Government, Mining Reports.

Otago Witness, Issue 1762, 29 August 1885, Page 22

Government, Mining Reports.

TO THE EDITOR. ' Sir, — In the last issue of the Wakatip Mail Mr Fred Evans, manager of the Phoenix mine at Skippers, takes exception to and corrects several inaccuracies in Mr Gordon's report, embodied in " The Report on the Goldfields jof New Zealand," and calls his practical mining experience, and especially that connected with tfoe treatment of quartz and of pyrites, into question. Mr Evans, than whom there is no one better qualified to give an opinion on these subjects, refers especially to the mine under his charge, but shows sufficiently the complete uselessness of these reports ; and as one who has in vain looked through them for information and enlightenment, I have no hesitation £n endorsing Mr Evans' opinion. I could mention half a dozen miners of my own acquaintance who, in a single letter to the Witness, 'coup furnish more .valuable .information to the miners generally than is contained in the whole, volume of reports that go to, make up " The Report <p the Goldfields of, New, Zealand, 1 ' excepting perhaps the statistical, parts and Mr M'Kerrow's report, which is at least always readable, add often shows traces of deep insight into existing mining affairs, which is more than can be sajd for the rest of the reports, being for the most part only a resume of such information as has' been published in the Witness and other papers a year before. They are totally barren of suggestions, and convey no information or instruction of any kind — in fact, a .friend of mine describes them as " rot ! " and as I know no more fitting phrase for them, I quote it. i ,' | It will be remembered that Mr Gordon was sent recently toVictoria and New South Wales at the public expense, to report upon the minirig machinery and processes in use in those colonies. The result is a voluminous and laboured report, in which the practical miner who has mastered the rudiments of his profession will vainly look for useful items to aid him in the prosecution of his calling. I Before, however, pronouncing any definite estimate upon the production, it may be as well to ascertain whom the " Report on Mining Machinery, &c. in Victoria and New South Wales," is intended to benefit. If the report is intended for the Minister of Mines and the gentlemen of his department, and for our legislators, then it is possible that they may derive some instruction and perhaps no small amount of amusement from it — that is if they read it ; but if the report has been prepared in the interests of the mining industry, with a view to placing at the disposal of the miners the information in such a manner as to widen the horizon of their conception of mining ma-

chinery and processes, then .the report is a complete failure. The language used .in the report is, to say the least of it, peculiar, and it is very evident ,that (description -is 'hot Mr Gordon's forte. There is ' aWa woful/want of discrimination in picking out such items of information as are of the greatest- practical use and valje from those of lesser importance. To give just one instance in point; The rock-drill is described, per se, as a machine, but the effective work done by it is only very lightly touched upon, while the manner' of using it is ndt at all mentioned, so that anyone who looks for practical information on this subject in Mr Gordon's report will be none thewiser for it.' If miners had been told how long < it takes • to set the drill to work — for it has to- be shifted after every shot or every round of shots— how many inches it would bore' in a given time in different kinds of rock', how many inches one single bit would be likely to' bore, &c. they could have formed some idea of its applicability to their requirements, and might easily have dispensed with the description of the machine as such. > , ' ! , ..,.• v» However, I have no' desire, to prejudice the minds of the miners against the report I simply have given my conception of' it; and leaving those who do it the honour to read it to form their own, opinion about it, I proceed to draw a moral from the above. !,v J By printing these voluminous reports, and going to the\ expense of sending ah •, inspecting engineer into foreign lands for, the purpose of collecting such information as the. miners of New Zealand stand most in need of, the Government have shown that they are sensible of • the want of some 'kind of mining fi journal for the dissemination of instruction- amongst the miners. If the money these wors'ethan useless reports referred to in this > letter, have cost to prepare had. been -spent, in .advertising, in the gaper most, widely circulating, on the goldfields of the Colony all important Government notice's in connection^ with minjng,jand,thus,establishing a*Minlh,jf" Gazette/ the "end" in view would have been attained/inc^ stnuch» more efficient manner -than 'has^b'een-tbVcase by the abortive reports -which form the subject "Of this letter. I think thatithe, general. verdict of the miners will be that they do not want them, as the reports are devxrid of mtrjnsic;vahje. „ < Before con pluding'l Venture to'ask-fOfi what use the inspecting engineers "attached to the Mines Department have been ?' "lt i« now r some years since t&ey were appbjhifcecLso^that; they nave had a fair trial, and have, had ample opportunity of benefiting /the mining-industry, yet I believe that most miners will agree with me that no sueh 1 benefit is "apparent. „' It, is only fair to mention, that Mr ,Gordon has been .useful outside his ironing" office, an& has rendered the State valuable services, for which' ho has" been bonused, if I > may be allowed to, coin .» new word, or give irfe a new meaning. ' ' ■ But all thisjis poor consolation to. the miners, who are debated with a whols. string, of useless and costly paraphernalia, sticn as,minmg inspectors and theii: official prospecting,. journeys for information, fining reports,- Gfoldfiejd§ Commissions, expensive tours of Ministers of s Mines, &c. &c.'&c. wl^xich are made an., excuse" for exacting from tbie miners crushing special,' not to say unjust, taxes. In spite of all tha£ previous Governments have done to fpsier.'the mining industry, them has been a very 'noticeable decrease hi the, yearly production of ,gol<i, and miners are everyday deserting '< the goldfields. If ' the muiers^ere left- a little 'more,al<me it might probably have a better effect^i^'r could 'not possibly haive a worse oner— and large sums of money would be saved. To. tax. the. miners out of existence wi£h one.handjjMjd.jijnth the other lavish money in the most' quixotic manner upon thereunder the.pretence'of, fostering the industry, a mounts only to' adding, insult to injury, and prjoclaims the tness, and'incapacity of a Goyernment qapable bfxsucLajfolly. The peculiar ways adopted , fostering mining in thijs Colony' are, howeY^ quite as much of a reproach to., the, miners a&. they are to' the Governments . past and present; and there being no common medium in* f jexißtence for giving expr ession to the views of j'tjie, 'miners, Government after Goyernment has floundered on propounding policies and carrying tiieni out, in ignorance of public opinion on the, goldfields. Huw long the present,, 'state of affairs will continue remains to be seen. — I km, &c, !' John A. Miller. Arrowtown, August 21. >v >