A VISIT TO TAMAITI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2762, 20 February 1907, Page 13

A VISIT TO TAMAITI.

Mr M'Gowan's tour of the Otago sroldfields came to a close on the 13th with avisit to the Tamaiti dam. The Ministerial party left Lawrence by coach shortly after an early breakfast, and drove to the mine, receiving there a hearty welcome from the directors — Messrs Hogg, Taylor, and E. M. Wakefield, and the engineer, M r A. N. Wakefield. A full description of the dara and of the method of working adopted by the Tamaiti Company has already appeared in the Witness. Since the article was published, however, great changes have been brought abcut. The spur has been eaten into to a depth of 60ft, and the bottom has not yet been reached. Although, owing to the drought and consequent comparative scarcity of water the working hours have latterly been restricted to six hours per <iay, a huge amount of work has been accomplished. Gold is being obtained in payable quantities, and still greater =uceesses are looked forward to. The Minister, inspected the dam, the machnterv. and the working and expic^sed much satisfaction with all he saw. Mr E. M. Wakefield, in formally v.-clcoiiing Mr M'Gowan. expressed the obligation of tho company to the Government for a grant that was made at an opportune time. It was a very real pleasure to them to have Mr M'Gowan among them for a few hours. Messrs Hogg, Taylor, and M'lnerney (chairman of the Country Council) spoke in a similar strain. The Minister in reply said he* had been looking forward to seeing the plant, of which he had had excellent reports, and the result had more than realised his anticipations. Mr A. N. Wakefield, their engineer, apparently possessed in a large degree that gift of the true engineer — the power to overcome difficulties that could not be foreseen. It had been sugg-estcd that further help from the Government would be wanted to start new works lower down the creek. Seeing that they had already paid a small dividend he did not <-hink they would want 6uch assistance. There would, of course, be heavy expenditure before the works were complete. But they had the confidence that comes from, a knowledge of being on safe ground. The whole question wae one of getting good, payable ground to work. The methods of supplying the power and of treatment wove very satisfactory, and the object ie&son they had afforded would doubtless bo valuable to other parts of the colony. The turbine, though a great consumer of water, undoubtedly possessed many advantages. The Minister touched upon the importance of utilising the opportunities afforded by a big supply of water for proo.ucing electrical energy. He pointed out that the local bodies have considerable power to help gold mining. So far as the Minos Department was concerned every application would be considered on its merits, and the County Councils had power to use their own funds to assist mining. It was not the function of the Government to help any private company, syndicate, or claim. . Hearty cheers were given for tho Minister and the party drove back to Lawrence. \t 3.30 o'clock the Ministerial party loft Lawrence by train and arrived in Diwilin shortly after 7 o'clock. On the 14th the Minister left for Christchurch en route to the West Coast.