MATATOKI QUARRY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4808, 9 February 1925, Page 4

MATATOKI QUARRY.

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT WORK. £6OOO MORE REQUIRED. The members of the Thames County Council, accompanied by Mr F, B. Powell, engineer, Mr Higgins, countyengineer, and Mr McElroy, county clerk, paid a visit to the Matatbki quarry on Wednesday last. -The matter of further developing this quarry has engaged the attention of the council for some time. Mr Powell gave a report on the quarry some years ago. The late county engineer, Mr Hooley, when he was appointed to the position, estimated the cost to be £lO,OOO, which was to open up the quarry not only to supply enough metal for the roading schemes of the county, but also to supply metal for sale to outsiders, and thereby make the quarry a commercial undertaking. A loan was put to the ratepayers for the above amount .and carried. The council immediately proceeded with the purchasing of the necessary land and the .formation of a road to the quarry, buildings, etc., and the position now* is that a large proportion of the loan has been spent. The new engineer, Mr Higgins, reported on the matter at the last meeting of the council and suggested several alterations in the general layout of the scheme. As this put another aspect on the situation the council decided to invite Mr Powell, of Auckland. to come down and submit Un independent report on the whole scheme. The council decided also w meet at. the quarry and go into the matter. The party met on the main road and proceeded to the hopper site some 36 chains from the main road, to which a half-chain metal road has been constructed. The hopper site has been excavated out of the. side of. the hill for a height of 40ft In reviewing this hopper Mr' Powell expressed the opinion that it might be an advantage to build tne hopper on the flat high enough for

the motor trucks to run i.nderneatu and to elevate the spawls. The present- grade up to the hopper was one in forty, and he thought it would take a high-powered engine to take the, trucks up this short pull. He also thought the original idea of having the hopper down by the road the best, as it would be a down-hill run all the

way. The chairman pointed out Ithat wherever the hopper w,as erected the metal would have to be elevated. Cr. Cribb maintained that until they had the plant in working order enough to supply their own requirements they should not consider the commercial aspect of the proposal. He took it that .the quarry was to supply metal for their roading scheme, and every effort should be to get the quarry crushing metal to supply the council's requirements. He asked the engineer if there Would be much difference in the cost of bringing the metal down to the road site by rail than by laying the road down in bitument and running it down from the present hopper site by motor truck. The engineer replied that the cost of the rails and their laying would run out about the same as making a bitumen road.

Cr Cox asked the engineer if he thought the present scheme could be completed for the money available, and Mr Higgins said it could not be done.

The chairman pointed out that when the loan proposal was put it was to be a commercial scheme for the amount of the loan. The council was led to believe that it would be able to get the metal crushed for less than it was possible to purchase it otuside. "It w,as a case of going on with the quarry, but he failed to see how they were going to do it with the money available.

Cr. McCormick asked what amount would be required to complete the present scheme.

Mr Powell considered it would require about another £6ooo'. Cr. Cribb asked what was the difference in cost of bituminising the road as now proposed and the original ma-

cadamised road to the hopper site. Mr Powell replied about £5OO for the 36 chains. The present scheme should be developed with the ultimate view of supplying other local bodies and making the venture a successful commercial undertaking.

■ Cr. Cribb maintained that it would be unwise to go to further expenditure until their own needs were supplied.

The county clerk pointed out that they only had a balance of about £3OOO unexpended of the loan money, and with a subsidy of £3OOO from the Main Highways Board it meant that they could only complete about two miles a year of their roading scheme. If it was found necessary to go to the ratepayers for a further loan to make this quarry a successful commercial undertaking, then the council must simply face the problem. When all the facts were placed before the ratepayers it would be quite clear to them that it would be in their interests to authorise the council to proceed with the work.

Cr. McCormick said it was a strange thing that the Hauraki Flams County could come into Puriri Creek, crush the metal, punt it to Turua, unload it, and truck it on to their roads at a satisfactory price, and yet die Thames County could not get metal themselves.

The chairman pointed out that when Puriri metal was advocated by Cr. Cribb they had been told the Government would not accept the metal or grant a subsidy on it. The party then proceeded to the quarry site, and Mr Powell, who has had considerable experience in quarrying and road-making, expressed his approval of the metal, stating that there was nothing liner to be found for bitumen work.. After . inspecting the engine-shed and the air compressor, the party returned on the formed road to the top of the hopper site, from where a fine view of the whole layout of the scheme was obtained.

Mr Powell informed, the councillors that after viewing the proposed scheme there were several matters he would have to go into, and lie would submit a full report within a few days.

The members decided that ais soon as Mr Powell’s report came to hand a special meeting of the council would be held to discuss the matter. —Star.