EARLY FINALITY TO KAMO MINE DEAL

Northern Advocate, 25 November 1947, Page 4

EARLY FINALITY TO KAMO MINE DEAL

WHILE no official announcement has yet been made on the progress of negotiations by the state for the acquisition of the Kamo mine, it is believed that finalisation of the deal will be only a matter of days.

Useful gear from the Waro mine at Hikurangi, abandoned after being worked out towards the end of August, is being moved to Kamo.

Negotiations for the Kamo mine have been in train for the past two years and an endeavour to speed up their progress was made when the end of mining operations at Hikurangi. was in sight.

On August 23 it was announced in the House of Representatives that the Kamo mine was under offer to the state, but no further official reference to the negotiations has been made.

The news that the Government intended to take the mine under the Public Works Act, was made known on September 18 and at that time, it was stated that five or six weeks would be required to accomplish this.

On October 11, Mr J. Hadcroft, who had been appointed by the state as manager of the Kamo coal fields, arrived in Whangarei from Greymouth where he had been deputy-superinten-dent of state mines. It is understood that Mr Hadcroft’s main duty so far has been in connection with Waro equipment suitable for use at Kamo.

Two months have now elapsed since the Waro mine was abandoned and, during that time the Waro miners have been employed on various jobs around Hikurangi, and on the preparatory work on the new Onerahi highway.

Those on the Onerahi Road project have been employed by the Public Works Department, and, according to the district engineer (Mr L-. May), they have been doing a good job. When the state takes over the Kamo mine, they will resume their mining occupation, and although inquiries in Whangarei today did not reveal any new developments in negotiations between mine-owners and the Government, it is believed that finality will be reached in the near future.