Tuapeka Times AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER A ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1872.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 207, 18 January 1872, Page 5

Tuapeka Times AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER A ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1872.

"MEASURES, NOT MEN."

Quartz mining is recovering from j;he depression a long series of disastrous failures caused it to languish under, and is assuming its proper ran'" among the mining industries of Otago. From Lake Wakatip, the Dunstan, and the Tuapeka districts, come encouraging accounts of the yields from mines already at work, and fresh discoveries of promising reefs are from time to time reported. While congratulating ourselves on these pleasing prospects, it will be well to examine the history of quartz mining in Otago, with the view of ascertaining the causes of the failures above referred to ; and having ascertained them, devising measures for as "far as possible preventing their recurrence. Many, reefs have been opened, thoroughly tested, and proved highly payable; yet, when expensive work had been done and costly machinery erected, the crushings have failed to realise actual working expenses. This seems inexplicable, but is really not so. Careful investigation will show that it is attributable to inefficient appliances for saving the gold, or incompetent management, or to both these causes combined. We do not mean to credit all the failures which have attended quartz reefing enterprises to these causes, but there can be no doubt that to them can be directly traced the majority thereof. The experience gained in California and Australia in this branch of mining seems to be utterly ignored in Otago. Instead of procuring the latest and most improved appliances for extracting the precious metal from auriferous ore, most of our-. quartz miners prefer the antiquated gold wasters, the use of which has been abandoned in the countries mentioned for ten or 'fifteen years. Such machines, no doubt, make very rich stone pay, but when brought to bear on the comparatively poor quartz of Otago, most are worse than useless. To make the extraction of gold from reefs yet discovered in Otago remunerative requires appliances which will allow only an inappreciable quantity of the precious metal to escape with the tailings. We believe that the system of saving gold now in use in Otago to be so defective, that the tailings from many machines treated upon the improved principles in vogue in Australia, would yield better returns than the original quartz has done. The subject of . incompetent management does not require to be much enlarged upon — it has been and is so painfully manifest. Many people run away with the idea, that because a man is a good quartz miner, he is qualified to' take charge of a mine. It is quite as reasonable to suppose that a man because he is a good navvy is competent to superintend the construction of a railway. To manage a quartz mine properly, requires a man with a good, deal of ability, education, and practical experience. How many mine maiir agers in Otago possess these indispensable requisites? Many instances could be adduced where incapable managers have plunged companies into enormous useless expense, which has ruined them. Now that quartz mining enterprise is- being resuscitated, we do sincerely hope that those interested, if they will not take advantage of the experience gained in other countries, will profit by and not repeat the mistakes made in Otago. If they persist in blundering along in the old style, but one result can attend their operations, and that result is dead failure. If, however, they prosecute their ventures in an intelligent manner, by having their workings superintended by properly qualified managers, and procuring the best appliances for" goldsaving, they have a fair prospect of success. . There are numbers of quartz reefs in Otago which only require to be properly operated upon to yield handsome fortunes to those who may work them. The meeting of subscribers to the Tuapeka Hospital, to take place to-morrow evening, will perhaps be the' most important that has been convened since the foundation of the institution. At it will have to be decided- questions seriously affecting the future efficiency and con<Wt of the Hospital, The action taken by the Committee relative to the. management qf the Hospital since the Provincial Government reduced the subsidy by one-half; is sufficiently familiar to the public to render\ a recapitulation of it |

unnecessary. We believe there ib a strong feeling in the district in favour of continuing the present system of managing the Hospital by a committee elected by the contributors, in preference to handing it over to the Provincial Government. To do this requires the most strenuous efforts to secure an increase in the amount of the annual subscriptions, and the most economical management consistent with efficiency. The Lake Wakatip people have grappled with the subject manfully, and the measures they have taken to keep their Hospital up to the standard of efficiency maintained previous to the reduction of the subsidy, are well worthy of imitation. We publish in another column, and commend to the consideration of the public, the rules drawn up by the committee of the Wakatip Hospital for presentation to the annual meeting of subscribers, which was held on the 6tli instant. These rules were adopted with two alterations — rule 6 being expunged as unnecessary, and rule 4 being altered to read thus :—": — " That any person being an annual subscriber of £1 Is. to the Hospital, and being desirous of becoming a patient, he shall be entitled to admission on paying in advance the sum of £2 10s. per week, provided always that the resident surgeon shall be of opinion that he is a fit patient."

The establishnient of local subcommittees we regard as the best means of augmenting the amount of the funds subscribed. They will create and fostoF an interest in the well-being of the Hospital in the various districts benefited by it, and cause a commendable spirit of rivalry between them relative totheamount of subscriptions contributed by each, as every resident in a district will feel that its honor will be compromised should it fail to contribute a sum proportioned to its wealth and importance. Local sub-com-mittees will also be better qualified to judge whether patients recommended by them are able to pay for their maintenance while in the Hospital than the general committee, and thus imposition will be prevented, and those capable of paying will be compelled to do so. We urge on all interested in the maintenance of the Tuapeka Hospital the necessity of attending the meeting to-night.