GOLD INDUSTRY

Grey River Argus, 11 August 1931, Page 2

GOLD INDUSTRY

Blackwater Association MINISTER OF 'MINES PROMISES SUBSIDY. A most enthusiastic meeting of the ' Blackwater mining (prospecting) Association was held ait. Blackwater on Saturday night, Mr Thomas Bannan I presiding o|ver an altendalnce of 25 j incni bers. . Tike Secretary (Mr J. McNamara), I read copies of letters which had been 'forwarded to the Minister of Mines and to Miessrs J. O ’Brien. H, E. Holland and G. C. Black, M’s.P,, in which 'he asked that aid be given to prospeej tors who are out to re-establish the 'industs-y on the West Coast. A vote iof thanks was passed to the Seciretlary for the able manner in which he had made the requests. I The following replips were receivI ed:— I From thie Inspector of Mines: “M". jE. J. Scoble, Reefton. Acknowlwrg- ! ing receipt of your letter from the I Association, and noting the contents, I iirny add that in time, no doubt, the (inspector would be. acquainted with I the nature of the Association's applii cation, for grants from t!v> Head Of- ; fioe, and that he will be then prepared Jo report in duo form.” The, Minister of Mines wrote as follows: ‘‘l have received your letj ter of the 20th instant and was pleas- | i d to learn those interested have been ■ .ucc.-ssful in re-opening the Upper (Blackwater Mining Association.” On referring to the official paper's it is I found that the Blackwater Mining AsI sociation wa 3 granted live subsidies for varying amounts for prospecting between the Big Grey Rhver and the Big River Mine, between the Alexander River and the Kopara Settlement. including the headwaters of the I Allan and Clarke Rivers, between the Blackwater Mines and the St. George line of reef, and in a. locality up Snowy Creek about four miles from the Blackwater Battery. Although discoveries were made by members of the parties engaged in prospecting, only one of them resulting 'ln a mine being worked, the Alexander Reefs. The balance of the vote for aid to ! prospecting is so small that I am nh- ! able to sb o m .V ' n ’ a y ( ’ lear t 0 "lake a straight out grant to your Association, but would sympathotcally deal | with any application that, may be made ,o grant a subsidy on ai £ for £ | basis for prospecting a selected area ,t o bo approved by th 0 Inspector of Mines at Rtrfton. On receipt, therefore, of advice that your Association has boon successful in raising its | quota of th P money required for snen j purposes, I shall be pleased to obtain ja. report from the Inspector of Mines las to whether or not the area selected Iby your Association 's one that should be -inbsidised and later on you will tm advised as tn what I am prepared to do in the direction desired; (Signed). A. ,T. Murdoch. Minister of Minos. Mr Jas. O’Brien. M.P., replied, stating that he would co-opc-rate with the ot.hcr We-i Coast members in cn ! d/'a,vouring to forward th® claim s of ' the Association. Already Mr IL E I Hol'aml and (Air O’Brie,n) had approached the Min' ster of STines in re Igard to the Association’s request, but it was pointed out that there was a lack of funds in th 0 Mines Depart ment. tor granting the Association’ request.. He added: —‘‘However, let us hope that in the near future the 'financial, stringen,tjy will relax! {suffi 1 to allow a grant being made '<> your Association for prospecting purposes,” wrote Mr O’Brien- Continuing, he saj-d (he had -asked a question in the House that day which might help to g’t funds from the Unemployment Board for prospecting.

Mr H. E. Holland, M.P., replied as follows: —“I am in receipt of your letter of the 20th instant, regarding your Association’s efforts to secure a subsidy of £2OO for prospecting purposes, and enclosing al copy of your communication to the Minister of Mines. I n rep’y, I beg to say that I shall be glad to interview Minister of Mini's on your behalf. However, I am afra fl that for the time being, there is not much chance of success. Tlty" other day I had oeca»inn te ask the Minister if he would receive a deputation frolfi the Com- 1 puny handling the Buller Diversion Scheme, and he was emphat'c in saving that no purpose whatever could bo sarvod bv the cleputation coming t (l sec him, since he could only tell them that all the money at l.is disposal for prospecting grants, was used i up. I then suggested that the depu a tion might, see the, Pr m.e Minister who is Minister of Finance; but Air ! Murdoch again rcp'ied, that the ans-1 Iwer of the Prime ALinister would be ' exactly the same as his own. —The j Government had n 0 money whii-lh. it could devote to prospecting grants. It appears the only way in which prospectors to get assistance at the present monipnf is through the Unem- | ploynient Board, anil unfortunately, th CJ Board appears to be restrict,ng I its' assistance to married men. A s I > have said, I will seel the Minister of | Alines at the earliest opportunity n of your Association’s applii cation.” (Signed), 11. E. Holland. I n reply to a request by the Association as to what cap’tai had boon ; expended on the work of constructing I the Company’s water race at Blackwater, the Secretary of the Alt. David . Sluicing Company, Limited, Dunedin. | wrote, stating that he would place ! the. matter before the first meeting of i h's directors for their consideration. |Mr G. Mclnroc said that (he understood that about £25,900 had been I spent on construction' work. 1 The director of the- Blackwater Mines, Limited, wrote as follows: — |‘‘ln response to your enquiry, we I have pleasure in advising you that the total ivahie of gold Won from the Blackwater Aline, shee the eomjmencement of operations, amounts to ; £1,792,975 17s sd, up to June . 39th, 11931. You have our best wishes for J the success of your application, to th?

Mines Department for assistance for tile purpose of prestpecting. (Signed) 1 Ernest W. Spencer, Director. i The following reply was also received from the Secretary of the - Alexander Minei Limited:—“T beg to asknowlodge receipt of your letter j and note that an Association has been .

formed called tlh?. Upper Blackwater'. Mining Association for t'he purpose I of prospecting operations! in that dis-; trie't. With regard to. your enquiry I as to the value of gold obtained tyi this Company, I have to advise youj of thp. following ngurcsiT—From §,0431 tons of ore crushed for o<? s of . gold of a gross value of £33,853 2di, up to May, 33st, 1931- I know that thn former owm6i> produced about £lO,OOO worth of gold from the j mine prior to thfis Company taking] the mine over on MarcJhr 9th, 1926, but iI am unable to- supply the exact | figures; probably that. £IO,TR)O will b~e| approximate enough for your purpose. ’ I Wishj’ng your Association the best of ' bUecess.” —•(Si.gneT), I. IT. Lee (Secretary.) The President, Mr G. B. Melnroe, j rtUlTd it wos indeed helpful to’ have tlje i nigures, and also the encouraging replies which Iha.d been received. A ( copy of each of the letters- from the I Blackwater Mines and Alexander Mmefl could be sent to the Minister l of Mines, pointing out that it was I through the efforts of the Association that the Blackwater Mines hiad beer ; discovered, wthieh fact the Miuistei appeared not to hajvo yecogn sed- It I was iaj fact that a number of prospectors had found the mine. I Mr 11. Gardiner contended that the I Minister of Mines should 'liiave a detailed. account of the workings of the j old Mining Association and should know that i t was through the Asso- ■ diatid n that this great mine had been i discovered. would say that the • Mines Department knew it wa s pros- ' pectors for tha Association who had ' discovered the mine. The Ittter was “plffl?,” and should not be received.' i The Association wer© responsible for the finding of two rich mines already ' mentioned, and the Minister was ‘ ignoring the fact—trying to push it off. Alembors considered that Mr GardI inor was wrong in making such stateI ments. ! Air Melnroe said it was his point that 'if the letteirs were forwarded to I the Afinister, i,. would show that the I w.ere found by thp prospectors. | Mr Gardiner: We should not accept ' the letter.

Mr Melnroe said thalt- the Undersecretary of Alines sqomed hot at all 'helpful to the industry, especially on the Const.

Mr Gardiner said the Blackwater Mine was discovered by Messrs W. Aleatcs, Davie Ross, Ernie Bannan and James Martin. “If tha/t is so, and we know H for a fact that it was discovered 'by members of the Blackwater Alning Association, why does not the Alinister quote it! Apparently he does n ot know,” said Mr Gardiner.

It was decided to forward a copj of the letters to the Alinister of Alines, and also to point out in the cowering letter that it wasi through the efforts of the old Association th? the Blackwater Mine came into opera tion

Air Melnroe pointed out that it ras also through the efforts of the old Association that an alluvial field was worked at Waiiita for two or three years, and a number -ff n.eu made a good I ving in thus area north of the township, and there had been o'ver £5990 worth of gold won from it. The Under-Secretary of Mines, Air Kintbeil, had said he did not think the West Coast was worth assisting, and it was time that such reports wpre stopped when they had the facts and figures as to it i product; ve ness before him. He knew of one casi> wher e , a bad policy i n “pulling the strings” had been revealed. An Inspector of Mines had b'en asked to make a report on certain property and upon hi i making a just and favourable one, it was returned by the M nes Department with a request that the Inspector tnadify it a .good deal! That was not encouraging the industry! It was undiei'llandi. Mr J. Pfahlert moved that the Association protest to tl>e Minister of Alines against the attitude of the Under-Secretary for Mines towards the West Coast field in connect on with itecent statements published, they conveying if not intent onal, certainly an actually' erroneous im-

pression. Mr B. Iluffam seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. Messrs J. Penrose and J. Stranghie, miners, of Waiuta, made a.ppl cation for assistance for driving a tunnel fbr quartz in the Blackwater Creek on Block 8, Waitahu Survey District. Air Penrose said they were working in the Blackwater Gully and. had applied to ’Tue Government for a sub s dy. His mate had been granted £25. lie riffling a married mian'; but’ o n account of him (Mr Penrose), being tingle, a grant was refused, lie thought there were real, good prospoets i n thf-i'r venture, am,l flhey were prepared tq drive the tunnell.

A resolution was passed, reecm- : mending the Mines Department to I grant a subsidy on the applicati on. I The Chairman said that they desired men applying for assistance t.e ' go- on with the work. The Assoe’ation might get the subsidy and then i the..men applying for asa stance might , not ga ahead with it.

Mar Penrose said they had worked for five months looking for a reef

i n the gully. It was, decided, to open an account fit the Post" Office Savings Bank. I

Mr Melnroe, on behalf of a sluicing party, proposed an applicat on for I a grant .of £l5O for the. purpose of ] cutting a raee for a sluicing claim in i the Snowy River. The party were prepared to ifilnd £159, and £309 would I carry out the work. This application wais also recom- ; mended-

] It was decided that the next meeting of the As ation- be hold' on the ' second Saturday of September. Reltsreuce was made to the r.ditori-