The Daily News. THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1901. A SCARCITY OF STONE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 57, 28 March 1901, Page 2

The Daily News. THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1901. A SCARCITY OF STONE.

Thb N.Z. Times of Monday gays : The absence of stone for road metalling and similar works in the districts of j the West Owtst is a matter which gives local bodies mmcb. trouble. At New Plymouth the breakwater works have taken up a great deal of stone, and now the construction of a breastwork by the Railway Department threatens to consume the whole of tho available supply. Believing that the Deputm?at would require only about J 0,000 yards of the material for the works; that it contemplate, the local Harbour Board gave the Government the use of its only available quarry. " Jt is becoming abondaatly evident now, however, that if the Department does net stay its hand, the supply ef metal will b: eaten up. Therefore, Messrs g, JJJwr well (chairman) and J. B. Dennett, represent eg the Harbour Board, waited on the Minister aßd General Manager of Railways en Saturday morning and asked thai, if the Department want on removing material from the quarry, it should at least refrain from blowing up the big rook blocks which were so valuable in connection with harbour works, ' Mr, Ronayne said tbe only other place where suitable stone could be prooured was at the Manawatu Gorge, near iWoodvills. Tbe Minister expressed sympathy with the deputation, and promised to have. inquiries made to ascertain the best way out ef the difficulty. He expressed the opinion that a line to Mount Egmont would be a very useful service, and if an extension were made in that direction the Department might give stone frem there in exchange for that which the Department was now using. Commenting upon the above, the Stratford Pos' Bays : —" We are in a position to state that active preliminary steps are being taken with a view to tapping the inexhaustible supply of metal that; exis's upon Mount Egmont. We understand that the Government Engineers have examined tho two routes proposad for a line to the Mountain, namely, via Pembroke Road and York and that the latter routo has considerable advantages over the other to recommend it, there being a difference of 1600 ft in altitude in favour ©f York Road. The Railway Department is extremely desirous of obtaining stone from the Mountain, in fact they must have it at an early data, as it is not likely that the New Plymouth Harbour Board will let the Department have all its boulders. We bear that the Government officers have gone into New Plymouth to interview members of the Board about the master, and will return to Stratford to-njorrow to consult with the heads of the local bodies here as to probable requirements of stone in tbe distriot. It is thought that metal from Mount Egmont could bs brought to Stratford and sold at a profit for 4s per yard. Stone easts 9s per yard here, so it will at once be seen what a tremendous saving would be efiicted if the Mountain were used as a source of supply. On the East Road, where there' are; Evme 50 miles ready to metal, burnt papa is costing the Government from 15s td 20s per and a little sum in arithmetic woulS show t,hat Mount Egmont stone would save the Government something like £40,000; Then fcaere are the large requirements of the county and borough to be considered, so that we are strongly of opinion that it will not be long bafore another railway will be started in ibis district,

The deposits of stone that will bn utilised avo but a little over a mile [from tho Mountain House, so that a railway would give the tourist traffic laa immense impetus. A sanatorium on our grand old Mountain would soon follow as a matter of necessity,"