REPORT OF THE MOUNT ROCHFORT COALFIELD ENQUIRY COMMITTEE.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1084, 27 June 1873, Page 2

REPORT OF THE MOUNT ROCHFORT COALFIELD ENQUIRY COMMITTEE.

Tonr Committee appointed to coni sider and report upon all leases and licences applied for or granted upori any part of the Mount Edchfort coalfield, have the honor to report that they have examined persons and papers in connection with the subject referred to their consideration; and that the following is a brief summary of the facts elicited by the enquiry. There are at present two rights id force upon the Mount Eochfort coalfield, namely, a lease of 400 acres at the Ngakawhau, granted to Messrs' Field, Chambers; and Thorpe, and a prospecting license, extending over 6720 acres; in the neighborhood of the Waimangaroa, granted to Mr Albert Walker. Eelative to the lease at Ngakawhau; your Committee finds that in April; 1872, Messrs Field and Others applied to the Waste Lands Board for a prospecting license, which application was postponed till the receipt of & report from Dr Hector. June 24th.—" Dr Hector's report not being yet received, the Board decided to issue a prospecting license for three months, considering that the issue thereof would not interfere with the adoption of any recommendations as to the extent of lease afterwards to be granted." September 30th.—The Board re r ceived an application from holders of the prospecting license for a lease of two square miles. "No report from Dr Hector having been yet received; the Board decided that they would not definitely settle what quantity of land should be included in the lease, but requested the Commissioner to write to the Superintendent at Wellington on the subject, and propose at least 400 acres."

October 30th.—The Superintendent being present, the Board resolved; " That the Superintendent be recommended to offer for their immediate acceptance a lease of from 30 to 40 acres without any special conditions ; but if they declined to take such lease; and wished to take a larger area, then that the following special conditions should be required." The conditions were, shortly, that a lease should bo granted for a term of fifteen years upon a Company being formed with a capital of £20,000; subject to the raising of a certain quantity of coal annually ; the payment of rent; and the leaving of one or two chains' between the lease and the river.. Until the 4th of December it appears that the Superintendent (in deference to objections raised by the chief of the Colonial geological establishment, Dr Hector) was averse to granting a lease for any greater area than 30 acres. About the 4th of December, Dr Hector " waived his objections," and the Superintendent then intimated to the Waste Lands Board, and to Messrs Field and others, that a lease would be granted upon conditions set forth in a letter, dated December 9th, 1872. On the 20th of February, 1873, a letter was forwarded from the Colonial Secretary to tho Superintendent enclosing Dr Hector's report, dated 19th February, 1873. In this letter the 1 Colonial Secretary remarks : —"Before taking any further action, or iucurring

tlio expenditure recommended by Dr Hector, the Government is desirous of ascertaining what is the true position of the Coal Reserves, how far they have passed from the charge of the Pro- ! viucial Government • and what steps ' tho Government purpose taking to facilitate the working of them." It appears that both this letter, and the enclosed report, were " 'overlooked." On '.March 13th, another letter was sent from the Colonial Secretary's office to his Honor the Superintendent, in which it was stated that Mr Chambers had applied for the construction of tho railway to Mount JJochf'ort Coalfield, and furnished the Minister for Public "Words-, with a copy of a letter from the Provincial Secretary, dated December 9th, defining the terms upon which it was proposed to grant a lease of 400 acres at the Ngakawhau, and also stating —" Before the Government can go any further in this matter, it is necessary that they should bo informed of tho real position of tho Mount Roclu fort Coal Reserves. As your Honor is aware the Government are going to 'considerable expense in exploring the above reserve, and they view with surprise the proposals of your Government to grant a lease on such terms, as those now submitted to them, as it would appear from the best information now in the hands of the General Government the portion of land now prop6sed t6 be leased is the key to the whole of this valuable coalfield." No written reply appears to have been given to this letter ; but his Honor has favored your Committee with the. following explanatory memorandum : *' The letter from the Hon. Mr Waterhouse, dated 20th February, arrived during the absence of the Superintendent on the Goldfields, and appears to have been overlooked. That from the Hon. Mr Bathgate, dated the 13th March, was received shortly after the Superintendent's return, and as he proposed to visit Wellington in the course of a few days, he preferred to answer the letter in person, the more especially as it was of a character likely to give rise to an angry correspondence.

"The Superintendent accordingly bad an interview with the Hon. the Minister for Public "Works on the subject about the 3rd of April, and gave him all tbe information required. Oswjlld Curtis, " Superintendent."

Regarding the prospecting license granted to Mr Albert "Walker, your Committee finds that Mr Walker applied for G720 acres by letter dated Auckland, March 7th, 1873, his application was granted for six months by the Waste lands Board, March 19th. On the 28th March, the Westport Coal and [Railway Committee telegraphed to the Superintendent recommending " that no further rights be granted over coalfields in the district in view of pending arrangements with the General Government relative to the 'construction of a railway from Westport to Kgak&whau. On the £Stli March, a letter was received from the Warden at Westport, enclosing a letter from Messrs M'Leod and Organ, apprising the Government of the discovery of coal at Waimangaroa, and applying for grants of land in that neighborhood, and other rights to 'enable them to construct a railway. The Warden in his letter remarks " that should the coalbeds turn out to be extensive and easily workable, its situation would render it highly important, being nearly on the proposed line to Ngakawhau, and only half the distance." On the, 7th April the Warden also telegraphed to the Superintendent, "with reference to applications for coal prospecting licenses iil the district, I would suggest for your consideration whether it would not be better to refuse all such, and grant only leases to such parties as are prepared to take and work them. I fear that prospecting licenses will injuriously lockjup ground and hinder 'others from doing anything." No record appears of Messrs Organ and M'Leod's application having been dealt with by the Waste Lands Board until June 3rd. On the 24th April, the Waste Lands Board considered the application made by Mr Albert Walker in a letter dated Auckland, March 25th in which he enquires the result of his former application, asks what he will have to pay, and requests that the time of his prospecting license be extended to twelve months ; the extension asked for was granted, and a license was subsequently issued dated April Ist, having a currency of twelve months, comprising 6720 acres of the reserve including the Waimangaroa. . At the same meeting, the following applications for . prospecting licenses enclosed by the Warden at Westport on March 28, was suspended, in consequence of a telegram from the Westport Coal and Railway Committee, dated March 2Sth:—Mulholland and others, GlO acres,. Waimangaroa; Roche and others, 1,200 acres Waimangaroa ; Martin and Rindt, acres, south of Mount Rochfort. The refusal of the Board to entertain the above application for" part of the reserve already awarded to Mr Walker, .appears strange, considering that not only was the land already disposed of, but the Board had at the same meeting conceded an extension of rights to Mr Walker, thereby practically disregarding the spirit and letter of the Westport Committee's recommendation. This has been attributed by the Superintendent and the Commissioner of Crown Lands to tho Waste Lands Board supposing that Mr Walker's license included only the

table land upon the Mount Rochfort plateau. The following resolution, passed by tho Waste Lands Board, June 3, 1873, may, if acted on, prevent Mr Walker from claiming any advantage derivable through the exertions of those who have discovered coal in quantities at Waimangaroa, where a seam is now being proved at the expense of the Colony. "That the Board granted a prospecting license to Mr Albert Walker on the 19th March with the understanding that any application made by him lor a lease would be upon tho table land of the Mount Rochfort range, and they will not include in any lease which may be granted to Mr Walker any of the small portion of land within the area of his prospecting license which extends, beyond the western edge of the table land." In conclusion, your Oommitte recommends the following resolutions for your adoption : 1. " That the opinion of this Council it is desirable that ho further rights or privileges should be granted over any portion of the Mount Rochfort coalfield without tho concurrence of the General Government pending their decision as to the construction of the railway from Westport." 2. " That, in the event of any contingency arising to prevent the General Government proceeding with the Mount Rochfort Coalfields Railway, the Provincial Government should then make arrangements either with private persons or with a public company for the construction of the railway and other works necessary for the adequate development of the coalfield." 3. " That the .important 'matters entrusted to the Waste Lands Board make it desirable that the number of members of the Board should bo increased to five." E. J. O'Conor, Chairman. Nelson, June 12, 1873. j Memo, of Applications for portions of the Buller Reserve arid adjoining country jiot in force on June 13th, 1873. < June 26th, 1872, T. J. Jones, Mohikinui, 610 acres. March 1, 1573 A. Beetham, Ngakawhau, 640 acres. Granted March 19; withdrawn by letter from Mr Dobson. dated April 24. March 8,1873, T. Pield and others, Ngakawhau, 640 acres. Refused by the "Waste Lands Board, 19th March 1573. April 1, 1573, Mulholland and others, Waimangaroa, 640 acres. April 1, 1873, Martin and Pindt, Paparoa, 1200 acres. April 12, 1873, E. Roche & Co, Waimagaroa 12S0 acres. The consideration of these three applications was deferred ate the request of a Committee at Westport, an April 24th. April 24th, 1873, A. Beetham, Ngakawhau, 640 acres. Renewal of former application by letter from Mr Dobson, dated April 24th. M'Leod and Organ, Waimangaroa, Grant for construction of a railway to Waimangaroa. Considered by the Board on June 3rd. Spence and O'Conor, proposal for construction of a railway and other works to Ngakawhau, dated 31st March ; replied to by Superintendent on June Bth, " that pending the construction of a railway from Colonial funds, the Provincial Government were not in a position to give a definite answer." E. J. O'Conor, Chairman.