THE PREMIER'S TOUR

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1406, 17 March 1905, Page 3

THE PREMIER'S TOUR

VISIT TO THE GOLDFIELDS. 1 - , (Per Press Association.) Waihi, lasi night. | The Premier and party arrived at Waihi at midday, travelling from Waikino in the i Waihi Company’s train. They were formally welcomed by the Mayor, in the presence of a great concourse of residents, and were also welcomed by the Waihi branch-of the Liberal and Labor Fedora- ■, tiofj, After thanking the Mayor and Federation for their hearty welcome, three ■ ringing ohoers were given by the people. The Premier ..then adjourned to tho High School, where he performed the ceremony i of®-opening it. There were over 700 shildren present, who cheered lustily. Tho ceremony of turning on the water supply ofyttgje borough was also performed this afternSim. A number of deputations . waited upon the Premier.

SPEECH AT WAIHI. A NEW MINING POLICY. XPec Press Association.) Waihi, last night. ■ To-nightthe Premier addressed a public ; meeting before an audience of over 1000 ? people. In the early part of his speech ho referred to the present prosperity of the !* polony, and the progressive policy of the I Government. Coming to. goldfield mat- : teics Mr Seddon said he thought the reals Sensibility for accidents in gold mines f should be fixed upon the mine owners (as tad been fixed in the case of coal miners), and that the same principal should apply apt in tho case of the master of a ship, namely tho handing up of his certificate to the Board of inquiry. He believed we had. a class of mine managers who would be prepared to do this, and to abide by the reKult of the inquiry. It was no reflection Upon them, and this was a question which ■ought to be dealt with by Parliament in ihe interests of owners and miners alike. ; JSe would give them some figures whioh ue reserved for Waihi. Since 1891 he said there had bean an increase of 782,000 tons in the coal output of the' colony. The number of men employed in the industry 4t&& increased by over 1000, and the average earnings of each man was £2 17s 5d per week,,as against £ 2■ Is in,1891. Coal cutters, moreover, mads £3per week. This and the conditions of the coal miners i&sd -improved, whilst the owners never ' had such rosy times. The. gold output ; for the Auckland district for 1904 showed an increase of 178,6180zs ujpon the total .output for 1891, or an increased value of -gP510,444. The bullion production of 50hin?muri from 1897 to 1904 was ,£3,39&1,080. He also referred to the output fc&ai the Waihi mine—“ the glorious Waihi," he oalled it.- It had been a great ■advertisement for New Zealand. Tho export of gold to December 31st last was 15,626,0000z5, of a valuo of 4165,000,000. The West Coast had exportod £25,000,000, and the North Island 4110,000,000. This ’jj'jar tho gold export showed a slight decrease of 12,0000z5, or a valuo of JlijOiOOO, but this was moro apparent than Teal. Tho gold export when ho first took ■office as Minister for Mines had been very, mearly doubled. We had not at all reaohed otir maximum output, and the. colony must look forward to increasing it. How did ho propose to do it ? Ho wculd tell . them. Ho thought tho time had arrived -®vhen moro moneys must bo spent in prospecting. Ho had been very much astonished the other day on looking up the figures to find what a paltry amount had been expended on prospecting compared to what he used to expend aB Minister for Mines. Economy was a good fchftig, but he did not believe in parsimony, and 'he questioned whether Parliament Lad not been too parsimonious upon this matter of prospeotiog. As a change he proposed to bring - science to bear. Tnc had advertiaed in England, A i ■nerica, and Canada for geological experts, and had appointed Dr Bell, of

Canada,whose qualifications were superior, and -whose practical work commended itswlf to th® Government. Dr Bell had submitted proposals whioh he thought the Minister for Mines would be glad to adopt. He (the doctor) proposed to carry out geological work in the North and South, tSiSJidea being to divide tho country to be prospected into quadrangles. An assistant Wa3 proposed to bo employed, and we should then have four excellent qualified men engaged in the exploration of theße fe£ltß in the North and South well known 4o he argentiferous and auriferous, They would have to have the necessary survey, and employ the necessary staff to asaiet in this exploration, and with Shjß j done he bad little hesitation Sitefiaying that we should probably have in the 1 different parts of the colony districts where the geologists would say the precious malule should bo found. Our regulations at present gave some little assistance tooths old proepeotor, but ho was now gone, and the Government had to treat different circumstances. When the geologist said that prospecting should be done in a given district the Slate would havo to find the money for the sinking of the tifiaft, driving of the tunnel, or for boring, and ho believed that money would bo nrooorly oxponded. Why should wo not nrcispect our country ? Why should we fesive it to others to do ? We must make a departure in our goldfields’ policy, and if syo asked the House for £20,000 for pros.electing ho was satisfied that we would get (it. We must first got a properly equipped ■geological department.

.Speaking of the Thames,. Mr Sedaon said that when* he thought of its past "he felt quite down-hearted ;■ Utile was being done there in the way prospecting and _ development. Looking at Bendigo and Ballarat as he' knew- them in the early days, wJber they were almost ip the .same condition as tils .Thames to-day—-wjfen he thought o£ What they were. p/w with their deep shdftp., the good •usages of men, and plenty o'? ■glorious, riohesi—he ‘could not help (thinking what otm goldfields might b' made. Bendigo and Ballarat were itylk their present prosperous condition all through the application of capital, and the New. Zealand Government would have to find the capital for this colony at the Thames. :«>« own belief' was tliat/Te reefs -v gold below, as wckOJyl where worked in the levels, anti that might gold mines in H-bP colo.ny, eqbyl- to lue Mr Seadon clostS With » brW reference to State insurance, his scheme ;f or mcreas- ! W tb e number ,o£ trained murses.(saying bs would gladly assist in havihg a dozen - WfUtai girls trained at that hospital, ana in -cJiViing up a nurses’ home). . A vote of thanks and of unabated con- ' ifidenco in the Government was passed, on -the motion‘of Mr J- Poster, seconded by %arr J Newth, all the termination of the ■Rremier’a speech, which was frequently, applauded during the ovemnij. .