Cromwell Argus AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell: Tuesday, July 22, 1873.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 193, 22 July 1873, Page 4

Cromwell Argus AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell: Tuesday, July 22, 1873.

A motiox by Mr De Lautouk, one of Mount Ida's representatives in the Provin-1 cial Council, is of great interest to the I mining communitr, and to those who favour the development of the auriferous j resources of Ofcago. The motion, which met we are glad to notice with the unanimous support of the Council, desires the Superintendent <o secure such scientific service as he may deem sufficient to efficiently report upon the deep leads and quartz reefs throughout the Province. Mr De Lautour is to be thanked for his movement in ihis matter. The result of a good scientific research in the directions indicated, there can be no question, will be of a highly satisfactory character as regards its after-inflnences. Indeed, it is hardly possible to calculate the benefit that will arise eventually from such a research. In the matter of deep leads, especially, we believe that the reports asked for in the motion wi'l be of a surprisingly satisfac torv character ; and perhaps it would not be going coo far to say that they will do much towards introducing a kind of new era in gold mining in Otago. In several localities, the existence of deep leads has been investigated ; but the investigations have not been instituted by reason of any expressed scientific opinion, for the opinion of science has never been asked. On Inear'y every field in the Province, —indeed, we believe no exception need be made, —the practical miner has a more or less fixed belief that deep leads exist. It is needless to go into any consideration of tie reasons why those who so believe do rot take steps towards testing the truth of (heir belief. Without assistance from the public funds, this would be beyond the j 'means of the miner ; and since the failure of the Wetherstones trial, miners have been no less chary of asking aid than the Government would have been of granting it, upon pure speculation. But the light which science will let in upon these leads, as to their locale, their depth, thendirection, and so forth, —will of course very largely diminish the risk in connection with prospecting for them ; and doubtless, Government having, to use a rather slangy phrase, laid the miner on to the whereabouts of the precious metal, private enterprise will quickly do the rest. Many experienced practical men in this neighbourhood have been led by indications to form an opinion that at least one extensive lead traverses the Cromwell flat, and this opinion has been held also by gentlemen of scientific attainments who have visited the place. And, with this motion before us, we cannot help thinking that the day will come when the existence of such a lead will be a proved fact, and when the flat will be worked by a busy population of hundreds, perhaps of tens of hundreds. This is certainly possible, and who shall say it is not probable 1 ? Mr Macandrew may mourn the non-fulfilment

of his Garden of Eden prophecy, in such case ; but all others, and even he himself, must admit that the newer prophecy is an improvement. Mr L»e Lautour's speech when he proposed the resolution is only summarised in the Dunedin papers (and thence we copy it in our report of Council proceedings elsewhere), but he seems to have gone into the matter at some length, and has evidently bestowed upon it some of that consideration of which it is worthy. He appears to have intended the scientific reports to take a wider range than is mentioned in the motion. The losses from defective methods of treating gold in quartz-mining are known to be very considerable, and to militate strongly in many cases against the payable prosecution of that industry ; and in this respect alone scientific teaching is calculated to be of vast benefit. We will not, however, pursue the subject fprther. We direct the attention of our readers to the motion, and also to one in the same direction proposed by Mr Oliver, the other member for Mount Ida. That these motions were so favourably received may be regarded as a happy sign on the part of the Council that " the desire of developing the auriferous resources of the Province" is advancing with them somewhat beyond the mere expression of it. And it is to be hoped that speedy effect will be given to the requests, for we are satisfied that the ultimate result will be of such a character as to prove the resources of the Province in the matter of gold great beyond any present calculation.