THE PAPAROA COAL COMPANY'S PROPERTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2649, 21 December 1904, Page 45

THE PAPAROA COAL COMPANY'S PROPERTY.

A NATIONAL ASSET. 'Lilt- ma;;ni(K cut f-Uite o! the l'j L ).\io,i Coal Company is a proved mining proposition that is destined in the neai lutiire to rank .unong the greatest of Austrahi&i.ni coal suppliers 'I he poperty is situated on Mount Davy, m the F.iparoa. Ranges two and ,i-h,ilf miles fiom tie ttwn of Blaekbi I . To roach the place irom the fchipmni' poit of (-Jieymrmth, one tra\els by ti\uu to Xgahere 15 miios distant, and thence by coach to Blackball, which is three mi es west o>f Xgahere on the other side of the Grey River. The latter is spanned by a magnificent load and ranway budge about hall a mile long, which has been lecently comp.eted The property consists ot a lease of 1000 aeies from the Crown, and various other rights and pnvileges in connection therewith. Ihe coal was discovered by Mr Xeilsen some five years ago. Owing to its excellent qualities for gold mine smithy use it was worth while carrying the coal on men's backs a distance of five miles over rough mountain ndges. Some time 'ater Mr XeiUen induced Messrs Cutten. Faithful, Nees, and other mining men to inspect the outcrops, with the result that the land was taken up ajid thoroughly prospected with results far surpassing the most sanguine expectations of tlhe venturers. To Mr Fred A. Cutten. A M.I.C.E. (now in London), is large y due the success achieved. For five months. ;n 1903, he resided on the property with a large staff of men, making a complete mining survey of the enormous coal deposits, and devising schemes for their successful working. Subsequently the property has been intpected by various of the Government mine inspectors, many col.iery managers, and iepcrted on by Mr Daniel, F.G.S , and other mining engineeis, either for the company or for othei interests. It is general'y known tliat all these <,pntlemen are unanimously of opinion that for quality and quantity of coal the area is unequalled in the Soiithem Hemisphere. (See artie'e in last week's Witness and LontiiiUPlion elsewhere in the present iseue.)

J'hotos by Ring, Grrymouth.)

ELECTRIFICATION OF RAILWAYS. ♦ Regarding the electrification of railways, the Electrician, London, states: — "It appears that American railways, as well as English, feel tramway competition to a considerable extent, but they are endeavouring to meet it in quite an original way. Instead of ' electrifying ' their own lines, they are buying up the electric lines which run parallel to their own steam routes. This is doubtless excellent for the railways, but it is by no means clear that it will be equally beneficial to the public. Moreover, it appears that such procedure would not be possible, or, at anyrate, feasible, in England, owing to a large number of the tramway undertakings being worked and owned by municipalities. By means of an act of Parliament, however, a municipal tramway could be leased to a railway company, and an arrangement could be arrived at similar to that existing between the Middlesex County Council and the Metropolitan Electric Tramways (Limited). .But local authorities have learned too well the value of electric tramways to allow them to pass out of their hands so easily,, and to hand them over to competing railway companies would certainly not tend to increase travelling facilities. The only remedy for the railways, therefore, is 'electrification,' and this fact is receiving greater recognition every day." The same journal adds that " Mr F. E. Bradford (Noyes Bros.) has been retained by the South Australian and Victorian Governments to report on the advisability of converting certain suburban railways to electric traction." According to published statements here this is not correct.