TRADE IN GREY DISTRICT.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 16 August 1901, Page 3

TRADE IN GREY DISTRICT.

Inspector Boase’s Report.

[Qua Parliamentary Reporter,]

Wellington, This Day,

Inspector Boase reporting for the Greymouth District for the year ending March 31st, says:— “In again forwarding my annual report I am pleased to say the past has been one of the most prosperous years the Coast has over had. It may not have been a year in which money was being thrown about in as reckless a manner as in the early days of gold mining, but there has been a permanent improvement in every way visible, and the workers, who after all, are the mainstay of this and every country, have been loss burdened with difficulties and more comfortable in every way than I have ever before seen. We have had a revival in gold mining, and as far as one can tell it has come to stay. The method of obtaining gold by steam dredging has quite revolutionised the mining industry, and acres that some years ago most experienced miners would have laughed at, are now in a fair way to proving payable. Apart from the increased wealth, the gold will bring to the country as it particularly affects the working community there will be a decided benefit to be gained. Carpenters, bushmen, sawyers, are all wanted, and work can bo found for some time to come by these classes of artisans at pontoon building. Unskilled labor als]findso demand, as there is bush-felling and other work in connection with the dredging industry requiring men. The local foundry has been hard at work day and night trying to meet the crush of work thrust on it by the dredge contracts taken by the Directors, and the hands numbering some 122, are making good time and consequently wages; the weekly payments being about £252. The Company have an up-to-date plant, and the work turned out compares more than favorably with that obtained in other parts. . The carpentering trade has been very brisk during the past year.

The Blackball district suffered for some little time owing to an accident in the mine which necessitated the flooding of the mine and consequent stoppage of work. v The Government however, employed the men at some very necessary road making near the town of Blackball. The shipping trade has been good during the past year, and the wharf laborers have been well employed. There has been an immense quantity of of timber used in the district for pontoon building, and the export trade alone amounted to 10,064,813 superficial feet, and no less than 164,227 silver pine sleepers have been shipped this year from this part of the coast.