Mr Dransfield, of Wellington, and communicated by Mr Nancarrow, of Greymouth. Mr Masters was "present, and was in the chair. In the body of the Hall there were more people than usually assemble in Greymouth on the occasions of discussing public questions, and there was unanimity among those present as to the desirability of encouraging the formation of a company to work the coal fields discovered or discoverable in the Grey Valky. This unanimity, 1 was expressed by the applause of the several addresses made to the meeting, and its sincerity was exhibited by the fact that, before the Mayor left the chair, applications weie made for seven hundred shares out of the number constituting the share list of the so-styled New Zealand Coal Company. The Mayok, wh3n explaining the project which the meeting proposed to promote, read the correspondence which appeared in the columns of the Argus on Monday morning, and he also read a telegram which he had received from Mr Dransfield, stating that all the shares allotted to Wellington had been taken up, and that the Company would confine their operations to the Grey Valley, if the Company were supported in Greymouth. Mr J^mes Wylde proposed the first resolution, which was— "That this meeting approves of the formation of the New Zealand Coal Company (Limited), and trusts it will be warmly supported by the public of this district." In speaking to the resolution, Mr Wylde said he would ha^e preferred to have seen some person possessing a larger statce in the district proposing it, but he proposed it with pleasure, acquainted as he was with the extent and value of the coal measures in the Grey Valley, and recognising as he did the importance of any effort to turn them to practical account. Several attempts to work the Grey Valley Coal Fields had been made, but they had hitherto failed because the Colony

generally had not been interested. The circumstances were now altered ; the subject of coal supply was not*only of local, but of general interest. There was a large demand for coal throughout the Colonies, and here there wa3 the finest coal field in New Zealond, if not in the world. In point of quality the Grey Valley coal had, by experiment, been proved to be superior to the best Newcastle, and there was quantity sufficient to supply a large demand for many years to come. The one great necessity was the easy conveyance of the coal to a port, and the General Government had, so far, recognised that necessity, and, he believed, were willing to meet it by making every provision in their power. The proposed company had the same object in view, and it was a circumstance in favor of its success that the company had been started in another Province, and that its object was to interest the possessors of capital in all parts of the Colony. In this district there was especial reason for supporting an enterprise of such general interest, and he anticipated that a lively and practical interest would be taken in the object of the meet ing. There were difficulties in the way of its being thoroughly carried out, in the existence of peculiarities on the part of the Superintendent cf Nelson, and of the divisional line between Nelson and Westland, but, if the company were well advised, they would not restrict themselves to the Brunner mine, but give attention to the coal field on the Westland side of the Grey, where larger and equally valuable deposits were available. [Mr Wylde made many other and pertinent references to the subject which it is impossible for us to report in the present issue.] Mr Nanoarrow seconded the motion, and Messrs Woot-cock and Kilgour followed him, and coincided with him as to the desirability of such a company being formed, and of its receiving the hearty support of the inhabitants of Greymouth. The motion was adopted unanimously. The Mayor proposed a formal motion to the effect that those present should apply for shares in the New Zealand Coal Company, and the meeting was addressed by Messrs Cooper, Greenwood, Coates, Harley, and Woolcook, the last-men-tioned gentlemen seconding the motion. The motion was carried according to the forms of public meetings, and was carried into effect at once by a number of gentlemen coming forward and writing applications for shares to the number of seven hundred. A Committee was subsequently appointed to receive further applications for shares, and to take such other action as might be deemed necessary. The gentlemen appointed to act in such capacity were Messrs Masters, Kennedy, Smith, Woolcock, Taylor, Kilgour, Nancarrow, Wylde, Coates, Cooper, Greenwood, and Wickes.