CRUSHING BATTERY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5326, 14 September 1928, Page 2

CRUSHING BATTERY.

MINING IN OHJNEMURI THE COMMUNITY’S PROBLEM. In the course of his address in the House recently, when the Min«i s t er of Mines tabled the report oh the min- . ing industry, Mr A. M. Samuel, member. for <QhinMinuri, dealt at length with the problems met with in mining 'in his district. In appealing to the Government for assistance in the shape of a public crushing battery he said:— “The erection of public crushing batteries in the Thames and Ohinemuri districts —because the. two districts are- practically op a par—would (jeflniteiy prqve whether, those areas are worth working. No.t only do the prospectors and the small parties need assistance, but I would also recommend that assistance be. given to companies which may mean the employment of a lerge number of men, but they must be companies which are working in the interests of their shareholders. I am quite certain that every company in these districts comes under this heading. . These companies should be assisted because most of them are. formed with too little capital. The promoters are optimistic. They ha.ve certain data before them and they know that payable ore is there. What they desire is tq get their companies launched, but unfortunately most of the companies are floated with insufficient capital to de> the job, and when this capital is expended witho-ut , rea.ching their objective they cannot continue operations and the Shareholders lose their money. This 4s the point at which the Government should come i n and provide assistant. lam quite certain that we have many such companies in New Zealand today. They cojulcl make their, propositions payable—they equid achieve Success—if their finance- had not petered out. They have started operations with insufficient capital In the first place, and a little assistance would enable them to reach their objective, which is undoubtedly inj sight. “I would like to point out that so far as the Ohinemurj district is concerned the whole of th e business community and the mining enthusiasts—and when I say mining enthisiasts I dp not mean' the mining speculators, but those who; have the interests of mining thoroughly at heart — recognise the possibilities of the district,- and realise the importance of the erection of a crushing battery to give the small parties and prospectors an opportunity of proving the field. Recently a committee representing the whole, district was set up fqr the purpose of making full .and exhaustive inquiries into the. mining possibilities, of the Ohinemuri district. That committee was composed of. the Mayor o£ Paeroa, the Mayor of Waihi. the chairman of the County Council and Waihi and Paeroa Chambers of Commerce; and, in addition, Mr. JBanks, manager of the Wajhi Companjy’s crushing battery at Waikino, and other mining enthusiasts not directly interested in minipg but whp hadt he welfare of the injdustry at heart. When we come to consider that these mem have really nothing to gain, but are working solely in the interests of the injdusitry, and, after havinlg gone into the question thoroughly have come to the conclusion that st is a sound proposition so far as the Government is concerned, surely something should be done tc carry but their recommendations. They realise that it is of so much importance that .they made a unanimous recommendation to, the. Minister for. the purpose of obtaining assistance in the erection of a public crushing battery. The establishment of this 'battery would once and for all decide the fate of mining in the district. If the Government w'ould subsidise: the erection of such a battery it wquld satisfy everybody in the district of the Government’s sympathy towards the goldmining industry of’ this country. A little more practical help is required—a little more practical demonstration ’of the Government’s sympathy. Ready m<xney is needed The putting of the battery in order — which could be accomplished within; a few months—is the form of practical sympathy tha.t is desired, asdi I sincerely trust that it will be; forthcoming in the near future.