MINE CEASES PRODUCTION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 13 January 1944, Page 2

MINE CEASES PRODUCTION

INSUFFICIENT WATER SUPPLY Westport, Jan. 12. The Westport Cascade Co-operative coal mine, situated in the Buffer Gorge, has. because of the scarcity of water, been forced to cease production. The mine, which produces the best household and steam coal on the West Coast, is situated some miles from the main road and railway, and is dependent upon a substantial water supply to convey the coal through seven miles of fluming to the bins on the gorge railway. Cascade creek, which supplies the water to take the coal down the fluming, is now. because of the continued dry spell, a dry riverbed, and until rain sets in the output from the mine will cease. The acute shortage of coal at the present time because of stoppages at mines in the Westport district and the dispute at Millerton was shown when the s.s. Poolta, which sailed for Napier on Tuesday evening, was 500 tons short of her total capacity, and the s.s. Kartigi, in port loading timber and coal for Wellington, will not be fully loaded before Thursday night. Last evening only 25 to 30 wagons of coal were in the railway yards, and a special train left at 7 o’clock for Reefton with 30 empty wagons. This train will connect with a special train from Greymouth, and will bring through about 200 tons of coal for shipment from the Greymouth mines.

The Railways Department on the east coast is badly in need of coal, and an endeavour is being made to rail 200 tons through from Westport to alleviate the position before Friday. It was stated to-day by Mr W. Hardie, managing director of the WestportStockton Coal Company, that if the coal cannot be procurable before Saturday, there was a possibility of the train services on the east coast being seriously curtailed. Mr C. H. Benney, Under-Secretary of Mines, arrived to-day by special aeroplane from Wellington to investigate the trouble at the Millerton mine.