OUR GOLDFIELDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 259, 8 November 1897, Page 2

OUR GOLDFIELDS.

DEPARTMENTAL REPORT

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day

The following interesting items have been carefully collected from the mines report, which is a bulky document of some 237 pages, including two excellent maps of the auriferous districts in the North.and South Islands. Several illustrations plans and diagrams are also attached. SCHOOLS OF MINES. The beneficial results of these are apparent in mining centres. The large number of students shows that the need of technical education combined with practical knowledge is greatly appreciated. The Inspector remarks : " Well-equipped schools at the chief places in which a continuous course of instruction is carried on are infinitely preferable to smaller schools where the time devoted to teaching is intermittent, and less opportunity is afforded for obtaining thorough knowledge of the subjects, forming the groundwork of the necessary studies. Seventeen hundred and ninety-six assays were made against 1,103 in the previous year. The attendance has practically increased twofold. The expenditure in schools of mines in 1897 was : Subsidies towards erection of schools and maintenance, £352 ; chemicals apparatus, £58 ; scholarships, .£100; salaries of teachers and travelling expenses, £834 ;. total sum paid by the department towards schools of mines, £1,346. COMPANIES OUTSIDE THE COLONY. A list is given of companies outside the colony, which, remarks Mr G. Wilson, Inspecting Engineer, shows the vast interest taken in the industry, and that before long investment m mining will be in the front rank amongst the other commercial undertakings throughout New Zealand. Commencing with the Anglo-Continental Cold Syndicate, Limited, Capital £100,000, there are under the above heading 113 companies with a total share capital of £12,840,375— two at Aroha, twenty-four at Coromandel, eight at Thames, six' at Ohinemuri, two at Kuaotunu, one at Tairua, forty general, eight at Waitckauri, three at Karangahake and five at Wailii. FUHIPUHI. The inspector remarks that too nw'-\ ' 'V» been expended in different modes of treatment, whilst exploration of the ground and opening up and prospecting of reefs have been neglected. Hut the possibilities of the district are very great. Large | reefs are already discovered and the j character of the quart/., which in most i cases carries gold and silver, shows they i are worthy of being properly tested. The ' number of licenses issued from the ! Warden's office at Whangarei on or before ! the 31st March, 1897, was 18, comprising over 1,700 acres. GREAT BARRIER. The number of special claims granted in Great Barrier Island to the 31st March. 1897 was 13, comprising an area of 1,202 acres. COROMANDEL. The number of licenses for special claims and licensed holdings issued to the 31st March, 1897, was 301, and in Kuaotunu district 120. Speaking of Coromandel, Mr Wilson says : " A large amount of prospecting has been carried on, and many discoveries of gold-bearing reefs made. It will, however, take a length of time to develop the mines atul ascertain the value of those discoveries, and no doubt in many eases the mines will be abandoned for want of funds to carry on operations. KEEP LEVEL MINING. Speaking of the Royal Oak and Tokatea Mines the inspector says :—The chief gold production from the llauraki mining district has been from those reefs existing in andesite, and in a, few instances we have reefs in slate formation. Therefore as it is now proved that the veins of quartz have an uninterrupted continuance downwards in both rocks, and that, they are gold producing to a depth of 100 feet below the adit. It augurs well for continuance of the reefs down into the slate formation in all other portions of the llauraki goldtield, and gives hopes of success in deep level mining throughout. He also says regarding the Tokatea of llauraki: —"The ultimate success of this property and the Royal Oak is practically assured, judging from all indications surrounding these mines, and they ought again to come into prominence as good payable properties." Of the new llauraki Gold Company's property he remarks : —" The area of this property and the number of reefs traversing it in which gold has been traced should with further developments ensure payable results." Of the Kapanga mine he says : " This Company deserves success on account of the large amount of capital it has invested, for the untiring perseverance displayed in opening the mine at such a depth, and also for carrying on operations without having obtained adequate returns of gold for several years past." He adds: " There is, however, always, when working on the reefs in this mine, a chance of unearthing one of those patches of specimens similar to the rich finds obtained in the past." Speaking of the llauraki Main Lodes he says: " The position and facilities for working the mine with a permanent plant erected ought to prove, if indications go for anything, that it is a very valuable one." Of the Hauraki Goldmining Company he says : The dividend paid to 27th September amounted to £112,000 and expenditure in the colony to the 31st December, £22,987". The total expenditure since registration was £42,714. He is of opinion that from a mining point of view the Golden Pah (Hauraki) will be a good gold producer. THAMES DISTRICT. The list of mining properties taken up to 31st March, 1897, numbers 518. With reference to drainage, the working manager of the Big Pump reports that for the year ending December, 1896, coal to the amount of 2,459 tons was used. The receipts amounted to £4,335 and the expenditure leaves a balance of £549 in hand. From the district during the year 15,093 tons of quartz were crushed for a yield of 10,7990z. Of tailings 11,367 tons were treated for 2,61 loz, the Avhole being valued at £34,253. There were 1,527 men employed. OHINEMURI DISTRICT. The mines in the Ohinemuri district, situated at Karangahake, Waitekauri and Waihi, are highly profitable and the cyanide process has been successfully adopted in saving gold. The list of claims shows about 6,580. In his general remarks on the district he says the returns from the Waihi-Silverton, Waitekauri, New Zealand Crown mines, Woodstock and Talisman mines are most satisfactory, and the mines are so well opened up that the ore reserves in sight are sufficient to keep up a continuance of rich returns for several years to come. The yield of gold next year may be confidently anticipated to exceed that of the present year. The quantity of quartz treated last year was 64,463 tons for a yield of 148,6260z. Tailings totalling 2,522 tons were also treated, the whole producing gold and bullion to the value of £218,067. In this district the number of men employed total 1,820. TE AROHA. ,At Te Aroha the ore is chiefly of a refractory character, requiring special treatment, but in the past returns of gold were obtained from parts of reefs not so highly mineralised. Parcels of quartz have been

sent to England with the view of ascertaining profitable methods of dealing with it. The claims taken up in this district number five. AUCKLAND RETURNS. The crushings in the Auckland district during the year ending 31st March, 1897, were as follows :—Quartz and mullock crushed: Coromandel, 18,848 tons; Thames, 27,061 tons; Ohinemuri, 66,985 tons; Te Aroha, 934 tons; Great Barrier, 3 tons. The yield of gold or bullion was as follows :— Coromandel, 35,8860z5; Thames, 13,440 ozs; Ohinemuri, 148,6260z5; Te Aroha, 3760zs ; Great Barrier, 2190z5. The value of the gold or bullion won for 1897 was as follows :—Coromandel, £100,911 ; Thames, £34,253; Ohihemuri, £218,067; Piako, £986 ; Great Barrier, £36 ; total (including shillings and pence), £354,255 19s Id. The total output for 1596 was £378,106. INTERESTING STATISTICS. The statement of affairs of companies published in accordance with the Mining Companies Acts 1891 and 1894 show that in the Auckland district there are 424 mining companies with a subscribed capital totalling £5,377,225, of which capital actually paid up amounts to £836,336. The scrip given to shareholders on which no cash was paid had a nominal value of £1,807,234, the number of shares allotted totalled 29,554,501, and the arrears of calls amounted to £14,470, while the shares forfeited numbered 334,634. The number of present shareholders is 41,511, and the men employed 4,300. The quantity and value of gold produced since registration is 284,420A0z valued at £1,824,862. _ .The total expenditure since registration is £1,584,713, and the total amount of dividends paid £371,626. In the Nelson district, including West Coast, there are 31 companies with a subscribed capital of £822,760, and the amount of capital actually paid up is £425,796. The nominal value of scrip given to shareholders on which no cash was paid is £290,143; [number of shares allotted, 972,470; i arrears of calls, £2,247; shares forI feited, 28,318 ; shareholders at present, 1,664; men employed, 421; quantity of gold and silver produced since registration, 139,7690z, value £545,348. Total expenditure, £827,934; amount of dividends, £287,913. Otago Distinct: | Companies, 37 ; subscribed capital, ! £546,382 ; share capital paid up, £267,094 ; ; nominal value of scrip on which no cash was paid, £328,571; number of shares allotted, 1,823,103 ; arrears of calls, £1,550 ; shares forfeited, 17,113; present share- ! holders, 3,498 ; men employed, 515 ; quani tity of gold and silver produced, 128,6950z, lvalue £50,440. Total expenditure, £522,174; dividends, £90,262. REPORTS AND PAPERS. Valuable reports are appended on timbering mines, hydraulics, blasting, a new current motor,- accumulation of amalgam, copper plates, classifying tailings, gold extraction from refractory ores, telluride, and specification of new patents. Many of the J above totals have had to be made up from | the tables. THE MINING BOOM. Mr Wilson says: —"The mining boom, which commenced in 1895, continued throughout the past year. A large number :of areas were taken up within the principal mining districts in the colony, and extensive works undertaken in prospecting and development of the mines. In a great j number of cases the claims have been disi posed of to English companies. Opera- | tions have been commenced and machinery ! erected to an extent only possible by I large expenditure of capital. The demand on the part of investors for legitimate mining properties has not to any great extent been lessened, notwithstanding the shrinkage in the yield compared with last year. The decrease in the yield is not owing to the scarcity of the metals or .to the mines being exhausted, but chiefly ;to the fact that on English companies be- | coining owners a change in the policy of working was adopted, and dead work and improvements in machinery carried on in the place of the continuance |of production. An immediate increase iin the return cannot be looked for, inasmuch as in addition to preliminary work the new appliances adopted and the construction of the water races will take a considerable time to complete, during which the actual recovery of gold in many of the mines will be almost totally suspended. In the newer mines also in which discoveries have been made of a promising nature gold returns cannot be expected until the mines are developed and the necessary machinery and appliances provided, both for the quartz lodes in the North and Middle Islands, and the alluvial deposits in the latter Island. In the near future, however, the number of goldproducing mines will be materially increased, and a steady yield maintained."