The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1922. RESEARCH PROSPECTING

Hokitika Guardian, 31 October 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1922. RESEARCH PROSPECTING

Subsequent to too war period toe British Government adopted a policy to exploit the mineral resources ol the .Umpire, and lately a company "as promoted in Mow Zealand) with t-e object ol sending a. mission to England to induce British capital to come this way in the serious development, of minei al deposits within the Dominion. East week representatives ol the New /eiii.nl company waited on the l’riine Minister asking the patronage of the (iovernmeiit in tlio mission in hand. .Mr .Massey, as was to he expected, gave tlie promise if co-operation, very readily. Thu whole project is ol the highest importance to a district such as Westland, where niineials of all descriptions abound, and following up tiie remarks made yesterday, it seems to he imperative that special steps should he taken at this juncture to keep tlie resources of the district prominently in the forefront. The company just formed should he made ncipiainted with the possibilities of Westland and should he invited to co-operate in some research prospecting over now country where there is the possibility of discovering mineral wealth of surprising value. In the area refened t > yesterday there are known discoveries of promising specimens or outcrops indicating gold in various forms (beach alluvial and quartz) copper. native iron. tin. nickel, mica, lignite, asbestos, plumbago, chrome iron anil other minerals, ns well as very fine clays and stone of various classes. As icgiirds latent mineral wealth it is a land of gre-it promise, so much so that to neglect its full and careful exploration is to avoid the discovery of possible mines which will revolutionise the ('oast, and give to the southern district that great fillip so necessary to ensure its fullest prosperity. Nature has a. way of supplying the complementary needs to ensure development where genuine enterprise takes up tintask. The ample water supplies, the magnificent forests and the great natural features, including harbor accommodation. have been provided all for the utility of mail in the task of development. The natural wealth of tlie southern district in the ready at hand means of a great industrial task is beyond question and to go on year after year, neglecting the preferred gifts of nature, is to close the door to opportunity offering the greatest impetus the district could hope for. The needs of the Empire in regard to minerals in tlie time of the war were found to he very great and it was that shortcoming which assisted to shape the policy of the country as to no Empirewide research for minerals. Why the New Zealand Minos Department did not move in the matter earlier is one of those occasions for life long regret, which come to pass when the country’s policy is dormant. The Dominion was so busy with its wool, its meat and its produce sales, that enough wealth was pouring into the country to keep it going aud satisfy the <!cvernment. of the day. But when the markets dropped and the demand for primary products fall off. thoughts turned to the natural wealth of the country for which n market is generally to he. found. So wo have private enterprise in Wellington doing what a. Government department should havedone long ago—offered its wares to the British investor, and brought under his notice deposits of minerals which are indispensible for the -Empire’s progress. This newest move it is to he hoped, will result in some practical research work in the fastnesses of’ Westland, v. here mineral deposits abound