The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, MAY 29, 1933. SCIENCE TO AID.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 May 1933, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, MAY 29, 1933. SCIENCE TO AID.

An interesting account was published recently of what was being done by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to aid' gold mining, in Otago particularly. The effort is being made by the geophysicial method-, under which the physical features of the strata of the earth are studied. An officer of the. Department has been in Westland: for some lime and has been making ’« general overlook There is no reason why science should not aid, mining materially; It is applied in, many other directions affecting the secrets of the earth, and the progress made in that relation, must be helpful, if not applicable to gold deposits. Magnetism plays a great part--in the system, being applied.' , The physical properties of strata and underground- material vary. •and the effect magnetically can be measured and this gives a clue whence deductions may he made. The system is a great, help in regard to. oil cb> poJits, and with the instruments being brought into use, like methods are being applied to alluvial deposits It is said there is a good deal of success being attained in Otago, where au officer is engaged following up the* deposits in Cromwell Flat, the scene of the recent gold discoveries The system as it is perfected will help to greatly reduce prospecting costs. There will be a saving of time in determining locations, and where locations are defined, shaft sinking qould be undertaken at once in the knowledge that the time would not be lost by speculative blind-stabbing. It is not surprising to- find that electricity also supplies an aid to the work if- properly adapted. The 'development of this aim of science is of great .moment to a country such as New Zealand which lias large auriferous deposits, and it may be expected that 'as it is adapted to the material conditions of the country, important developments will follow. The experience in Otago is giving confidence to the scientists to elaborate their operations, and a happy issue to the undertaking is most likely. There is no doubt that experts in geology going about tlie country can read signs of the make up of the earth, and from, the knowledge of the. content o£ tlie strata, useful information can he afforded as to possibilities. ' The record .left by Dr. Bell in his flying surveys of nearly thirty ears ago, is referred to very often as a- guide to present day action when searching for gold. Since then little scientific’ work has been done. Yet, if Dr. Bell’s work had been .followed up there is no doubt the industry would be in a different state to-day. Unfortunately the Mines Department went to sleep, and is still comatose. It has remained for another Department—Scientific and Industrial Reveal'd)—to do what was the task obviously for the once well equipped Mines Department. The present action by another Department exposes tlici shortcomings of th. 3. Mines Department which is not functioning as it should in the effort to promote and encourage gold mining. From the new impetus given to nro-pecting methods by the -aid of science it is possible for further extension* of <;ld mining to conic to pass, and we hope it will lie possible shortly for the officers to get into the back country, and by their methods seek to bcato gold in the matrix. The possible reefs in the back country should be a spac’d nttra't : on to the scientist to test his modern methods of gold seeking.

and Italian Ministers'. The following draft was published in the Daily Telegraph :(1) The convention' shall be concluded for ton years, and unless denounced by one 01 the signatories on one year’s notice, shall automatically continue for another ton years. (2) In the. spirit of the Kellogg Fact, the lour gloat Powers - England, France, Italy and Germany—pie-age thornsJves to co-operate in Europe for the preservation of po:ue. (3) The treaty will be loft open to the adhesion of outside Powers, but this phrase simply means that these aie invited to approve- of tlie new system. (4) The special commitments of the four Powers are two-fold: (a) Th-ev declare that, as provided for in the League Covenant, the 1 evasion of the peace treaties may'have to be sought for; (b) France, Britain and Italy declare that it was recognised in principle last December that Germany had full equal rights, and that the time has come to carry this principle into practice. Austria, Bulgaria and Hungary will be dealt with in the same way.' (5) The four Powers will try to follow a common line outside Europe, and in colonial affairs. ,Speaking in the House of Commons a few days later, after his return from Rome, Mr Ramsay MacDonald remarked that confidence between the-nations wa-s now more lacking than for a long time, but the House and the country would not by these events be diverted from the path to security and peace. When he reached Rome lie found that Signor Mussolini’s mind was working on the collaboration of the four Western. Powers in a pence spirit- as a returii., for the recognition of Germany's eqpaj-' ity of status. The Covenant of, ...tlie ( League of Nations, he pointed out, contemplated revision of treaties when the conditions bv efflux of time might cause conflict. “Every treaty is holy,” he quoted the old maxim, “no treaty is 'eternal.” iS'ignor Mussolini desired the collaboration of the four Powers within the framework of. the League •of Nations for a first period of ten years. If this were adopted as an immediate aid to peace further benefits might ensue. The British Government would work out further details; it was only, committed ’to study of the matter. There was no foundation for the fears -of smaller States.