COAL NEAR AUCKLAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 50, 21 May 1927, Page 10

COAL NEAR AUCKLAND

Sir, I would like to make one or two remarks about the supposed coal shortage in New Zealand, as referred to by our Australian visitor. I know of a gentleman in this city -who has a block of land within 20 miles of the G.P.0., Auckland—l 6 miles by good concrete road, the other three or four

by good metalled road. You can drive your car right on to the land within 10 yards of a reef of good coal, which, I believe, is estimated to yield eight to 10 million tons per year. This reef has never been opened up or tampered with in any way, and was considered by the late Sir Alfred Cadman to be one of the best coal seams in the North Island. Yes, we have millions of tons of good coal at our very door and I believe it can be had for a very low royalty if anyone cares to work it. I believe it can be had for one shilling a ton and I am sure if it were opened up it would give plenty of work for a few hundred of the unemployed, and the Auckland householders and those in surrounding districts would get their coal at a reasonable rate. Surely there is a chance for some enterprising man in Auckland who could handle such a useful product as this! Perhaps Bob Semple would like to get something like this to work on the co-operative system. We want coal this weather and plenty of it, cheap. “PRO BONO PUBLICO.”