GOLD IN IHE RANGES.
PERMISSION TO PROSPECT. Alter many months of delay the questiuu of allowing or facilitating the prospecting for minerals in tin* Egwont .National Park came before the National Park ltoard yesterday, when Mr Colli* introduced a deputation, consisting of Messr* Harris Fold and li. W. Davies, who were desirous of obtaining permission to conduct prospecting operations in the Reserve. lie had information that deposits of valuable minerals had been found there. Put these gentlemen could not go ahead with their prospecting or invite capital to assist them, because they could be prosecuted for trespass. Mr Davies had told him that he had procured surface specimens of iron ore, manganese, coupe r ore, sulphur, and large deposits of gold-bearing quart/, and of kaolin or line pottery clay, this latter having been declared superior to any yet found in Taranaki. Personally, he was impressed with the necessity for preserving their National Park intact, both for scenic and climatic reason*. Jiut he thought that this prospecting could be carried on in such a manner as not to interfere at all with the beauty of the mountain or its ranges. He understood that when permission were obtained (lie prospectors would be able to secure financial aid in making a thorough test of the reefs which outcropped there. The chairman (to the deputation): ttJiat have you found?
Mv Davie*; You have had a copy haven't you, of the analysis of specimen? of rock, showing gold to the value ol 2os to the ton of stoDe? .Mr Simpson: I believe so.
Mr Davie* continued that subsequent assays had revealed gold in varying ipiantities. They intended to drive a shaft ten or twenty feet into the face to see whether the reefs contained payable gold. The shafts would be just big enough to work in. He submitted a sample of stone which lie said carried 07 per cent of manganese.
Mr Ford said lie had been connected years ago with a party that had prospected the ranges and found traces of gold. He still had the reports of the nssayers. Old miners were well satisfied with the specimens taken out by Mr Davies lately, and it was confidently believed that the gold deposits were verv valuable.
Mr Simpson: Yes. I had the same convictions once. 1 was getting a good salary up there at the Thames, and had €SOO of my own in, too. After three years' work I came out with three suits of clothes, a bell-topper, and my instruments.
In answer to the chairman, Mr Davies said he would submit samples of the clay and ores. Mr Marchant wanted to know what this request was to lead up to. The Hoard hail no power to grunt the request, and he didn't think the power cotrM lie obtained without legislative action. Did the deputation want the reserve brought under the provisions of the Mining Act? Mr Simpson said lie understood the deputation to ask for permission to prospect and protection of anything they might find. Mr Marchant: And if you make a good find, how can vve protect you! Mr Davie* said the permission would be worth something. They were prohibited now.
Mr Marchant: The prohibition doesn't seem to have been very effective. Mr I'ord said that if gold wore found in payable quantity the flovernment would soon declare the lielil a mining area.. He had Iteen informed the fiovernment would endorse any permission given by this Board.
Mr Hill: Have we power to gran! permission?
The chairman: .So, distinctly no. Air UilJ: Cull we get it for them ( The chairman thought there might iic a little chalice of that. Tin.' deputation withdrew. The chairman said 111 j- was not the lirst time the matter liad been brought to liia notice. lie had obtained an opinion from the Solicitor-Uencral that the Hoard had no power to grant thin permission. The i'ark was a reserve exempt from tiie operations of the Alining Act. It could be proclaimed other wise, but even then the Board would have no coutrul.
Air Collin: Then these people could get their permission ? The chairman: Yes, they'd get it, ami everybody els<' would get it, too; and whoever felt inclined might go ill and camp, shoot birds, and all that sort of thing. -Mr Ilill: And dig gold?
Tlie chairman said that of course it payable gold were found nineteen Dreadnought* and a whole regiment of Hildii I - wouldn't keep the prospectors out. There had been a great stir about this g«ld. He had had two pieces of stone analysed, and there was no gold in it. ile didn't want to block the pro spelling, though.
Air Goodsou rsaid that if there were gold ill the ranges it would have to be opened up. It would mean a big thing for Taranaki.
Kvcni nally, upon I In* motion of Man-hant ami Oollis. the following resolution was carried: — I "That application having been made to the Hoard to permit prospecting in the National Hark I^'serve----permission which the Hoard iias apparently no power to grant—the Hoard be«js 1o inform the {iov<-nuuent that i{ >ees no objection to the area known a? the Kaitake l>ein» thrown oj)en to projecting for a period of 12 months."
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19071221.2.31
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 301, 21 December 1907, Page 6
Word count
Tapeke kupu
872GOLD IN IHE RANGES. Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 301, 21 December 1907, Page 6
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Taranaki Daily News. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.