HAPPY SIAM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19903, 24 September 1926, Page 11

HAPPY SIAM.

NO STRIKES FOR 27 YEARS. AERIAL DEFENCE PROMINENT. A story of happy Siam which has not had a strike for at ieast 27 vears, was related by Mr N. E. Lowe, who, accompanied by his wife and two children, returned by the Comorin to Sydney after 27 years’ service under the Siamese Government (states the Sydney Sun). His one regret during the happy years in Siam, where he was a land commissioner, was that Australia, his native country, was not making the most of her trade opportunities. “Siam is flourishing," said Mr Lowe. “The people love and respect their monarch, and for many years the rulers have been broadminded and generous. In religious matters, the people and the Administration could not be more tolerant. “ Great attention is paid to aerial defence. There are aerodromes in various parts of the country, and Siam lias taken to tlie air. Mails are carried by aeroplane to the far interior, where there are no railroads.” “ I have been amazed at the growth of America’s trade in Siam," said Mr Lowe. “They send 90 per cent, of the flour sold, and are capturing the tinned fruit and jam business. The Americans and the leading British firms study marketing and appreciate, the valuq of pushing methods. An Australian firm will label its product, say, ‘Pickled Onions.’ The American, realising that the Eastern peoples do not understand English, will have an artistic label vividly picturing the contents. The Australian products, splendid as they often are, remain on the shop shelves; the native buyer points to the brightly labelled goods. Australia had, however, made a name for herself with butter and meat; but the flour, when it reached the consumer, was not of a high standard.”

THE KAWARAU SCHEME. TO THE EDITOR. Sik,—As a practical person, I have watched with interest the Kawarau dam proposition for winning the gold from this very turbulent river (for I am convinced there is plenty of gold there), which will repay for getting, but it will stay there a long time unless a more practical and definite scheme is taken m hand. ine dam, I consider, is a very small factor towards that end. I have taken a superficial survey of the river and surrounding country, and have come to a very decided opinion as to the only practical way ot handling the proposition. I may say right here that I have no money invested in the present scheme, and am writing this simply from a desire to see a success made of an awkward job, especially when there is so much at stake. But to return to the dam, which is certaiuly a fin® piece of work, and has heen well carried out, especially during its final stages. The engineer responsible for its completion deserves every credit, and it will dam back the lake but will not empty the river, even if all its tributaries were blocked. This district, having been subject to violent earthquakes and very much shaken up in the past, and the Kawarau Gorge being a huge rift or split in the earth's crust, and having the lake water at its source over 1000 ft below it, it is quite natural that a great deal of water is finding its way into the river from below. But if it were possible to stop all water flowing into the river you would not get a dry river bed, but a string of lakes, which would only allow for picking bits of gold out of cracks and ledges above water level. As this stoppage could only be allowed in mid-winter, with the thermometer probably below zero, the whole place would be frozen up. Then, before the claimholders could get suitable machinery at work in river bed, it would be time to remove them for the water to be turned on again. No, the only scheme to win the gold from the Kawarau must be a continuous one working all the year round and 24 hours a day. This can be done, but the first thing to do is to get the river bottom surveyed and the ground tested by divers protected in a diving case from tlie river currents. Then several different classes of (machines, such as grabs, combers, grapples, special class dredges, suction pumps, and sweepers, would be required to suit the different classes of country to handle, and the bottom would liavc finally to be cleaned up by hand, as most of the gold will have, worked down there, and no dredge or suction pump will lift gold off a hard bottom or out of crevices. All the machines could be self-contained on separate punts assisted by aerial cables, and all operated by electric power generated by waterpower, this being a very big factor which would not be possible were the river flow stopped. The divers would be protected from the current by floating adjustable wing dams, etc., and the river bottom would be lit up by powerful electric lights. Now, in my opinion, the organisation to opex-ate this proposition is a combining of the claims in sections under the management of an executive committee composed mostly of practical men. One section cculd be concentrated on first and the others started as the results warranted. But pooling the claims for operating purposes should not mean pooling -he profits. Each claimholder should have the whole of the proceeds from his claim, less his proportion of the total working costs, for I believe some of the claims will be found very rich and others again may barely pay for treating. Then, again, two claims may return the same amount, but one take double the time to clean up, and therefore double the operating cost. Further, to reduce expenses, machinery could be standardised as much as possible and “ spares” kept handy and workshops erected in convenient places so that repairs could be executed with despatch. With regard to costs, my approximate estimate of the cost of machinery, etc., is as under:— To survey bottom of river and obtain test over sufficient ground to warrant erecting the first outfit of machines £ 1,000 Punts for water power generator, etc 6,000 Floating wing dams with cranes, etc 10,000 Gold treating punt, with suction pumps, etc 20,000 Aerials, shore cranes, and divers’ outfits 5,000 Incidentals 3,000 total £45,000 Finally, I would say that the waiting and speculating time has gone on quite long enough, and it is high time that a definite move was made, for I contend the river water is not a hindrance to working the river bottom, but rather an asset, as it carries all your plant, gives you all the power you require, and you can work all the year round. If a close-down be required, let it be in the winter time. Also, the river should be cleared up in 10 or 12 years from now, and all the gold got that is possible. The original way of operating for only a short spelt in the dead of winter would take very many years, and then probably not a quarter of the gold would be got out. There are a groat many more points 1 would like to comment on, but I am afraid I have already taken up too much of your valuable space.—l am, etc., September 20 F.N.Z.I.A.C.E.