ALEXANDRA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2667, 26 April 1905, Page 32

ALEXANDRA.

April 22. — On Wednesday evening, Mr Massey, the Leader of the Opposition, delivered a stirring political address to a large and appreciative audience, whilch filled the Town JBLa.ll to th.& doors. "My JVfassey, in til© course oi his address, dealt mainly -with the land question and land tenures. • He showed that he strongly favoured the freehold tenure, but did not condemn the leasehold, which should but lead up to the freehold. He was most emphatic in his condemnatLon of the Government's finance, as well as its general policy. Mr Massey received a patient and courteous hearing, appearing to carry his audience with him in his opinions. This concurrence of opinions between speaker and audience may have been more apparent than real. In any case, there appeared a bond of sympathy between the speaker and the large majority of thosc-whom he addressed. Mr Massey received a hearty vote of thanks for his eloquent address. I observed Mr Robert Gilkison, who contested the Tuapeka seat against Mr Bennet at the last election, on the platform at Mr Mas&ey'-s meeting. Is this fact an indication that Mr Gilkison purposes contesting "the Tuapeka seat at the forthcoming election? To add colour to an affirmative answer, it is rumoured that an influential committee has lieen formed to influence the electors in the direction of supporting Mr Gilkison, or any other candidate who may contest the seat in the Opposition interest. Football. — A well-contested football match between a team from the Zingari Club, Dunedin, and a local team was played on the Recreation Ground this afternoon, and resulted in a. win for the ki-cal team by 2 points. MINING. The river continues steadily to recede, and now flows a little under the sft level, with little drift travelling. The nights are novv frosty ,with snow lying on the tops of the ranges, and consequently the river will likely fall more quickly than it lias> been doing. Most of the dredges continue to Tpwt in fairly good time, and have satisfactory returns. The old Chicago dredge was sold by tender to Coulson and party for £150, a.nd no lies at the Alexandra bridge, being brought safely down the river to day by Mr A. Kennedy. Coulson and party intend working the dredge on a claim on the Manuherikia near the mouth of the Manorburn, and will take hei •up to the claim over the first rise in the Manuherdkia. By the courtesy of the dredgemaster of the Chicago, I was permitted to have- a look oi^eathe new dredge lately acquired by the company. The dredge formerly belonged to the River M-o T yneux Co., and did but little work, the claim having been proved a non-j)ayable one, consequently she became the property of the First Chance Co.. who sold her to the Chicagc Co. for £650. This company found it necessary to make considerable alteration in the dredge go that she would be suitable to work the claim satisfactorily. It was necessary to shorten the ladder by 16ft, and to erect a bucket e ] evator with the necessary gearing, also other less expensive alterations. The bucket elevator is 59ft in length, and is capable of stacking tailings to a height of SOft — a height not likely to he needed in •working out the claarn. The elevator was iozmeriy part of the Gvinton's Beach dredge.

' To avoid accidents, the belting has been well protected, and the well guard railed. The few improvements and the necessary alterations were all carried out to the satisfaction . of the directors of the company by the dredgernaster, Mr F. -"Williams, who deserves much , praise for the creditable way in which he and nis men have done the work entrusted to them. The whole of the machinery appears to ! , work with much smoothness, there being | almost an absence of the usual jar and rattle i inseparable from a dredge. The dredge is now about to operate on a piece of solid ground which, as the old dredge was in the way, she had to leave a fortnight ago. This , piece of solid ground will take about six months to work out, and, from indications met with, the weekly returns should be even, as well as satisfactory. The new dredge will be fully competent to "work out the claim, 1 which has a life of from six to seven years ' yet. The Perseverance jSTo. 1 is working "about a quarter of a mile above the Chicago, and is putting up fairly food returns, which, as the dredge is working in solid ground, will most probably continue. I hear that the Alexandra Lead dredge is shortly to bo equipped with a bucket elevator. The Moa will require shortly to be moved, a<3 the ground now immediately ahead was worked some years ago by the old dredge. The Manuherikia has been moved up the river a short distance to get into solid ground.