The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORORATED The Evening News, Morning Nwes and The Echo. TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 1909. THE THAMES DEEP LEVELS.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 52, 2 March 1909, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORORATED The Evening News, Morning Nwes and The Echo.

TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 1909. THE THAMES DEEP LEVELS.

For the cause that looks assistance. For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance. And the good that we can do.

The Minister for Mines has had a busy time at the Thames, and we are sure that his visit to our goldfields has been highly appreciated. A correspondent, writing to us from the "Thames, emphasises the good impression that Mr McKenzie has made upon the miners there, and the general interest that is being taken in tho proposal so often mooted in the past to work the deep levels on the field. As we have had occasion to point out often enough, it is nothing less than astonishing that no systematic attempt has ever been made to prove these rich auriferous areas below the 500 feet>level. Considering that from an area of about 200 acres gold to the value of over four and a-half millions sterling was obtained many years ago, it says little for the enterprise of our speculative capitalists that nothing more has been done to test the ground. It seems that £20,000 would cover the complete cost of sinking 1000 ft. at the north end of the field, and driving a crosscut at that depth through the ground that requires proving. Remembering that the Caledonian and the Waiotahi have won over £650,000 each, that the Golden Crown produced £200,000 in one year, and that £4000 capital invested in the Cambria resulted in an output of about £160,000 worth of gold, we may well wonder that the people of Auckland and the local companies have hesitated over this project so long; and it is to be hoped that the interest displayed in the scheme by the new Minister for Mines will inaugurate an era-of greater activity and more daring initiative in this direction.

In dealing practically with such a matter as this, it is, of course, impossible to avoid rivalries and controversies over the best course to take. "Not even the settlers of North Auckland are more keenly concerned about the route of their new railway than the -Thames miners ai&out the precise line the crosscut ought to follow. Every company has naturally a special interest in advancing a special theory; and in such circumstances we think that the only safe and rational course is to leave the decision to a competent and impartial; authority. For these reasons we believe that the route recommended by the surveyor attached to the Department -of Mines is the best line to adopt; and just as we have advised the people of North Auckland to accept the line chosen by the Department's engineers for .the new railway, so we advise the people of the Thames to be satisfied with the Mining Department's proposal. It certainly seems that if the cross-cut is carried from the Queen of Beauty, where good indications have been found at the thousand-foot level, to the Saxon ground, and then on to the Big Pump, more -will Tdo learned 7 about the true character of the unexplored ground than in any other way. This is the course recommended by the leading mine managers l on the field at an important meeting held at the Thames in August last, and we hope to see it speedily adopted. The alternative proposals appear to- have little to recommend, them, and they would involve the testing of ground which so far las appeared barren, at great expense, while adding little or nothing to our knowledge of the lower levels of proved auriferous areas.

So far as can be judged at present, it appears that there is little to be gained by prospecting beyond the 1000 ft. level. Below this the country seems to change in character; but so far down all the indications at- both- ends of the field- point to the continuance of the formation which has proved so highly productive nearer the surface. Moreover, it has been estimated that tp link 2000 ft, would cost

about £ 150,000 instead of £20,000, and there is wery- little chance of Taising such a sum or -getting -Government assistance for so expensive a" scheme at present. If the companies would -only co-operate and accept the decision of the Department as to the route the crosscut ought to take, the sympathy expressed by the Minister for Klines would soon assume a practicalform. We may remai_ sn passing that Mr. McKenzie's strictures on the vexed question of contiAaed protection for mining companies deserve careful attention. Everybody must admit that it is unjust to reserve areas of possibly auriferous ground for speculative purposes without making attempt to work them. -At the same time, the question of protection is one that naturally falls within the province of -the local warden, rather than the Departmental officials. And it must -be conceded that as a Thames correspondent has pointed out to us, some of the larger companies are in a very difficult positioax. They have worked their ground so far as they profitably could down to .the 600 ft level, and they cannot afford to go further till the lower levels are proved. This is the reason that the local unions have suggested taking up portions of the ground on •tribute; for there is no doubt that •tributers -could-make---good- profit out of land om which it would not pay the companies to keep a large body of miners continuously employed. "No doubt if some of these -mines were opened to tributers, a serious difficulty would 'be removed. But what is chiefly necessary for the successful prosecution of the deep levels scheme is something like unanimity and cordial co-operation between the mining companies, and we hope that they will see the wisdom of accepting Mr. McKenzie's -well-meant adv'ce, and accepting as final the judgment of the Department surveyor on the Toute the crosscut oifjht to take.