WINNING OF GOLD

Northern Advocate, 28 October 1932, Page 7

WINNING OF GOLD

HIGHER PRODUCTION.

INCREASED EXPORT,

OFFICIAL STATEMENT

(Per Press Association.—Copyright.) WELLINGTON, This Day

More gold was exported from New Zealand during September than during any single "month for many years, according to a statement made yesterday by Mr A. H. Kimbell, Under-Secre-tary for Mines. The export for the month was 20,347 ounces, valued at £113,275, rather less than one-sixth of the total gold exported for fast year.

Mr Kimbell said that from January 1 last to September 30, prospectors alone had sold 12,620 ounces of gold, valued at £55,674. This amount was much higher than the corresponding, figure for 1931.

It was considered that the numbers of prospectors had increased by 400 or 500 per cent during the first nine months of the present year. The average .monthly revenues, for gold actually sold, of individual prospectors ranged from £8 18/6 to £l3 8/.

The largest number of prospectors was in Central Otago, but there were also many men working in the Thames, Coromandel, Nelson and West Coast districts.

Nine Months’ Figures,

Tlio tola! export figures for the first nine months of the present year, compared with the corresponding figures for Inst year, also showed a substantial increase. The figures were as follows: —1031, total of 00.911 ounces, value £416,648; 1932, total of .12.1/52(5 ounces, value of £654,288. To encourage prospectors, the Mines Department is at present circulating two valuable leaflets, “Fossicking and Prospecting for Gold/’ and “Notes on Taking of Samples of Mineral Deposits and Valuation of Mining Prospects.”

Tn the first, the department remarks that the leaflet has; been prepared “describing the best tvays .of seek-' ing for and saving gold, in the hope that it will be of real serviee.do workers, especially those who have had little previous experience of prospecting. and thus lead to the opening of new finds, with consequent increased production and opening up ' avenues for useful employment of more and more men.’' The ensuing sections of the leaflet, which is illustrated with, diagrams, are devoted to areas for prospecting, prospecting for reefs, prospecting for alluvial gold, fossicking anl-d methods of saving gold, including /cradling, boxing, banjoing and grounjd sluicing.