THE GOLDFIELDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 70, 23 March 1910, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

THE HORAHOKA RAPIDS. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WAIHI, this day. The Minister for Mines, in reply to Mr. H. Poland, M.P., has made an important statement regarding the water power concessions at Horahora Falls. The Minister states that the license issued to the Waihi Gold Mining Company authorises the company to take from the Waikato River at Horahor* Falls sufficient water to develop 10.000 horse-power. The license also provides that the company shall have the right to apply for any further water at Horahora which may be available to produce power beyond the quantity granted by the license, provided that such additional quantity shall not them have been granted to any other person, body corporate, oi company. No reliable estimate appears to have been made by any Government officer (proceeds the Minister) as to the quantity of water available at Horahor-A, but Mr. H. P. Barry made an estimate some ysars ago that on the average about 120.000 cubic feet of water passed the falls per minute. The question, however, as to how many horse-power this quantity would 'develop depended npon the amount of fall available and the method adopted for utilising the water, and It [was possible that tlie company woul'.l j have to dam or partially dam the river Ito obtain the fall necessary to develop the power referred to above. THAMES DEEP LEVELS. The delays in connection with starting the I,oooft. crosscut at Thames, from the bottom of the Queen of i Beauty shaft to the Knranut-Caledonian, j still coirtinno to prevent the commencement of operations. There is a clause in the agreement that work shall not be started until each company has paid in its proportion of the contribution decided upon. Some companies paid at once, bnt ti»o held off, pending the I signing of a deed of covenant, binding the companies to contribute such further sum as might be required to complete the tunnel, in {he event of the original estimate being exceeded. This tired has now bc*n approved by the various companies, so that there should be some Jiope of work being commenced shortly after Easter. OCCIDENTAL CONSOLIDATED. The following telegram -was posted on the Exchange this morning:— seaward of the break, showing good blotchy ! of gold." s . ! _______________