MILLIONS OF TONS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 2 May 1922, Page 2

MILLIONS OF TONS.

6&££ I.LiSOURCES ON WEST COAST

NEED FOR EFFICIENT TRANSPORT

"There is no place in New Zealand which has suffered so much and so long from depression and other causes, mainly other causes, than the West Coast of the South Island, First, the petering out of the alluvial gold working, then the failure of the dredging industry, and lastly the coal troublesall combined to injure the well-being of the communities down there to such an extent as would have absolutely ruined any district where the settlers were not so resourceful, so inured to bad times, or so determined to make the best of things whatever they might be." In these words Mr. Stuart Wilson, who recently visited the West Coast, opened an interview with a Dominion representative.

"Coal, cheap, plentiful, and easy 61 access," said Mir. Wilson, "is the crying want at present of this Dominion, whatever may be the prospects or the possibilities of other kinds of fuel. For that reason I want to bring before the community and the powers that be thi! necessity for the provision of measures for the development of the great coal resources of the Westport district in such a way as to cheapen the cost of production, mainly in the way of economical and efficient transport from the great store of good 'coal existing there. It is almost superfluous to eulogise the steaming qualities of Westport coal, for the knowledge is worldwide. In Tact, it is estimated that two knots more can be easily attained by steamships through its use.

ALMOST INEXHAUSTIBLE SUPPLY. "It has been estimated by Mr. P. G. Morgan, ot the staff of the Mines Department, that there are 70,000,01)0 tons of good coal available in the Buller Valley alone if efficient means of transport were obtainable, and other geologies have asserted that there are fifty | miles of country, between Nelson and Greymouth m which coal of excellent | quality can be tapped at varying I depths. *

"In 1912 the exports of coal Irom Westport totalled 812,511 tons. During the last twelve months that quantity was reduced to half a million tons. There is no reason to justify that, as the supply of coal in the district is in- j , exhaustible, except the action of Sir i i "William Fraser in 1916 in stopping the j construction of the Buller Gorge railway, which had only to be carried another *Wo miles to tap an immense quantity of good coal. This railway was authorised in 1904, and although £152,419 has been spent on its construction, it lies there, with its permanent way finished, its station build- ' ings, etc., erected, its cattle stops, and even lhe notices, "Stop—look out for i the engine!" all waiting for the pas j sengers and,goods traffic which would : be available if the line were/only carried ' to a payable point. It is a remarkable i fact, but nevertheless true, that the ) best paying railway I'ne in New Zealand ; is the Westport-T*Tgawakau railway, ' although the traffic is almost exclusively confined to coal. ,J,'pA m veiir Pcr ~ cenfage of expenditure L o revenue was 75.29, the lowest in New Zealand, while the- amount of the revenue was £11,058 higher than for the previous year, every other line showing a decrease except Kaihu, another mineral line (increase j £82^3) and Picton-Blenheim (increase £198). If the line were only carried two miles! further it would tap large supplies of good coal,; and an additional ' two miles would bring it to inexhaustible supplies of this useful mineral. The ! estimated cost of completion of the line ' tolnangahua, where it would join the' Reefton-Greymouth line, is £440,000 for the 22" miles, thus giving two outlets to the large coal measures in sight, but j even four miles extension would, as | pointed out, be worthy of the result . sure to follow.

SURPRISING POSSIBILITIES. ■"When the Premier was on the West | Coasl his attention v.-as drawn to this | matter, and, after going into it, Mr. Massey expressed his surprise at the possibilities ahead, and said he was convinced that the line should be put through directly the Otira line was completed. "In addrtton to coal there are large forests- of valuable timber only waiting to be-tapped, and, in view of a shortage jof timber in the near future, and the fact that gootl water carriage could easily be obtained at Westport, it is a matter well worthy of being taken into consideration.

"In regard to Westport itself," con- I eluded* Mr. Wilson, "it was a treat I to see tlie- great improvement in the j 'town' compared to three years ago. I There are few empty shops or houses, and' business is very much better than it lias Teen for mafoy years. The revival iii the coal" industry has undoubtedly had a great influence on this result, but trade generally is better, I and the people are very hopeful regarding tne Future outlook if the district is only given a fair chance to obtain assistance in tne right direction for its Fu-fivre development. Undoubtedly the first requisite ,is the completion of the "Westport-Tnangahua railway to a payable /poTiit, ancT its use for the carriage of timber and minerals."