GREYMOUTH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 17, 25 August 1893, Page 6

GREYMOUTH.

(From an occasional Correspondent.) What shall I write about? Well there are many subjects pressing for precedence, foremost amongst them are the dulnesa of the times and the dulneßs of tbe weather ; and as it ia a dull night, the continual drip, drip, of the rain outside suggesting a word about the weather. I must frankly confess it is the worst of its kind we had for some seasons. Both last mouth and so far this month have given us some veritable West Coast weather. Of later years we were congratulating ourselves that our climate was vastly improving, and so it ip, unless this weather continues much longer, whea we shall be in doubt as to whether our West Coast clinute has not run back into the old groove again. And now a word about the times. WeP, we may be no worse off than our neighbours, I mean those who occupy the remaining portion of New Z -aland ; aud aome of us now believe if the West Coast were taken out of it the balance would be nowhere, for do not we return the back bone and sinew of the Legislature 1 But notwithstanding the great guns we send to Parliament, still we keenly feel the pinch of hard times. Everybody is complaining of the stagnation of trade and labour on this part of the coast, considerably over a hundred men idle in Greymoutb, a greater number idle in Brunnerton and Reef ton jußt as bal. A. retrospective glance at the cause of this depression may interest your readers. Aa it is well known that Greymouth chiefly depends upon its gold and coal export, it is evident that if either of these sU^la industries are on the decline, quiet times and disorganisation of trale aDd labour will be the result. The gold industry has been gradually declining for some years, at least as regards small parlies an 1 individual exertion, the principal part of the gold being now ob'amed by companies who must expend a considerable amount of capital before obtaining any result, the consequence being that many of the old diggers have been compelled for want of capital to turn their attention to other pursuits. Tbe boroughs of Greymouth and Brunner depend more of late years upon their expanding coal export which promised to be a lucrative and lasting iaius'ry ; but when this great industry comes to an almost sudden collapse through unfortieen causes, this collapse cornea almost as a thunderbolt in our midst. To realise the full force of it, tbe reader has only to fancy an industry directly and indirectly supporting a population of between four and five thousand inhabitants suddenly coming to a stand still. Such ba^ been the case with the Grey Valley Coal Company, whose operations were on a large scale at Brunnerton, The company owned and worked threa collieries ; a few yeirsago their Wallsend colliery was shut down owing to the etony nature of the coal, and as was more generally understood to oi-fioe their operations upon the working of the Brunner and Coal

Pit Heath mine?, from which at that time they were capable ol putting out as much coal as the company oould dispose of. Subsequently tbe company were hampered with water io both those mines, and when the Brunner incline was connected with tbe Goal Pit 4 Heath, the water from both mines had to be pumped up the Goal Pit Heath shaft. The water was more or less successfully combated for a few years, but subsequent workings revealed the fact that the water was constantly increasing notwithstanding the large outlay entailed on the company in keeping it down, It was then found that several fissures were visible on the surface, and that the great increase of water was due to surface water flawing through to those fissures. Io rainy weather the lower levels were being constantly flooded and it was found too expensive, and I may cay impossible with present appliances to cope with such a large body of water, so that the Goal Pit Heath mine was recently abandoned. In the Brunner mine all the coal in sight ha« baen worksd out with the exception of the dip, where there are at present upwards of 100 men on the three shifts getting coal, and as there is no extent ot coal in this portion of the mine it will bj soon worked oat. To avert this great disaster to the district something must ba done without further delay. There is admittedly plenty of oal in tbe district, but before obtaining it prospecting must be done either by driving through the Brunner faults or sinking shafs iv tbe vicinity of tbe present mines. This the company aver tbey are auable to do, owing to not having received any adequate returns for the large amount of capital they have expended in the district, but that. if Government came to their assistance in the shape of remitting tbe extra royalty of 6d per ton, which would occur next year, and also assist them in boring, they will keep tbe mines going, and that otherwise tbey should be compelled to shut down altogether. Deputations from both Brunner and Grey mouth have been sent to Wellington to urge on the Government the absolute necessity of helping the company to prospect for more coal, so that the dig rict should not be ruined, as also the necessity of constructing a railway of five miles to open up the Coal Creek mines. The Brunner deputation returned quite pleased that they were instrumental in obtaining £1,000 from the Government to assist the Grey Valley Coal Company to open a twenty acre block of coal on the Branner lease, and that other concessions would depend upon the report of experts sent by Government to examine the Brunner mines. The hope that the company would start at once to open up this twenty acre block has been rudely shaken by their refusal of accepting the £1,000, unless the Government guarantee not to increase tbe royalty, or before doing so take over the company's works at valuation. The Government refuse to do this. So matters stand at present, but, in the interests of a large community, it is to be hoped that tbe Government and tbe company will come to a bitter understanding without delay. As regards the Coal Creek railway, a cable has been received that an English syndicate has purchased the Coal creek leas* 3 , and will proceed as soon as possible with the construction of the railway. It is to be hoped this cablegram is true, as a good many rumours and cablegrams have been current for a long time of tbe floating of the above lease ia London mto a large company, The Greymoutb residents have a right to expect that the floating of it is not a hoax this time. From this it may be seen that we may live in the hopes of better times to come, but while the grass grows tbe steed may starve. Matters political are quiet. Although tbe election campaign is drawing nigh, there is no talk of opposition to the sitting Member, and as be seems to suit the requirements of the district he most likely will have a walk over this time. In gold mining matters, then is nothing very startling to chronicle. In the rtc&og districts, business is q net, but a few of the quartz mines show signs of improvement. Undue inflation of scrip and mining ventures seem to be a thing of tbe past, and from bitter experience many will be glad that this has been the case. The alluvial diggings seem to go on io tbe same old jog-trot fashion, tbe only new venture which is now looked on with great interest being the Duffer's Creek Gold mining Co 1 a cUim, which after a long period of preparation and considerable expense is now in full working order, Tna machinery was tried last week and worked admirably. The first washing will not be expected to return much gold, as the principal part of tbe dirt to be put through the elevators consis s of reef which had to be lifted in forming a large paddock, but from thenceforth the shareholders anticipate handsome returns. As this is a new undertaking I will refer more at leogth to it in a future letter. Now that the Home Rule Bill has been successfully piloted through committee in the House of Commons by the Grand Old Man, against the most persistent dilatory and dishonest opposition of tbe combined Tory and Liberal Unionists, it is near time that the seeming apathy which exißts in many parts of this Colony should be thrown aside, and that all Irishmen and lovers of freedom should put their shoulders to the whe«l once more and make a combined effort to help along the good old cause in the final struggle for victory. Many will wonder at the inactivity of West Coasters who in the old Land League days were tbe atauuehest supporters of the Irish cause ia New Zealand. Many causes combined damped their ardour, and now, though seemingly indifferent, their patriotism is as strong and

warm as ever. I hope soon to set all parts of tbe Coast make a move in the matter again to help Ireland in its final struggle for selfgovernment,