OUR MINERAL WEALTH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 268, 4 April 1913, Page 3

OUR MINERAL WEALTH.

MARVELLOUSLY ENDOWED;. j Auckland. April 1. ! When the Empire Trade Commission J sat in the South, evidence was given j which to ii great extent discounted the 1 value of the mineral resources of the j Dominion. A resident of New Zealand for the past 20 years, Mr. M. B. Peak, • had an interview with an Auckland re- j porter for the purpose of protesting i against the decrying of this country's j assets. £ 'Tt is not true," said Mr. Peak, "and j that is why I am objecting to the evi- j 'deuce given, which caused Sir l?ider j Haggard to gather the impression that instead of having valuable mineral resources. New Zealand is merely a mineralised country. I have had a lot of experience in mining, and have no hesitation in declaring that New Zealand is j one of the most marvellously endowed mineralised countries in the world in j proportion to its, size. Take copper, for instance. I should think the witness | before the commission had never heard ; of the Aniseed Valley deposit. There the lodes are large, and in sow cases carry very high values. Yet it lies idle, and is likely to remain unworked if sir-h statements as these made before the commission are allowed to go uncontradicted. I have also 110 hesitation in saving that payable cinnabar exists in i various parts of the Auckland district. | At Puhipuhi, for instance, where a fin- { borne syndicate are earrving on one!'.-!- j tions. T am told there are alreadv some I MlOOlb. of quick-silver, estimated to be j in sight. Cinnabar also e\ists on the ) Tlauralii Peninsula, and I am at im-sent,) tracing some in the near vicinitv of Auckland. For mv own part. T believe New Zealand to be one of the biggest cinnabar countries in the world. T claim also to be able to de-iionstnte that platinum exists within 10(10 miles of the city, and as for gold and silver, the past returns from the Hauraki Peninsula speak for themselves. Just, at present matters in mining are quiet, but tlint is onlv temporary. The precious metals will be found lower down. We must not forget that many years ago a, high authority stated that the gold in Australia was onlv superficial, but actual practice had since demonstrated that story to be absolutely fallacious. As to petroleum, that witness was also pessimistic before the commission. but oil exists in various parts of N«\v Zealand, and to mv own knowledge in the Auckland district."