GOLD AND SILVER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 16 November 1937, Page 7

GOLD AND SILVER

REVIEW OF YEAR’S MINING ACTIVITIES SMALL DECREASE IN PRODUCTION 21 DREDGES OPERATING [Special to "The Mail"] WELLINGTON, This Day. During the year 597.5480 zof bullion. valued al .C 1,272,587 was produced. a decrease in quantity of 56960 z. and in value £27.459, as compared with the previous year. The gold content of the bullion is estimated at 164.5750 z. valued at £1.233,178 (reads the Mines Statement presented to the House by the Hon. P. C. Webb). The estimated gold-production for the past seven years has been as follows: Year. Oz. 1930 120.931 . 1931 129.881 1932 168.354 1033 161.755 1934 160.248 1035 165.277 1036 164.575 It will be noted that for the year unefer review there has been a slight drop in gold-production. This is disappointing, but has been brought about by the circumstances mentioned below. Quartz-mining showed an appreciable decrease mainly on account of the fact that the outputs of the B'lackwater and Big River Mines dropped by 2192 oz. and 1953 oz respectively. On the other hand, the output of the Martha Mine increased from 52.54 10 z to 53.1080 Z, while from the Waihi Grand Junction Mine the recovery of gold amounted to 76200 z. compared with 58970 z for the previous year. Alluvial mining, however, was responsible for a greater drop in production than quartz-mining, the figures for 1936 being 33,6180 z. as compared with 37.1340 z for the previous year, a reduction of 35160 z The reduced returns of! the King Solomon Mine account for almost half of this reduction, while the balance is due to the large drop in the number'of subsidised miners engaged on this class of work. No less than 1407 subsidised prospectors were trans- j ferred to other avocations. Dredging activities produced 37.2690 z. an increase of 52070 z over the previous year. T!.:s increase is recorded in spite of the fact that the principal producer in this class of mining, the Rimu Dredge, lost 834 hours digging-time due to an unfortunate accident. If this dredge had worked its usual time the output of gold would probably have been at least 2000 oz more Twenty-one dredges were operated in New Zealand in 1936. as compared with only seven in 1933. Three more large dredges would have operated in the year under review had it not been for extraordinary delays due to factors outside the control of the companies concerned. The launching of two large on the Clutha River was held '.up for a very long period due to the extraordinary low state of the river, while a third large dredge at Barry-! town on the West Coast was held up fori lack of electric power. These three dredges, .however, are now in active production, and the dredge of the Clutha Gold Dredging Co. Ltd. is yielding very satisfactory returns, a recent week's work producing 4330 z. A further lour large dredges are now under construction on the West Coast, and a filth is to be erected near Cromin Otago