MINING EXHIBITS AT THE EXHIBITION.

Otago Witness, Issue 956, 16 May 1889, Page 11

MINING EXHIBITS AT THE EXHIBITION.

) following letter was sent some weeks ago to the chairman and members of the Mining Committee of the New Zealand Exhibition : —

' , Dunedin, April Bth, 1889. To the Chairman and Members of the Mining Com-

Sirs,— l beg to make the. following suggestions, some of which possibly are already partially carried out, others may be impracticable, but they are placed before you for what they are worth .— Exhibits of New Zealand Minerals. — It is taken for granted that the Geological and Mines department will do all they can to send us some good exhibits. I am not (aware whether the department have been communicated with. In order to interest localities, I suggest that special committees should be: immediately formed in mining districts to secure samples for exhibition. Such 'samples, should include gold i and, auriferous pyrites, platinum/ galena and silver j ores, oopper, antimony, tungsten, .tin, nickel, iron, manganese, mercury ores, sulphur, alunite, asbestos, &c, clays and fire clays, building stoves, roofing slateß. cement materials, limestone', n anu marble, •coals, &c. ' That the mayow6f>tboroiighsi chairmen, of county councils, M.H.RVin mining districts, and, .chairmen of mjnjng, .associations, ,be asl^ed to constitute euch committees, with j>ow,er to add! j to their' 'nuiriber. That, where practicable.' pti'otogrfiphs be 'procured of' 'mining plant; rnadhineryj 'and mine workings'. That the' terms upon which' the abqve exhibits will, be received be for Warded to the I'oeaJ ;cp,mmlttees,", ( , ," (11 ,>j I /'' Exhibits of Australasian and Tqsmanian minerdlt, X i4*fii— That {an bfficlpl.ielter be'tfetif'to the Various Ministers of Mines 'and Secretaries of Mines, invite ing them- to be ■ present at the New Z^landjand fiputh,Seas,.|fcchlbltloß,,andrprayiug them fe.use their influence t'o^feet 'mineral exhibits sent' Tiere from the other coloniesA » That an attempU bW mkue' ' to secure specimens of New Caledonian pickel ores 'and their products. That the Geological i department be asked to prepare' 1 an enlarged map, pf New Zealand; indicating the places where the] most üboful minerals oceuH and' showing,, where possible, approximate quantities, ■ Specially 40 I>uggeat that the occurrence-of useful irpn ores be thus depicted', 1 with the nearest available limestone and coal deposits'. That in ft special case samples 6i all the useful New Zealand minera's be oqllected and arranged in pvramidXt heaps on the .step-like shelves with a sloping glass front. . „ . . ' , Mining Machinery.— ii^most.mining madhlnery is patented, it is to be pre&urae'd titiat many patentees, will exhibit for their bwri dikes. It would perhaps 'be well, howevej:, to send formsof application for, spice to .manufacturers -of machinery, especially' suitable for New. Zealand, such a,a boring, rock drilling, air comprising, coal cutting,and, mining, rock breaking, Btamp'snd roller mill,, ore dreseing, gold dredging machinery I ,' <S!o. Seeing.f.he great fapilities we pot boss in our rivers arid streams, -a; special attempt shduld, be made to secure exhibits of, electro motor plant, in action if possible. , , , Machiipry in, Motion,— That the committee ascertain at once' from" the executive whas motive power will be available, and' on what terms, It will be granted'for.minirig^rushingioredressingmachinery, and gold saving appliances. ■ That as soon as this point is settled a sub-committee of three be chosen to carry out the suggestion under the head Mining Machinery," sending at the same time information as to motive power. That during the' course of the Exhibition trials be made of various ore crushers and gold savers. •' • < v • ' ' ' '.' Inquiry Court.— That an -inquiry court be established, to consist of— lst:., An assay laboratory, where the miner may have specimens named or assayed at a small fee. lam aware this' would in- • v'olve the erection 'of a few temporary air and oupel- ■ Ution furnaces, which need not be very ;ooatly, and .necessitates also the -procuring qf a competent asßayer. I see ,b.o many, advantages, s.uch as increased interest of the whole mining community la the Exhibition, possibly the discovery 'of, somevaluable minerals, «o , that !• cannot help feeling the money would be well spent.' Larger trials of orea should* be, made with the machinery (in motion. 2nd,.A room set apart and in which should be collected copies of the various periodicals, mining and I metallurgical journals, and works on mjnii)gaud metallurgy.' Could not niany of the above be pro-<> 1 cured without cost by way of advertisepent if the editorsi publishers, Afe,,,wer.e properly approached ? Conference.— Lastly.l.eugge^st that a cqnforeuoe be held in Dunedin duriiVg the^Bxnibitipn upon mining and metallurgical matters', at i which r 'papet« be read, on various questions of special interest ,; such a» the, following:— Ore dresfng' machinery <with special' reference to. tin), chlorination, stamps versus roller mills, electro motors, application of electricity to metallurgy, gold saving, possibility of liron smelting in New Zealand, and so on. , In compliance with the request of the committee, I wrote last mail to the Morgan Crucible Company, ' . Battersea, England.— l am, sir, yours respectfully, JAMKB AlLßtf.