GOLD DREDGING.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 19 March 1901, Page 4

GOLD DREDGING.

Instead of there being any grounds for the West Coast complaints regarding the {ardinoss of the directors of the Hokitika River Gold Dredging Company in getting the machinery for the dredge on the claim, it appears that they are to be congratulate.! on their present action by which a considerable saving of the funds of the company will bo mado, Mr W. Eollitt, the secretary of the company informs us that the steamer Rimu leav-03 Dunedin to-day for Auckland, where she will take on board 110 tons of machinery for the Hokitika River Company and 40 tons for the Teremakau Company. Delivery of the machinery by the contractors to the steamer is to be mado on or about the 17insfc. In the moantimo estimates arc being obtained from certain reliablo men for tha erection of the machinery on the dredge, and the matter will bo settled by the time the machinery arrives on the claim. The annual meeting of the shareholders of the Saltwater Creek Gold Dredging Company will be held next month. Arrangements are at present bsing made to have tho claim bored in order to ascertain the depth of the wash. Tho dredgemaster of the A.l. Gold Dredging Company's dredge., who is at present on tho claim, reports 80 the secretary, Mr \V. Eollitt, that not only is good progress being made with the erection of the machinery, but that a good job is being made of it. The dredge will start operations next month for certain, and it is fully expected will get on tj good gold very soon after commencing work. That vexed question which tho directors of a number of gold dredging companies have had to contend with—the delay in completing contracts—is responsible for a large number of dredges not now having commenced operations. Of locally managed companies the Hokitika River Company appears so far to have coma out best, as the contractors will only be threemonths after contract time. The dredge will bo one of the biggest machines in the colony, and the contractors had to have new patterns made for every casting; whilst dredges like those of the A.l. andWolcomo Companies are replicas of a number of dredges at work, and consequently there was no necessity for the making of patterns of tho castings. The A.l. Company's dredge will start operations seven months after tho expiry of contract time, whilst the Welcome Company's dredge will be at least four months behind contract tirao.

From present prospects it is expected that the Welcome Gold Dredging Company's dredge will not start operations much before June. In view ot the good returns being obtained by the Buller Junction Company, from the claim adjoining, up stream, fair results are anticipated from the Welcome Company's ground • The office of the Greenstone Creek Gold Dredging Company lias been removed to IG4 Hereford street.