UNTOLD WEALTH

Northern Advocate, 17 September 1927, Page 10

UNTOLD WEALTH

PRACTICALLY UNTOUCHED. COALFIELDS OF THE NORTH, THE HIKUBANGI MINES. The Hikurangi coal mines alone, are one of the factors which contributes to the general prosperity of the North Auckland Peninsula, where coal abounds in practically unlimited quantity, and which up to the present, has hardly been touched. Mining for coal at the Hikurangi Company’s property commenced in 1894, when about 100 inen were employed. The winning of coal in those* days was comparatively an easy matter, as it was practically on the surface and for a good iinany years a greater depth than 76 feet was not gone to. At the present time the company is operating in two distinct localities, the shafts being about 1000 yafds apart. In the early part of 1926, one of the mines flooded and operations were suspended until November of that year. In order to de-water the mine the company was involved in gn expenditure of £12,000.. On the recommencement of operations the output was:—November 1800 tons, December 1800 tons, January 2800 tons and February 4900 tons. Since then the production has grown to 8186 tons in August, 1927. The output from November, 1926, to August, 1927, was 55,374 tons, which, is valued at £61,000 and the wages earned by the 200 employees in this period was £42,350.