SEARCH FOR GOLD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 143, 19 June 1931, Page 5

SEARCH FOR GOLD.

REVIVAL OF THE INDUSTRY. SCHEME SUBMITTED AT THAMES. TO GO BEFORE MINISTER. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) THAMES, this day. The School of Mines council held a conference "with Mr. A. M. Samuel, member for Thames, last evening regarding prospecting for gold in the Thames region, and submits a scheme drawn up by prominent miners. The chief suggestions were that present idle mines be worked on tribute, it being stated that 50 or 60 men could easily be employed with a fair chance of obtaining gold, that miners have the right to pick their own mates for a tribune term of at least twelve months, the Government to pay tributers £2 weekly for a full week's work, and in, return to get one-third of all the gold won, each party of tributers to gel; onethird and the company owning the ground one-third, provided it keep the levels required open, also the main levels, and if the company be not willing then the usual 10 per cent deduction to be made from the bullion won, the balance being divided between the Government and the tributers. The second proposal was to send parties of ten men prospecting in the back country in charge of experienced prospectors on the same pay as in the case of the first scheme, the Government to take half the gold won or profits. It was stated that there was plenty of room for from 50 to CO men, with a fine chance of finding gold. It was well known that reefs carrying gold had been found in the back country and that only superficial prospecting had been carried out. There was every chance of finding a new field. The scheme -was supported by Messrs. Donovan, president of the School of Mines, and Henry Lowe, chairman ol the Thames County. Both considered it could well be worked in. conjunction with'the Unemployment Board's No. 5 scheme. Mr. Samuel went carefully into the details of the scheme and promised to bring the matter before the authorities. He said that mining was a most important industry, and every effort should be made to resuscitate it, not by a boom but by a determined attempt to exploit our mineral deposits. The scheme proposed was something tangible to place before the Minister of Mines. Even, if the Government had to subsidise the winning of gold ifc would be rewarded by the result in the gold won. e .