STATE COAL MINES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 661, 18 April 1914, Page 2

STATE COAL MINES.

SEDONVILLE COLLIERY OLOSED. The report that tha Seddonville State Colliery is to be closed at the end of this month has been confirmed by the Minister for Mines, the reason being that the hard coal haa been exhausted,and the soft coal remaining is so inferior that it is unsaleable. The Seddonville mine has occupied an unimportant place in the State mining enterprise for some time past. In the year ended March 31st, 1913, the output from Seddonville amounted to 66,751 tons, of which 56,950 tona were available for disposal. In the same period the Point Elizabeth No. 1 State colliery produced 179,472 tons of which 160,084 tons were available for disposal. The best source of spuply in future, however, will be the new mine known as the Point Elizabeth No. 2 colliery, which was developed to the producing stage last year. It iB calculated that on a safe eytimate this mine contains 66,000,000, tons oc coal, of which probably 75 per cent, will be found workable. There are five workable seams of coal, three of which will be almost wholly above water level. As yet the new mine is b3ing worked by a small staff on day wages, but the staff is.to be augmented as soon as an award, tor which application has been made, has been issued by the Arbitration Court.