MINING IN OHINEMURI.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5481, 30 September 1929, Page 2

MINING IN OHINEMURI.

EStIMATES FOR PROSPECTING.

MR. SAMPEL’S

Last week, in the Parliamentary committee ■on the Estimates of Agriculture and Mines, Mr A. M. Samuel, member for Thames, had some pertinent and important remarks to make. Mr Samuel said he was disappointed that the item for prospecting for gold was so small. It was a most important matter and one that needed every encouragement. The value of the- gold produced in 1928 was over £lOO,OOO more than was produced in 1927. What was wanted was a steady revival of gold-mining, but not a mining boom which was very undesirable. The Government should consider granting some assistance to bring about a revival, because there were plently of small companies and prospectors who were prepared to carry on mining if the necessary assistance was granted. The city of Auckland had grown out of the gold won from the Thames goldfield, and there was no reason why similar gold strikes should not be made in the future. He would ask the Minister to give his inspectors greater powers to encourage prospecting. It would be a great help to the industry if they could report, for instance, to the department that certain miners in certain districts deserved assistance.

The Waihi mine was discovered by an individual prospector. The solution of the unemployment problem might be affected by the discovery of a new goldfield. He wished to urge upon the Minister the necessity for granting further assistance to prospectors. Some of these men came across difficult ground and the subsidy was not sufficient for them to carry through their prospecting operations. Explosives cost these men a considerable amount, and they would be materially assisted if they were enabled by the department to get their explosives at a greatly reduced -rate. The Minister had had this matter brought under his notice on several occasions by reputable miners with a thorough knowledge of mining com ditions. There was no doubt the Minister would do all he could to help the mining industry, about which he was so sympathetic. Crushing Facilities. The Minister would remember, Mr Samuel continued, that a committee, consisting mostly of business men, was formed in the Ohinemuri district, in order to resuscitate mining. He asked whether anything had been done to liquidate a certain promise given in that direction. There were numbers of men who were ready to go out prospecting if they were furnished with facilities for crushing, but unfortunately if they went out now they would not derive any benefit from their labours. Would the Minister state exactly what was being done in that connection ? The sum of £lOOO on account was provided last year for the purpose of subsidising a crushing battery at the Rising Sun mine, but the proposition fell through owing to the Rising Sun closing down. It was to be hoped that the Minister would do something to help the people to win the pre and to get the benefits of their own labours.

The Minister replied that on the return of an official who was absent from New Zealand the matter would be again gone into.