OUR GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12452, 23 December 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

OUR GOLDFIELDS.

SUMMARY.

The gold returns to Hand during the three -weeks since the publication of the last Hekald Summary show a total 01 £62,532 13s 7d. This brings the output from the Auckland mines from the beginning of the year to date up to £897,326, and the final returns for the year have yet to come to hand. The completed returik for 1902 totalled £803*094, so that the incomplete record for this year is already £94,232 ahead of the total for 1902. It is gratifying to find that in spite of disappointments here and there, the gross output of the Auckland mines continues to increase year by year. The returns for the present three weeks would have been larger but for th<fact that several of the mines are cleaning up finally for the year, and the mills are in some cases running over the usual period in consequence.

The latest report from the Waihi mine states that at No. 6 level, Martha lode, east of No. 1 shaft, north-west crosscut, the full width of sulphide ore, which is 23ft wide, is being broken out. Jones' pass has been connected between Nos. 6 and 5 levels, in good sulphide ore ail the way. The Albert lode has been advanced to 71ft north of Harris' northwest crosscut, the lode varying from 2ft to 6ft, and at the face it has widened till only the east wall is seen in the drive. The ore is payable. In No. 5 level there is sffc of good sulphide ore exposed on the Martha lode east of No. 1 shaft, north-west crosscut. The Albert lode has been advanced 409f- north of Empire Junction. The ore is very hard, and is payable, -at 389 ft the lode branched, the east "branch being 2ft wide, low grade, arid the west branch aft wide, of fairly good ore. The latter section is being driven on with boring machine. The Princess lode in the south-east crosscut, west of No. 2 shaft, has been driven on 4ift. The lode is sffc wide, of payable ore. The Wurm pass has been connected between Nos. 5 and 4 lodes, and the lode is payable. The main part of No. 2 reef was cut at 259 ft west of No. 6 shaft. It averaged 4ft in width of sulphide ore. In No. 4 level the south-east crosscut from Skinners pass has been advanced to 401 ft from the Welcome lode. The sliding country was passed out of at 331 ft, and solid partly decomposed andesite exists to the face. Several quartz leaders were passed through. Foy pass has been connected between Nos. 4 and 3 levels in good ore. In No. o level .Royal 'ode, east of No. 2 shaft, south-east crosscut, the face has been advanced to 276 ft. At 219 ft the lode is 7ft wide, of payable ore. At 230 ft the north section branches off. The south or main part is followed to 276 ft east, the lode varying between 3ft and 6ft in width, of very good ore. At 276 ft the old surface is wet, showing pieces of lignite. Driving has now been turned on the north section. In the Uppe„ Smithy level it has been proved that there is payable ore from 25ft west of Hogan's pass to 345 ft west of Heme's pass, and also from the western mouth from 310 ft east. At 75ft east of the western mouth of the level a branch lode has been followed for 25ft. varying between 18in and 3ft in width, of payable ore. There has been a good deal of activity iv. j Waihi Grand Junction shares during the past fortnight. When the last mail left I on December 4 the shares were being offered on the Auckland Exchange at £2, with i buyers at about £1 17s 6d, while during the ! present week buyers were freely offering £2 , ss, and they have sold during the past fort- \ night at as high as £2 10s. It is stated that the rise is largely due to orders for j shares coming from England, the New Zea- ) land price having Until recently been lower than the price in. England* but, on the other hand, the prospect of the mine becoming a regular bullion-producer at an early date may have, had something to do with, the advance of prices locally. Some importantdevelopment works are to be undertaken in the mine after the holidays. At present the reef which is being driven upon east in the 500 ft level is pinching out, but this is believed to be due to the fact that the drive is proceeding just on the cap of the reef, and it will be necessary, to tap it at lower levels. For the last two months operations been proceeding opening up No. 3 level, and putting in a pumping chamber at a depth of 637 ft, and afterthe holidays it is intended to commence sinking to a level of 750 ft, and driving to intercept the reef at that'level. Tli6 company have also arranged for the erection of a wharf, electric generating power buildings, and machinery, at Katikati Heads, connecting the wharf by electric tramway with Waihi. A discovery which may prove of considerable importance to the Thames district has just been made in the Old Albumin, mine, a new reef about 6ft thick having been intersected, in the Moanataiari tunnel. The ore broken out carried excellent mineral indications, such as copper pyrites, zinc blende, and ruby silver, whilst strong colours of gold were also seen in the hangingwall section. The identity of the reef is notknown, as there 'is nothing on any of the plans available to show that it has been intersected in any portion of the company's ground. This fact, and also the knowledge that from the point of its present intersection "there are between 500 ft and 600 ft of backs available upon it, make the discovery a rathei interesting one, and one that may possibly lead to important developments at ari early date. The country in the tunnel is all that could be desired for the prevalence of gold, so that the outlook generally is a very promising oue. The Thames Goldfields Improvement Committee have completed an agreement with the Goldfields Diamond Drilling Company to sink three bore holes, the conditions being briefly as follows :—The three holes are to be sunk to at least 1000 ft and such further depth as may be decided upon later on, the price to be 18s per toot down to 1000 ft, 20s per foot beyond 1000 ft, and 40s per foot for all boring through quartz of a greater thickness, width, or length than lft. The Drilling Company provides all necessary machinery, plant, etc., and the cores of each hole-are to be as nearly as possible l£in in diameter, but in no case less than 15-16tb of an inch iu diameter. The committee has to provide all necessary water required in connection with the boring operations, and free conveyance of the Drilling Company's plant to the sites of the various holes.All possible trouble as to miners' wages, conditions of employment, etc., for the next two years has been quietly and amicably avoided by an agreement between the mineowners and the miners in the Auckland district. The award of the Arbitration Court, which, has just expired, formed the basis of the agreement, but some alterations have been made with the consent of both parties. The principal alteration as far as the Thames is concerned is that the wages of all underground workers- have been increased 6d per day, the rate of pay of surface workers practically remaining 'on '-he basis fixed by the origina l award. No sub-letting of contracts for underground work is to be permitted without the consent of the employer and the president of the Thames Miners' Union, either at the Thames or Karangahake. In the case of the Waihi workers, the wages of underground men undergo little change, the only alterations being that rock-drillers, tool-sharpeners, and repairers, labourers in wet batteries, shall receive an additional 6d per day, while a new heading has been added in the shape of timbermen's mates, who are to receive 8s 6d per day. in both cases provision is made for incompetent workmen to be employed at reduced rates. The whole of the terms agreed upon by the mineowners and representatives of the miners have been embodied in an award of the Conciliation Board, which holds good till December, 1905. - *