THE POTENTIALITIES OF THE WEST COAST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 18

THE POTENTIALITIES OF THE WEST COAST.

(From Otra Own Coeuespondent.) WELLINGTON, January 7. . Mr P. J. o'Regan, ex-M.P., single tax' <d\ocate, barrister, and eha-irman of the oca! Conciliation Board, who has returned from a visit to the West/ Coast, is greatly pleased with the pro6pects of mining on the West Coast of the South Island. To It Times reporter he stated that investors' 3iad no doubt been seared by the unscrupulous conduct of promoters in the ~>ast, as j, great amount of capital has jeen wasted in^ worthless speculation. "At ihe same time," Ec said, " the mineral .potentialities of the West Coast are very great indeed. For instance, the Paeiolus, - Nelpoji Creek, Dredging Company has just declared a 5e dividend, and there is plenty of ground yet ahead 'to be worked. Then the Big River 1 Company at Reefton has just declared a la 6d dividend, having obtained for its Christmas cleaning up 7670z of pure gold. 3The output of gold from the quartz mines *t Reefton just now is gerater than ever, J»ut the fact that the field is practically in_, Ihe hands of one company, the headquarters 3>f which are" in' London, precludes the benefits from being- as' appreciably felt as if Xb.e were 'in the Dominion." After- -wages and" working expenses are paidl the balance of the 'money -goes Home. ■ " The coal mining resources of the Coast are -simply inconceivable, and for thafe~ reason the -harbour facilities should be improved. - Of course, the belter of the two harbours, compatng 'Westport and Greymouth, is undoubtedly -Westporfr. First because the Buller' River -throws a greater volume of water than the Grey, and secondly because the southerly weather is kept off by Cape Eoulwind and the Steeples T?ocks. On the other, hand, Westport ha* i-.t the Tailway communication with the "■' "ountry that Greymouth has. When '•vay is completed through to Reef"c will be a great development in, -i.i -•' and timber trade, as there is an excellent supply of timber in Ihe Inangahua) Valley and abundant coal measures as yet nntouched. For domestic purposes the tnangahua coal is equal to the best, in proof of which I may say considerable quantities are now sent from Reefton by rail to Greymouth. a distance of 50 miles. Regarding- the railway, from Reefton to Westpcrt, the line is now practically qompleted down the Inangahua Valley .from Reefton as far as Cornadun, a distance of*i seven miles, and y*fff little time should«eo it completed as far as the Inangahua Xu-ncti-on, 31 "~mil«s from Reef ton. Fromthe junction to Westport the most difficult country has to be- negotiated. Here let me point out where I consider a -great • blunder has been committed by someone. A line has been surveyed to cross the Inajngahua River by . a combined railway and traffic bridge at the landing. The proper route in my opinion, and I speak torith an accurate knowledge of the locality, would be to follow the east bank of the tnangahua River all the way to the junction, -'cross the Buller River there, and follow the northern bank of the Buller all bhe way to Westport. That was the route originally surveyed in 1875, but for some inscrutable reason it has since been departed from, with she result that the Mne, if the present foute is persisted in, will be taken along the" " toe " of a limestone landslip for some miles below the Inangahua junction. With every flood this road 1 sinks and slips in various places, and has to be continually ' repaired. How it is j anticipated to - take a railway through -such j country I will not venture to say. More- j over, if the present route is persisted in, a j large belt of timber between Inangahua Junction and the landing will be completely -out" off from ' the _ railway. The matter - is ' one." that , should be looked, into by -the Government before the fatal mistake is committed of .taking the line by the route ' at ' present contemplated. " Within the 'past two -or three years a great amount of land has been thrown open for settlement, chiefly in the Mur-~ ohison district, and bas been eagerly applied for. A.t the present time settlement { is proceeding at a very rapid rate. *+ ' s | a great' mistake for peope to conclude that j land in Westland is not suitable for settle- j ment, -as there- is abundance of lend quite as (rood as that cultivated with capital results -in the Nelson district. j "I noticed one regrettable fact in the Inanzab.ua Valley. Some valuable timberJ Is being destroyed. -Surely it would haye 1 been a wiser policy for the Government ' not to,' have thrown this land open for I lettlement until tb<» railway had been made, j The timber would then have become a ! valuable asset. As it is,, the railway wiU^J now com* along just as ,the X timber has 'j been destroyed, and I cannot help think- ' ing that a most, anuardonable blunder is ,j being committed in allowing what is cer- -; tainly the best crop the la-nd can produce .j for many years to come to be destrojtd in this reckless • fashion." "Having regard to the potentialities of Westland as a. field for mining enterprise, I wonder why advantage is not taken of th<e provisions ' of the Mining Act to form mining -partnerships for. prospecting' rrarposee. These are less ambitious undertakings than, companies, 'and should enable small numbers qf men who have confidence in each other to act together for the purpose of" prospecting, as the West CJqast offers an admirable field for such enterprtbts. Altogether, what with its A-old. coal, and

timber, to say nothing of its agricultural possibilities, the Coast has got as brilliant an outlook before it as apy part of the Dominion."