The Mokau District

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 313, 29 May 1911, Page 5

The Mokau District

A BIG DEVELOPMENT SCHEME. /

PROSPEROUS TIMES AHEAD.

All tilings appear to be working together for New Plymouth's goad. The coming of the ironsand capital, the sate of the Taranaki Petroleum Company to a big English company, the deepening of the New Plymouth harbor, and the ar- ■ rival of direct shipments from Home, arc now followed by the announcement that the Mokau lands, which for a- long time have been a drag on the progress of Taranaki, are to be closely settled, and ;■ that the great coal deposits there are to be developed by a company which has the necessary capital to put large and regular supplies of the coal on the mar* ket. On Friday Messrs. J. M. Johnston and C. A. Loughnan (of Palmerston North), secretary and solicitor to the recentlyformed Mokau Coal Estates Company*" completed, with Mr. G. H. Stubbs, of Waitara, and Mr. J. H. Quiliiam (of , Messrs. Govett and Quiliiam, solicitors to the vendor), the purchase of the mineral rights in 'the Mangapapa Block and the coal mine contained therein, heretofore possessed by Mr. Stubbs. Messrs. Johnston and Loughnan had already 1 completed for the company th« • purchase of what is familiarly termed the Mokau Jones (the Mokau-Mohak*. tiiio) block. The Mangapapa block consists dLi 14,000 acres of leasehold, on the nortSTJ era bank of the Mokau river. The no*,' face rights over it have been acquired by Messrs. Mason Chambers and Bernard ■ Chambers, The company which- if tjon-i in possession of the mineral rights tends to continue working the coal mind i and considerably developing it. Th* company will spare no capital to put ' the colliery into a thoroughly efficient state for large deliveries of the coaL which is well-known on account of it* excellent quality, both for steam and household purposes. The coal meaauffev . will be worked to their full capacity, and either river steamers or auxiliary , scows will be utilised in the transport*' tion of the coal, which will be placed o* the markets of the West Coast of this island as early as possible. Vessels, however, will not be purchased by the company, which does not desire to interfere with existing interests of this nature, but will have the transportation carried out either by charter or contract. Mr. Stubbs will continue in charge of the colliery, as manager for the company. It is the company's intention that New Plymouth shall be ths headquarters of its coal business, because the Mokau river can be more conveniently worked from this port, tides thus not having to be taken into consideration. It is not, however, intended that the Waitara depot and yards shall be relinquished. It is stated that Messrs Nelson Bros.,' who own the Tomoana freezing workß in * Hawke's Bay, will take their large supplies of coal from the mines direct, inaugurating a service from Mokau to the East Coast by means of scorn. ■ The coal property is particularly easy of development. The coal outcrops freely along the river, and it will probably be possible, as in the case of the present mine, to bring the coal direct from tlir • face, to the ship's hold, the ship beinr "> moored only ii few yards away from thO • pit mouth. Sea carriage to the various West Coast ports should place the mine on a good footing as compared with those mines which have railway freight# ' to pay. The construction of yards and the holding of large stocks locally for distribution throughout Taranaki will be a good thing for the port of New Plymouth and for the town generally. The company reserves the mineral rights throughout both blocks, which ; contain, in addition to coal, large de- ' posits of limestone suitable for cement and of fireclay of superior quality. These will also be developed. It will be re- ! membered that the late Mr. E. M. Smith had an unbounded faith in these deposits, and went to London in an attempt to induce English capital to take up the development. The Mokau-Mohakatino block contains some 40,000 acres of freehold, ' with a frontage of about fifty miles on the southern bank of the Mokau river. It will be surveyed and cut up into suitable sections for immediate sale. Messrs. Sladden and Palmer, of Aew Plymouth, have already been instructed to carry out this work, as well ' as the laying-out of the necessary roada to be formed by the company. From fifteen to twenty men will be engaged' on the survey, nnd from 150 to 200 on the road-making, the company using every effort to complete the work quickly. As soon as about 10,000 or 15,000 acres have been subdivided into sections, ranging in area from 200 or 300 acres to 1500 or 2000 acres (according to the . nature of the country), this area will be offered for sale, and the whole bloofc will be opened up for settlement in similar areas. It ig the hope of the company, if the surveys and plans are' completed, to have the whole of the 46,000 acres sold within the next twelve months, and to have about fifty families . on the land in that time. The property is very suitable for subdivision, and has splendid means of ' access. Besides a good road from Waitara and another good road from Te Kuiti, there is the river. At present launches can go up the river for about 25 miles, and if some snagging is done at the rapids launches could travel righ up to the end of the river frontage o the block, some fifty miles. The block extends almost to the mouth of th river. Steamers of 150 tons register can now go up to the coal mine, about 23 miles from the mouth. _ It is the intention of the company, ■ m conjunction with the Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister for Agriculture and ; Minister in charge of the Tourist Department, to completely protect the , scenic beauties of the river. The Messrs. Chambers are also most desirous of protecting the scenic features of their frontage to the northern bank,' and will work in co operation with the Minister and the company. It is pointed out that tourists could motor < from Te Kuiti to Totoro, thence by boat down the river to the mouth, and either come on to New Plymouth by boat from the river, or to Waitara and . motor to New Plymouth; from New Plymouth to Wanganui, thence by river ' boats to Taumarunui, and back to Te " Kuiti, giving a "round trip," in which there are many places of interest and of beauty. The necessary reserves for school and creamery sites and recreation grounds, ■ etc., m the Mokau-Mohakatino block will be set apart bv the company. At present the company does not 'intend to work the great amount of timber in the block. r T o " mp,, "- V wns floated bv Messrs. •J. M. Johnston (Palmerston North) and c '"l,^' yto (Hastings), with a capita! of £ 100,000. It consists chiefly of prominent, TTmvko's Bay and Mana'watu srontlemen with Mr. R, McNal), formerly Minister for Agriculture, as chairman. •