The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “ The West Coast Times.” WEDNESDAY, MAY 4th, 1921. MINING MATTERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 May 1921, Page 2

The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “ The West Coast Times.” WEDNESDAY, MAY 4th, 1921. MINING MATTERS.

A deputation which waited on the newly appointed Minister of Mines at Thames the other day, received a fairly favorable reply from Hon. Q. J. Anderson on a subject which is of interest to this district. The Thames deputation asked that the Government should buy a crushing plant for the treatment of ores found by prospectors "and small miners. No plant was now available but one was for sale, and it was suggested that the Govermmlnt should purchase it and place 'lie School of Mines in control and charge for crushing The Minister said he realised the | importance of encouraging the prospector. The difficulty was finance. He i asked for data as to the likely amount offered for crushing etc., and said lie I would endeavour to get money to proj vide the plant. There is a little more l comfort in this reply than is that vouchj safed to the Westland mining commun--1 ity when a couple of years ago a conference of mining men here asked the j Government to provide a small battery ■ for the use of ‘‘small miners” who were disposed to carry on pioneering prospect if the facilties were available locally Two years ago there was no financial stringency and in the interim the Government has paid out millions in subsidies and bouses and what not, to everybody but the gold miner. Even as late as the recent visit of the Prime Minister to Westland, our readers will recall how Mr Massey fought against a subsidy t<> the alluvial gold miner in respect to gold won, so that now when a Minister does show some disposition to lend a helping hand to the industry, the occasion is memorable ynough to, be specially mentioned. The Thames like the Const is supposed to be a declining goldfield and in that circumstance the authorities who regard the whole min-j itig outlook superficially looking with a : cold eye on any appeal for practical help to assist in further promoting the industry. The valuable discovery of gold in tho matrix of the Upper Grey should, however set these pessimistic autho. i ties thinking. The splendid gold find referred to is proof, if such he noede. that the auriferous deposits in the Dominion are far from exhausted. It seems to be stupidity in the extreme to believe that for a long time past, as i such were the case. The very elen •

of success in gold mining is judicious prospecting and on this phase the Department is absolutely dormant. It declines or refuses to use the scientific knowledge it has at call in its geological branch to seek for undiscovered deposits cf gold. It ignores the millions <

wealth produced in the past; wealth which in value and industry lifted the Dominion ahead by leaps and bounds Without the magic of the gold V

New Zealand would be lagging far behind its present day opulence, for the gold rushes brought population and trade which alone, in spell an outpost were able to give the industrial and commercial spur to the country’s fortunes which have made them what they are today. The changed attitude of the of coriditjoun]

though it may be, is nt least something, and now when the Coast can point to the fresh quartz discovery at Upper Grey, there is an illustration of possibilities to be achieved if State prospecting were established on proper scientific linos under expert leadership. The back country needs probing, to extract its hidden secrets. A commencement was once made when Dr Bell started the work, but what was done then was purely preliminary. His deductions and conclusions require putting to the test •in a practical way, and if mining matters are to assume the importance they once were to New Zealand, then State prospecting in the remote places should become an essential aid to that end.