MR MACKLEY AND DREDGING.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 12 March 1901, Page 4

MR MACKLEY AND DREDGING.

{To the Editor). Sir, —All those who aro acquainted with the facta connected with dredging on tho Coast can afford to smile at the letter from Mr Mackley which appeared in your paper last week, but there being a large number of outside remle interested in the industry who may bo mislead by his statement, it is well they should not pass uncontradic ed. Mr Mackley commences by placing hin opinion in opposition to that of the "Minister for Mines" and the experts from Dunedin, and finishes by insinuating that these gentlemen gave their opinions in the interest of "Mining Agents and Company Promoters." Now Mr Mackley's facts, so called, are based apparently solely upon what he has observed of the working of the Waipuna dredge. Ho says that the effect of dredging the river 3 will be to "raise their beds 8 to 10 feet above the surrounding country. Assuming the 'surrouuding country' to bo on an average only 10 feet above the present river beds, and this can apply only to small strips of country. Most of tho land being far above this, it follows that, according to Mr Macklay, tho effect of merely disturbing the shingle by working will be to raise it 18 to 20 feet above its present level, in the caso of tho Upper Grey for a distance of 7 to 8 xaihs ; a proposition too absurd to require further notice, especially when we note that he claims that the disturbing is always going on as a natural means. Mr Mackley proceeded to say that he has known tho Upper Grey for 40 years, and that not "a single piece of the channel from the Junction to 7 tr 8 miles above, but what has been washed away to the bare rock." Now I have known the river for :J5 years, and I do not beliove that an acre of bare rocks has been uncovered in that time. But even supposing Mr Mackley's statement to be true, it only shows that tho river has been doing precisely what the dredges will do that is, moving tho shingle from one place to ano'her without in any w,ay increasing its volumn or height. No doubt tho Waipuna Dredge has in ono place raised a heap of shingle, but that is accounted for by the fact that when a dredge commences working it usually deposits the first tailing upon untouched ground, thus forming a heap or bank, but as it proceeds the tailings arc deposited in the excavation formed by tho dredge, and thus are simply shifted from one placo to another, moreover less stuff is deposited their than was there before, as all silt and small stuff is carried down to sea by the river current. As to the " leads, " Mr Mackley presumes to tell us what was some "centuries ago, " which is directly contradicted by the present days' prospecting and working. His statement as to tho thought containing " little or no gold " is so diroctly contradicted by the return published in your paper to say showing a return of 589 ounces from five dredges for one month, as to require no further comment. Mr Mackley may bo assured that tho attempt of one farmer to show that he is

right, and that the whole of the engineers, and mining experts and investors of Otagoand tho West Coast are wrong, will only raise a good natural laughter. James Wyldb, Kumara, March 11th.