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Hokitika Guardian, 24 July 1930, Page 4

The returns being Woti by the OkaritoFive Mile dredging enterprise are proving tangible eiiough to account for the shares going to a 50 per cent, pro* tnium, and at the same time give point to the oft-repeated statement that there is still plenty of gold on the West Coast. Beach leads are specially in mind in respect to the South Westland enterpr : se referred to. In the early days, a wonderful crop of gold was won from the beach leads, while from time to time the “combers” have secured rich yie’ds. Both in the early days and in later times, the workings have been almost surfacing, and no successful attempt has been made to reach the deeper runs of gold. In the Vive Mile proposition, the most definite effort yet made to reach the deeper ground has been attempted, and with promising success. The preliminary prospecting gave very encouraging results, and the present returns from the blow-up operations support those results. When the dredge is operating and turning over much large quantities of ground in a given period, the returns will be more handsome still. The West Coast beaches arc very extensive, and several stretches are known to he highly auriferous. The methods of mining now being introduced will be adaptable to other localities no doubt, and by uses of electric power pumping and the supply of adequate water should be possible. There is every reason to expect developments in beach mining in particular, and the returns will be of peculiar assistance to the country economically a»t this stage. The Government might well be disposed to aid the development of mining wherever possible at this juncture as the product is of sterling value in. helping the credit of the country here and abroad. In fact, the situation is such that with proper enterprise, gold mining might oome again into its own, if the Government policy were to offer greater inducement for capital to launch out with new development mining schemes.