VISIT TO THE NORTHERN GOLDFIELDS.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12480, 5 March 1909, Page 3

VISIT TO THE NORTHERN GOLDFIELDS.

MINISTER FOR MINES ON TOUR.

AN INTERESTING TRIP.

(Special to "The Colonist.")

- Waihi, March 3. - The Hon. R. McKenzie has had a very successful tour through the goldfields. He went by steamer, from Auckland to Ccromandel on Friday evening,: and met r.tne local County Council "on' Saturday morning, afterwards seeing as much of the mines in .the neighbourhood of the town as the time at his disposal permitted. The residents entertained the Minister and Mrs McKenzie at lunch. In the afternoon a start 1 was made for Thames by road, the. old mining' centre round which so much tradition hangs- being reached before dark. After his arrive! Mr McKenzie visited - the various places of interest, including the Thames-Hauraki pumping station, which belongs to the Government; having been bought up when the Globe Corporation, v ..of, which Whitaker Wright was a leading member, came to grief. The erection of this plant was subsidised by the Government to the extent of £25,000, and later on another £6000 was required to pay off the local creditors when the Globe Company went into liquidation, after spending £120,000 of their shareholders' money on the plant and shaft, which had then been carried to a depth of 80 feet. Within the last year the Mines Department has granted a further subsidy to deepeiy the shaft. : 10Q0 feet, and now that this has been accomplished, the local companies are discussing a scheme for putting in : a cross-cut to pass under of the claims on the field, with the object of thoroughly, testing i;he deeper levejs that have not yet been reached, owing to the difficulty caused by the influxes of water whenever an attempt Tyas made to sink below 500 feet. The Minister also visited the 'local School of Mines, which is the only one in -New Zealand that is entirely maintained by the Government under the control of a School of Mines Council. A model battery and experimental' plant : on modern lines, with a tube, mill and all appliances, is now being erected as an accessory to this institution, both for the purpose of training students and treating small parcels of stone sent in by prospectors and others. '.- ; On Monday morning Mr McKenzie received deputations from the County and Borough Councils, the principal matter brought forward being a request that the Government should adopt the East Coast route, via Waihi, for the proposed East Coast line from Gisborne to Auckland. A deputation from the Miners' Union, and from the local; mines managers, also-Tvaited upon the Minister, the chief request of the Union being that the. compames should not be allowed so much protection over their claims, it being stated in many cases that the ground was merely held in anticipation ..of -.the cross-cut at the deep level bssing put through, arid as this could hot be completed in less than two or three years, rfc was considered unfair that : the miners should be kept out of employment in the interim. They, thought the companies should at least be compelled to throw their mines open to tributbrs. In reply, Mr McKenzie expressed the opinion that the protection of claims was carried on to too great an extent throughout all the goldfields, but at Thames it appeared to be chronic, and he would like to see some, alteration made. He intended to go into the whole question with a view to seeing if some remedy could not be found. The principal request of the mine owners was that the mine should subsidise the construction of the deep level cross-cut from the Queen of Beauty shaft already referred to. In his reply, Mr McKenzie. commented very strongly on the 'fact that most of the companies seemed to be retaining claims under protection for speculative purposes, and he would have to jonsider whether the granting of further protection in such.cases should^not be discontinued. He also said that if the Government had to find the necessary funds for the cross-cut, .they would have to seriously consider whether all the claims benefited should not be resumed by the State, in order that the people as a whole might derive advantage from the work if nt should pTove successful .altogether. The new Minister considerably surprised the Thames people with the point of view he placed before them, such a departure from established precedents never having been suggested before. As a leading member of the deputation Temarkel, it would probably, stir _ the companies up to make them realise t£e necessity of doing something for them; selves. After attending the Miners Union sports, which were held onMon-. dav thS Minister and party left by tr/in for" Paeroa, where they were reSstfr,and Engineer^hief jvere depSon subsequently relented the ureency for something being done to remedy the evil, and.received a symPath Shearing f ronrthe Minister In Coast Railway, via Waihv --W^B liiT(relv in the forefront or locai^ae minds Mr McKenzie started g^^sborrie at present^as^he • 4?WW) in order to inspect the line but Trill instead P™'l, %*"■?,£ son returning to Wellington on Monday^ The Mnfster has been^^ received on the goldfields, and has produced a most favourable impression ! among those who have met him by. his -strong personality, ; and his. evident knowledge*concerning the work of, the Department under bis control. 'He Has also advanced some new ideas, and given the miners of the: North something to think, pver.