HIKURANGI MINES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 209, 3 September 1932, Page 9

HIKURANGI MINES.

DEPUTATION AT WELLINGTON. SYMPATHETIC HEARING. REPRESENTATIVES RETURN. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WHANGAREI, this day. Two or three local members of the strong deputation which waited at Wellington on the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, the Hon. C. E. Macmillan, Minister of Mines, Mr. H. H. Sterling, chairman of the Railways Board, and Mr. J. S. Jessep, acting chairman of the Unemployment Board, in connection with the Hikurangi coal situation, returned by the late train last eveninj?. An optimistic view was taken by Mr. A. J. Murdoch, M.P., when interviewed this 'morning. "Nothing definite has been decided," he said, "but we were given a very sympathetic hearing and are hopeful that something of a satisfactory nature will evolve from it." Mr. Murdoch said the Railways Board was considering the matter next week, and there was every possibility that a decision would be reached by the end of the week. In the meantime, said Mr. Murdoch, Wilsons (N.Z.) Portland Cement, Ltd., was carrying fehe Waro Colliery along, but the Cement Company was in the position where it would simply have to curtail its purchase of coal. At present there- were 8000 tons stored at the works, and Wilsons were experiencing great difficulty in keeping it from firing by spontaneous combustion. Until such a tim,e. as the company could reduce the stocks, it was not in the position to take the order of 800 tons existing under the present contract. If trade were to improve the company would use it more quickly, but in the meantime that was impossible and the Waro Colliery would have to have assistance from elsewhere.