THE STATE COALMINE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1681, 18 May 1904, Page 60

THE STATE COALMINE.

The output from the State coal-mina at Sed'donviile is now about 1500 tons '

per week, and the quantity could be increased at once to 2000 tons. It is expected that the yield' from the mines at Greymouth by the end of the present month will he 1500 tons, so that there will then be an output of 3000 tons from the State mines. The railway from Coal Creek to Greymouth, five miles in length, is ready for use, and is to be taken over by the Railway Department from the Public Works Department in a few days. The engineer of one of the Union Company's large steamers/ has enthusiastically praised the excellent qualities of the Seddomiille coal, saying that, in his opinion, there is no coal equal to it on the market for steaming purposes. It is probable that the chief market for tlie State coal will be in Wellington. A statement reoently published in some of the Southern papers that 40,000 tons have already teen placed in Southland and Otago is not correct. The mistake evidently occurred through the fact that orders for brown and lignite coal have been placed by the Government in Auckland and Otago with local mine-owners, as the coal can he obtained at -a cheap rate locally.