OTAGO CENTRAL MINING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 24

OTAGO CENTRAL MINING.

IMPORTANT PROPOSALS BY MINERS,

A MESSAGE TO THE PREMIER. (Br Oue Special Reporter.)

ALEXANDRA SOUTH, May 27.

Or. arrival at Omakau yesterday the Premier receive-d by telegram from the miners of St. Bathans an important communication with regard to the mining industry ia Central Ot&go It reads as follows: —

Ro Prospecting Vote. — This question is of vital interest to the mining community of New Zealand, and has already been brought under the nOTice of Parliament, but up to the present nothing has been done in the direction, of a prospecting vote to districts holding aiiriferous areas, which, if practically prospected, "would be probably an exceedingly valuable asset to the country. Over 20 years ago there was a limited vote passed for such a. purpose by the Maniototo County Council. This was taken advantage of by Messrs Learmonth, Gerkins Mills, and Potter, the result of their prospecting for about two months being a discovery of gold amounting to 4000oz in four years, the expense to the council being only about £100. This brought about a rush, henoa the district now known as Vinegar Hill, which, includes the well-known properties of Mr Ewing, the Vinegar Hill Company, and others. Such was the resiUt of an immature prospecting vote. What might be the result, we might ask, of prospecting that immense bed of country known to be auriferous which stretches frora St. Bathans to Clyde? If this were properly prospected and a water supply brought to bear upon it, it might reasonably be expected to pay handsome returns, and be a means whereby labour would be given in such a scale that trained miners, who are now oat of employment so far as their occupation asminers is concerned, would not require togo elsewhere for a means of livelihood in other directions ; in fact, und-er proper control the area proposed for prospecting purposes would not only provide for this, bui would, we believe, give employment to many others who are capable of undertaking such work. Indeed, the results of prospecting under r vote from the Government would very probably b« able to absorb the surplus labour. Mr Mackay, the assistant geologist, on his visit here some years ago, at that time chief of Sir J. Hector's geological staff, pro*nounced this to be the greatest gold-bearing region ever visited in New- Zealand as an .alluvial - deposit. * The auriferous region, we would propose for prospecting from St. Bauhans to Clyde, following the base of the Dunstan range The Vinegar Hill results have been already mentioned, But now take Tinkers as an intermediate stag& between Sfc. Bathans and Clyde. Vast deposits have been raised there — in fact, hundreds of thousands of ounces, — and not one -shilling has ever bsua granted by the Government for the development of mining in that district. Individual energy and individual means did the work of development.

We might now state that if there be any, mining centre suited in Otago for consideration by the Government as a, model spot fo» the conservation of water, it is that catcfimenfc aTea known as Thompson's Gorge. This gorge commands -all the water supply for not only, mining but farming interests. It is, indeed, most important to mining in Central Otago that water should be conserved by the Government, and it is really necessary that in Matakanui this should be so. The conservation of water in Thompson's Gorge would in reality be one of the most important assets in mining: in Otago. We therefore beg respectfully to submit this very important matter to your! attention.

AH these resolutions were rubmittec! to the a&seniblecJ miners by Mr M'Cormcohie, who asked them if they agreed to the same. Their reply was a unanimous " Yes." Three cheers were immediately given foi? the Premier.