THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12833, 5 April 1905, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

KOMATA REEFS G.M. CO.

ANOTHER INCREASED RETURN.

£5557 FROM 1260 TONS.

TOTAL TO DATE, .£149,560. | I>t iiiN.; the month ending March 25, the j Komata Reel's Gold Mining Company I crushed :i;:d treated 1260 tons of ore for a, I return of bullion valued hi £3557. This, I despite the smaller tonnage, shows ar ini crease upon the return foi the previous | mouth, when 1520 tons yielded £5-163. An. interesting comparison, showing the inj creased value of the ore recently milled, ! lies in the fact that a similai quantity of | oi€ (1260 tons) put through the mill in. ; January Inst yielded £2407, or £1150 less j than the total now recorded. The total i yield from the mine to date is £149,560, J as shown in the following table of deft ails:—

i To December, 1900 £30,369 0 0 la 1901. &570 tons 11,092 0 0 In 1902. 12,250 tons 27.0E5 0 0 ! In 1503. 14,700- tons 37,157 0 0 j In 130*1. 15,900 tons 54,450 0 0 j X340.1i3 0 - i Period ending--j January *8. 19-35. 1260 tens ... 2,407 0 0 i - February 25. V7HX 1520 ton* ... 5,-'63 0 0 i March 25, 1903, 1260 tons ... 3,557 0 0 j Total to date .".'. £149,560 0 0 t ' WAIOTAHI G.M. CO. j ANOTHER DIVIDEND DECLARED. ! 'ii.'c "Wa.iutahi ('old "Mining Company | have declared another dividend of 6:1 per | share, absorbing a further- payment to shareholders of "£ISOO, and bringing the: j total of the amount so reimbursed to date j : to £48.300. Tins dividend is payable on '■. April 10. | * ! MAY QUEEN EXTENDED G.M. CO. Tits May Queen Extended Gold Mining : Com pony have crumbed 81 loads of oie for 77. >■/. of retorted gold, and a, small trial parcel for a further AO7, of retorted gold. BUNKER'S HILL G.M. CO. The manager of the Bunker's Hill Gold Mining Company's mine leports as fol-lows:-—Driving j- being continued in the crosscut at the adit level in a most favourable class of well mineralised country. A distance of 17ft has beet; driven for the week, making a total of 300 ft. On the ; No. 4 leader a distance of lift lot the week i mis been driven, making a total of 34ft in a good cla.ss of well mineralised coun- : try. So far no payable results hav«s been ; met with. j WAIHt SOUTH G.M. CO. j lit -the Waihi South Gold Mining Com- j pany's mine, the total depth of the bote- , hole is 750 ft. '1 he 'bore is passing through | • tha very best audesite rock interlaced with j quartz stringers. The •nauager has for- j j v aided samples of the cores to the local 1 ofike of the company. WAIHI EXTENDED G.M. CO. i Sinking operations in the Waihi Extended mine are going on as u?ual, and good progress wan made during the past ] week. The contractors will complete the required depth to be funk this week. The j cutting out of the chamber will then be 1 commenced. The country rock i a good class of andesite for lode system, and the manager expects that good quality ore will be obtained when' the reef is intersected. KURANUI G.M. CO. The manager of the Kuranui Gold Mining Company's mine reports as follows: — Intermediate level: North drive—There is only one man in this drive at present, who has advanced it. 4ft during the last four days. The No. 1 and Shotover reefs are together in the face of this drive at present, and have made into -a strong lode, with a marked improvement in the appearance of the ore. There are three men employed rising on the junction, of No. 1 and Shot over reefs, over this level, etoping south of the junction. No. 1 lode is at presentabout 4in wide, carrying good minerals and showing .strong oolonrs of gold when, broken down. WAIHI BEACH UNITED G.}J. CO. The supervisor of the Waihi Beach United Gold Mining Company reports that the contractors have sunk the shaft 12ft during the week, making the shaft-. 199 ft from the surface. It is" still going down through a good class of country for carrying gold-bearing reefs. ; TOKATKA CONSOLIDATED, LIMITED. I fBY TKI.PGRAT'H.— OWN' CORV.r.SI'UNDKNT.] I CoHoviAXDi-x, Tuesday. Dliving the past month the Tokatea Con- I solidated. Limited, treated 5 ton.* of general ore and 551b of picked stone, for a retutu of 550z 12dwt melted gold, valued at £157 -Is 3d. Work in the mine is proceeding as usual under the management of Mr. IX. IT. Harrison, and ore of fair grade is being won. ;

KAi'ANGA MINK. [ht TELEGRAPH.—OWN i.op.resi'OXDE.vt.] Coromaxdel, Tue'sdaj. It is rumoured that the Ka}ianga mine lias changed hands, Mr. Clem Coines haying purchased it, from the executors of the lute Captain Hodg« for an influential syndicate.

OLD HAURAKI G.M. CO. [BT TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT?.]

Coromandel, Tuesday. ■Osbonio and party, tributers in the' Old Hauraki Gold "Mining Company, have been, fortunate in dropping on a. good patch of quartz in their tribute. 'Ilie leader is looking very promising. THE WILBERFORCJ-: REEFS FIND. . [BY TELEGRAPH. ASSOCIATION'.] Hokitika, Tuesday. The prospectors of the Wilberforce Reefs Find, Jlokitikij. upon being interviewed, state that the total length of the tunnel driven on behalf of the Reefton syndicate was 200 ft, d 3ft of which required timbering. They have now been driving Rift in solid stone, which, they assert, is of an even quality, carrying highly payable prospects. They speak hopefully of the prospects of the field. The tunnel was put in 170 ft below the outcrop. Other parties prospecting in the locality discovered fresh outcrops. In one case, the find is believed to bo particularly good, while in other cases they are very encouraging. .V good area of ground has already been marked off, and several water and other rights applied lot. It. is expected that the Government geologist will visit the district at an early date. THAMES WARDENS COURT. DRAINAGE BOARD'S ASSESSMENTS. [BY TELEGRAPH.— OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames. Tuesday. The fortnightly sitting of the Thames Warden's Court was held this morning. The following applications were heard and dealt with: — Jas. Thorpe Xnglis: Application for six months' protection for the Occidental special quart/, claim, Kara kit. This application was objected to by Alexander Bruce, on the ground that the claim was only held for speculative purposes. Mi. Miller appeared for the applicant, and Mr. Clendor for the objector. Protection was granted, the objection by Alexander Bruce being withdrawn. The Golden Belt Gold Mining Company: Application for six months' protection for thf Golden Belt Extended special quartz claim, Neavesville. This application having received the consent of the. Minister was finally dealt with and granted. Walter Thomas Onion : Application for six months' protection for the Eclipse Extended special quartz claim, Upper Tararu. Granted. Maurice Kelly: Application- for six months' protection foi the Kirikiri and Domino special quartz claims, situated at Kirikiri. Granted'. The New Monowai Gold and Silver Mines, Limited: Application for permission to work the Monowai special quart/, claim with two men for six months. Granted. The same company applied for permission to work the Gem and Crown special quartz claims with two men lot six months. Granted.

Duncan MeLeod : Application for a. residence site, license, at Oinalm. Granted.

C. J. Ellis: Application to surrender a business site held by him at Tararu Road, and to obtain a new license for the same fur a period of 42 years. The surrender was accepted, and the new license granted. • James Thomas: Application for the New May Queen West special quartz claim, situated on the foreshore, Thames. Granted, subject to a. written declaration being lodged in the Warden's office. Patrick Mahcr: Application for the Tut special quartz claim. West Puru. Granted, subject to a written declaration being lodged. Kuranui-Caledonian Gold Mining Company: Appeal against the assessment by the Thames Drainage Board, on Lie grounds that the assessment of the Kuranui-Cale-donian Company was excessive, and not. in accordance with" the regulations. Mr. Martin appeared for the appellant company, and Mr. Karl for the Drainage Hoard. Mr. Martin, for the company, stated that the objection of the company to the assessment was based on the following pounds:—First, that the amount at which the Kuranui-Cale-donian Company was assessed, viz.. £397. was excessive in'proportion to the amounts at which other companies were assessed : that the system under which t.ie amount was arrived at by the. Hoard was not according t.. _ the regulations: that wis unfair inasmuch a* the Kuranui-Caledonian Company was assessed at for acreage held, and for depth of workings, and in addition to these items for 17£ per cent, on the amount of gold produced bv the mine duriusc the year 190-1, viz., £4439 12s 6d. notwithstanding the [act that this amount had not Ijeeu tve-ivod '•>•.- the said company, but had been lite res-til', of the work of 43 iributers. and thai all the benefit received by the company was in royalty from the hibutcrs to the amount of £556 12s. lie contended that the company should be assessed only on the amouiu actually received by them, £556 12s, wnich even then war not profit, as the expenses of management, drainage, winding, and relit, and other charges had to be paid, which really absorbed the whole iimotii;*, and ret. the company was "barged percentage on what they never received. The secretary of the Drainage Board, Mr. Nichols, gave evidence as to the constitution of the Board, and tin members present at 'me meeting at which the, assessment was fixed. Mr. Paul, manager of the Kuranui-Cale-donian Company also crave evidence as to the nurr.'ber of tributers at work' in the mine, and the amount of royalty received by tl*> company. He also stated that he objected tc the system of striking a rate or, ! the gob* won, as iie thought it unfair. It i would be fair to assess the mines on the j area and depth required only, H» also stated ; that a, portion of the gold won during la-', j year, amounting to £936. \va ; > obtained from ; above, the sea. level, and should not bo . included in lie assessment, as this, portion of the mine is not in any way benefited !-y ! the working of the pump. Mr. Karl, lor I the Board, contended that the basis ol the | assessment was a fair and reasonable one; '< ! that it was drafted by thoroughly ex- ! 1 perienccd men, who knew the requirements j ! of the Thames mines, and who had been i i elected to '..he position of members of the I Drainage Board by the representative >■■'. ! the various mutes within the drainage j j area; and that the Board had acted im : ! partially in making the assessment, and I had tried ,o deal fairly with all the mines I interested. The system of striking : levy on the amount of gold won had been resorted to before, although not during the last two or three years. With regard to I the contention of the Kuranui-Caledonian | Company, that they received no benefit I from the gold won by the tributes, it was ' scarcely correct-, as they were having (heir j mine explored and developed without any expense, and if the tributers discovered a. j big find of gold, the company would reap j the benefit. The appeal of the Vanguard and Short- ! laud Flat claims was then taken to allow of a consultation, taking place between the ' Kuranui-Caledonian and the other appel- I lant companies and the representatives of j tho Board. Mr. Clendon appeared for the Vanguard and Shortland Flat claim- j holders, and .stated that the grounds of ! appeal were '.hat these claims were not ; benefited by .he pumping -pev.iiions of j the Board. * He called Mr. E. F. Adams, j surveyoi, to support this contention, who ' stated that the operations ■■! the Thames Hauraki pump did not affect the water in the Deep Sinker shaft, and thai if, had not been reduced 6in since this ptm>*> started. Mr. Adams gave evidence on this point at considerable length, and held lha> the assessment on these claims was unfair,. His Worship, in summing up, stated tha* no ; reason had been shown why the assessment I of the Bon id should nor'be upheld, aid i dismissed the appeals with co-'ts. j The cases of tie Kuranui-Calcdoniait. I Victoria, and Kuranui Companies were i then finally dealt with without further i evidence or argument, the settlement being I satisfactory to all parties. • The assessment j on ..these companier. was reduced as fol- j lows: — Kuranui-Caledonian, from £897 to j £674; Victoria, from £195 to £130; and j Kuranui, from £172 to £158. j

This concluded the business, and J lie representative:' of the Board, Mcssr.o. flrcen, Karl, and Xichol. return tr- Auckland tomorrow morning by the Wtikatcre.

DUXEDIN STOCK EXCHANOK. [BT TEr.EGKAI'K.— ASSOCIATION.] Dv.vF.m.v, Tuesdar. St ode Exchange sales:; Golden Rim, 20s 6d ; Unity, 3s 3d,