MINISTER HONOURED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 651, 1 May 1929, Page 14

MINISTER HONOURED

BANQUET AT HUNTLY MR. VEITCH IN MINING CENTRE {Prom Our Own Correspondent J HUNTLY, Tuesday. The Hon. W. A. Veitch, Minister of Mines, was the guest ot the Huntly Town Board last night at a banquet given in his honour m the Town Hail. Mr. E. George, chairman of the board, presided. The function was a notable one, master and man being represented irom all the coal companies in the area. The management was represented by Messrs. Edward S. Wight and Andrew Burt (Pukemiro), Charles Hunter (Renown Collieries), John Watson (Taupiri Coal Company), Peter Hunter cGien Alton Collieries). Representatives of the unions were Messrs. William Hodge, J. Higham- J. O’Brien, J. Garrick, and J. Gray. The Mines Department was represented by Messrs. A. M. Kimball and William Barclay. Replying to the toast of his health, Mr. Veitch said he had so far found a Minister's life pleasant, having been generously treated by all shades of political opinion. “I arrived in New Zealand in 1887 with less than 30s, and 1 am not much richer yet, but I prefer to be richer in friends,” said Mr. Veitch. Mr. Veitch remarked on the foresight of the local body in its efforts, and commended the use of common sense and restraint in the relations between employer and employee. Elis reception in Huntly had been a splendid one, and he had no fears for the future of the town. In proposing “The Mining Industry,’’ Mr. Lee Martin, M.P., said if the Minister had no worries, the speaker had tried to put some of his on to him that day. Mr. J. Watson, in replying, stated that the prospects of the industry were now brighter. When it was stated that 10,000,000 tons of coal were at present lying in pillars in the Taupiri coal mines at Huntly and only 3,000,000 had been mined, it was apparent the future supply was well assured. Supporting the toast, Mr E. S. Wight traced the history of the Huntly coal mines for over 30 years, the output of which had increased from 78.000 to over 600,000 tons. The speaker dealt with briquette manufacture, and pulverised coal, and said that the former will eradicate Waikato coals on the railways. He mentioned that 26 steamers of the Blue Funnel Line are being turned into pulverised coal burners. Southern coals could also be used under that head, and the combination of New Zealand coals would be of a high calorific value. In supporting the toast. Mr. P. Hunter, Glen Afton. who has recently returned from a visit to Australia, stated that he had every opportunity of judging the conditions there, and those in New Zealand were infinitely superior to those in the Australian States. He paid a tribute to Mr. A. H. Ivimball for his services to New Zealand mining.