LAWRENCE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 52, 17 April 1885, Page 7

LAWRENCE.

(From our own Correspondent.)

13th April, 1885. Thb various miners at the Blue Spur and Wetherstones are carrying on operations with their wonted activity. The Great Extended are nearly ready to commence sluicing, the laying of the pipes being almost completed, and the head race cut. This has been a work of some considerable duration /.as they had to cut through the solid rock. — The last washing of the Gabriel's Gully Tailing's Company was highly satisfactory. During the last month they met with some solid ground which in the early days had been passed over, which gave very poor returns. In all probability that was the reason it was not taken away before. — The Goldmining Cement Company at Wetherstones are now on good ground, and are working two shifts, having about thirty men employed. — The event of the month as regards mining matters has been the visit of the Minister of Mines. Mr. Larnach arrived on the Bth instant (Wednesday), and on the Thursday was waited on by a deputation consistingjof the Mayor (Mr. John Thompson) and some of the Councillors, being introduced by Mr. J. C. Brown. The object of the deputation was to obtain a farther grant of £500 from the Government for the completion of the sludge channel, on which the sum of £300 has already been expended. After inspecting the channel the Minister stated that he was of opinion it was necessary that the work proposed should be done, and promised to use his best endeavours to procure the money. A deputation from the Tuapeka Prospecting and Mining Association also waited upon the Minister with the object of getting a subsidy from the Government. Mr. Herbert, who acted as spokesman, informed Mr. Larnach that a double shaft 275 feet in depth had already been sunk, the object being to strike the deep lead below the Wetherstones Cement Company's claim. A tunnel 214 feet in length had also been driven, the amount of £600 having been spent in the work, one-half of which was Government subsidy. In addition to this, a further sum of £286 had been laid out, with the full understanding that the usual subsidy would be given. A claim for £138 had been sent in, but a reply had been received that Government could only grant money for work which was to be done in the future, and could not do so for work already completed. As showing the importance of the work, Mr. J. C. Brown stated that £27,000 had been spent by the Wetberstones Cement Company in wages, etc., since they started operations, and that in all probability the discovering of the deep ground to which the operations spoken of would lead would give employment to a large number of miners. The Minister, after visiting the shaft, and also the Wetherstones Cement Company's claim, promised to do all he could in the matter, as he thought it very desirable that the works should be carried on. Various miners and others at Waipori asked that a sum of £500 should be granted towards the prospecting for the deep lead on the Waipori Flat. Mr. McLedowney stated Chat £300 had already been laid out, bat the work had been abandoned because of the quantity of water. The money which they asked for was for the purpose of proceeding with this work, for which they would require to purchase an Ashbury pumping machine. Mr. Larnach, in reply, stated that one of the machines spoken of would throw out sixty tons of water an hour. The work, he said, was no doubt very important, but a farther vote for prospecting purposes must be made by Parliament before the money could be granted. On Friday, the party visited the Gabriel's Gully Sluicing claim and the Otago Company's claim. A number of mine managers waited upon the Minister with the object of obtaining the abolition of the gold duty. It was stated that on each ounce of gold the amount of 4s was paid including the duty, and that in cases where a number of men were employed and the returns were small it fell very heavily on the shareholders. They considered the gold duty a class tax, and a very unjust one. They did not consider the miner's rights fee excessive, nor the runt of a pound an acre for the ground. In reply, the Minister said that at the West Coast the miners were anxious that these two items should be reduced. He was pleased that the deputation were unanimous, and promised to do all he could to forward their views. Another matter brought forward by the mine managers was, the fact that it was probable that an endeavour would be made to have an import duty placed on powder, on which there was already a duty of If d per lb. Tbe fumes of the New Zealand powder were so vile that the men would not stand it ; besides, it was too soft. Mr. Adams, manager for the Gabriel's Gully Tailings Company, bas invented a patent cement crasher, which Mr Larnach was requested' to inspect in order that the Government might have a model made. The Minister approved very highly of the invention, and it appearing that a modi 1 could be made for £50, said that one could be made by the Government on. the condition that it became their property. It could be placed in. the Exhibition, and wonld be a great acquisition in a School of Mines. On Friday afternoon 'the Minister went by special train to Waitahuna, visiting the claims there,

and thence proceeded to Dunedin. The visit has given great satisfaction i to the mining community. I may add that Mr, Larnach has left great »„ hopes behind him, and by his cordial co-operation with the views of the various deputations who waited upon him, and evident desire to do all in his power to forward their views, has earned for himself golden opinions.