TWENTY MEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 290, 8 December 1933, Page 8

TWENTY MEN.

HIKURANGI MINE.

HELP FROM BOARD.

WORK FOR THREE MONTHS,

ißy Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day,

To prevent the township of Hikurangi being left without its chicf source of income, the working of the mines, the Unemployment Board has agreed to provide 20 men for a period of three months to give the Hikurangi Ct.al Company time to jnstal modern plant, which will be of sufficient capacity to eliminate the danger of flooding.

Advice to this effect has been received by Mr. A. J. Muydooh, M.P., who, with Mr. L. J. Stevens, representative of the debenture holders in the Hikurangi Coal Company, has been conducting the negotiations with the board. Through the co-operative party which was working the Wilson mine adjoining the Hikurangi mine ceasing operations, there was a danger of the Hikurangi mine becoming flooded through water seeping through from the Wilson mine. The Hikurangi Company has been making arrangements for the installation of a new pumping plant, which will control the inflow of water in its own mine and the seepage from the Wilson mine at cheaper cost than in the past; but it has been necessary to make arrangements for carrying on until the new equipment is installed, and this is the reason for the granting of assistance by the Unemployment Board. It is anticipated that the action of the board will result in many men who ■had been thrown out of work by the closing of the Wilson mine being reengaged later by the Hikurangi Company, and will prevent the township j losing its principal source of income. -