Gold in Otago Central.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20232, 16 February 1934, Page 6

Gold in Otago Central.

Dear Sir,—Your correspondent “ Old Centralite ” has taken Mr E. J. Howard. M.P., to task for referring to the Kawarau as a tail-race, but a great many writers also refer to these rivers, the Molyneux and its tributary the Kawarau as a tail-race, and I think rightly so. Many old miners use the tail-race as a gold saver, paving it with wooden blocks or large stones, and when washing up they lift these and stream down the race with a smaller quantity of water and thus clean up the gold. Now, sir, in these two tail-races (I refer to the Molyneux in the gorges from Cromwell to Clyde and from Alexandra to Coal Creek or Roxburgh) lies enough gold to pay off a fair proportion of our national debt. The dredges that have been working at different times in these gorges have proved that any time they have succeeded in getting bottom. We know the fabulous returns which they have obtained. Unfortunately these gorges are not suitable for dredging, being paved with huge stones, 30, 40 and 50 tons in weight. These have crashed from the hillsides for centuries and thus safeguard the treasure, but this treasure can be won by dewatering the river (and by that way only). This can be carried out by erecting two dams, one at the outlet of Lake Wanaka and the other at the outlet of Lake Hawea, or by connecting Hawea with Wanaka by tunnel. One dam would do, but the other way is less costly.

Now this you will say is a costly undertaking; undoubtedly that is so. It would probably cost a private company up to £120,000, but if undertaken by the Unemployment Board, how much would it cost the country? We have the manpower and we have the material, and how are we using them? I venture to state that in six months there is more spent on useless works by the board than would construct these dams, I believe the board is alive to this fact, but there is a drag-weight somewhere in the Government. The gold that would be won inside of two years if this work were carried out would surprise th* world. There is also an area of 14,00> acres of land (mostly Crown) that would be brought under irrigation, and a great many families could be settled on small areas if this great work were completed. This is not a scheme to get gold out of the other fellow’s pocket, like a good many other schemes of recent years, but this will have to be won from the tail-race by hard labour—if the project as urged by the residents of Central Otago is carried out. I trust, sir, that not only Mr Howard but all your city members will make themselves conversant with the scheme; and when on investigation they find out its possibilities, as no doubt they will, they will assist with this great national undertaking. —I am. etc.. ALEXANDRAITE. Alexandra, February 12, 19J4,