THE MINISTER OF MINES' STATEMENT.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 5254, 28 July 1885, Page 2

THE MINISTER OF MINES' STATEMENT.

[from our correspondent';]

Wellington, July 2i. ' From a tabulated statement attached to the Minister of Mines' Ministerial statement I gather that at the year ending 31st March there were 652 gold-miners employed in the Westport, Charleston, and Lyell districts. They raised 133,355 ounces, which paid £1,336 in duty, the goldfields' revenue being j61,257. At the Grey, Ahaura, Arnold, and Greenstone; there were 2,004 miners, who raised 25,909 ounces ; gold duty, L 1,905, 905 ; gold--fields' revenue, L 2,017. At Reeftpn and Murchison there were 860 miners, who raised 850 ounces ; gold duty, L 2,985 ; goldfields' revenue, L 2,067. The. totals for the whole. colony ; are :— 12,084 goldminers; gold raised, 225,870 ounces ) gold duty, L 22,587 ;. goldfields' revenue, L 13.987.

The following paragraphs refer more particularly to your part of the;coast : — We finally left Reefton on the 9th of February and proceeded to Ahaura, at the junction of that river with the Grey. In the afternoon I went four miles up the Ahaura to inspect some sluicing being worked on the opposite bank of the river. A great quantity of the river bank was being washed by the miners, about 20 in number, who seemed pleased with the results, but complained of the moderate supply of water. We went from Ahaura to Hatters Terrace on Nelson Creek, some four miles off the main road, and there learned the wants of the miners. A Resident Magistrate and Miners' Court was asked for to sit monthly ; also aid to prospecting to impart fresh stimulus to mining interests, while the charges made on the Nelson Creek water-race and rents for leases were complained of as too high. A road was required for Nelson Creek to No Town, a distance of six miles by Kangaroo Flat. About 30 miners were working and prospecting some five miles back from Hatters Terrace.

In proceeding to Greymouth across the Arnold bridge the unsound state of the structure was brought under our notice. We passed on to Greyrvnuth and arrived in the afternoon.

The next day we visited the Brunner, Wallsend, and other coal-mines on the banks of the Grey river. The work done with the former was large. Quantities of coal from the mines on the west side of the river are now being delivered on board vessels in harbor. In the afternoon we assisted in depositing two of the principal stones as a part of the foundation and the beginning of the new harbor works, which I believe are destined, together with the similar works at Westport, to fix their marks concurrently and indelibly on the future progress of Ndw Zealand. We left Greymouth on the 4th, and branching off at Marsden visited Maori Creek, or Dungaville, where a number of miners are settled, doing fairly well. From this we went to Kumara, and thence to Hokitika. There are no statistics with reference to the coal-mining industry. In my travels over the West Coast and portion of Collingwood and Nelson districts I found timber plentiful and good for all mining and building purposes. On the greater portion of the mines in Otago, excepting in the Lake country, Native timber is wanting and can only be procured from long distances at large expense. Southland mines are better favored in this respect, and good timber can readily be obtained from the large forests that ■ abound. The northern mines have abundance of timber surrounding them. From the experience I have gained I came to the conclusion that many old identities of Otago would pay handsomely for deep levels and sinking could they claim some natural advantages of timber on the spot. To aid in enterprise and assist the industry to progress at a more rapid pace an increase of water power in many districts is absolutely necessary. Whether any efforts should be made to obtain i f , and if so, in what manner, will be for the House to consider and to determine. A further great object is the construction of goldfields' tracks and mads, and these will nave to be made through lands that are densely wooded like the West Coast districts of the Middle Island, and Coromandel and Thames in the North. Other- - wise prospecting cannot go on systematically and advantageously. The magnitude and variety of our mineral resources, and the manner in which they are miscellaneously distributed through the colony is a sufficient reason for believing that New Zealand must become a great mining country. Although the colony is yet in its infancy compared to Australia and Tasmania, we have already extracted from below the earth's surface equal to 10,616,196 ounces of gold, of the value of L 41 ,634,507 sterling, which we had exported previous to the 31st March, together with 447,924 ozs of silver ; value, L 115,144 ; 6 tons of silver ore, L9OO ; 75 tons copper ore, LI3OO ; 37 tons of copper, Lll7O 12s ; 13 tons of antimony, L 2340 j 1142 tons manganese, L 41,386 ; 13 tons zinc, L 259 ; 18 tons sulphur, LIOB ;|ton hematite, Ll2 ; 7888 tons of other minerals not specified, L 33.025 ; 61,520 t*ns of coal, L 51 ,042 ; total tons 81,103 \ valued at L247,s7s,'making a total value at the end of the financial year of mineral exports of L 41,882,094 ; and this is only a tithe of our mineral wealthy for

all practical purposes a mere sample of what in future may be done. We should keep before us the fact that the industrial aspect of the district may be entirely changed <>y the discovery of new ore, and hastening the cost of producing any. valuable minerals.. by,.,a.. small, figure per ton may increase its application in manifold ways. , Our coal produce is steadily increasing. The output for. - th& whole-colony during last year was 480,831 tons, showing an increase over the previous year of 49,067 tons. The quantity exportedfor the same ported was 645 ton 3as against 1872 tons for 1883-84, while the quantity imported was 148,444 tons, as against 123,540 tons the . previous year, /showing an increase during 1884-85 of the coal importejclof 24,904 tons , ... . J

(8 c fourth page.

The total output of .the coal mines of the colony up to the 3ist December last amounts to 3,008,120 tons, as set forth by my colleagues during the last session. Portion of the policy they intended to follow was to give special attention to the mining industry with the view of assisting its develoyment more thoroughly, and I apprehend that the wisdom of. such a course does noo require further demonstration from me ; for at the present juncture the question is of greater moment. When we find that our pastoral and agricultural products are barely holding their own in the markets of the world, it is somewhat difficult to lay down a hard and fast or general rule for the development and promotion of the mining industry. Each case must be decided on its merits, and circumstances may suit in one locality and with a branch of industry that may be be unsuitable and in-applic-able to others.

I have already briefly indicated the general lines 'on which it is proposed to assist, and I will now summarise them, viz : — collection of and diffusion of information regarding the general resources of the colony, systematic and scientific instruction in geology and mineraology amongst those who are best able to make practical use of knowledge imparted to them so that the miner may be ever on the alert to allow nosubstance to escape his practical eye and no indication of an ore to be carelessly thrown aside without proper examination ; encouragement to prospecting both above and below the earth ; aid to local bodies to enable them to open up communication through mineral districts by roado and tracks ; aid to water supply and gold-saving apparatus. By these and kindred means Government believe that the mining industry will be fostered and made prosperous, while the comfort and well being of a large and enterprising section of the community will be promoted and the matirial advancement of the colony strengthened.