THE GOLD MINING INDUSTRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18159, 2 February 1921, Page 6

THE GOLD MINING INDUSTRY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —It_is to be hoped that during the visit of Sir William Fraser, the late memzer for Wakatipu, and other Ministers of the present Government to Central Otago those interested in the gold mining industry will not lose the opportunity of impressing on Sir William, who was Minister of Mines before the war, the injustice which was imposed during that time, and is still being imposed, on the gold mining industry. Those most affected are the small companies and individual miners, owing to the industry not receiving the world’s current value for their gold, ns a result of the high cost of mining material, many of our gold-producing mines were forced ■to stop working. It is to be hoped, for the sake of the industry on the Otago goldfields, that Sir William will do his utmost to have the injustice rectified, and that ho will endeavour to persuade the present Minister of Mines to give effect to the recommendations of the Goldfields Committee of Parliament, which found that the industry lost during the war over £1 per ounce on the world’s ruling price, and U.at both the Government and the banks hail benefited to that amount, at the expense of the industry. It would only be in keeping with what the Government has done in the interest of other industries if it vere to compensate the gold-mining industry for the loss sustained by them, and also (o grant the industry, through the banks, the world’s current value for gold. If Sir W illiani could induce the Government to do this, which would only be justice, his action would be a fitting termination to a long and worthy career as a goldfields •.-ember of Parliament and 1 am confident that he would again, through his efforts, see another rush to our goldfields, and a greatly increased gold production all over the dominion. Minos that are lying idle at present would again be working and employing labour —I am, etc., January 29. Goto Miner.