McDonald state mine.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 280, 24 November 1921, Page 8

McDonald state mine.

GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES CEASE. (B.r Telegraph.— Parliamentary Reporter.; WELLINGTON, Wednesday. A statement that it is not intended at present to proceed with the opening up of the area required by the State for coal mining known as the McDonald mine, near Huntly, was mafic by the Minister of Mines, the Hon. G. J. Anderson, during discussion on the annual report of the Mines Department. Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) had urged a more vigorous policy in opening up this nortl'.ern mine, it being, he said, a matter of interest to coal consumers in the North generally. The Minister replied -that, though the first estimate for the opening up of the mine was £00,000, a subsequent report placed the estimate at no less than aquarter of a million. Such an expenditure at the present time was quite out of the question. It had been decided to close the mine and protect it. The scheme entailed the construction of eight miles of railway, not four as at first thought, then there was the matter of building houses to'consider. There was any amount of coal in the district, while farmers were contemplating opening a new mine.