DEVELOPMENT OF STATE COAL MINES.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12399, 14 November 1908, Page 3

DEVELOPMENT OF STATE COAL MINES.

— • — ; ■■-. I A HAKBOUK SCHEME. [United Pbess Association.] Greymoutb, Nov. 19.I 9 . Speaking at .Uobden last night, the Hon. A. K Guinness, in discus- ; sing State coal mines, said that the " Seddonville mine would have to be closed, as it baa never paid, /while the Dunollie mine was a protitablfr • concern. He considered the duty of. the Government was to take over the Wallsend coal area and work it.siio- . cessfully. By so doing this would' " enable a large output of coal to be sent away, and it behoved them to look around for an auxiliary: harbour, and that lei him to speak of Point Elizabeth as an alternative port The Admiralty had signified that it was not a harbour suitable for its own strategical purposes, but admitted that it was of use as a commercial port. Therefore it behoved the Government, in view of the development of the various coal areas in the locality, viz., the Pa- ' paraoa 3ortb, Brunner, and the others, besides their own State mines, to look to this harbour for an additional- source of export. In this connection, be should, if elected, be an advocate for a flying sur- ' vey to be made of the country northward of Point Elizabeth as far as Brighton, with a view of putting a. railway aloog there and so opening. a number of indusrties. In addition, it was highly necessary that the harbour at Point Elizabeth should be made, and there -were times when the blockage of the timber traffic demanded anotner outlet. He said that he had seen the agent of a company which was willing to. construct and work the harbour, provided that it was granted control over it for' ninety-nine years, but it would be far better for the Government to keep the control of it, and work it in the interests oi the people.