OUR GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12317, 8 July 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

OUR GOLDFIELDS.

SUMMARY. - During the three weeks elapsing since the publication of last Hgraj,d Summary, the gold returns from the Auckland district have reached a total of £68,111 Os scl. ': Although the- returns for; the first half of the year are still incomplete, owing to the results of the June clean-up from the New Zealand . Crown. Mines, Tairua Broken Hills Gold Mining Company, and some other companies being so far unavailable, the total of the returns published for the six months in question amount to £460,554 19s sd. This shows the very considerable increase of £84,830 6s 7d over, the total for the first half of the year 1902, when, the output from the Northern fields'- was £365,724 12s lOd. That total in turn exceeded the gross outmit for the first;"six months of 1901 by £42,176 ss; Bd, so that the additional yield for the l ' present : halfyear reveals the steadily-growing 'I productiveness of the Auckland mines. The increase for the first quarter of the present year over that of the year 1902 was £32,561 4s 6d, so that an improvement is shown during the ''last',■': three months. : Taken in. conjunction with the official figures for the colony, which show that last year's gold output from all sources totalled over two " millions sterling—a record .for over 30. years—the present increasing yield from the Auckland district is a satisfactory sign of the flourishing state of the gold mining industry in this -part' of; the colony, and points to the probability of a larger output than ever for the current year.:' _, The Talisman Consolidated Gold: Mining Company during June secured- '. a record; return of bullion valued at £7518 from 3850 tons. -,'.- The* whole of the 50 head of stomps are now employed, and it is anticipated; that the recent improvements to the mill will not only lead to a sustained increase in the monthly output, but also to more economical working of the property. j' ; The Government; have;'-; agreed to : siibsi-, disc the boring operations to bo undertaken by -the"Thames Goldfields Improvement Committee for the testing of the deep levels up to the increased, limit of £2400,' instead, of the £1800 originally promisee!. Sufficient funds are now in:- hand ; ;;for initiating the work, and negotiations are • in ' progress with the Goldfields Diamond Drilling Company, of ■ Kalgoorlie, ; for the supply of the necessary machines. The kuranui-Caledonian Company have ordered a boring machine from the Goldfields . Diamond Drilling Company, to put a bore-hole down ; in their ground, but itis intended to work in conjunction with the Improvement Committee's scheme in order to participate in the Government subsidy. It is also understood the Victoria Company are arranging for a machine to put down a hole in their ground, i Operations in the Mahara Royal mine have, continued to attract attention during | the >'.'- past ; three'.'- weeks. -,*'. The lode being worked upon ..in creased in size and'quality, I towards the end of last month, and there were free transactions in shares on the ; Stock; Exchange. 'Latest reports ; are of ■ a favourable nature. ,' It is understood that Mr.; G.E.; Stephen-J son, formerly manager of tho: Puriri Gold j Estates property, at' Puriri, ' but who re- ' turned' to London early in 1902, is again on his way to - this colony, with the object'-: of resuming the management of the property mentioned, and that he comes possessed with considerable capital for its development, '.;'-. : -"-.;. -;" r '•"..;* .'; ' At a general meeting of shareholders in the New Four-in-Hand Gold Mining Company, resolutions providing for the increase of Uie company's capital by the issue.of 45.000 new shares of Is each were agreed to. The whole- of these new shares have been applied; for. \\ The money accruing therefrom will be utilised for - the purpose of putting in a low level from the western side of the hill, commencing just above the Waikorqmiko Creek and running through the spur. ;■:- The new low - level, . which will cost about £2000, will cut the : Four-in-Hand lode at a distance of. 1040 ft, giving close upon 200 ft of backs. It. will also intersect the Tuinui leader now being worked upon, and from which, .since. November 'last (during which time the company has been under protection), bullion to the value of about £1000 has been won as the result of: two; men's work. ' The proposed low level will also cut three other reefs known to carry gold. On February 19 last the property formerly owned by the Hauraki Gold Mining Company, at Coromandel, .was taken, over by a local company, registered as. the Old Hauraki Gold Mining Company, with a capital of- £12,500, in 100,000 shares of 2s 6d each, 10,000 fully-paid shares going to the vendors (the English company), and the balance being distributed amongst : the shareholders; Since the taking, over, of the property the tributes then let have been, continued, With the exception of three these expired" on Monday last, leaving the various . blocks open for the present company to continue operations if they so desire. In one or two cases the 'company are already at work below where, the other tribnters began. Mr. H. C. Woftlmer is supervisor of the property, and Mr. John GoldswoiHiy mine manager. Under their directions the battery has been overhauled and a new boiler erected, whilst ' at the mine new winding machinery has been installed at the shaft, the levels have been j cleaned out and 'retailed, besides which the shaft has been put in order. Amongst I other development work in hand in the 1 mine is a drive being put through the slide j which cut off Legge's reef- to try and pick ' up that lode on the other side. | At the half-yearly meeting of share- : holders in the Hauraki Freeholds, Limited, i the report of the thine manager, stated that j lor work in the immediate future the oonii I pany had a block of proved ground 76ft in j height, which would give stopes 50ft long. i. It "was anticipated that this block would ! give a considerable tonnage of remunerative I ore. Picked stone had been scoured in the j Bunker's Hill mine a few feet from the Hauraki Freeholds' boundary. This drive would shortly bo extended into the latter company's property, and become a permanent level. Besides the reef here, the company had other lodes in the mine, worthy of attention. The four directors of the Hauraki Freeholds who had hitherto acted as nominees of the Thames Exploration Syndicate resigned at the meeting, owing to the fact that the syndicate had ceased to hold any interest in tho company. The j meeting re-elected these gentlemen. >] The report of the directors of the Waihi 1 j South Gold Mining Company prepared for > the annual meeting, which lapsed lor want : of a quorum, stated that ; they contemplated

the further prospecting of the company's ground, either by boring or by conceited J arrangements for driving a'crosscut in the i Waihi West : mine, from a point much nearer the. boundary than previous explorations/ ' ' . ■'.'■■ • The annual meeting of. shareholders ju. the .Waihi Extended Gold Alining Company was:' held on June 30. ' The directors' report stated that it was hoped that a reef would soon be intersected in the northwest crosscut, and that the leaders now being driven upon from the south-east crosscut would converge and become a strong body of ore. In October last the directors secured a small piece of ground, known: as the Pride Extended. It coinprised about 19 acres, adjoined the Waihi Extended special quartz claim on the northern boundary, and was likely to prove a valuable acquisition to the property. The directors of the Te Puke Gold Reefs, Limited, have: agreed to extend the time limit allowed the option-holders for payment of the second instalment of the purchase money (£6342 7s 6d). The terms of the option provided that this payment should be made on June 30, and the extension allows until the end of the present month.