The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1930.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1930.

A CHEAT RESOURCE,

It is pleasing to see from u contemporary that toe interest in the Thames gold held is not going to die out wholly. .Prospecting is still going ahead there and in the neighbourhood ol one of the richest mines of former times. The Christchurch Times hopes that those who have persevered iti the search lor payable lodes will reap their reward, our interest is in the effects which a revival of gold mining would have nationally. Mining provides work for men with physical strength and adaptability, and its extension would at once beneut the iron and timber industries and give a fillip to trade that would be very welcome. The Dominion owes a great deal to those wiio worked in the mines in the early days. When the mines began to close down many miners took up land and developed it successfully. Many of the most prosperous settlers in the Thames Valley and in the neighbourhood of Waihi were originally miners. And there is another aspect that should be considered. Speaking in London the other day, Mr Denton, Federal Minister for Trade and Commerce, emphasised the fact that great developments in the mining industry were pending. New processes of winning gold from, low-grade ore were being introduced, and development work was proceeding. The results may be of first importance to the Dominion, for we have ores that demand scientific treatment, and succfess in Australia, in Luis direction, might easily lead to renewed activity here. It is obvious that a marked revival of gold mining would have a most important effect on the economic position of the Commonwealth. It would banish depression very quickly and lead to a return of confidence and progress. As if to confirm the prophecy of Mr Fenton’s, tne Australian news on Saturday reported an important gold discovery in Victoria, where the lure of gold-min-ing as in New Zealand, did so 'much to people and establish the country. 'Jhe Australians have shown splendid enterprise in this respect. They Jiave enlisted the services of scientists and have adopted the geophysical system of exploration. They deserve success. In the Dominion the geological strata are broken, and many of our goldfields have been patchy, arid these conditions demand the application of the modern methods of prospecting. The old deve- | lopment system has proved much too costly and indefinite. A good strike at the Thames doubtless would revive interest and lead to the examination 'of the old fields and if that were done the prospects would be encouraging. Australia, evidently, is counting on a revival of mining to improve the outlook and developments here would be a splendid tiling for the whole Dominion. We hone the advocacy of a live mining policy in this country will not he lost sight of. The resources of New Zealand in regard to gold must Jbe far from exhausted. The gold being found continually along the sea beaches indicate an unexhausted supply inland. Let us hope Mr Veitcli will be prompted to initiate a scheme for scientific prospecting to probe likely places selected by the geologists, and complete what the late Mr Scrldon had in mind. tSteps in that direction might lead to i.iO magic spot where a new rush created, the problem, of unemployment would to a very great extent be removed—certainly from the present nll-emhnrnssing subject for serious thought it is.