MINING INDUSTRY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7029, 18 January 1910, Page 5

MINING INDUSTRY

WEST COAST DEVELOPMENT. A BRIGHT FUTURE. Mr P. J- O'Regan, who has been spending a fortnight on the West Coast, had some interesting remarks to make to a “Times” reporter concerning the mining industry there. “The coal trade,” he remarked, “is exceedingly brisk. This is largely due to the Newcastle strike, but eliminating that factor altogether, the position of the coal trade is eminently satisfactory. Nothing has given greater public satisfaction than the amicable settlement of the State coal miners' trouble, and I think it may be taken for granted that the industrial outlook, .so far as the West Coast is concerned, is all ‘for peace. The impression was that the Minister of. Mines in his conference with the men rose to the occasion. He very properly realised that where several hundred men were unanimous there must b© some substantial ground for complaint, and without giving them conditions better than those obtaining in tho other coal mines, he was able to agree to terms that were quite satisfactory to the miners. The result has been to relieve a painful situation, and everybody on the Coast is gratified at the turn events have taken. “With reference to the gold mining industry, I think that few people realise tne great 'future there is before the West Coast. Many years ago Professor Black, of Dunedin, described Reefton as the most hopeful mining district in New Zealand, and X believe that description was never more applicable than it is to-day. It is quite clear that so far little more than surface work has been -done, but the Globe shaft is now down 1600 feet, at which depth there excellent stone, and the diamond drill has gone 500 feet further on good payable stone. In the Big River mine a depth of J2OO feet has been attained, and the stone is richer than ever in the history of the mine. Everything points to the fact that with proper deep level prospecting* very rich reefs will be discovered in the Beef ton district, A belt of quartz country extends, .roughly speaking, from Big River to Lyell, a distance of about 40 miles, and for fully half that distance really nothing has been done to test the country; in fact, I am more than ever convinced that sufficient attention is not beings given, either by the State or by private enterprise, to the development of the gold mining industry- ’ '“Very good progress is being made with the railway line from Reefton to Westjport. Prom Reefton to the Inangahua Landing, a distance of sixteen miles, very little more remains to be done, except to lay the rails. At the Landing itself there is a huge cutting being made. This will still take about a year to complete, by which time the line should be formed to the Inangahua Junction, a distance of twenty-one miles from Reefton. At the Westport end the line has been formed a distance of some eight miles. The really difficult country still remains to be negotiated, but there is a probability that by a deviation to the eastward about a mile south of the Inangahua Junction a distance of five miles will bo saved. This proposal is now being investigated by the Minister of Public Works, who has made a personal inspection of the proposed route. Whatever' rout© is ultimately decided upon, I am quite satisfied that the Minister of Public Works will not countenance the absurdity of following the course of tho Buller round the limestone cliffs below the Junction., You will recollect that I commented upon this very strongly in an article in the “New Zealand Times' some months ago.”