REVIVING INDUSTRY

Hokitika Guardian, 24 December 1932, Page 2

REVIVING INDUSTRY

DESIRE OF MINISTER.

COROMANDEL, Dec. 20.

When the Minister of Mines, lion. C. E. Macmillan,, arrived at Coromandel this afternoon lie was welcomed by tlie Qh'flinmui of the Coromandel Council, Mr 13. Dawson, and the president of the miner’s association, Mr O. Dunister.

Replying, the Minister said lie desired to have first-hand knowledge of matters relating to mining. Ho was trying with the limited funds at his disposal to;l. give such assistance as was possible to the district. He was anxious to revive mining and put it on a proper basis. He did not want anything in the nature of a boom ibut steady work over a period of yeans and there were indications that this could be done. He was anxious

to <-00 propositions that had been well tried out and if his departmental officers recommended them assistance would he given, hut it was only fair that the Government should get something hack for its assistance. i.Mr A. A!. Samuel, M.P., urged the importance of showing the potentialities of the district to the Minister. Mining was the most important department of the State to-day and the Dominion was really wonderfully wealthy, the Coroniaiidtd peninsula ' particularly so, but a comprehensive system of development work was required. The mines vote this year was small, but' it was a little larger than, last year, and he hoped the Minister would find the money to assist any proposition that showed promise. NEEDS OF THE MINERS. ' j Air Samuel advocated an internal j loan for mining purposes and said , it would he the means of setting the co inn try on its feet. The Minister visited the Nil Despot-- j

1 andum mine in the town, where the owner, Mr A. J. Rroscoit, panned a . sample that showed a good tail of gcfld. ■ Later th e concentrator 011 the beach j and tlif Hauraki mine were visited. I Representatives of the Coromandel 1 A liners’ Association waited on the Min--1 is ter this evening when the president, Air Dniester, brought forward a 1111 - Ler of requests. Assistance by way : of a share in the proceeds of an art union to the amount of £SOO was sought, so that men could go prospecting in the hack blocks with a full ration of provisions. Cheaper explosives were also necessary, a« the cost of these bore heavily 011 the minors. Old tools and rail? were, were ' required, and Mr Dunstqr asked,.,that thrice he made available from the PubI . • • 1 r . Hi lie Works Department. ' ~. The miners were very sanguine that if the lower foothills around Coromandel were prospected the results would ho startling, said Air Punster. Another matter was the reopening of

he School of Alines, which would eiiefil the"industry. Free rental of 10 acres of land for miners was advocated, the cost for miners’ rights and rent being far too high for the average man to pay at present. Insurance for prospectors was also urged. Representation on the local unemployed committee was asked for so that miners’ difficulties could he brought forward. 1 Delay in the final payments for gold sold was pointed out as a great inconvenience. Another request was for free assays few prospectors. EXPLOSIVES AND ASSAYS. Replying,' the Alini-tcr said that probably Coromandel would benefit ■lifter by an art union. The TJnem'•ploymont Board was already subsidising 1700 miners in the Dominion, iglyl more supervisors were being appointed. Air Macmillan promised that explosives would in future he sold at cost- price on the same basis as at Thames. He thought that insurance for .prospectors might he arranged, and

ho would look into tho position. The request to fie represented on the local unemployment committee would receive* his immediate attention. Mr 'Macmillan said he would discuss with the Under-,Secretory the request for free assays. The sate of cold was an involved matter, and depended on a permit being issued to the hank to ship the gold. He would speak to. the Minister of Customs about it. Arrangements had already bcfni made that the School of Mines would do assaying for three days a week. The other three days would he occupied by the assn vet* in conducting surveys required by miners. Tilts final announcement was loudly applauded by; the audience. In rob elusion, the Minister said that the tools and rails required wo’uld be hired out by' the Puhl'c Works' Department. He also assured his audience that the department would endeavour to keep the School of Mines intact, and even extend its operations.