The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER 8th, 1922. AFTER A YEAR.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 September 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER Bth, 1922. AFTER A YEAR.

It is almost a year ago now since the dredge on Ilimu Flat had its first trial run. Since then the largo dredge has been in active operation, almost con- , stantly. The machine has had a- good *

try out, and except for a bucket trouble which was not unexpected—because the buckets supplied originally were not to specification and had to be replaced ultimately at the contractor’s expanse—the year’s run has been very satisfactory indeed. The loss of time has been quite nominal compared with earlier experience- in district dredging, while the volume of work done has surprised all visitors of the scene of operation. In the time the dredge has been operating on the Flat, the first long cut has been carried through. The dredge is now about to turn for the return cut which is to be half as wide again as the first run. and is expected \o take from fifteen to eighteen months, ere the big dredge will be back to starting point adjacent to Adair s Road. The work carried out by the machine it is understood lias been quite satisfactory from a financial as well as a mining point of view. While great quantities of wash have been treated, the returns also have been very satisfactory. This can be assumed with a’l certainly seeing that the year’s woik has been carried through uninterruptedly, and that work for another year and a half or so is being planned. The company does not desiie that its returns should be made public as the shareholders are in the main outside the Dominion, and there is not any wish to create a share market. But this reticence dues not bide the fact that the general knowledge of the workings indicate that the returns from the operations are proving quite encouraging and generally very satisfactory. At the lower end of the field where the dredge is now working, the ground is deeper than the ladder can dredge. About fifty feet is the limit of ladder action of the dredge, and when the ground was being prospected in advance of the dredging, “bottom” was not reached at seventy feet. There is thus a good deal of payable alluvial ground below the dredge which it is not possible to tap at present. The general success of the dredging operations is a matter for congratulation, indicating as it does that with the right class of machinery large tracts of the West Coast alluvial ground will in time to come be operated on successfully by important mining ventures. In the present works which are driven electrically, considerable improvement lias been made of late in tin* supply of tlie power, and when tbe electricity is used also for lighting it is found to be much steadier of late. This results from improvements made at the Power Station, and further improvements will be made from time to time in this respect to the satisfaction of consumers. Tli,. mining venture when undertaken carried with it the best wishes of the community. It is very pleasing to find that those good wishes have come to pass, and that the hopes and expectations for a permanent development in gdld dredging hereabouts are likely to be realised. Tbe enterprise was a very considerable undertaking, but tbe promoters entered into it fully convinced of its possibilities. Very careful prospecting lmd been carried out, promising good returns, and there is every'reason to believe that Llio gold yield is in keeping with the prospecting returns. A year’s work is a very good test, and realising the amount of country which, lias been turned over in that period, the success of the venture becomes quite convincing. Tli,. company Inis many years’ work ahead of it. and carlied through as successfully as the first year’s operations have been, there is every ground for believing that the return will be highly profitable to the company and at the same time greatly advantageous to the district by reason, of the industrial employment afforded.