NEW GUINEA’S GOLD

Hokitika Guardian, 24 May 1930, Page 7

NEW GUINEA’S GOLD

ALLUVIAL VALUES POOR

RICH DREDGING PROSPECTS

“New Guinea is (he most difficult and expensive country in the world in

wuic.il to prospect lor gold. “No old or ■middle-aged prospectors should go theie. There is a chance for young ir.cn with plenty of money, but even then there are far better chances in Australia of finding a new goldfield. “Although New Guinea may have

•ecu the best of its days for the alluvial miner, there is still a great future el ore it as a dredging and - reefing country.” The foregoing remarks were made Ay Air J. Thomson, a miner engineer >■ d a former member of Parliament .or Claremont, Western Australia, who etrirned recently from New guinea. During the war Air Thotnsop—then apntin Thomson—was associated with dir Edgeworth David in recruitjng the ’diners’ Corps known ns the “Tunnellers.”

It was a waste of time for new arrivals ill New Guinea to go into the old mini tig districts, affirmed Air Thomson. All the ground was held by, mining companies of prospectors who had not vet worked out their claims. Even If leases littd not been granted, less than 3jo men could work out all the alluvia? -ro ’nd on Edie Creek in two. years. Til response to a protest by the miners g"itl=t the granting of leases, the authorities had dec reed that in future no leases would he granted for two.years. “Until a new goldfield is located it is useless for Australians who wish to look for gold to go to “New Guinea,” declared Air Thomson. “Within the next few months unless a now goldfield is located a number of men will have to return to Australia. A fair number of men, who with their native labourers, arc working poor ground near Salomon, state-that they are getting only enough gold to Keep their Dovs m food. If a new field is discovered these men have everything ready for a rush.’l

Continuing, .Mr Thomson said that although the alluvial gold was of poor •quality, the lodes on Edie Creek were very rich. The Day Dawn lode resembled closely the old Brownhill lode at Kalgoprlie. It would be hard to find in any part of the world a dredging proposition to compare with the Bulolo basin. From rich lodes discovered on the field he considered that when crushing machinery was installed a large output of gold would be obtained. The initial cost of transporting machinery to ,the mines would he high. would he practically impossible to build a railway from the coast to the field owing to the nature of the country, but there would be no difficulty in transporting light stamp mills by aeroplanes.

“Once these mines are in full swing a large mnnber of Anstralian miners with experience in underground work will he recinired,” added Mr Thomson, “in addition to a number of white men in connection with the working of the machinery.’