COAL PROSPECTING.

Southland Times, Issue 1551, 15 March 1872, Page 3

COAL PROSPECTING.

*S IR5 — In answer to" Black Diamond's" third letter, of March 12th, I hope that be will understand me clearly that I cannot take his view of prospecting as mentioned in his first letter, viz., — c-annot a good steam coal be got by sinking j somewhat nearer our ruilwavs, made and contemplated. lv reply I have to state that our railways are made and completed 40 miles, and about 32 miles are made over a tertiary formation of country, i where boring or sinking would be rather an expensive undertaking, with no certainty of reaching a payable seam of coal. The Waihopaiand Seaward Downs, I an aware, contain plenty of lignite, but that is no criterion that true steam coal should be found there. I have not seen sandstone in the localities mentioned by " Black Diamond," and I cannot come to a conclusion by the appearance of a tertiary surface as to whether it is a true coal-bearing country, but if I saw the sandstone that "B. D.' speaks of, it would help me to give an opinion. With respect to " B D.'s" argument that deep sinking will pay the best, with, bred colliers to work the mines, it is all nonsense, and a waste of paper and ink. Deep shaft workings, having to compete commercially with drive workings, whether in coal or any other mining, must work at a disadvantage. With regard to the class of men and boys that are employed in a coal mine, there are generally all descriptions, both bred miners and otherwise. As a public benefit, the cheaper the coal is mined and delivered to the consumer, the greater benefit will the district receive, and the miners th ; it work it. Then let us work the coal where there are no doubts as regards its quality, and there will be plenty of miners to be had. Do not let us spend time and money about prospecting for what is not certain and sure to compete with Newcastle " black diamonds." — Yours, &c, T. J. Thompson.