GOLD PROSPECTING PROPOSALS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10069, 10 February 1909, Page 4

GOLD PROSPECTING PROPOSALS.

(Per Pkess Association-.) Auckland, February 9.

The proposal of the Government to make provision for both islands of the Dominion being thoroughly prospected by parties of mining experts is looked upon with mixed feelings in Auckland. A gentleman closely connected with gold mining said he thought the scheme was a good beginning. It was, however, too indeTinite as to discovering new go Id fields. He thought a better plan would be to prospect in the backblocks. It was, he said, well known that at the back of the Thames, say a mile as the crow flies from the foreshore across the hills, it would not bo necessary to go far for gold. What was the Government's intention, however, if it got a- good find and took up a- large area of ground. That- would be a very bad tiling. If, on the other hand, itonly took up a small prospecting area good results might follow. Another representative mining man, discussing the proposal, said a good deal would depend upon the kind of men the Government procured for prospectors. They should bo absolutely reticent men. Supposing it employed men who had friends and who might make a find, conceal it, and toil their friends about it later, so that they might "scoop the pool." Even supposing the men employed were all right, and the Government was duly apprised of discoveries, what was going to happen '! Who was going to get the benefit? Was it to be a case of first come, first- served? He thought the scheme might- open the door to a lot of "subterranean" work. A better plan would be to offer a bonus, and let the prospectors look after themselves on the principle of no find, no pay. The bonus might be paid, in addition to the subsidy now paid, for specific work. In any case, he did not see much of a forward move in the Government scheme. It did not go far enough. Another point that wanted clearing up was whether the Government proposed to work any discoveries or not. The same opinions were expressed in other directions, it being generally felt- that something more definite should be made known on the points raised. On the other hand, there was an equally general feeling that, as one gentleman put it, "We can't get too much gold."