COLD PROSPECTING.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13809, 25 August 1913, Page 4

COLD PROSPECTING.

GOVERNMENT1 ENCOURAGEMENT,

A WORD ABOUT SPECULATORS

(Fnwa Our O\rn Correspondent.)

WeSiinsidrij Atig, p

In the course of the discussion on the general estimates last night the' member for Ohinemuri asked the Hon. W. Fraser what he was going to do to Encourage the goldmining industry this yekr. Me further expressed the opinion that the neglect of this important industry had been such of late years that the time had arrived for ft Minister to give hh whole attention to it, or that, at all events, the portfolio of Mines should bo separated from that of Public Works. Mining deserved great-! er encouragement, and a Minister could liot do it justice if ho. also held the' Public Works. Portfolio. ~ :. "It is very, easy to say mining deserves encouragement}" retorted the Minister, -"but where ar© you going to give it encouragement. Xhere is nothing in which you can waste more money than by an indiscriminate encouragement of mining." Mr. Poland replied that both the present and the past Governments had1 grossly naglectcd the mining industry during the past four years. Mr. Fraser contended that as Minister of Mines he had given the industry very considerable Tielp, especially in" the "North Island. Last year, ho gave. £1000 towards developing the deep levels at the Thames, and.he had also sanctioned another sum to assist prospecting parties in the Coromandel Peninsula. "In every case where prospecting parties can persuade -me that they are genuinely at work I will give >tihem every possible assistance," he declared. He added, however, that he iwas not going to use Government money in order to assist mining com*panics to delude the public into the belief that there must be gold in this or that locality. The Government would always bo willing to help bona, lid© prospecting parties, but' it was not going to ba made uee of in ord&F to serve private and speculative interests;