MAURICEVILLE COAL DEPOSITS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8982, 16 November 1907, Page 5

MAURICEVILLE COAL DEPOSITS.

ACTION BY CHAMBER OP COMMERCE. At the request of the council of the Masterton Chamber of Commerce a deputation consisting of Messrs F. W. H. Kummer, C. Hoffeins, F. M. Ross. P. Larsen. A. Larseu and C. Jensen waited on the meeting of that body yesterday, to discuss what initial steps should be taken to develop the coal deposits at Mauriceville. Mr Kummer said he had been working at a seam on his property, and the prospects were satisfactory. After having followed the seam into the hills, he had bored for about 215 feet, and had come across deposits but not in payable quantities. The best thing, he thought, would be for a syndicate to acquire the properties where the seams were found, and go to work by boring. .He was quite satisfied that the work was too much for individual enterprise. The best plan in his mind was for a syndicate to go in a westerly direction and bore, and not touch the workings already carried out privately. The other property owners, as well as the speaker, were, he said, auite willing to come to terms to let their properties to a syndicate to commence boring. The coal was of a brown kind similar to that used on the dredges in Southland. It took some little time to light, but when it burnt it gave out a great heat. To test the seams it would only be necessary to sink a few bores at a cost of about 10s per foot. The chairman (Mr Mapon) asksd Mr Kummer if he could bring forward any scheme to help the develop- | ment of the deposits. He was quite ' sure that the chamber and the people of Masterton would be willing to give every assistance. Mr Kumrrer suggested that a I syndicate should acquire the right to prospect on the properties for a couple of years, and on the discovery of payable quantities of coal procure a mining lease. The owners would want a royalty, and would not be prepared to sell the properties. He considered .it would cost about £25,000 to put down an up-to-date mining plant. In answer to Mr Caselberg, Mr Kummer said that th r ee of the.property owners had formed an association and joined their properties with an area of 700 acres. The association had already spent about £6joo in boring, and were quite prepared to accept £4OO worth of shares.in a prospecting association, and allow £2,000 to be put into Dores on the properties for two years. The chairman suggested that a subcommittee of the chamber should be appointed to meet the deputation and submit a further report on the matter at the next meeting. He also thought that assistance might be obtained from the Government in developing the deposits. Mr Hoffeins did not think much assistance would be obtained from the Government.

Mr Dolan moved that Mr Kummer be requested to submit written details of his proposals to the chamber, and that immediate' steps be taken to agitate in the direction of obtaining a Government subsidy. This was seconded chairman, and carried.