OHURA COAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 April 1920, Page 5

OHURA COAL.

difficulties of a railway, heavy tunnel work. (By Our Special Reporter.) Stratford, Last Night, oimra coal was mentioned to the Min« ister for Public Works (the Hon. J-.Q. Coates) by a deputation which waited on lum at Eltliam to-day. Mr. Murdock said he wished to brine to the notice of the Minister the need for opening up the Ohura coal deposits. He said that the dairy companies had frequently been in sore straits owing to difliculty in obtaining supplies of coal, and it would be a great advantage to airy companies and also householders if able to get coal from such a short distance away. The distance from the line was about eighteen miles and the great point was that the coal was there in immense quantities. They wanted WfTy 0 brought down by the rait line? 6 Minister: Does ifc squire a new

Mr. Murdock: No; all that is required m co " tln " atlon of the present line. H -- D - Forsyth, chairman of the Rltham Dairy Company and a member . •r i col ," m representing South ' J.araimki dairy companies, said that montl, ea f 4 d K m<mlt ? !n thG paßt twelve months has been the shortage of coal ' , J; 1 "' difficulty of getting supplies of suitable coal. Now they were contemplating going into the dried milk int' ipl'V i for this pu,pose hu « e W- ' Ho felt C °f . Ve ' u a " abaolut e necessity, " A f r afe ln , ? a - v ' n K that the annual ! to . , rara naki through being unabl# to go mto the dried milk industry Was grea er than the total cost of T» Stiatford-Trunk line. The pushing of he Government hydro-electiric scheme ww also absolutely essential, as there was a hugb quantity of coal whiiOi Swe rcleased if eleetrlcit y wag made Mr. Coates said he could see the im. ' portance of taking a geological survey wh„t Ti , dep °, S,tS ' He would eee what could bo done, but wished thn deputation to understand that the railnay could not reach that point for sevpral years yet as there were 2>/ s miles tunnels to be made before it could be reached.