OUR KUMARA LETTER.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 27 April 1901, Page 2

OUR KUMARA LETTER.

(OOE OWN COEEESPONDENt.)

To the querilous "abominable "is the only term that fitly describes the weather that has prevailed here of late. Gust and storm intermixed with rain and mist and an odd pocket hankerchiof patch of sunshiue is the weather chart, in a few words for the week past. Not only this, but there seems to be no present indication of improvement. What the recent flood did for the working dredges in the way of delaying opening out operations, the present weather is doing for those building. No work, whatever, can be done. This is to be regretted, as in the case of the Tereniakau and Greedstone. gold dredging pontoons, the work on the former would be finished in a couple of weeks, and on the latter in about four weeks. The machinery for both is Ijingon the ground ready for erection, so when the pontoons are completed, no delay will take place in putting it into position. As we have had a walk over in our municipal elections we have had nothing to disturb the '• even tenor of our way.'' We jog along much as before not even green-eyed envy at the activity displayed in your go-ahead town has served to quicken us with action. If our now council can only raise a loan to pay off the present overdraft and have a little to spare perhaps it might awaken our interest somewhat. The talismanio power of borrowed money can do much. I do not advocate such a course for even in it there are evils, but it is worth considering at any rate.

We have a School of Mines here. At least there is a building in Seddon Street with the legend "School of Mines" printed in large letters thereon. An inspection reveals a collection of specimens whereon an army of spiders have spun such a net work of webs that one remains in doubt for a moment as to which is wet and which stone. Inside we find a inotly array of bottles containing mysterious somethings. An examination of the label (where such exists) gives in many cases no clue to the contents, as the wasting finger of time or neglect, or both, have long since obliterated all trace of a name, or have so dulled it as to make it indecyherable. It is positively dangerous to interfere without an intimate Tchowledge of the place and its contents. One might be handling poison or water and be utterly oblivious of the filet as there is very often nothing to show what the contents of a bottle are. Of course there is no one to blame as no one seems to have charge.

It is a pity that in such a community as this there is no chance of our young men acquiring a knowledge of the science of mining. Wo know the art well enough, but take us beyond that we are utterly lost.

The paternal government is spending thousands in order to teach our boys to make wheelbarrows, but a generation of young men are running riot here for want of a chance of studying something beyond the art of rolling a boulder and directing a nozzle. Surely when science enters so deeply into every calling of life and none the less into mining, there should be some sustained effort on the part of the Government to provide means whereby such a knowledge could be acquired by all willing to do so. A reorganisation of our School of Mines on the Coast with a practical assayer and lecturer is not too much to ask. This would go far to supply the present want.