MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15663, 17 July 1914, Page 5

MINING NEWS.

THE WAIHI FIELD.

LOW LEVEL DEVELOPMENT.

MR. J. W. WALKER'S SCHEME.

The importance of the scheme mooted by Mr. J. W. Walker for the penetration of the auriferous area lying between Waihi and the East Coast, by means of an adit level and crosscuts, lies in the question as to whether or no the promoter is able to raise the amount of capital involved. That point being satisfactorily settled the matter can be removed from the realms of theory into those of practicability.

I Hitherto tho development of the mining I properties in the flat to the eastward of the Martha hill, where the Waihi Gold Mining Company's operations have been for years concentrated, has been confined to the Waihi Gn.nd Junction, the Waihi Extended, and the Waihi Consolidated, now the" Waihi Reefs, mines. The only one of these to bo opened up to any depth or with any profit has been the Grand Junction, in which area sufficient evidence of the eastern extension of the Waihi reef systems has been obtained to justify the hopes built upon tho belief that they extend still further eastward. The same reofs, indeed, have been traced into contiguous areas, but in no case has the development been sufficient to make them payable. Grand Junction Development. The dovolpment of the Grand Junction, mine has been retarded by tho water difficulty, to cope with which the policy has, from the outset, been adopted of awaiting the sinking of tho Waihi shafts before sinking to equivalent depths. Originally tho ore production of tho Waihi mine was yielded wholly by the Martha reef, but, as the lower levels were opened up,' several other ore-bodies were cut. Tins lengthened the life of each level, and delayed sinking operations as being unnecessary in the meantime. The effect of this delay in the sinking operations of the Waihi, whoso big pump is and always has been, the principal drainage medium for the entire field, has naturally ! been to check the Grand Junction or any ' of the other mines in the flat, from going down to lower levels as speedily as might have been considered desirable. The resuit is that a large area of ground reasonably supposed to contain the continuation of the Waihi reefs at a depth has lain idle and unprospected, save for the merest surface, or superficial, explorations. The New Scheme. Under the scheme now brought forward the proposal, apparently, is to drive a long tunnel at sea-level from tho Waihi Beach through to the centre of the fiat to a point, east of the Waihi Extended ground, for the exploitation of 14 amalgamated mining properties in an area of 1360 acres. As the main tunnel progresses; crosscuts would be thrown out in either direction. With tho approach of the proposed tunnel towards the centre of mining activity in Waihi, it is claimed that there would, in places, be as much as 900 ft of backs for subsequent develop, ment. Moreover, the promoter offers tiie prospect of being able to' obtain £100,000 tor a pumping plant to enable deep sinking to be _ undertaken from the proposed tunnel. This and the natural slope of the main adit level would undoubtedly solve the water problem, and enable the various mines in the flat to sink independently of the Waihi mine, and, therefore, to more expeditiously test the deep levels of the field. The Claim for Exemption. Under the manning clauses of the Mining Act, the number of men to be employed in the development of the 14 claims in the group concerned would be considerably in excess of those actually required for driving the proposed tunnel, and its subsidiary crosscuts, and a concession from the Government 'to overcome that difficulty, is sought by the promoter of the scheme. He also seeks a reduction in tho annual rental of the combined area. These matters will doubtless be duly considered by the Minister for Mines when the matter comes before him. It would seem, in the meantime, that the introduction of English caiptal to finance the scheme might be a desideratum worthy of full consideration; If the scheme can be put into a practical form it would at least develop auriferous ground now lying idle, and test its value at a depth much earlier than it could otherwise be tested. PETITION FOR CONCESSIONS. [m TELEGRAPH.--OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WAirn, Thursday. During the past day or two, Mr. J. W. Walker has been conferring with business people and local bodies relative to his schemo for the development of the quartz claims held by him on the eastern portion of the Waihi field, and known as the Waihi Monumental Gold Estates. ihe petition prepared for presentation to Parliament, asking concessions in connection with the labour conditions of the mining regulations and a reduction of tho annual rental of the property is likely to De largely signed. Mr. Walker is confident that if the petition is favourably roceivod ho will r&ise the money in London to develop the claims held by him, whicn total 1000 aores.