SCHEELITE MINING

Southland Times, Issue 24880, 21 October 1942, Page 5

SCHEELITE MINING

Progress At Glenorchy (Special) WELLINGTON, October 20. The progress being made with the scheelite industry at Glenorchy was reviewed by the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, in an interview. He said that since the Government made arrangements to take over the properties previously worked by the Glenorchy Scheelite Mining Company much had been accomplished. The Minister said that for a beginning it had been necessary to concentrate primarily upon a development programme to prospect and open up new reserves of scheelite ore, and already some success had been achieved. Such a programme called for the provision of air compressors and rock drills, the recruiting of miners and the erection of huts and houses to accommodate them. SHORTAGE OF MAN-POWER The .Minister added that various difficulties had, of course, been encountered, because of the relative isolation of the district and war conditions generally, but the housing programme was now nearing completion. This provided for the erection of six houses, 15 married men’s quarters, and 22 single men’s huts, and the accommodation problem had been eased considerably. "Man-power still remains the chief problem,” Mr Webb said. "In response to the appeal made by me in the Press, many men have been secured, and it .has also been possible to obtain the release from military service of specially selected men with the necessary mining experience. At the momen tessential development work at the State mines is being held up for lack of men. The type required are those with some experience of hard-rock mining, preferably single men or men who will, require only single-man accommodation." CONFIDENCE IN PROJECT The Minister said that progress had been made with the development work and the Paradise mine in particular was responding well. It was hoped that eventually a sufficient reserve of ore would be proved to warrant the equipment of this property as a producing mine with its own treatment P !ant - . . . .u Scheelite was. of course, being won at the moment essential development work at the actual production stage still lay some way ahead, the Minister concluded. Scheelite was notoriously erratic in its distribution, and mining in the prospective stage must always be speculative. Provided, however, that enough men were forthcoming, he was confident that when development had been completed, scheelite production in New Zealand would be appreciably increased.