PROSPECTING FOR GOLD

Evening Star, Issue 21077, 14 April 1932, Page 8

PROSPECTING FOR GOLD

OPERATIONS IN CENTRAL OTAGO Mr J. L. Stewart Wright, secretary of the Mining Association which was formed about twelve months ago for the Sose of stimulating interest in the mining industry, has answered a r Star ’ reporter’s inquiries by sending from Cromwell some particulars as to what is doing up there and roundabout. Practically from the beginning of the year the association has acted as the functioning local body under the Unemployment Act, and with the co-opera-tion of the local certifying officer (Mr George Burrows), who closed down the No. 5 scheme, all unemployed in the , district have been found work under the gold prospecting scheme. At first married men were getting three and four days at 12s 6d per day, but subsequent to a meeting held in Dunedin‘last February, at which Mr Kimbell, Under-Secretary of Mines, submitted new rates of pay, the wages have been reduced to 30s per week for married men and 15s per week for single men. Nearly all the unemployed not . now farming are engaged in mining activities. This week sixty odd men were employed. Choice of locality so far has been left to the men, many of whom are experienced miners with local knowledge; but' in the case of men not knowing where to go the services of the association’s supervisor, Mr J. Halliday, are available. He is an old. experienced miner, and has a wealth or information for the novice.

It has often been stated that all the easily-won gold had been recovered, and there were those who were adverse to the employment of men on this work, their contention being that the Chinamen in their thoroughness had left nothing; it was well known, however* that the Chinamen would not go under-, ground. One area on Cairmnuir which was prospected by Messrs J. Tully and W•Mitchell is typical of many others.These two (both experienced) miners put a long drive into the terrace, which had in former years yielded good gold on the faces bordering the Kawaran River. After two months or more of hard work, during which time these men worked as hard in stand-down weeks as when receiving the unemployment pay, they have struck a good body of payable wash, and have secured some very encouraging prospects. They have now laid a tramline, put in a tip and streaming-down boxes, brought in water, and have commenced in earnest, having secured about IJoz for the first week’s wash-up. They have now only to contest at the next sitting of the Warden’s Court an objection to their application for the claim lodged by the adjoining runholder, and if successful* as the whole district trusts they will be, ' they should be in a position to get off the unemployment register This accomplishment was made possible! only by the unemployment subsidy. It is now considered that this run of l gold on Cairmnuir follows the foothills right round to Bannockburn Creek, and some sixteen men are now making attempts at various points to strike the same run. Several other parties are meeting with success in varying degrees, and in quite a number of instances payable gold is being won in the vicinity of old workings. .... .. , , - A deal of activity is being displayed in the vicinity of Scotland's Beach,;, where three different parties are at work, the most successful of which is so far Messrs Bell and party,, who* with a centrifugal pump driven by a tractor, are lifting two heads of water; from the Kawarau River, and have pub in •an open cut and are now working on a good body of wash, which shows a prospect of something like Idwt to the dish. Another party is driving and tunnelling, while the third party is driving from a shaft. In the vicinity of Gees _ Flat several parties are getting gold in old workings. At Luggate six men are opening up promising areas, while a party of three at Nevis are by means of their somewhat limited resources gathering together a plant to work an area which with so far primitive methods • adopted has been yielding something over loz per week. In nearly every instance a considerable amount of preliminary prospecting has had to be done, and this would never have been possible had it not been for the assistance from the Unemployment Board. The men’s sore point, however, is that while they were engaged on street work and other such uneconomic tasks they were receiving £1 17s 6d and £2 10s per week, but now their maximum for married men is £1 10s and a proviso that they must pay back to the Government 10 per cent, of all gold won until such time as they have repaid all assistance given by the Gov-' eminent, and whenever .their earning capacity reaches £3 per week they go off the unemployment register. Probably a great deal more could be accomplished if suitable plant was made available for the men, the liability for tho cost of which would in a>’ number of instances be willingly accepted by the men if reasonable terms were offered. During the last two weeks we have had in the district Mr E. 0. Macpherson, of the New Zealand Geological Survey, whose services have been at the disposal of tho miners, and despite Mr Macpherson’s own words that “ the: district shrieks of the history of the past,” he is convinced there is a big territory awaiting further development.

Probably something much more ambitious could bo undertaken, and whilo a quiet spirit of optimism pervades the town the Mining Association is now; giving consideration to a scheme for undertaking the more extensive development of some of the areas in this district. When it is remembered that gold mining is the primary industry to which Otago originally owes its position, wealth, and prosperity, it is a' pity some more vigorously concerted action cannot be undertaken to more efficiently exploit the resources of Otago Central in this industry. While we have been successful in Cromwell district/ it would appear that the mining associations in other places —notably Naseby, Alexandra, Queenstown, and Arrowtown —are experiencing difficulty in effecting a satisfactory modus operandi. - It seems to me that a great field awaits exploitation if the whole scheme is properly organised and handled, and here is where I think town and country could successfully co-operate fop the general welfare of the whole community, for there is not the -slightest doubt'but that many of these men here will eventually go right off the unemployment register. \