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Hokitika Guardian, 2 October 1924, Page 2

Tim imposed pros-pc: t ing for gold in ilie Stall'o!d district is on a more ileiinitc basis. '1 be milling history of the locality is ,s:i well kuo.ni that prospects more or less cm enraging m e certain to he picked up.. ’I he possibilities of the locality should l.e gienter than sav at Hiliiu Flat where | atient work and investigation hate ieyeale.l a gnldlicld with a life of IL.ty years’ dredging. r I In* Wuimcu Creek where it makes its tva.v towards the sea below the main load, lias been a sludge channel now for many years, carrying the debris and overburden from Ihe up-stream workings. Apart fiom that deposit, there i-, the original .alluvial ground w hich was j rore.l t i be "old-bearing ill the cmly .lays, and which working at it shallow depth, carried a considerable population in the rush days. In those times deep ground was not looked lor, hut it is possible the heat li leads may mine inland some distance, as they do elsewhere along the toast, and at varying 2c; tlis, prove to l.e richly gold-hearing. 'I lie Flat is an attractive one in itself, mill ilouhly on because of the golden country which existed behind il, and which tamed a mining population sitae the palmiest days of the Coast. Here, again, then, there is ceeasin for eiigratillation that private enterp:i.;e sensing the pty.-bahil-ities in this case, is prepared to venture in the search for a new goldfield as it were, at deeper levels than previously operated. The local conditions are favorable for an nllractive mining venture, and tlieie are tin* means at hand for the development of hydr-elee-tric power capable of working a dredge on similar lines to that of South Hokitika where the project has been oneb a success, surprising these with the best local knowledge of the locality. We should say that the prospecting proposition in and about the Waitnea Creek in the Awntuna area .should bear a very promising hope of success. The enterprise while to a certain degree speculative, lias sueli attractive features about it, that it seems to be a question of anticipating the degree of success which will be attained. The prospects are to us most promising fully justifying the enterprise which we hope to see crowned with success.

Ix legat'd to gold prospecting it is very pleasing to learn that the venture above referred to is not an isoated instance. It is hut a prelude to a larger proposal still which has for its objective a notable revval in "oldminittg within the -Wetland County. The steps taken as indicated above, are I • a prelude to extensive prospecting in several parts of the County decided upon by the Rimu Gold Dredging Coy. ■which demonstrated the success of such a venture at Rimu Flat when other efforts failed and petered out. Those who regard with confidence the future of the district in reference to gold developments, will view the proposals in mind with great satisfaction. It is quite on the cards that the success

which we helicro possible in .this enterprise will stmuluto others to turn attention to the undoubted possibilities of further gold-finds in the district. Nothing .succeeds like success is a savin a; verified ever and over again in mining pursuits-. tV lien prosperity is tapped even our .Mines Department is pVo'mpted to wake up and do fiometliing. But when matters are negative or negligible—the very time when the Department should he alert--it is in repose waiting for private enterprise to give a lead. As a national department the Mines Department is lacking sadly in the spirit of enterprise and initiative.