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Hokitika Guardian, 29 September 1922, Page 2

The suggestion to have a geological survey made of the south country below Bruce Bay, mooted at the Local Bodies’ Conference this week, was made a very attractive proposition by the remarks passed by the several speakers, who spoke with a personal knowledge of deposits existing in the south district. It is many years since coal, copper and other deposits were known to exist, hut the finds were never exploited, nor for the matter of that, so far as are known, was there any genuine attempt to test their economic value. There is a long stretch of country in the region referred to which has not a great deal of agricultural value, ft is possible, therefore, that its mineral value is of some material substance, seeing that numerous -bids of ores have been reported from time to time. The situation is not too remote to place the locality out of bounds, and a reconnaisance survey by an expert party locating and sampling different known finds might be useful in revealing stored up wealth which would provide considerable industrial employment in its recovery. Westland, generally, lias the reputation of being highly mineralised, and the portion of the southern district referred to gives promise of being well worthy investigation from the repute it has already as a ■cone known to be well mineralised with attractive outcrops.

The discussion at the meeting at the Town Hall on Wednesday night in regard to exhibition proposals to celebrate the diamond jubilee of the province. was carried a stage further under satisfactory auspices. The meeting focussed the position after gleaning first hand information as to tho well-backed support to lie looked tor from Canterbury in particular. A permanent committee has been set up, and it will he tin* task of that committee to delve into various details involved in the whole question. Quite an amount of time was taken up in discussing the accommodation problem. hut this is a matter which will assist itself under favourable action. Tf the exhibition proceeds along the lines outlined, if can be safelv expected that private enterprise will extend itself in the desire to gain the advao-I tage from the great flow of trad' which will result. Of special importance at this juncture is the ordering of the finance and the alliance of all parts of the. Coast to co-operate in the Exhibition so as to make the display typical of the resources id the district. There will lie a good deal to accomplish in regard to these matters unite outside the Dominion support-, the extent of which will not he known till November. But meantime it would he well to probe matters in regard to district support, and the next organised move will require to be in that direction.