TARANAKI COAL FIELDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 3120, 20 January 1908, Page 2

TARANAKI COAL FIELDS.

At the Stratford County Council meetmg on Wednesday last, the chairman touched upon the question of fuel, and the using of that question as a further ever for the more rapid prosecution of the straitford-Ongarue railroad The ((•eat scarcity of firewood was becoming a very serious matter, he said, and dairy factories and large consumers were unable to get sufficient supplies in many cases, and were compelled to use coal, Winch under present conditions became a very costly matter. In the Ongame district coal was cropping out of the ground in great quantities. lie understood from the newspapers that the Minister for Lands was about to visit this district, and it had occurred to him that representations might be made to the .Minister, suggesting that the Government biologist report on the coal fields ying 111 the Ohura, with a view to further justifying the more rapid proseeu- . " uf *«e work of constructing the line. f r . Wood heartily endorsed the t ("marks made by the chairman, and other councillors spoke in a similar strain. Or. McCutcban said the matter was certainly one of urgency. Even at Tliiirnn and Whaiigamomona firewood had to be carted a long way to dairv faetones and other places. The coal at "nganic had been examined bv experts ami pronounced to be better than Atoka n. tins being explained bv the fact «i the deposit was at the'bottom of lie taiymrak,™ basin, and when once [ the railway reached OngaiMe, there would be very little difficulty in placing f, S"°< <™l on trucks. He therefore bought the suggestion of the chairman an admirable one, and moved that tha 1 matter be left in the hands of Or Mar ia" 'I"' 1 th,)t approach the Ministor on he question. The motion was ca C rrieJlplt Wood " nd