The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1930. GOLD MINING.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 January 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1930. GOLD MINING.

Some references yesterday to the sustained success of the Rimu Flat gold dredge, reminds us that there is in that enterprise, a direct reply to the suggestion that the gold mining industry in Westland is done. We may, and we do, see former centres of alluvial activities becoming deserted, and we do realise that the prospector to-day is practically non est. But we have to realise also that the alluvial centics in mind, are those where only shallow leads were worked (if we except Ross Flat), while in the mining townships, only primitive means, and largely manual, were used for working. The march of time |ias brought its changes so far as gold mining is concerned. E-vervthing about the industry' is more costly, yet goltl itself has not appreciated in value. These two factors have* helped to extinguish the prospector, and nothing is done to revive prospecting really. Subsidies are. still as they were in the old days, while operations in these newer days are so much more costly. The age for manual labour in connection with mining, as the major aid to production, is past. Capital is needed now for machinery and plant. The old time fossicker has no place in the picture now; his prospecting ways are 6nt of date because they would be futile in the present age. Yet, we all believe much gold remains to be recovered. The shallow leads may have been cleaned, hut in Rimu Flat dredge there is an outstanding example of what machinery effectively applied, ciin do, Tn the early days of the dredging era, Rimu Flat was considered a difficult and doubtful proposition. An elevated plateau, heavily bush-clad did not appear* an attractive dredging proposition.' There was a local effort with a puny machine, and the returns suggested possibilities. The second effort with a larger dredge revealed the values again, but the machine was not adequate for the work. Then came

outside experience, and the proposition was handled successfully. The dredge has been operating now for some eight years, and has had comparatively little lost time. Over 200 acres of bush land has been cleared of uimber and stumps, and the area dredged with satisfactory results. That they must be satisfactory we may glean from the fact that a new and more powerful dredge is to be put on the fibld. At the present rate of working tnere is still about half a century of work'ahead, and by that time the lower, part now back to nature will'probably be growing sheep, as suitable vegetation is already making its appearance on the stone heaps, That, by the way. But if Rinui Flat can present such a future to its enterprising owners, are there not other areas in Westland, 'capable of doing something similar? It is a reproach to our enterprise to admit that the age of prospecting is passing. It is a reproach to tlm Mines Department that something is not done to revive gold mining by offering better support to the prospector. In a reprint of one of Dr. Bell’s articles in this paper on Thursday, he wrote: A splendid field for intelligent exploration and scientific investigation is to be found among the wild mountains of soiithexp Westland.” There is a tip for the Minister of Mines worth considering if the promotion and development of gold-mining in Westland is to become again a. reality.