Our Resources. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2527, 20 August 1902, Page 9

Our Resources. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — It is not only a recognised, but a proved fact that New Zealand is the best farmers' country in Australia. All it requires to be successful and prosperous is a good market for colonial produce. Some people propose giving £60,000 a year to a shipping firm to open up a trade with South Africa, where it would competa with other countries that are a great deal nearer the market. The demand for food supplies will not bo so great now as during the war. Britons will not be rushing around now burning the Boer supplies, and tlie Boers, on the other hand, burning and destroying British goods. It is also a country that in the near future will grow nearly everything in the matter of food pupphes on its own soil — there will be more producers and less consumption. Some of our farmers are advocating and advising tho Government to bring out free immigrants fiom the Home Countries. Now, what is better than any of those proposed schemes la that the people and the Government should prospect and open up the mines that are iv their own country. There is cot a richer gold field in the southern homißphere than Olngo. Where in the whole world can the same returns be got by dredging as is the case here? No one knows the wealth that is lying between St. Bathans and Clyde. This run of gold is derived from a denuded banked formation similar to that of the Transvaal. There the gold is not in the quartz, but m the matenal that joins the pebbles together. No deep sinking can be carried on here for tho v. ant of suitable timber. There should be timber reserves in the most suitable places, sown or planted thickly with bluegums, so that it will grow long, stiaight poles suitable for mining purposes. Wire net the reserves, and when the young trees are a few years old they could bo leased to labbiters. Neither rabbits nor 'possums would hurt tho trees aftei they got a good start. A great mine will be opened up some day not far from the old Rise and Shine workings, Thomson's Gorge. The galena lodes of Lake Hawea will be worked. The Macetown quartz reefs will pay well with good management and up-to-date plant. Your Arrowtown correspondent cays £6 was got for a ton of iron from tbe Moke Creek iron lede. That must be a valuable kind of iron. He fuither says there is au iron lode close to Arrowtown. Opposition is the soul of trade, but old iron will get cheap up thi3 way if newly-fledged miners will insist on putting dredges in places where old-time miners tell them they vlll not pay. The Moke Creek god and copper lode is not in such an out-of-the-way place as some people think.

Our county councillors, who were wiee in thoir geneiation, made a dray road from Wakatipu to Moke Lake. This can be easily extended on to the claim. Cartage to Lake Wakatipu will be don-e for 10s per ton from the mine, although eventually tho tramway will most likely go via Lake Dispute. The main ledes of Otago that have shed' the most gold have never been prospected. Not only have we the best alluvial, but we have also the best lodes; but they need not of neoessity be quartz pure and simple. There is no lodo like that that wears an iron hat. This is the kind of gold telluride9 is found in; never in pure quartz teefa. On the ST.est

Coaet of Tasmania, Jilthcugli there vreie several quartz mines with good surface, none oi them'pjud. Tho Mount Lycll mine, | that was condemned by all the mining experts with the exception of Mr Thurrna, the Tasmwitn Government geologist in '84, has been the best mine there so far. In West Australia there were several rich surface shows — the Londonderry, tJie Wealth of Nations, and several other pure quartz mines, but none of them paid like the poor-looking gossan-capped mines of Kalgoorlie. If only one good mine were opened up here, there would be a wonderful transformation in a very few years. Three years ago I wondered how it was there was no prospecting done on the Otago goldfields on those lodes, but I have four.d out, through dear bought experience, that there is no assistance given to prospectors here.— l am, etc.. Old-time Miser. Moke Lake, August 7.