The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9. 1889. A NEGLECTED GOLDFIELD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2248, 9 October 1889, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9. 1889. A NEGLECTED GOLDFIELD.

It is not surprising that the miners of Auckland should be dissatisfied, as they evidently are, with the administration of the Mines Department by the Hon G. P. Richardson. As Minister for Lands, the member for Mataura has, notwithstanding —rather we should say because of — his conservative tendencies, a considerable number of admirers, but as Minister of Mines he has, or ought to have, none, For it is undeniable hat he takes no apparent interest m the great industry which is supposed to be under his fostering care, his one sole idea being to keep down expenditure m every direction, no matter how clearly it may be shown that this is penny-wise and pound-foolish. The West Coast is perhaps more fortunate than the other goldmining districts m securing some consideration for its wants, but if so it is due to the political power of its ever' watchful team of representatives, yet there are localities on this side of the f< great divide" which are as well worthy of the Minister's attention as any m Westland, but which have suffered and are suffering from a persistent neglect which dates back even before Mr Richardson's time. One of these is the Maerehewnua. This is a good " poor man's diggings" that is to say it is capable of affording a livelihood to many hundreds of men and their families, and only lacks water to become the scene of busy industry. A few miners have for many years been doing fairly well there, and their numbers might easily be multiplied tenfold. The field has just been visited by the travelling reporter of the " Otago Daily Times," who writes : — " The Maerewhenua goldfield, might be, and ought to be, one of the most prosperous fields m Otago. The deposit of golden gravel and golden sand extends over an area quite six miles m length and one mile wide. The goldbearing wash is chiefly green sand varying m depth from a few to many feet. Above and below the green sand, which is very fine, quartz gravel, also goldbearing, occurs. , . There are at the present time nearly 100 miners scattered over the field, but as water is exceedingly scarce these are not constantly employed. In fact most of them can only work for a short season of the year when the melting snow gives them a small supply of water. A good water supply would soon place 1000 miners on the field, and fortunately this can be obtained, but the expense is quite beyond the means of the miners at present m the locality. There is one fairly good water supply to a part of the field, Ihe old Pioneer race is being taken m hand by an Oamaru syndi cate. The race has been thoroughly overhauled, and the course materially shortened by a tunnel through a spur. water is lifted from the Maerewhenua river, some 14 miles distant, and the race carries four heads, supplying five claims. This is the only permanent water supply on the field at tbe present time, the other two racesgiving temporary Bupplies after rain or when the snow melts. A permanent ample supply could be taken m from the Otokaike stream, but manifestly this should be a Government undertaking. The line of proposed race has been purveyed by Mr C. V. O'Connor, who gave an estimate of £12,000 to take m the Otekaiko stream, a distance of some 30 miles. It the municipal and hospital reserves could be declared goldfields, then the water would only require to como about 20 miles to work that part of the field, The miners of Maerewhenua made a very liberal offer to the Government, and as they are still of the same mind, it is to be hoped for the future of this important goldfield that their proposal will yet be entertained. The men have offered to turn put to the number of 80 or 40 to cut tbe race, conditionally npon the Government allowing them 05s per man per week to keep them going. Jn this way it is alleged that the race could be cat at a cost very much under the engineer's estimate. By the liberality of their offer the miners show that they are m earnest, and that they have confidence m the permanence of the field. There is no better area of auriferous country over the Otago goldfields than that of Maerewhenua, could the Government only be induced to construct a water raco. The proposed race would bring m a sixhead supply, and that, along with the water already available, would convert the Maerewhenua into one of the richest goldfields m Otago, , ... The product of the Maorewhonua fiold is chiefly very fine scaly gold, but m the river itself ghotty coarse gold is found, and pieces of quartz showing gold are often picked up on the beaches. Quartz reefs are known to exist m the gullies and mountain gorges, but none of them have been tested. The reason of this is that the few miners on the field have been struggling against great difficulties, and men placed m such a position can scarcely be expected to explore or deve» lop a field, lhere is now no longer any about the valne of the alluvial deposit, wu!?h i fi sufficiently extensive alone to employ a thousand miners for a generation to come, and wfaat quariz mining may be developed only gOOftoy and enterprise can determine." The deve* lopment of quartz mining may safely be left to private enterprise, but the Government should certainly step m and assist m bringing m water so as to develop the capabilities of the Maere whenua as an alluvial goldfield. Unquestionably the matter is one of sufficient importance to call for a visit to the field and a personal inspection by the Minister, and this dono,wefcel persuaded that he would see his way to submit proposals to Parliament, having for their object the turning to the best account of the large auriferous area which exists m the locality referred to.