CORRESPONDENCE THE MINING INDUSTRY.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 April 1922, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE

THE MINING INDUSTRY.

(To the Editor)

Sir, —The criticisms of the Rimu Flat Dredging toy. by tlio “Lyttelton Times” and Otago papers, is altogether wrong and uncalled for, at the present

juncture, when the country is in need of capital to open up our mineral resources, and to give employment. Hie Minister himself lias also been making

unsympathetic remarks while in Dunedin, talking about spragging the wheels of progress by putting restrictions on the industry of which he is looked upon as the head, instead of fostering it, by stretching out a helping hand wherever possible, because success or failure of the industry d f pends for all time, on the course the Minister pursues with regard to future undertakings. There must be no icstrictions of any kind to mar their progress. These critics state the Inn people have been complaining that the company is destroying the best agi i< n tural land near Hokitika, and that the gold will be the first and last crop. Now, Sir, for the information of the critics and for the Minister of -Mines himself, who seems to know very little about it, and cares less, I will iirat deni with the land. In wet weather a great part of the fiat is under water, several creeks overflowing. The land itself is no good tor agriciiltuie 01 it would have been taken up for market gardens long ago by the Chinese, am why it is no good is because undefhmg all the alluvial deposits oil the coast is a layer of cement three or four feetfrom the surface which precludes na-

tural or other drainage. ] should like to ask lion Mr Anderson, if lie or any sane man would attempt to clear such land at a cost ot £l2O per acre upwards, under the conditions above described, when the average price of land in Great Britain is under C‘2o per acre with buildings, fenced and drained. Thou they say tin; gold will be the first and Inst crop, am not of that opinion Sir. The crop which the dredge is leaving behind will be the greatest asset to posterity for this district. Handy io the railway, there will he read metal for untold ages. The East Coast of the North Island is shipping broken metal Irom Dunedin which runs into Cl 7s and upwards per ion landed at Gisboin.. U< could supply the whole North Island •Gib broken metal. Then there m building si one. I vetui-iiu to say that any industrious bandy man could build himself a rough east stone house cheaper than lie could build it of timber at. the present price, and there will be building stone to hru lor cent mil's alter the forest is all cut out. For the information ol the Minister ol Mim - they are already picking out Gone behind the dredge., io build the Church of England at Hokitika. Be pulling the surface bar!; is a thing impossible on the coast, and wen hie iu'sem- , method of <l.edging, v. hid, su-ms Io be tlie onlv payable one, and n tue Go’.-

eminent is going to put restrictions on Hie mining industry and blight all mu hopes just win a the industry is beginning io show signs o- nourishing t.c must rise up ns one man, the whole length of the C'.rt- and with the help of the Can; •rbury Progress Rugae sec that the mining industry gels a fair deal. If the Government were to launch out with a G id prospecting scheme from Gollingvvood to .Jacksons Bay, each parly led by a man with a thorough knowledge of prospecting, nthero is every known mineral on the ronsi. Mr Massey nor any other Pp-

mier need worry about the national debt. I venture to say the Coast, alter the first rush, would find employment 'for lens of thousands of miners and j.k,eir dependants, self reliant men, who would open up the country and with miners rights, tents tor mining privileges and indirect luxation, we should be able to reduce the national debt instead of going on Hie London money market every year for a loan to meet the interest bill. The country is drilling Iroiii had to worse every year, but if some one would rise up in the spirit, whi'-li animated the late .Messrs LarSet Ido n or (‘adman, ! lien mining wi tiki again flourish as it did in years gone by. Thanking you in anticipation. 1 am, Sir, THOMAS BROWN. Hokitika, 18/4/22.