Coal in the Hinterland

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1930, Page 5 (Supplement)

Coal in the Hinterland

Taranaki's ReOuled Industry

Since the earliest pioneering days of the province of Taranaki the existence of large coal measures in the hinterland has been known; but tho difficulties of .mining and transporting have beqn successfully overcome only in the past year or so. Since the eighties numerous efforts have been made to exploit with commercial success the rich coal deposits, and these culminated in the opening early this year of a large niine at Tahgarakau Which, has now become easily accessible 'by the newly formed Stratford-Main Trunk railway. The company, Egrnont Collieries Ltd., has been operating successfully for the greater part of the year. Another venture, Mokau Collieries Ltd., was formed recently, and the work of opening the mine is in progress. The scheme will entail shipping the coal by steamer from the mine, which is situated about fourteen miles up the Mokau River, to ports along the West Coast.

Knowledge of a coal field at Tangarakau dates ■from the beginning of (settlement in Taranaki. The Austrian geologist, Dr. Hochestetter, declared that one of the. largest and most extensive coal fields in New Zealand lay between the Mokau and Raurimu. In the "early forties J. G. 'Crawford heard, from the Maoris 'accounts’ of coal along the 'banks of* the Tangarakau River. 'But until tho railway line . was completed to Tangarakau the ■mine could not be,regarded as an economic success, owing to the vital factor of co<st of transport;

The mine at Tangarakau was officially 'opened by the Honourable IV. Veitch, then Minister ‘of Mines, at the end of last-March, but it was not until the middle of May that any fixed output was established; as a good deal of the plant and i machinery, including the coal cutting machine, had not been installed until then. From the middle of May up to the pre.sent time many thousands of tons of coal have been mined and marketed chiefly throughout Taranaki, although a considerable quan- 1

tity has been disposed of in. Wanganui and even iso far afield as Wellington city. This industry 'promises to be one of the most successful andimportant of Taranaki's secondary industries, and/ should play a. large part in "absorbing labour and 'cheapening fuel costs both to the householders and to-the dairy-factories in the province. The dally output is steadily increasing, and at the present time. 36 dairy factories, in addition to other industrial plants, are regular users of the Company’s coal. Tho use of the coal in Taranaki and the West Goast has resulted , in considerable savings, in the 1 fuel bills of these concerns, one dairy factory alone in the province estimating its. annual saying in fuel through using the company’s coal, instead of the coal from the Waikato ae previously, at between £7OO and £BOO per annum, ilh.these hard times when the dairy farmer is right up against it, and it is hard to reduce his working costs, it is pleasing' to note that here at least considerable savings to the dairy factories and farmers can be obtained. The company’s coal has also been, found very suitable for gas producer plants, and- three industrial concerns are using' it withgreat success for that purpose as it produces about 25' per cent, more gas than the coals previously in use in this district for that purpose. The company at present employs, on. an average, 52 men in its mining operations, and is thereby

helping to relieve the unemployment difficulty and directly or indirectly its advent results in the maintenance of possibly 250 people including the dependents of those actually engaged in working. As the demand for the coal increases two very desirable results will follow; firstly,-the reduction of the working cost of producing the coal, with possible future reductions in price to the consumers, and ‘secondly, an increase in the number of men employed. A second coal cutting machine has been procured, to cope with the demand, and' it is hoped to have this installed and in working order immediately after the New fear. The shareholders are scattered throughout the North Island but the great bulk of them naturally ;.re residents of Taranaki, the directorate being composed entirely of well-known Taranaki business men. ' The increase in the railway freights for coal, which -were gazetted on December 9, will give Taranaki users a further advantage in price by using local coal instead of coal imported from outside districts. ■ Coal had been shipped from Mokau in varying quantities for - many years. The knowledge that coal existed in the* Mokau district dated from the time of the first geological survey undertaken by Dr. E. Dieffenbach, naturalist, to the New Zealand Company', in -1839. In 1878, Hochstetter, the pioneer of New Zealand gepl-ogy, had travelled many miles through the uplands bordering on the Mokau and Wanganui Rivers. Later; in 1878, a further examination of the Mokau River and adjacent country was made by Sir James Hector, and it had probably been from his observations that the idea of working the Mokau coal seanis originated. 'So far, as could be ascertained the first shipment of coal was one brought to Waitara at the instance of Mr. Bluck, then stationmastbr there, 50 years ago. From then on a number ‘-of companies were floated, the ' ventures being carried on with varying degrees of success. Iq 1927, how-' ever, Mr. W. Christoffel had obtained and registered a 30 years’ lease of a block of 3058 acres of the land containing rights to mine the seams, which, so far as was known, were those nearest to the mouth of the Mokau River, and about a year later the Mokau coal syndicate had been formed with a view to obtaining a mining option over this land, prospecting a portion of the area, and if prospects were favourable floating a company to work the eoal measures. - . • / ,

: The exploitation of further coal measures situated about 14 miles up the Mokau River has been set afoot recently by Mokau Collieries’ Ltd. The proposed mine is about three miles up the MaflgaAwakino Valley from the Mokau River. . The company is now faking steps, to put in a tramline Which it is hoped -to complete in two or three months. There are five seams which will be min’ed, and the main one of about 8 feet in thickness is to be attacked first. The coal is a brown coal, -semi-bituminous, completely free from shale and suitable for household and steaming purposes. Transport of the coal from the mine is to be by steamers drawing up to 8 feet and carrying 300 tons. It is hoped to ship the coal to Waitara, Patea, Wanganui, Foxton and Pictbii. Another means. of access should be the junction road from the,- Awakind Road, which latter is about 2J miles from the mine.