COAL IN TARANAKI

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 935, 31 March 1930, Page 13

COAL IN TARANAKI

NEW MINING VENTURE OPENED EMPLOYMENT FOR 250 Press Association NEW PLYMOUTH. Saturday. A new industry of importance to Taranaki was launched on Saturday, when the Egmont Collieries coalmine at Tangarakau was officially opened by the Hon. W. A. Veitch, Minister of Mines. A special excursion train took a large number of people from all parts of Taranaki and Wanganui to Tangarakau Flat, the new station on the Stratforcl Main Trunk line, four miles past Tahora, the present official railhead, 48 miles from Stratford. The mine was inspected, and a demonstration was given of the work ing of a modern screening and grading plant by which coal straight from the mine face is cleaned, graded and deposited into railway trucks without double handling. The chairman of directors, Mr. T. C List, said the mine would mean a revenue of £30,000 to £40,000 per annum to the railways on a basis of production of 70,000 tons annually. It | was hoped to employ 250 men. Mr. Veitch said that, as Minister of Labour, he was gratified to know that an industry was being started that would mean employment for so many. He considered nearly every mining failure in New Zealand, outside some mineral enterprises, had been due either to developing enterprise in such a parsimonious way regarding the capital invested that the undertaking became very expensive to work afterwards, or else there was insufficient capital for the organisation of distribution. These defects had been eliminated at Tangarakau. This was the first coalmine of any magnitude in Taranaki. Geologists said there were vast deposits in the district, and he considered there was a wonderful opportunity to reduce the cost of production, and thus save the cost of living The Minister said he believed tb' future for coal in New Zealand was very great. It -was generally recognised that coal was coming into its own all over the world. Those who had believed that the solution of the power problem lay in construction of hydro-electricity systems were now beginning to realise that the eapitr outlay necessary had been far greater than was desirable in comparison with the benefits accruing. He believed it would always be possible to produce electricity from coal far more cheaply than had yet been the case with the • supply from hydro works, for the simple reason the coal could be burnt at the mine mouth, and that was the cheapest form of power. A strong plea for the support of the Dominion’s coal industry and for its protection against cheaper imports from other countries was made by the Minister. He referred particularly to the great efforts being made in Australia at present to reduce the cost of coal production. If that movement succeeded, and coal were imported to New Zealand, it would mean hundreds of New Zealanders engaged in the mining industry would be thrown out of employment. "I am going to see that that does not occur,” concluded the Minister.