DO THE GOVERNMENT ASSIST MINERS?

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10571, 18 January 1896, Page 3

DO THE GOVERNMENT ASSIST MINERS?

TO THE EDITOIt. Sib, —I would like to know what the Government intend doiog for thfl mining community in and around Otago. 1 believe some £20,000 was voted for this purpose, yet we never hear how it is being distributed, or if the miners are benefited by it. At any rate very little of it com^B to Otago; in fact, very little to the South Island. It appears to me to be like the boom, not allowed to cross Cook Strait. I think it would be to the advantage of the Government as well hs thu country in general if the Government would assist the sunny south—at least, not to ovarluolc it altogether—seeicig that eveu in onr province so many claims are lying dormant lor the want of funds, to develop them. Of late iv every papnr one takos up thn mining column is Auckland "Boom," the Thames, Lyell, Ri-oftflii, &c. Now, I am quite sure that in Otngo there i» plenty of gold-bearing ground both in alluvial and quartz miues, but the troublo is to have it «unk anil developed. The m»iu thing in the want of money to do this. I uin quitu confident if the Government would give assistance more freely the public would then bnve more confidence in mining aud launch out.

1 boliovo when Mr Larnnch was Minister for Milieu he did his best and visited the various id bum t'rc(|Uunfcly.

Now, whim one or'two miners have spent all the money thoy possess ns well as loss of time Kinking, mid purhaps on what they estimate Ilrtil-oliiHit ground at a certain depth, they have no moro money, do machinery for pumping tho water out of the Bhaft, and all thin work has been for no purpose, and liun to bo abandoned. Thoy know from the prospects thtiy obtained where they left oft' Unit Uit) ground must bo immensely woalthy on thi) bottom. Thoy then apply to the public for nmiiHtuucu. Thoy won't give help or invest hiKWUKo it Ijbh not boen proved throughout. Thoy apply tin the Government for assistance, and ftro, in pUin wnrda,. fairly Flint up. Now, would it not bo wisdom for the Govornmeut to lend n bund to dovulop or prove the ground to bo ptiynWe by way of deep ninking and tunnelling. A low minorH may do all right to sink 1001't, but how are thoy to go down 500 ft without n substantial subsidy from tse Mines department.

Whan ono doos ask for assistance from the Mini:n department; they roally don't know hdw to go about it. If they write, they eithar give too much information or not enough, aud are discouraged down horo probably with the reply. Conncquriifcly one has not the heart to further, go into tho mattor. I also notico that the mining experts from Homo, who represent Home syndicates, keep rigorously to the north, and are going to spend thousands in prospecting and investing their money. Company after company in put ou the market and iloutod, aud some of these before tho rcof has been utruck, while Otago appears to be going behind. However, we must stand ou our merit*, as we always have dona, and I bolieva myself that the day is not far distant whim Otago will come to*the fore.

I know mrnotf of a piece of ground and room for hundreds of claims and poopleto work them. If it wan suuk on to the depth of, say, +00 or 500 feet I think it would provo one of the richest leads in New Zealand ; and this is not 150 miles from JDuucdin. But I suppose it muxt lie there for want of money.—l am, &0., Dunedin, January 13. HiNEii.