HOUSEHOLD COAL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16454, 5 June 1919, Page 3

HOUSEHOLD COAL.

SO IHB EDITOR. Sir, —Everywhere there is a cry out about household coal. Members of Parliament are blaming the Government and the Government blames tho unions, and tho unions blame the employers, and so it goes, but still there is a shortage. \\ hat is the remedy ? One advocates a railway hero, and another there, but hero in Taranaki where industries need it as well as the Kitchen there appears no suggestion of gelling the coal so close to I'icw Plymouth and its railway by an extension of the railway back to it. Westport says a railway ol twelve miles will open up new holds. Sumo have advocated a railway up the -Mohan from the port to tho mines owing to snags ui the rivor, but why tune a coal-carrying railway up thu winding river when you can run a railway irom/the mmos by a tunnel through to Waitara via the Moliakatino vahey; thence by a tunnel again into the Mungahoro valley, leading down to the Tongaporutu River, hero a distance of about eight miles along easy flats with a lew cuttings, and again passing through two small tunnels you come through to Mount Alossengor, where a tuuiiel o? only about hltoon to eighteen chains is needed to pierce this mueh-ialked-or mount, and tncu no more tunnels right along tho uruti valley, past W'aitoiioi, Urouui, and on to W'uicara railway station, the latter 25 miles, all easy going and good dairying country (better than the country the Prune Minister's little railway near Auckland runs through), which deserves a railway alone, and there are numerous roads leading in from the back grazing lands which need a railway. Let us name a few of these roads trora Waitara back to the coal mines: Matarua, Kaipikiri, Okoke, Piko, Mangamiro, Tangatu, Moki, Uruti, Maiigamoko, Pukcaruho, Tougaporutu-Maugaroa, Rerokapa, Mangalore, besides roads that could be served from tho Mokau end and Await ino districts. Now all this .country and roads would serve a railway to bring coal to Taranaki. Should not such a, line pay I A distance of about 45 miles from Waitara railway station to the Mokau coal aud les< to coal if, as the mining engineer lately exploring in that district and in tho Mohakatino valley said, there were signs of coal there. How do I get the 45 miies ? Ten from Waitara to Urenui, ten more to Uruti, six to foot of ■ Mount Messenger, tour to crossing of Tongaporutu River leading to the Mangatoro-Okau junction, live miles up the Mangatoro valley to small tunnel between Mangatoro and Mangahutiwai, throe miles by tunnel and lino through to tho Moliakatino valley, and four miles to the mines about, with tunnel through between the latter and Mokau valley. Forty-five miles to get coal for Taranaki along a line serving a big district ■—a lind which could be constructed without any engineering difficulties through to Te Kuiti from the Mokau, providing the iowor AVaikato with coal, besides serving a further farming district, and bringing Auckland and Now Plymouth nearer each other, AVith tho extension of harbour facilities 'at New Plymouth such a lino would bo greatly used in trade from To'Kuiti to iNew Plymouth and vice versa, besides bringing stock right to freezing works at AVaitara or Smart Road. If every. purchaser of coal in Taranaki took up a few shares from £1 up to a few hundred such, it could be put through as a private line. The Government would object, says someone. AVhy should they stop progress if they are unable to do it?—l am, etc., F. C. JONES. Kotare, May 26.