WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

Lake County Press, Issue 975, 15 August 1901, Page 5

WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

The gold exported from New Zealand during the six months ending 30th June totalled 217,4780z, valued at £844,888, which is the record for the past t9n years. The Metalic and Galvanic companies are talking about going into liquidation. Both are examples of misfortune ; the former of evident mismanagement ; the Great Metallic Muddle, it will probably be known in dredging history. It is pretty hard on shareholders to find it necessary to go into liquidation without ever having had a dredge on the claim. In the meantime two unproved claims lie for the capitalist.—Cromwell Argus. The Arrow Flat and Big Beach companies intend making a start at once with race repairs, so as to be ready for a start as soon as the fine weather sets in. The return from the Arrow Junction dredge, viz. 250z sdwt, for last week must be considered highly satisfactory. The dredge is at present working close to the junction of the Arrow and Kawarau rivers, and, although the ground is apparent]? fairly deep at this particular spot, the dredge has not found any great difficulty in bottoming. In Mr Highet the company has a most capable manager. The Kawarau Bridge dredge struck a hard bar last week, which in a great measure affected last week's return. Even in the early part of the present week the bar was still troublesome. The return last week was 12oz. The departmental report on dredge mining in Victoria for the last year shows that at the end of the year the number of gold dredging leases in force was 103, embracing 5903 acres in all. Thirty-three dredge mining plants treated nearly 4,000,000 cubic yards of alluvial deposits for 21,6360z of gold. Experience has proved that the pump hydraulic sluice and jet elevator are preferable to the bucket dredge. The departmental engineer says that there are 100,000 acres of auriferous alluvial which will not pay except by dredging, and concludes his review of the year by stating that with large plants, adequate water supply, and technical knowledge on the part of the workers, most of the area awaiting treatment will pay dividends. The Tuopeka Times states that the Otago and Southland Dredgemen's Union has issued the following communication (signed by John M'Kenz'n*, president, and J. H Pavidson, secretary) to dredging companies : "Our proposals sent out to the various dredging companies of Otago and Southland, under date April 6, 1901, having been treated in the great majority of instances with complete

indifference, and having failed to lead to an industrial agreement, as was hoped, lam instructed to state that the union lias decided to refer the conditions appended below to th° Conciliation Board for settlement : "1. Eight hours to be recognised a shift, " 2- All work done over eight hours fo count as overtime, ond to be paid for at tim a and a-half. "3. Minimum wage :—For open river and flat dredging in the Alexandra Clyde, Cromwell, Nevis, Clutlia, Cardrona, Shotover, Roxburgh, Miller's Flat, Beaumont, and Waipori districts and road-makers in tho above districts (steady employment), 9s per shift, casual employment, 10s per shift; coalers in above districts, 10s per shift; for dredgemen in the Lawrence, Waitahuna, Glenore, Gore, Matauia, Charlton Creek, Waimumu, Waikaka, Shag River, and Kyeburn districts, 9s per shift • gorge claims (such as the Alexandra-Roxburgh, Clyde-Cromwell, and Kawarau Gorges), 12s per shift. "4. All shifts to go round, so that every man gets his fair turn at day shift—viz. every third week while dredging. If employers feel disposed to break this principle of simple justiee, and require dredgemen to work always on the 4 to 12 and 12 to 8 shifts, such work to bo paid for at not less than 2s per shift over ordinary rates. "5. Cadets: All cadet 3to be paid half wages while cadeting. No cadet to work a shift unless he be paid full wages. " 6. Wages to be paid at not greater intervals than once per month. " 7. Holidays.—Eight days' holiday on full pay is asked for at Christmas, from Christmas Day to New Year's Day inclusive, or double rates for working on any of the following holidays : New Year's Day, January 2, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May 24, King's Birthday, Labor Day, and Christmas Day. "8. Sunday work to be paid for at double rates. "9. Unionists to have preference of employment." DREDGING RETURNS. oz. dwfc. Manuherika ... ... 205 16 Junction Electric ... 168 0 Crcmwell 138 10 Unity 93 11 Earnscleugh No. 2 ... 74 0 Monte Christo 6S 0 Siiloi's Bend 64 10 Hartley and Riley ... 60 7 Meg and Annie ... ... 60 2 Fourteen-Mile Beach ... 56 0 Golden Gate 55 6 Empire ... .„, ... 51 12 Clyde 50 0 Perseverance ... ... 41 14 Alexandra Eureka ... 41 0 Magnetic 41 0 Waimumu Central ... 40 5 Alpine No. 2 37 6 Waimumu Extended ... 33 13 First Chance 30 4 Success ... ... .„ 29 ) 1 Golden Treasure '29 10 Waimumu 28 0 Enterprise No. 2 27 6 Central Charlton ... ... 27 0 Majestic 25 10 Arrow Junction 25 5 Gibb's Beach 25 0 Golden Link 25 0 Charlton Cre?k 22 7 Long Valley 22 0 Enterprise No. 1 19 16 Otago 19 5 Molyneux Hydraulic ... 19 2 Chicago ..." 19 0 Golden Gravel 18 10 Spec Gully 18 0 Cairnmuir ... ... .. 17 0 Gabriel 15 S Waimumu Queen 15 3 Xuapeka 14 18 Globe .„ 14 12 Enfield 13 15 Inch Valley 13 15 Morning Star 13 9 Matau 13 0 Shepherd's Creek 12 18 Bannockburn Creek ... 12 12 Paul's Beach 12 4 Vincent Extended ... 12 3 Kawarau Bridge J 12 0 Central Mataura 11 8 Lawrence ... ... ... 11 0 Second Magnetic 8 13 Great Central 6 15 Halfway House 3 16 Dunback 3 13 Wbst Coast. Mokoia 30 0 Three-mi'e Greenstone ... 28 0 Bullor Junction 25 5 Reeve's Proprietary ... 22 0 Grey River 21 10 Pactolus 21 5 Al 21 5 Leviathan 11 5 Maori Queen 7 8 Greenstone Junction .. 9 0