WEST COAST TRADE
FIGURES GIVEN BY MAYOR In the course of his speech of welcome to Sir Harry Batterbee, High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in New Zealand, during the civic reception, at Greymouth last evening, the Mayor (Mr. F. A. Kitchingham) gave some figures showing production on the West Coast in 1939. During that year, over 500,000 tons of coal were produced in the Grey district, it being the first occasion on
which the district had exceeded the half-million mark. The three West Coast counties produced over £900,000 worth of gold, last year, an increase of nearly 50 per cent, on the production of the previous year. It was not expected that there would be a similar increase, this year, but ‘as further t dredges came into operation,, it was probable that the gold production ' would be worth over £ l,00Q;000 per annum; Timber production last year totalled 64,000,000 .superficial feet, which was practically all rimu. Its value, at the mills was £570,000. : - 'There were, .however, certain factors which .counterbalanced the production figures, and he pointed. out that the district.was living almost entirely on its ; capital. ..Gold and coal could not. be reproduced.. Reafforestation. could' reproduce timber,-, but none of it was being-carried'out. The farming industry was on a comparatively small .scale.. Exports through the Otira tunnel.amounted- to about,.9ooo cattle and calves per; annum, but he did not know what the percentages were, of cattle'to/calves. Sheep and pigs sent through th’e tunnel totalled about 60,000, - representing a value. of approximately? as many pounds. Compared with gold, coal, and tiihber, the annual ihrming production was. small.
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Greymouth Evening Star, 4 December 1940, Page 5
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265WEST COAST TRADE Greymouth Evening Star, 4 December 1940, Page 5
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