Aid to Prospecting.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIX, Issue 9295, 10 March 1899, Page 4

Aid to Prospecting.

At the meeting of the County Council, held on Wednesday, the County Engineer reported as follows on Garretty's claim at Matatoke: "I consider that Messrs. Gerretty & Son have not kept faith with the Council in regard to their tunnelling work. What they proposed and pointed out to me was that,if. they had .County assistance they intended to so drive the tunnel asto test, the ground. in, the centre of the spur, at about 150 feet below the surface. They began and oarried in the tunnel'for a distance of 30| feet in a fairly right direction, but at jthis- point theyhave suddenly bent the tunnel sharply off, and for a further distanced-115 feet" they have driven as if their-object was to take thp shortest 'route to on tho oppose; sidb \§\ spur is a very ateep onej the'result oi' ' this deviation of the tunnel is that'not touch over half the depth promised 'frijm the surface .will be , attained. When I visited the ground on Friday last there was no one there, nor did thfere appear to have been any work dope for a week or so. I have since seen Mr. Gerretty, and his'explanation re thp deviation is "that he did it for the best." The'total distance driven is 145 feet, and certainly they have managed to keep in.splendidly,soft country, where any" amount of' progress could be made, but from its nature it isjnot, a .class v of .country in which to except payable, quartz.",, " ,~; • to : the .report was a voucher for payment of £10 17s 6d, being at tlxe rate of Is 6d per foot. . IThe Chairman moved, "That .the account be passed. lor payment, but that before any more work' be done Garretty shall sen:d,:ip a sketch plan showing what he is going to do." His own opinion', was 1 that Garretty's only object was to get money. • Cr. f Deeble aecoiaded the motion; but thought the 1 Council' ahpuld not';-,' attempt to regulate: the .prospectors in regard 'to what they should ilo. If it had .been his case he certainly would not go ' driving through hard ground ifjhe could avoid it by.'going..through spft country. He did not think it wpuld be advisable to draw up a hard and fast rule as to what prospectors should,do. That would.be going too far altogether.

; j The Chairman: It would be very hard on the Ratepayers if. we were to ,B\t here and vote away their money ;t ? prospectors who 'did,work just; as they liked. My own' Opinion is that .there .is no gold there,' afid'l think it i? only ; a ciuie of working io get the eighteen pence a foot.; "... i; ( The motion was then put and carried.