GOLD OUTPUT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 149, 27 June 1898, Page 5

GOLD OUTPUT.

A comparative statement of the gold output of the colony for the months of May, 1897, and 1898, appear in the June number of the 'N.Z. Mines Record.' This shows the total output for the colony in May, 1897, was £97,749, whereas in May, 1898, the amount was only £50,967, showing a decrease of £40,782. It is, however, gratifying to note that the mines at this end of the colony are not responsible for the decrease. On the contrary, in May, 1897, the output of gold from Auckland was £22,175, and in May, 1808, it reached £33,266, added to which mines in the Auckland district showed an increase of £ 1,000 in the output of silver for the same month, making a total increase in the output from the Hauraki goldfiekls of £12,691, so that the decrease from Southern mines must really be over £50,000. The principal falling off was at Dnnetlin, the returns in May, 1897, being- £34,270, and in May, 1898, only £4,834. Greymonth also shows a great decrease, the output in May, 1897, being £24,391. as against £2,361 in May this year. West-port, on the other hand, has more than doubled its output, which in May, 1897, was £2,555, and in May, 1898, amounted to £5,105. Hokitika and Invercargill both show a slight decrease in the output for May of this year. AOTEA. The following interesting news was forwarded by pigeongram from this Great Barrier mine: 'I have had several colours of gold by pounding, and have some stone showing gold. The lode is broken here, sometimes verticil and dipping north. I have neve* seen as good stone taken from any lode here. 1 am sending you samples of the stone by Thursday's boat, in which you can see dabs of gold with the naked eye.' This refers to the lona reef which where cut in this mine was a very large body of stone. WAITAIA. An extraordinary meetuig of shareholders in the old Waitaia Company was held this morning at Mr W. H. Ohurlon's oiiice, at which the resolutions previously passed were confirmed re the distribution of shares, etc. Shareholders will now be able to get shares in the new Company upon payment of 8s per hundred to the liquidators.