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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9445, 16 August 1889, Page 4

We issue with this clay's paper a map of the Thames goldfield which has been prepared to illustrate the plan proposed by Mr. Brodio for opening the deep levels. The map is useful and interesting for other purposes besides that for which it has been specially prepared. It is sometime since a map of the goldfield was issued, and in I the interim nearly the whole nomen- ] clature o£ the ground has been changed. The map shows the Moanataiari tunnel with the proposed extension, the Big Pump and Queen of Beauty shafts, and the proposed shaft at the Short-land end, with crosscuts from the Waiotahi and Queen of Beauty at the 1000 feet level. The plan of working proposed is a very excellent one, and merits careful consideration, but we are afraid it is too comprehensive to be successfully carried out under the unfavourable conditions surrounding it at present. One hundred thousand pounds is to be raised, one-third by the local bodies, one-third by the companies immediately concerned, and one-third contributed by the Government. The Act empowering local bodies to borrow money does not extend to purposes of this kind, and the first step necessary would be an alteration to enable them legally to do so. Any effort in this direction would be met by strong opposition on the grounds of introducing a dangerous precedent. The companies which are to furnish one-third of the capital are expected to recoup the local bodies the full amount borrowed by them out of the gold obtained from the deep levels, a thing hardly likely to be agreed to. And then the difficulty of getting the subsidy. The Government of late years have invariably declined to do anything for the development of our deep levels, and considering the financial condition of the colony, are not likely now to assist in carrying out the scheme. Taking it for granted that the required capital can be obtained, the proposal to sink the Big Pump shaft to 1000 feet, and two others to equal depths, as indicated on the plan, would likely absorb the most of the sum, leaving very little for extension of Moanataiari tunnel or cross-cutting. There is no reason to doubt but that gold may be found at great depths on the Thames. Probably the most economical way is to bore for it in various places in the neighbourhood of where our richest deposits have been discovered. The experience to be gained in this way would serve to locate a main working shaft in case payable gold was obtained, from which

operations in the adjoining d-.-could be started at once. As sZ a the deposit of gold at the deep?*? was known to be permanent, otL shafts could be sunk as conventj required, thusopeningup from a 52 pointarea of any extent, and m≤ ' / ing as far as possible any outlay w£ ; would not prove remunerative.