STATE COAL MINES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 148, 24 June 1914, Page 8

STATE COAL MINES

» MANAGEMENT TO BE CENTRALISED MR, GASQUOINE'S RETIREMENT. An important alteration is about to be made in the Mines Department, by which the management of the State coal mines is to be directed from the office of the Mines Department, instead of from a separate office, at heretofore. This is part of a policy of centralisation which the Department is pursuing, presumably with a, view to securing greater economy of management. It is hoped, ultimately, to have the Geological Survey branch of the Department removed from its present habitat in Featherstonstreet to the head office. ' The alteration will involve the retirement of Mr. W. C. Gasquoine, at present general manager of the State Coal Mines Department, and will take effect in about a month's time. Mr. Gasquoine has been connected with the State Coal Mines Department for several years. He had considerable experience in the coal industry on the West Coast prior to taking up his residence in Wellington, many years ago. After settling down here he was engaged in the coal trade, for some time, and subsequently assumed the general managership of the State coal mines. , The impending retirement, on superannuation, of Mr. J. Bishop, manager of tho Point Elizabeth State mine, is also announced. Mr. Bishop's position will bo taken by Mr. I. A. James, late manager of the Seddonvillo mine, which has recently been closed down. Mr. Bishop is well known and popular. He not only managed very efficiently tho present State coal mine, tho Point Elizabeth, some miles out of Greymouth, but he has also opened out and brought' into production the new State coaL mine, . about five miles from the present one, and which has been named the Liverpool mine, after His Excellency the Governor. This new mine has been developed and equipped, in a most up-to-date manner, and is likely to yield a large and continuous supply of State coal.