INSPECTION OF MINES

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 22659, 12 July 1945, Page 4

INSPECTION OF MINES

FARMERS’ UNION MEMBERS INFORMATION OBTAINED In order to obtain first-hand information in regard to the mining position, nine members of the Waikato sub-provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union yesterday visited the Glen Afton and McDonald mines of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd. The party watched the trucking and screening of coal at Glen Afton, inspecting coal that had travelled from the McDonald mine over 4i miles of tram lines being tipped and screened. Every phase of mining operations was seen in the McDonald mine, where the party saw the miners hewing and trucking coal at the coal face. A coal cutting machine was also inspected. The party later visited the Kimihia open-cast mine near Huntly, where the Kimihia Lake is being dammed off in sections and the former lake bed worked. The over-burden of soil on top of the coal deposits was seen being scooped off by bull-dozers. Shots were then fired into the coal deposits and the coal removed by mfechanical shovels and-loaded on to trucks. The visit was arranged by Mr D. Bruce, a director of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd. Members of the party comprised Mr H. Johnstone, Waikato sub-provincial president of the Farmers’ Union,. Messrs J. H. Furniss, H. D. MacDonald, W. Hodgson, A. E. Bryant, W. N. Perry, B. O. O’Connor, L. V. Thomsen and N. F. Taylor. The party had lunch at the pit-head of the MacDonald mine, and a vote of thanks to Mr Bruce for arranging the visit and to the mine manager, Mr Parsonage, and officials, wa- -- - a.. I hy nrclamation.