WESTLAND GOLD PROSPECTING SYNDICATE, LIMITED

Hokitika Guardian, 27 March 1919, Page 1

WESTLAND GOLD PROSPECTING SYNDICATE, LIMITED

- At the annual meeting of shareholders of the North Blackwater Development Syndicate Ltd., at Reefton on Friday March 21st., the Chairman (Mr. D. Ziman) referring to the above stated: “It was mentioned at last annual Meeting of this Syndicate, that the shareholders in this Company held 12,902 £L shares in the Westland Gold Prospecting Syndicate, Limited, out of n capital of £15,000, consequently it will I am sure, he interesting to you to learn of the progress of what I call our daughter syndicate. “We have after proving by drilling, that the Arahura rived-bed and Hats contain gold in payable quantities, and with the approval of the Public Trustee, bought two leaseholds (sections 12 and 43 of th c Native Reserve) in the Arahura Valley, and erected the most powerful dyedge oil the West Coast on the boundary of these areas. On Monday last we commenced dredging operations, but it will take a good many weeks to open out the ground to a sufficient depth to enable the dredge to work to its capacity. When this haj been accomplished, we will he then dredging in Section 43 of the Re. serve. I am glad to say that this dredge has been built witli special arrangements for re-soiling tbo dredged land and is a great credit: to the engineering ability of Mr Speed, our Dredgemaster.

“We have been fortunate >» buying a second dredge (tbc ‘Abaura’) which is the largest river dredge on the West Coast. Owing lo tbc scarcity of material. combined wit-li its very high cost, and tlic cost of labour nowadays, either of our two dredges could not h;,vc been built at a less cost than £40.000. Our new purchase is being shilled into dock preparatory to dismantling and re-erection on the Arahura River Those two dredges will, I hope, be forerunners of a fleet of dredges to work our valuable areas in this gohl

bearing held . “I am pleased to state that m orderto clear our freehold land of the standing white pine timber prior to dredging. \ V ; have erected a fully equipped sawmill. which is now in operation, pro. during marketable timber. We have sold at a good profit, 440.000 feet, of which 100,000 feet has been shipped, and there are some 75,000 feel, now on the skids awaiting shipment. Our mill can produce up to 0,000 feet per day. and is working most satisfactorily. When this white pine timber is cut out, the mill will be shifted t o one of our rod pine snwinilling areas near the Kinder! Lake. We have, by building this sawmill .saved for the 'market large quantities of valuable timber which heretofore were wantonly destroyed when dredging operations were carried oil. and we are also netting a substantial profit thereby. “By our new dredging methods we will also create excellent agricultural land out of the wet and swampy ground

to be dredged by us, and which has hitherto been quite useless. This will also avoid the unsightly waste of barren •'tailings heretofore resulting from dredgings operations.

“The Syndicate holds, besides its many miles of dredging ground, 4,000 acres of lied Pine forest, equal to- the host- hush on the West Coast. A very powerful water-driven saw mill is now being erected, on one of these timber areas, and we will shortly commence to produce large quantities of sawn red pine timber which we will require for operating our mining claims near Ivanieri Lake.

KANIERI LAKE CLAIMS AND HUMPHREY’S GULLY WATERRACE. “I am pleased to state that when dismantling the pressure pipes at the Humphrey's Gully sluicing claim we found that they were in excellent condition and equal to the best- iron pipes. Iron pipes arc not being manufactured, all pipes are now being made from steel plates which take the rust and corrode most rapidly.

“I am justified in saying that the purchase of the Humphrey’s Water-race (which originally cost some £130,000) has turned out a greater bargain than we over thought. The race is over 18 miles in length with a very large storage dam 12 acres in extent and 20 feet iu depth in places. There are also several syphons containing a mile of iron pipes 36in. in diameter. These are of great value and could not be obtained elsewhere to-day if we desired them.

“The, one hundred and two chains of water race extension, to connect tip the Humprey’ Gully Race with our Ivanieii Lake claim will be completed in about two weeks. Whilst cutting this race extension, we found, in some places, gold in highly payable quantities for hydraulic sluicing which proves that the gold-bearing gravels are of practically unlimited extent. The pressure pipes from this new race are now being laid to the positions where sluicing faces will be opened up, and this great mining enterprise will he in active operation before the end of .Tune next. “I a m pleased to state, Mr Bassett, our Manager ,is constructing these works of such strength that they will last for very many years. “I hope that many of our shareholders will visit the scene of these extensive operations and inspect for themselves the work’s in progress and in operation. ’ ’