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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 8 (December 1, 1928)

The Land of Coal

The Land of Coal.

The coal-mining activities along the Waikato now claimed attention. The train came down through the Taupiri gorge and crossing the broad river by the new bridge pulled up at the mining township of Pukemiro. Here the coal mine was inspected, and some facts were learned about the extent of the coal mining industry in this part of the country. The output of coal from the mines in the Huntly-Pukemiro district reached a total of over half a million tons last year; this was produced by about a thousand miners in the various pits. At Pukemiro, where the mine is only thirteen years old, somewhat over a million and a half tons have been won; last year's output was 152,060 tons.

The Commerce Train preparing to depart from Whangarei.

The Commerce Train preparing to depart from Whangarei.

When the train returned to the Coal town of Huntly, the visitors were entertained at dinner by the Directors of the Pukemiro Collieries. The Aucklanders warmly praised what they had seen across the river. Mr. A. G. Lunn eulogised the enterprise of the Company in the using of slack, and he assured the directors of the sympathy of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce with the New Zealand coal companies in any efforts to combat the proposals made in New South Wales, by means of subsidy to export coal, that would tend to injure the industry in the Dominion. Mr. C. F. Bennett spoke in commendation of the comfortable housing for employees and the favourable working conditions at Pukemiro.