THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12545, 12 April 1904, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

NEW ZEALAND CROWN MINES, LIMITED. •; £5458 FROM 2572 TONS. TOTAL TO DATE, £561,082. During March the New Zealand Crown Mines, .Limited, crushed and treated 2572 tons of ore for a return of bullion valued at £3458. This shows a.slight decrease compared with the previous month's return, when 2620 tons yielded £3354. The total amount won from the mine to date is £551,082, as shown in the following table of details: — Bullion obtained prior to 1896 ... ... £138,101 To December, IE9B ... ... 52,024 To December. 1899 71.636 To December; 1900 66,515 To December, 19ul 63,073 To December. 1902 76.452 To December, 1903 78.265 £550.069 January, 1904. £310 tons 4,201 February, 190 r, 2620 tons 5,354 March, 190*1, 2572 tens 3,453 Total to date £561,082 WET VERSUS DRY CRUSHING. In the current issue of the New Zealand Mines Record is published an article by Mr. Percy G. Morgan. M.A., director of the Waihi School of' Mines, on "The Rise and Fall of Dry Crushing on the Hauraki Goldtield." The writer traces the history of oretreatment- from the early days of the Waihi district until now. The adoption of the cyanide treatment by the Waihi Gold Mining Company, and some interesting data concerning the history of that company, are given, leading up to the period when the adaptation of the Waihi battery to the system in vogue at the Waikino mill brought, the reign of dry crushing on the Hauraki goldfield to a close. There follows a general description of dry crushing practice in the Ohineinuri district, a review of the dust evil, and its effect in the directions of loss of ore, injury to machinery, and, more important still, injury to workmen. The writer discusses the advantages and disadvantages of diy crushing, and concludes an interesting article as follows: —"Useful though it undoubtedly was in its day, dry crushing was responsible for no little suffering and loss of life, and its replacement- on the Hauraki goldfield by wet- crushing processes is not a matter of regret either to mine shareholders or employees. Though on certain mining fields, especially those with a scanty rainfall, dry crushing of auriferous ores may be preferred to the wet process, the writer's experience leads him to recommend mining engineers to adopt wet crushing as much as possible. The modern improvements in concentration, and the introduction of hydraulic separators and of the practice of pumping the separated water back to the stamps, together with more perfect methods of slime-treatment. have practically eliminated the losses caused by fine particles of ore being carried away by the battery-water, so that- in this respect, formerly its chief recommendation, dry crushing has no longer any advantage over the wet process, which in most other respects is immeasurably its superior."

GOLD MINING IN THE TRANSVAAL.

(Contributed.) At the present time, when so much attention is being paid to the experiment of the introduction of cheap Chinese labour into the Transvaal .State, it may be interesting to many to know what is going on just now in the Rand gold mines, and what dividends were lately forthcoming from the mines in operation. The Transvaal Chamber of Mines announces that the output of gold from the Witwatersraud district in January last, amounted to 288.024 ounces of tine gold, valued at £1.126.856. This result compares with previous vields as follows:—December, ISO 3, 286.061 value £1.215.111: January, 1903, 199,2500z, value £846,489. The total output for January last shows an increase of 27630z ever the previous month and is larger than any month since the end of the war. A comparison of the years 1898 and 1903 is worthy of note. , The year 1893 was the last vear under the old regime, which was interrupted by hostilities: and the year 1903 marked the first complete period under the new conditions. Total yield, year 1898, 4,295,6020z, value £15,141,376; total yield, vear 1903, 2.859.4750z value £12,146,306. Thus, practically, the 1903 output of gold was equal to £0 per cent, of the 1898 total. It may be of advantage to show what dividends were forthcoming from the yields of those same years. Of the 59 best- known mining companies in the Rand district the number of companies that paid dividends, and the total amount of same, are as follows: Year 1838, 37 companies, dividends £4,826.700: year 1903, 29 companies, dividends £3,363,620. In the past year therefore the dividends amounted roughly to 70 per cent, of the 1893 aggregate. "Of the dividends mid in 1903 the highest was Ferriera (187£ per cent.), and the lowest were the Nigel and the Simmer and Jack, both five per cent. Were the average of the 29 paying companies struck, the result would show a handsome return for 1903 of 49 per cent, of dividend per company. Apart from any question of share quotations, the above shows a very satisfa/jtorv result, in view of the labour a.nd other difficulties which have arisen since milliner operations were resumed. ROYAL OAK G.M. CO. [BY TELEGHAPH. -— OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Cokoiiaxdel. Monday. The Hon. E. Mitchelson and Mr. H. H. Adams drove through from the Thames to-day, on a visit of inspection to the Royal Oak mine. DREDGING RETURNS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION*.] Dcnedtn. Monday. During the week encied to-day returns have been reported from 55 dredges, the total yield being 16250z lldwt 16gr, or an average or 290z per dredge. The following additional returns are to mind. Lawrence, ?ooz odu-t: Taniwha, !3oz 2dwt; Tuapeka, lsoz sdwi:: Reliance, lOoz 4dwt; New Golden Beach, 7oz 7dwt.