Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, SEPT. 11th, 1920. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 September 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, SEPT. 11th, 1920. THE WEEK.

In the Mines Statement circulated this week an interesting table annexed gave the quantity and value of the gold produced in the Dominion from 1857 to 1919. The West Coast stands well in the list, having produced nearly 35 per cent of the total value of the gold credited to the whole Dominion. Otago leads with 7,622,233 ozs valued at £30,337,570. The West Coast is a good secoigl and year by year of late Is gaining on Otago. The Coast totals are 7,609,082 ozs. valuedl at £30,197, 968. Auckland is third and the !.ig jump made Ist year if maintained, will result in outstripping the other leading mining districts. The Auckland grand total is 6,724, 619 ozs., valued at £25,927,954. Then follows Nelson, Marlborough, Wellington and Canterbury in the order named, with smaller and decreasing yields. The number of persons employed in gold-mining was 1,993, comprising 1,423 in quartz mining, 138 in dredging and 432 in alluvial mining. In regard to State aid prospecting, £3,554 were authorised hut £1,520 only spent—plus £985 Prom previous authorisations. The total spent on subsidised prospecting was £2,505 When gold to the value of £1,334,405 was produced in 1919, it will be seen that the efforts to augment the output by expanding the industry over new finds and fresh fields were paltry indeed. The fact that so trifling an effort was made gives point to our oft repeated suggestion that in addition to State aid, the State itself with well-equipped and scientifically led parties should embark on the national duty ' of getting out of the .country ns much mineral wealth aa possible. Of the actual prospecting done, the Statement writes in this optimistic tone : —f‘Tn ( i several cases, although n|o disoovery , i of ctommercv.al importart'-e has been 1 made by thei subsidised prospector, 1 1 the Department’s knowledge of particu- 1

lar localities has become more complete g and the results obtained have been re- s< corded for future reference. In other a cases, where assistance has been granted t to small companies carrying out sys- p tematie prospecting under capable management, the work undertaken has lis- v closed some promising results, and. fur e ther work may enhance the value of t the discovery made. In one instance I the oxidised low-grade outcrop of a v reef, containing a fair per centage of' c manganese oxides, was intersected lower t down the hill by a subsidised crosscult 1 600 ft. long. The reef here was 24ft. t wide, but the payable portion was con- 1 fined to a. Gin. seam showing distinct 1 silver sulphide veins. This discovery 1 is important, as the thickening of tho ( paystreak either laterally or at greater 1 depth would turn a promising develop ‘ ment into. one of commercial value. Altogether during the year thirty five parties employing 115 persons were assisted.” In the desire to give credit where credit is due the Department must be complimented on its efforts to render assistance to the mining industry by , employing Professor Waters, of Otago 1 University to investigate the treatment of concentrates at the Reefton minqs, j 1 with the object of evolving a process by which gold; may be extracted lu t cally, thus preventing the necessity of shipping the concentrates to Australia Professor Water’s report, which is des- ! cribed as a very valuable one discloses a substantial advantage in the value per ton of concentrates if treated looally. Tire advantages range from £2 4s sd. \ per. ton for Blackwater concentrates, ! to £4 6s 5d for the new Keep-it-Dark concentrates, and the Professor’s con elusions arrived at from the invesitgations are summarised as follows: (1) That local treatment is feasible and advisable from an economic point ! 'of view. | (2) That roasting followed by treatent with alkaline cyanide solutions by percolations, followed probably by grinding and amalgamation, is the most ’ suitable treatment under present conditions. (1) That the roasting must be carried out mechanically. (4) That an extraction of 80 per cent of the gold contents is certain, and this may be expected to amount to 85 per cent., which will show better i results than those given above. l '(5) That under present conditions the most suitable place for a plant is at the Progress Mill, and operated by the Progress Mines Company. (6) That the saving of arsenic should be left in abeyance in the meantime, . but should be considered later when general mining conditions improve and 3 the process develops. (7!) That the Mines Department should arrange to continue investigative work with a view to improving the gold • extraction, and the utilisation of the residues after treatment, in which di- ■ rection economic results of great value are likely to be obtained.

This immediate district is not as yet (greatly interested in quartz mining, but we never can tell the time when a valuable reef will be discovered in the high country—the certain source of all our alluvial gold. The point about the Reefton case is the close application of scientific research for the benefit of the gold-mining industry, in which all parts of the Dominion must be con- . rtorned. Treasure won in that way is added wealth, which would be lost ;n other respects and this fact emphasises the need for the fullest expert knowledge being brought to play on all phases of mining. A district so highly mineralised as Westland is an expansive field for the scientists, and the new Minister of Alines if ho takes up this treatment of the industry he is now directing, will open a pathway leading to great rewards. Over eighty-eight, •millions sterling of gold have been produced in this country in 62 years, and can anyone say the Dominion lias yet been amply probed to prove the golden d'dposjtts ,which, remain? The rlecord of tho past justifies a line of policy for the future.

In the political world this week we have had news of the appointment of Mr T. M. Wilford to the parmanent • leadership of the Liberal party, i Mr Wilford has special qualities • for such a. position, not the least of which is his trained alertness. It will be recalled that he was one of the best Chairmen of Committee the House ever . had Also h.e has been a success as. a ■ 1 Mayor of a city and chairman of Wellington Harbor Board. His short Ministerial experience and thereby more . intimate khjowledge bf the internal workings of the political machine will stand him in good stead, Mr Wilford i has pleasant personal qualities, and If 1 he throws himself enengetically into the i whirlpool of politics he will do good l service in more than holding the party i together —he will fuse it into a force of - considerable weight, with his keenness - for action he should make a rather i brilliant leader. Mr Wilford is a very ; ' popular figure in Wellington, which fast will add to his prestige in the important role he is taking up now with such promising spirit. Mr Wilford in point of fact lias a great opportunity before him. The most important political event of the week, if not of the session, has been the introduction to Parliament of an essential part of the Government taxation proposals. At election time Mr Massey promised if returned to power he would bring about a thorough reform in the incidence of taxation. While the Land and Income Tax Bill introduced this week falls very far short of that whole-hearted promise, there is at least a slight instalment towards tjhe end—and! foir that relief much thanks. The measure is iu the right direction. It is a beginning, even if it is a slow beginner—for some of its penal clauses do not operate till 1923 But it is evidence that Reform it getting out of the old rut it has made for itself, and is beginning to stride along a more liberal and advanced pathway The Government has foundl out by experience—bitter that it cannot go on buying land in a rising market all the time at the seller’s value. Indeed every purchase it makes, enhances values against it for the next sale. Because of this there are at last proposals to harden up the taxation, present and prospective, sub-division. This process is familiarly known as “the bursting up of large estates,” so as to afford opportunities for “land for the landless.’’ While New Zealand is not

growing in size its population is, and so ther© are more people for the land available. It has been well said that the wisest and faireßt instrument to provide land for those requiring it, it is •through the (operation of taxation, which forces the cutting up of larg-i estates by sub-division going some way to meet the demands of the increased population. During the past year Revaluations over the Dominion have increased the improved values on which the land tax is (based —by about four millions. This will be a lever towards cutting up. The one fault at present is tho slow movement of the new taxation—the deferment of die .penal clauses till 1923. Perhaps in committee there may be some amendment on this point, through we cannot say we are very hopeful of that. But ; the new policy for Reform is in itself hopeful for the future.

The British Cabinet has given the McSweeney case its considered judgment and for clearly stated reasons it has endorsed the previous attitude of Messrs Lloyd George and Bonar Law, and if the prisoner persists in his attempt to commit suicide he seals his own fate. The considered judgment is to the effect that authority must be upheld, and law and order secured by punishing with imprisonment those who defy the constituted authority. That of course is the basis of our national liberties. Without regard for authority the strongest constitution would break asunder. Should HeSweeney die his unfortunate death might precipitate matters affecting Ireland. It is clear to the rebels in Ireland that they are at the parting of the ways, and those who are caught and found guilty of attempting the republican movement must pay the legal penalty of imprisonment. In the past when by hunger striking the accused gained the clemency of the Crown the merciftil consideration for the sufferers had no practical effect so far as ending the reign of terror in Ireland. The murders and ravaging went on even at a greater pace. The logic of the position is therefore with the Government in refusing now to release offenders who would take advantage of l! UKnpfr trt rot.llrTl fn tllß.

their recovered liberty to return to former nefarious acts which brought them within the Aeshes of the law. McSweeney has had a great appeal made on his behalf. The appeal has echoed across the Atlantic and to, that extent has carried a certain amount of influence. It is to the credit of the English character that the nation as a whole has remained calm and not taken sides unduly. There might for instance have been a great counter .retort to the appeals for clemency, but so far as can be gleaned from the world’s news during this period of anxiety, the Government has been left to itself to decide the issue on the facts before it. While there has ben a clamouring for McSweeney’s release ,no voice has been raised by forces outside the Government to say that he should not be reprieved. In that fact lies the importance and weight of the considered judgment of the Cabinet, with everything that could be said or done on the one hand to claim the release of the offender, theie, have been the broad facts of the man’s crime and what it carried in its train. That the latter should outweigh the former suggests the strength of the decision and the assurance that justice must take its course.

The worl4 grows' jnorc and more unrestfui. Turn where you will, all nations, great and small, have their troubles—all of which bulk large. The labor upheaval throughout the world is something more than a passing phase. Here and there encouraged by what was achieved in Russia, there is a. desire to dethrone existing authority, and set up something in its stead. Rut whatever is set up will still be the authority, so long as it can be maintained. We are getting back to the latter end of 1914, where Germany thought might was jight, and that right or wrong might slio’uld rule. Authority based on such a foundation, howevei great, the force behind it, can never hold final sway. Democracy after all is not built that way. Democracy takes its strength not from the will of its (leaders, but from the force of its rank and file. Readers may iail and dc nounce, but unless they hnve behind them considered public opinion, they cannot get far. So far as Britain is concerned we should say there is the most enlightened democracy in the world. Society is built up in strata Svhich is intertwined by means of the liberalty of its constitution which gives it an inherent strength, which is of wonderful force when put to the test. It is examplified in times of great crisis. The war hr,ought out the strength , of the British democracy as it was never brought out before. Later still we have seen the progress pf the Prince of Wales through the overseas dominions. The coming and going of P u f greatest ambassador was the signal for the mani festation of a remarkable outburst of loyalty to the throne, which is the coping stone to our liberally administered constitution. The two great events we have just mentioned disclosed the dormant force there is within the nation, and when aroused,-' can be overwhelming. The days may be dark and the times gloomy, but that is the period ni which the nation wifi be found most responsive to its duties. The. great silent voice which pervades the Empire, and yet is so seldom heard, is at once the safety valve and the clarion note tobe used and heard when the affairs of the nation demand a really democratic movement. Therein lies the real and permanent strength of our great Bi itisli Empire of which we all might well be so proud.