The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 1877.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 213, 25 April 1877, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 1877.

A.-iongst other papers laid before Pav'd;; men fc last session was the “ Report the Native Fuel ( tommit tee. ” In :bronco to coal, the report says: The evidence taken hy the Committee ,;T ws, that, for all steam purposes the I ,rev River coal is superior to the Now(New South Wales';-. The Committee recommend, thereiore, that iu-;,-d facilities should he afford eel to Id- Harbour of Greymruth, for the -;hfoment of the same ” Mr Nancarrow > v'-pector of Machinery) in giving ovid<.;: before the Committee, said, “ I ■wi.ov the Grey River coal very well. TT -« is a peculiarity about that coal, :v ;ho first that was taken from the - —that near the surface has proved to lr the best. I may say that there Is a saving of 15 to 20 per cent.

on this coal as compared with the New couth Wales coal, in regard to its weight.” A circular sent by the Chairman of the Fuel Committee, to Mr Carmthcrs (Chief Engineer of tfie Colony ), ami to the managers of ties Works ami Foundries in various parts, elicited the following testimony as to tiie value of West Coast coal. To question No. Id, which reads as follows:—“ Taking the average price of Newcastle coal at £1 10s per ton, at what price do you consider it would be profitable to burn brown coal, Grey Itiver coal, or wood for steam purposes, both for stationery and locomotive engines,” Mr Carruthcrs replied, “ Newcastle coal, £1 10s; Waikato brown coal, 18s; Grey coal, £1 ss; black ends from Grey coal, about £1 15s; Grey coke, £2 10s. This is for use'in locomotives.” He also said, “Grey coke is as good as any in the world, as far as can be judged by appearances.” The manager of the Grey mouth Gas Company, .at which about 50 tons of eoal from the Brnmner Mine was used monthly, said, “ My experience leads’ me to the conclusion that the Grey River cc/hl is better adapted for gas purposes than Newcastle coal, giving as much as J. 1,000 feet to the ton, against O.OCO feet from Newcastle (New South Wales) coal.” The Secretary of the Hokitika Gas Company reported using 40 tons of Grey River coal per month, and said “ The average yield of gas from ton of Grey coal is 12,000 cubic feet, beiim about 2,000 foot in excess of yield from Newcastle coal, and of equal quality.” In replies from Canterbury Foundry, Christchurch, it was stated that 35 tons Grey River coal was used monthly, ami that none other was used at the Foundry. Coke made from Grey River coal was stated to be very good, and it was considered “ more economical to use Grey coal than English, Scotch, or Newcastle.” Messrs R. Sparrow and Company, of Dunedin, used about 5 tons Grey River eoal per month, and said Grey River coal when coked was equal to English, and superior to Newcastle coke. It was found more economical to use Grey River coal for blacksmith purposes, whilst Grey River eoal had been found to bo superior to Newcastle coal for steaming purposes, in high and low urcssure and compound engines.” M,- Darling, Superintendent Engineer of the Union Steam Company, reported, “Grey River coal equal to English for blacksmith’s work. Coke made from Grey River coal equal to Newcastle for smeltimr purposes, or ior any other purpose for which coke is used. Grey River or any of the West Coast bituminous coals me equal to Newcastle.” Dr Hector says, Grey River coals “ possess a very high value as fuel for all purposes, especially for steam generating, gas making, smelting, and other metallurgical purposes, and household use. Its chief defect is its great friability, which gives rise to considerable loss during transport. Any loss from this cause in mining can be recovered, as the small coal can be converted into most excellent coke.”

Such valuable testimony in favor of West Coast coal is encouraging. In the year 1875, according to Customs Returns laid before Parliament, 147,750 tons coal, valued at £246,53(1, was imported into New Zealand. On 'Wednesday, the lltb April, the first two trucks of coal, tilled at the Coal Pit Heath Mine the day previously, arrived at Greymonth. There was great rejoicing thereat, and the nows was transmitted by telegraph and printed next day in papers all over the colony. The special reporter to the Grey River Argus, writing under the heading “ The Resources and Industries of the Grey,” who went in the train from Greymonth to Brnnnerton, with the first coal trucks, and was present at the mine during the time they were being filled, gives a history of the operations of the Company, and a description of the mine, and gushes as follows : —“ J am convinced that the great natural advantages of the district will, in the end prevail, and that this portion of New Zealand will go far towards building up that Britain of the South which a well-known writer saw in the then far distant future, forming a portion of the still greater Britain which twenty years afterwards Sir C. Wontworth Rilke found growing rapidly into existence. And so I am betrayed into something like enthusiasm, simply because the other day a couple of coalladen trucks came running over that ridiculously placed Gorge bridge, and along that shamefully expensive railway into a little village which, in its present condition, some of my American friends would describe as a very one-horse affair; and I see in that circumstance the promise of groat things in the future ; in that small grain of mustard-seed the germ of an overshadowing tree. Well, I stick to my own views of the matter, whatever those less sanguine may think; and if twenty or thirty years hence it should be my fortune to revisit this part of the world and find that my anticipations have not been fulfilled, it will only serve to confirm the opinion that the people arc blind to the advantages which they possess, and lack the energy to unlock the great store of wealth that lies at their feet.” The above writer calculates that, in a few years, Greymonth will become a busy mart of shipping and commerce. The slialt of the Coal Pit Heath Company’s Mine, which was commenced in March, 1874, is 204 feet deep, the seam of coal now being worked 17-|feet thick. A thirty-horse power engine is at present in use. When proposed

drives in the mine are completed, tor ■ working and ventilation, ground will be opened up which “ will allow the company to put coal upon the market at the rate of 250 tons per diem for the next thirty years; and when the portion of the lease included in these boundaries is exhausted, there still remains a practically inexhaustible supply.” Adjacent to the above arc other equally rich coal mine leases, which are toeing-developed. Other places on the ’West -Coast, as Westport and Hokitika,-are equally well: favoured, and coal mines are being developed. Harbour works to facilitate shipping Me in progress. The Colonial Government p.s. ‘Luna’ was lately purchased by a company with a view to running coals from the West Coast to Wellington/ arrangements being made with the authorities for storage. for the same. It is said that West Coast coal can be placed in the Wellington and other New Zealand ports, far cheaper than New South Wales coal can possibly be landed. The Brunner Company have decided to export f.o.b. at 13s per ton.. : Steamers carrying coals, say to Wellington, instead of returning- empty, will take back cargoes of general goods, at so cheap a rate that it would pay West Coast towns just as well to import from Wellington as from Melbourne. The result will be a wonderful extension of direct trade with England, with larger and better ships, besides the development of local industries yet mithought of. The large sum of money annually sent out of the colony for fuel, if retained within the colony, as it may bo, on farther development of the West Coast and other coal fields, would alone add considerably to the wealth of Now Zealand, and its ability to devclope manufactures. Cheap fuel means cheap steam —cheap steam means the cheap production of all kinds of manufactures to which steam can be applied. It is to the interest of people in every part of tlie colony to aid in the development of the rich mineral resources of. the colony. Everyone knows the costliness of fuel hereabouts. This would be almost revolutionised bydlie introdnetiqu df cheap fftwl. /tJtSfound in any part o! the cSJony f .;np|vy devoted chiefly to cattle and sheep farming, could and would ■be made to produce grain, fruit, wool, hides, and other articles in such abundance that manufactures for the conversion of raw products into marketable goods would of necessity arise. All that is now rorjuired to enable these advantages to be placed within reach, is that the river entrance should he so improved as to allow vessels ol the 1 Luna, stamp to enter easily. There is every reason to believe that the plan proposed by the Chief EiiMneor of the colony would prove effective. The work should bo begun with as little delay as possible. In addition to the saving in cost, and convenience and comfort obtainable from the introduction of West Coast coal for merely household purposes, other advantages would arise. Gas lor lighting purposes would be placed within the reach of the various townships in the, district, and a stimulus would be given to. all kinds of dairy and farm work. The increase* of population on the West Coast,., consequent bn the development of its rich mineral resources, would create a demand for just such articles as this district could*, produce in abundance. improvement here would enable cattle, sheep, butter, cheese, flour, and so on, to be shipped direct to West Coast ports. As in the ease of Wellington and other ports, vessels coming occasionally with coals, would carry return cargoes at low rates. The , advantages of the introduction of cheap fuel to a rich agricultural district like this arc incalculable. There should, then, be no hesitation in pushing on' with proposed river improvements, as thereby the district would he largely honefitted, and aid, though small, would be given in developing the rich mineral resources of another part of the colony.