COMPANY'S STATEMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 197, 20 August 1919, Page 5

COMPANY'S STATEMENT.

I STRATA 4(H) FKET THICK. The following statement n-a* ipfluod by 'the company to day n-garding the safety 'of the mine:— I "Aii the strata overlying the coal i* over 400 ft in tuU-kno*. ajid cuubrarcn from ZW t.o 250 feet <>f flreelay r-H-k and blue clay, «uh of wthifli is of a most tenacious nature aiwl impervious to water, the m-.inajrement of the mine consider tihat danger from water is precluded. Tiny aJeo consider that work at tlie mine should be resumed quickly." Supplementing tin- statement. tli«' chnirma.li of directors, the Hon. K. W. Alieon. pointed out that th<> thickness and nature of the strata ha*l been ascer- ■ tamed by actual !>oriiy£« iitvir to the r-p<>t i wihere the trouble hud occurred. The , oft'u-ial.s of th« company w<»r«i umuiimi)U.s in the opinion that it was perfectly safe. llowewr, tin- men had requcrOivl 1 that then , should be a cumferewi" between tin , owne-rs and representatives ol ' tho union, at which tJi« opinion <>l ' expexts ttHould be presented ' The owners did not object to tliis coursi ' of action, but it had to I*> rwiiembcT<'<l ■that it would take t-oinv time for th<

(iovcnunvnt official t»i arrive from Wellington, and they c-i)iil(l only urjjc that the Clovernmant should take action as quickly as possablc. The* effect of the stoppage upon the ooal position locally u&s serious. ina-s----'nim-li as the Extended Mine had an output of between 81)0 and HOO tons daily, and u> addition to supplying household requirements, tlto supply from th« mine was largely used for steam purposes. Tlio target quantity went to the Railway Department, which had riMiupSited the • company to supply every available ton of efxil. The company had endca-voured tt) do so and the quantity to l*e supplied ' this year would probably a.iniount to , 40,000 tons. For the past two months i the company had l>een supplying tho> i Railway Department with over SOD tone ■ of coal a week, most of whi-li came from -the Extended Mine. >| EXTENT OF THE CRACKS.

ANOTHER VERSION. lE.v Telcsrapli.—Owu Correspondent.) IirXTLY, thin day. The "civep'' i< in Xoe. 5 an.l li areas of the northern section of the mine. About n mile from the shaft on itho Extended '! line :ir« several small cracks »lv« to the ■vroe.p." The largest is one and a half inch wide. The working distance from . th-r-i is nine to twelve ointim from the I eastern biuik of th<- Waikato Rive?-, hp- . tween the railway and Great Snath Road, which in not worked. The thekness of [ cover tfiere i≤ from 400 to 500 feet. There I does not appear to l>o. any dans?<>r of serious damage. The mijir will probably j not be worked till Mr. Reed ine.pci'ts it.