TARANAKI COAL MEASURES

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1929, Page 12

TARANAKI COAL MEASURES

EXPLOITING TANGARAKAU

WORK ALMOST COMPLETE

MEETING OF EGMONT COLLIERIES

Only seventeen chains of the four-

mile tramway from Tangarakau Flat to the mines remained to be laid, remarked the chairman (Mr. T. C. List) at the annual meeting of the Egmont Collieries, Ltd., at Stratford on Tuesday evening. The last bridge should also be out bf hand by that time. The erection of the screening plant at the flat was almost completed, whilst the installation of tire ventilating plant at the mines and the coal-cutting and driving machinery was being proceeded with apace. The large tubular, boiler in connection with this plant would have to be taken to the site by the tramway, as it was too big and cumbersome to be conveyed, by road over the Moki Saddle to the mine. A first-class job was being made of the tramway. The very wet winter and spring had been responsible for considerable delay and extra cost, as slips had come down in several places and had t aken weeks to 'clear. The chairman remarked that the mine would be open shortly after the holidays. The mine cutting machinery would not be-ready by t then, but hand methods would meantime be employed. Satisfactory arrangements for the disposal of the whole output of the coal for three years had been made, and reports received from the factories which had already tried out the coal were of a very encouraging nature. As with most mines, the qualify of the coal improved as' the weight of the overlay increased, and there was good reason to believe that the coal, as they got further in, would be foiling to be equal in quality to the best of -the North Island coals..

Mr. W. Shanks said trials had proved the. coal already won was 20 pm- cent, better' in calorific power than any North Island coal, and was* only 10 per cent, inferior to the best Westport coal. No mine was go favourably situated as the Tangarakau, and he looked forward with confidence to the mine supplying the whole of the Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu districts.

Mr. W. H. Millward (Wanganui) said the coal was an extraordinary good kind and there would be no difficulty in disposing of every ton mined. -He had been out to the mine on more than one occasion, and was impressed with -the thoroughness and solidity of- the work and the keenness and enthusiasm of the engineers and staff. The company was also fortunate in. having such an excellent directorate, who during the year had laid the foundations of what he predicted would prove one of the most successful ventures of its kind in the Dominion.

Mr. W. L. Chambers (Opunake) spoke approvingly of the work done by the company’s officials and directors, and felt sure the policy being followed was wise and prudent. He hoped later on shareholders would be given an opportunity of visiting and inspecting the mine.

The chairman said the official opening would take place as soon as the coal-cutting machinery was in opera-

tion. The Minister for Mines (the Hon. W. A. Veitch) had consented to officiate on the- occasion, which would be made a red letter day for the province, and a special train arranged for to convey shareholders and' the public out to the mine.

Messrs. Sinclair Macalister and Gordon Fraser were re-elected directors, and 'Messrs. Duff and Wynyard auditors. At .a subsequent meeting of directors Mr. T. C. List re-elected chairman.

Appreciative reference was made to the work of the secretary (Mr.. R. 8. - Anderson), to' that of the tramways engineers (Messrs. Sladden and Palmer), Mr. Walter Leitch (technical adviser), and' Mr. W. Whittleston (mine manager). . - *

KING’S THEATRE, STRATFORD. “THE HOME TOWNERS” COMEDY. “The Home Towncrs,” the Warner Bros.’ all-talking, all-star film, is really an unusual picture, because it is the work of one df the greatest in character drawing-and play-making the world has produced. For the making of “The Home Townere,” Warner Bros, have assembled an unusual all-star cast, every member of which has had both stage and screen experience. The cast includes Richard Bennett. Doris Kenyon, Robert McWade, Robert Edeson, Gladys Brockwell, John Miljau. Vera Lewis, Stanley Taylor. James T. Mack and Patricia Caron.* Bryan Foy, directed. Addison Burkhart and Murray Roth adapted the joyous play to the screen.