REEF PROSPECTING

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 93, 14 January 1936, Page 11

REEF PROSPECTING

“Mines Department Will Be

Real Live One”

MINISTER’S ASSURANCE

By Telegraph—Press Association. Nelson, January 13. At a deputation to the Minister of Public Works, Hon. R. Semple, to-day the chairman of the Murchison County Council said that in Murchison county there was a good deal of mining, and he asked the Minister if he would outline the policy of the Government in regard to reef prospecting. Men engaged on reef prospecting were on the same subsidy as other prospectors, those in the latter category being in a better position because they usually found a little gold. The Minister said his department had nothing to do with the subsidy paid to prospectors, which was handled by the Unemployment Board. At the present time his department had no money to assist mining, but the Unemployment Board had sympathetically assisted in the prospecting of quartz reefs. In some cases it had granted up to full-time wages for such men if they were practical and qualified.

If the people of Murchison had practical men aud the inspectors and officers could recommend the expenditure of money for such prospecting, he felt sure something would be done to assist them. The money should be spent judiciously and profitably. In most cases now it was necessary to hit out with large capital and with tiie use of scientific methods. He gave an assurance that the Mines Department would be a real live department which would be ready to assist those who wished to mine, but it would give the death sentence to those who went into mining as speculation, The Government-would not encourage those who wished to tie up development by holding large unused water rights. In regard to the request made, he advised them to submit their ease to the Unemployment Board. Where there was a prospect of finding a reef or good alluvial prospects every sympathetic help would be given.