THE WEST COAST COAL TRADE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 8966, 17 April 1890, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE WEST COAST COAL TRADE.

Gkeymouth, March 25. • A large meeting of citizens was hold tonight (the Mayor iu the chair) to protest against the obstructions offered by the authorities to the development of working the cod seams in connection with the Paparoa railway. The chief protests were (!)■ against the terminal charge of Is 3d per ton for the use of a few chains of railway f (2) refusing to consent to the alternative proposal of the Companies to erect a wharf on the Cobden bank of the river. Several speakers hinted that the obstruction was made in the interest of the coal monopoly here. It was resolved to forward copies of the following resolutions to the Premier and the Minister for Public Works:—(l)That as the Greymonth harbour works and the Brunner railway were constructed for developing the coal trade of the district, this meeting is of opinion that the Railway Commissioners by patting a prohibitive charge of Is 3d per -ton for terminal charges for shipping coal at Greymouth wharf from Coal Creek and Point Elizabeth mines arc not carrying out the powers entrusted to them by Parliament so as to give effect to the undoubted intention with which the harbour and railway were originally constructed and now calculated to develop the coal resources of the district. (2) That in the opinion of the meeting, erecting a wharf and railway on the north side of the river according to the plans would not endanger the town in tho event of a flood, or interfere with the navigation of the port, but . would really facilitate the encouragement of the development of the immense coali resources of the district.