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Hokitika Guardian, 23 October 1918, Page 2

AiMtoi’os of wlint the Westland Gold Mining Syndicate purposes doing at Humphreys, the Alexandra Herald, (Otago), learns that the representative of one of the large mining development companies in Ran Francisco, has arrived in Alexandra to make arrangements for prospecting the Karnclengh Gold Dredging Company’s property, by boring. These prospecting operations, it is understood, will he carried out in such a manner 'as will leave no doubt as to the value of the property and should the results prove satisfactory, will be followed by the installation ot one or more dredges of the latest Calij iornian type, having a capacity four i times greater than the largest New I Zealand dredge, and equipped with gold saving appliance on an elaborate scale. I All the modern dredges operating in California are of the close-connected type, some having buckets with a capacity of 18 cubic feet. In many instances the land after dredging has been levelled and planted in fruit trees. Some of the most profitable peach orchards in California were once unsightly heaps of tailing. The larger stones are crushed for road metal, and the fine material levelled and planted in trees. While the dredging industry in New Zealand has during the last 10 years fallen to a very low' ebb, in California it has developed into one o'f considerable importance, although the values obtainable from the alluvial drifts of California are considerably lower than those I of Now Zealand. The development of • dredging in California is explained hv j the fact, that largo areas of ground I were obtainable by one proprietary ! which enabled comparatively poor . ground to be treated at a profit, while j in New Zealand the area which could be held by each company was restricted to 100 acres or one mile in length of

(he river channel—an area far too small to permit of the installation of, any but the smallest and cheapest- type of dredge.

In his breezy address to tho local Territorials and Cadets on Monday night, Colonel Chaffcy emphasised one of the ' special benefits tho Otira tunnel was I going to serve the Dominion—and the Empire. It was going to be useful for j defence purposes. Please God, with the ! peace soon to he rung in, the League j of Nations to grow out of the Entente Alliance, there, will, in the future, be less and less need for the defensive preparations; hut, till that golden time arrives, not any nation can afford to ignore its means for defence. New Zealand is an outpost far-removed from any other count ry. The sea barrier around ns is a national defence, but that is only secured to us by omnipotence of the British Navy. This war has brought out a new arm of defence and offence—the aeroplane—and sea and distance it is learning to overcome and annihilate. To try to circumvent all the engines of destruction man may devise in modern warfare, is a task to exhaust the resources of any country. There has been too much war, and let us hope the nations have taken the lesson to heart, and are now prepared to diligently strive for pence. But till that new era armies, • defence and precautions against, attack, require watchful care and preparation. The strategic value of the interior railway lias been remarked upon before. A soldier now emphasises on its value. But- most folks will be wishful to regard its commercial value in preference to its defensive value. From all points of view there is need, urgent need, for the through railway. Let the demand for its completion be insistent, and now when Parliament is about- to sit. do notomit to keep the strong demand of the people specially before the Government.