MOKAU DISTRICT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 84, 29 May 1911, Page 5

MOKAU DISTRICT.

A BIG DEVELOPMENT SCHEME. PROSPEROUS TIMES AHEAD. , All tilings appear to be working together for New Plymouth’s good. Th« coming of the ironsand capital, the salt of the Taranaki Petroleum Company to a big English company, the deepening ot the New Plymouth harbor, and the arrival of direct shipments from Homo, are now followed by the announcement that the Mokau lands, which for a long time have been a drag on the progress of Taranaki, are to bo closely settled, and that the great coal deposits there arc to be developed by a company which has the necessary capital to put large and regular supplies of the coal on the market.

On Friday Messrs. J. M. Johnston and C. A. Loughnan (of Palmerston North), secretary and solicitor to the recentlyformed Mokau Coal Estates Company, completed, with Mr. G. H. Stubbs, of Waitara, and Mr. J. H: Quilliam (of Messrs. Govett and Qilillinm, solicitors to the vendor), the purchase of the mineral rights in the Mangapapa Block and the coal mine contained therein, heretofore possessed by Sir. Stubbs. Messrs. Johnston and Loughnan had already completed for the company the purchase of ' what is familiarly termed the Mokau Jones (the Mokau-Mohaka-tjno) block. The Mangapapa block consists of 14,000 acres of leasehold, on the northern bank of the Mokau river. The .surface rights over it have been acquired by Messrs. Mason Chambers and Bernard Chambers. The ’company which ’is; now in possession of the mineral rights intends to continue working the coal mine and considerably developing it. The company will spare no capital to put the colliery into a thoroughly efficient state for large deliveries of the coal, which is well-known bn account of its excellent quality, both for atcarii and household purposes. The coal measures will he worked to their full capacity, and either' fiver steamers or -auxiliary scows will be utilised in the transportation of the coal, which: will be placed on the markets of the West Coast of this island as early as possible. Vessels, however, wiJL not be ; purchased by the company, which does riot desire to-iiiter-fere with existing interests of • this nature, but will have The transportatioji carried out cither by .garter or; contract. Mr. Stubbs will continue in charge of the colliery, as manager for the company. It is the company’s intention that New Plymouth shall be the headquarters of its. coal business, because the Mokau river can be more conveniently worked from this port; tides thus riot havipg to be taken: into consideration. . It ‘is not, however,' iritended that; the Waitara depot arid yards'shall be’relinquished. : , . 'C : ' : V’ u '•r

;It is 1 stated’ tha t Messrs Nelson > Bros’.; wlw own the Tojnoana freezing works in Hawke’s Bay, . will take their large Supf plies pf...-.coal: from ■tlio mines direct, inaugurating a. seryice from Mokaii .to tlip East Coast by means of scows. ‘ The coal property is 'particularly ea'Sy of, development. The coal outcrops freely along the. river, and :it will:probably bo possible,*as in.the case of the, present nime, to bring the coal direct from; the face to the ship's-.lipid, the ship being moored only a few yards away from the pit; mouth. Sea carfiage' to the. various West Coast ports should; place the, minfe on a gocid- footing as f compared ivith those mines which have railway freights to pay./ The construction of yards and the holding of large stocks locally for feranaki wbl jre - a good thing fbrthe port of New Plymouth, and for the town generally. . .The company reserves the ; -mineral rights throughout, both blocks, .which contain, , in; addition to yioal, ‘ liirge dc : - posits of limCstonp : suitable’ for cement, aridyjf Tirecloy of superior quality. These ‘ will also be developed.' . It will be re- > membered that the late Mr. E.M. Smith ]|ad an.unboimded faith in these deposits, and went to London in an attempt to induce English 'capital to take up the development. The Mokau-Mohakatino block ' coptains some, ,46,000 : acres • of' freehold, with. a frontage , of about, fifty nflles on the southern bank of' the Mokaii river. It will bp surveyed' and cut. up into suitable ■ sections for - immediate sale. Messrs. Sladden ■ and Palmer,' ofNew Plymouth, haVe already been instructed to carry out 'this work', as well as’ the laying-out of the necessary roads to be formed by the; company. From fifteen to twenty men will be engaged on the survej T , and from 150 to 200 on the road-making, the company Using every effort to complete the work quickly. As soon as about 10,000 or 15,006 acres have been subdivided into sections, ranging in area from 200 or 300 acres to 1500 or 2000 acres (according to the nature of the country), this area will be offered for sale, and the whole block will be opened up for settlement in similar areas. It is the hope of the company, if the surveys and plans are completed, to have the whole of tho 46,000 acres sold within the next twelve months, and to have*about fifty families on the land in "that time.

.The property is very suitable for subdivision, and bas splendid means of access. Besides a good road from Waitara and another good road from Te Kuiti, there is the river. At present launches can go up the river for about 23' miles, and if some snptggihg is done at the, rapids launches could travel righ up to the end of the river frontage o the block, some fifty miles. The block extends almost to the mouth of th river. Steamers of 150 tons register can now go up to the coal mine, about 23 miles from the mouth.

It is the intention of the company, in conjunction with the Hon. T. .Mackenzie, Minister for Agriculture ami Minister in charge of the Tourist Department, to completely protect the scenic beauties of the river. The Messrs. Chambers arc also most desirous of protecting the scenic features of their frontage "to the northern bank, and will Avork in co-operation with the Minister and the company. It ,is pointed out that tourists, could motor from To Kuiti to Totoro, thence by boat doAvn the river to the mouth, arid either come on to New Plymouth by boat from the river, or to Waitara and motor to Ncav Plymouth; from New Plymouth to Wanganui, thence by river -boats to Taumarunui, and back to Ta Kuiti, giving a “round trip,” in , Avhieh there are many places of interest and of beauty. The necessary reserves for school arid creamery sites and recreation grounds, etc., in' the Mokau-Mohakatino block Avill be set apart by the company. At. present the company does not intend to Avork the great amount of timber in the block.

The company was floated by Messrs. J. M. Johnston (Palmerston North) and David Whyte. (Hastings), with a capital of £IOO,OOO. It consists chiefly of prominent Hawke’s Bay and Mnnawatu gentlemen, with Mr. R. McNab, formerly Minister for Agriculture, as chair- ■ man.—“ Nows.”