FIND OF BLUE METAL

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 59, 4 December 1923, Page 3

FIND OF BLUE METAL

ON HOROKIWI ROAD. Good road metal of enduring onalitv is rather rare throughout the whole of tho southern half of the North Island. Metal has been conveyed by rail from Belmont and Paeknkariki to Taranaki for nearly fifteen years past, and the local demand for sound blue metal increases with the demand on all hands for good roads. It is therefore interesting to learn that a big patch of blue metal (coarse-grained grey wack) has been located on Kooky C rn ek. n-*» . ° mile un the old Horokiwi wniqh leaves the Hutt road about Jialf a mile this side of the Korokoro stream. Messrs. James Martin, of the Hutt, and George Hawk. of Wellington who have secured a block of 25 acres of this land, have submitted samples to the Minister of Mines, who. after having it analysed, has pronounced it to be a good class of metal, excellent for roadmaking. Great boulders, some 15 to 20 tons weight, lie about the creek, and there is said to be an extensive face of metal, equal in quality to that submitted to the Department. Though the Horokiwi Road is stiffly graded, the creek lies 50ft. to 100 ft. below it at the point where the metal is exposed and it would not be difficult to make a tramway from the spot to. a position alongside the Hutt road suitable for the establishment of a crushing plant.