IMMENSE COALFIELD

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 522, 13 April 1920, Page 2

IMMENSE COALFIELD

HANDY TO AUCKLAND. DEVELOPMENT REQUIRED. ENORMOUS SUPPLY IN SIGHT,

(Staff Reprsentative). ' With coal at extremely high p.ices, and no certainty of securing supplies from week to week, it is remarkable that there should exist, with'll a few miles of . land city, a wide coalfield yet has hawlly been scratched. , During the week-end a representative of the "Times" paid a visit to Hunua Valley, at the invitation of Mr. T. J. Loclhvood, who represents the Hunua Riding on the Franklin County Council, and who takes a thorouhgly live and intelligent interest w. all that pertains to the \4pfare of the disrict. Though not kn<swn to anything like the extent it should be by the general public, the country between Papakura and Happy Vatlev the road through which passes by some of the finest scenery in Nw Zealand (not excepting the \Van»anui River) possesses many spots of distinct p.esent interest and prospective importance. The first great potentiality is the Hunua Collieries Co., Ltd.. the tram head of which commences at a point known as "Williamson's Fern Opening," on the main rt»d. A wooden tram line leads from this noint into the mine, a distance -Of a little over half a mile. By coure of Mr. H. E. McEntee, img Ling director of the company, the J "Times" representative was con- * ducted to the mine, handed over to the direction of Mr. W. Wallace, mine manager, shown though the mine and given all the ipfomation, either volunteered or for. Once inside the mine, the writer was consderably tono^ the classof coal. It is of a rfcmrtt ably good hard lignite, not soft and brown as lignite generally is, but hi?d black and shiny. The same good quality was uniformly in evidence in various seams, about 7ft deep. Like most kinds of coal, it reauires to be burned m a particular way to get the gieatet value from it. With a good draightand the coal broken up into pieces, say, a little larger than an egg, this Hunua coal is stated by users of long experience to give out moie heat and last longer than eertam well-known kinds of houshold coal m of field over which good marketable coal could be commercially produced extends in a belt at least five miles in length and one mile in width. This much is pi»ven by the bores put in at different . points, and the results shown, £oo^ coal being obtainable at all bores , within the area mentmned. but this , area is not the limit of the. entire fie The trouble with the mine is not . on account of the coalfield* though containing located bears an enormous supply, proPaPiy : two million tons, of coal of prmtn ; good quality. Theweaknete is ' old. old one. lack of capittf torjk*- ' velopmental purposes. .'{gW ; shortage of funds the tram to be made of wooden rails, the haul- ' intr gear at the mine is merely a ! "whim," instead of a*good mechanic- ; al hauler, and ih every way devetopr men is retarded from this cause. • notwithstanding the financial handi- . cap the iscaiTying no li- ! abilities worth speaking of, ' the necessary funds to provide efficient machinery, it could hardly help paving handsomely. The company , an option over 500 acres and can probably secure a 500, so that there is ample scope | futuie years. . . The Hunua coal is sold as follo.jrt*>, free on rail at 1 -Papakura: Household, ' 325: steam. 28s; "through coaV. (that is; lumps and slack, and JUS® j as it comes from the mine mouOI). 26s This latter coal is really tnt ! cheapest in both price and use, gjjg in„ as much heat value as the big** : priced article, but the slack jgjS\ tained in it goes against its Household coal from othr mines ' being sold at 3s and 4s above «W. prices, after freight is aUowedJSg* and even then it is often nnproipP--1 If certain schemes are wfaefy handled the Hunua mine stouW City. Pukekohe. and the places ID between. If the projected railway (rei ferret! to in another article) is con structed,' the coal will be got out much more cheaply, and as the com nanv is not a member of arty mine proprietors' combination the public should get the benefit of their production. It has ai ready offered to supply coal at 10s per ton at the pit's mouth for an ] electric " generating power-house should any local body or private company see fit to stan such for that part of the county.